# For MtB'ers: Knobbies VS Low Profile



## czimborbryan (Mar 15, 2007)

I prefer riding with fairly large knobby tires.  My favorite are the Panaracer Smoke and Dart Classics.  They seem to kill everything else in the perfect department.  My style of riding is super-technical agressive XC trail.  

I've been curious about the low profile tires that have very small knobbs.  Are there any that are really good in all conditions?


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## Marc (Mar 15, 2007)

czimborbryan said:


> I prefer riding with fairly large knobby tires.  My favorite are the Panaracer Smoke and Dart Classics.  They seem to kill everything else in the perfect department.  My style of riding is super-technical agressive XC trail.
> 
> I've been curious about the low profile tires that have very small knobbs.  Are there any that are really good in all conditions?



Every description I've read about a low profile tire (Michelen make a popular one I believe) is they're for dry, hardpack conditions.


I've been riding on WTB Velociraptors for several years now and I've always had good luck.  They suck on tarmac, however, that's why I have a road bike.


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## czimborbryan (Mar 16, 2007)

If you ride WTB Velociraptors, you'de love the Panaracers that I use.  In fact, I rode WTB Vlcrptrs for a long time, but the annoying fishtailing that I got in deep sticky mud made me want to switch.  Once I put on the Panaracers, I immediately noticed a huge difference with lightweight snappy acceleration.  The fish tailing in mud stopped and I also noticed that the Panaracers had exceptional vice-grip like traction on rocks.

You should try them.

I too thought that the low profile's were for dry hard-packed conditions, but I have been seeing them everywhere and was starting to get curious about if there was some type of breakthrough that I hadn't been aware of.


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