Panaracer’s Driver tyres aren’t cheap, but they are a surprisingly grippy and reasonably fast-rolling dry condition rubber choice.
They’re not the fastest semi-slick 29er tyre we’ve used on roll down comparisons, but the tiny wide-spaced studs stay hooked up longer in mixed trail conditions.
You need to remember to over-lean them to engage enough knob for confident cornering, but if you don’t want to commit totally to semi-slicks you can just stick one on the back.
Despite a low and lively 593g weight the tyre blows up fairly big for useful cushioning and the ASB strip helps stop rock to rim pinch flats.
This article was originally published in Mountain Biking UK magazine, available on Apple Newsstand and Zinio.