I got a chance to put these tyres through there paces at the weekend - IRC Serrac XC 29x2.1. Kings lynn winter series round 2. The weather was cold by Suffolk standards and it was snowing. The trails were wet and mucky. Normally I find grip and issue with the tyres I normally use. The IRC's are mounted to a set of Velocity Blunt SL rims with a 20mm internal width. Yes they are narrow but they work. The tyres sit 50mm wide which is to be expected on a narrow rim. The tyre however, even though it is narrow can really perform. This rider lacks talent. On the straights they roll well (diificult to tell if they are quicker or slower than other fast tyre - they were not a hinderance though) but in the mud they gripped well for a narrow tyre (maybe because it was narrow). No mud stuck to them either which was nice. I have been in races before where my tyres (Challange one tubular turned into a ball of mud - these where the worst MTB tyres I have ever bought). Also they were surprising comfortable and I ride a rigid Kenesis FF29. It took 2.5hrs of the increasingly wet gloves to numb my hands and it is the cold that did that - biy it was painful. On the road I have noticed road tyre like grip on wet roundabouts. Most MTB tyres even the tubulars I use (Vittoria and Dugast) just dont corner that well on wet tarmac, these IRC's do though. My only wish is that the tyre was wider but as it weighs only 520g I am not complaining. The tyres helped me to 12 place. If I had not packed the race in 11 minutes before the finish (I could have done another lap) due to being boarderline hypothermic I would have finished higher up. All in all a good tyre and one I will enjoy using and wear out.