Schwalbe Dirty Dan Tyre Review

Its winter time, the hard tail is out and some new mud tyre`s put on.
Been a big fan of Schwalbe Nobby Nics I decided on some Dirty Dans. The Nobby Nics perform great in a lot of conditions, including mud, but with my local trails beginning to get a bit sticky and riding a lot more, I went for a change.

Riding mainly XC and using a lot of roads to link up the trails, I went for the 2.0" width to reduce drag and also to cut through the mud for more grip. They also come in 2.35", which did seem a little too wide for general XC use.

On first impressions the blocks look well spaced apart to allow mud to be cleared from the tread and fairly deep to cut through the gloop. They did take some fitting to run tubeless on my mavic 721 rims, but once on they haven't been a problem.

With the soft compound I was expecting them to drag a little on tarmac, but on the first ride I was pleasantly surprised with the speed of them.
On wet rocks and roots the lugs grip really well, but the tyres excel in the stuff they have been designed for, the mud.
I felt the difference more on the climbs. On the short, steep, ascents of my local trails they perform really well, offering me grip where other tyres haven't before. Allowing me to even get out of the saddle, instead of anchoring my bum on the seat for traction.
With the spacing of the blocks there is no problems with mud clogging up the tyre, they appear to be cleared as soon as the tyre leaves the ground, giving a mud free tyre to dig into the mud again.
I just wish I`d have changed to a winter tyre sooner.

Twitter: @AndyCole_AMR

Peak District 2 day mtb route

Knowing I would have little time to get out on my bike over the Christmas holidays, I planned a two day route close to home the weekend before the break. With just a 40 minute drive from Leeds to Langsett, the Peak district is pretty much on the doorstep.
After ringing a few Hostels and bunkhouses we finally found one that was open and had space for the four of us.

With the descents we had to complete on route we kept our packs as light as possible. Along side our usual riding gear was a spare set of clothes, a sleeping bag and two days worth of snacks.
The van was parked up in the lay-by near Langsett and we headed into the woods towards Mickleden Edge. Climbing from the reservoir is steep to begin with, but the gradient does subside as you gain height. The wind was blowing down the valley, right in our faces making riding difficult at times. Without this hindrance the climb is rideable to the summit cairn marking Cut Gate.
Once at the top the big cairn offered us some protection from the strengthening wind, where we snacked and prepped for the descent.
Rucksacks tightened and saddles dropped we headed for the descent into Derwent Valley.
From the summit cairn it drops on rock slabs, leading to a grassy, boggy patch before a piece of singletrack contours above Bull Clough.
The easy riding was short lived, as the drop down to Howden Reservoir is steep. Big rock steps drop down to the slippery stones. There is an easy alternative by taking the left hand trail at the sign post.

Once at the bottom of the valley, we chose the west side of the reservoir as our trail taking us up and over to Hope Cross was about half way down and with the café closed for the Christmas break there was no chance of a quick brew.

After the confides of the tarmac reservoir road, the climb back out of the valley was a bit of a shock. Dropping down towards the A57, we chose to go straight on where the bridleways cross. The drop down, is rocky, but with the natural berms in the trail, has a feeling of a trail centre descent.
Crossing the road we pushed up towards Hope Cross, the climb is steep and rocky which did mean so was our descent the following day. So our eyes were peeled for our return line. It was clear why this short descent was known as the beast, with rocks as big as small cars I was glad I had decided on bringing the full suspension.

The sun was dropping down behind Mam Tor and illuminated our trail ahead, leading us down to our final stop at Edale. The trail drops down steadily, with one short climb interrupting the flow.
Once hitting the road, we headed into the village to find our bunkhouse for the night.
When we were showered and our sleeping bags were on our beds we headed to the pub for some well deserved food and beers.

Next morning the bunkhouse was filled with the distictive smell of frying bacon. The other occupants of the bunkhouse had come prepared and in cars. With our limited space, muesli and porridge were all we could manage.
After our inferior breakfast we got out our bikes which were stored with the farmers tractor and headed back the way we came. The weather held up all weekend and with the wind now behind us we expected to make good progress. The descents this way round were even better than the previous day. The beast dropping down from Hope Cross is very technical, but rewarding when rode without dabbing. But the highlight of the ride has to be the descent back down to the reservoirs in the Derwent valley. This is long and fast with a few rocks thrown in to keep your concentration up.


The steep long climb back upto Cut Gate was made easier with yesterdays wind now offering us a little push. At the top it was a short blast back down to the van, that ended way too quickly for all of us.
Once the muddy gear was off and the bikes packed in the van, we could reflect on what had turned out to be a great ride to end the year.


 *excuse the pictures, they were taken from my camera phone.