Hutchinson Spiders came stock on my Jamis Dakar. I had read mixed reviews about this tire. One thing I did notice was that most of the negative comments seemed to have a similar characteristic: riders in the 200+ lbs range. I'm below that range (ever so slightly), so I tried to have an open mind about these tires. After riding a single set of Spiders for almost a year w/o a flat or serious signs of wear and tear, my opinion is that these tires are a good XC option for folks.
These tires shed mud very well, and I have never had the rear tire spin out on me or the front tire slide out from under (if you are looking for a set of tires to let you down, see my post on the Bontrager Revolt X). Spiders aren't the best looking tires out there - but the saying goes "form follows function". And these tires function very well. I've ridden these tires at Fountainhead, Folkstone, Fox Mill, Colts Neck, heck even on the paved trails when on casual rides w/my lovely wife, and they have held up like champs. These tires have given me a full year of riding, and still have quite a bit of life left in them. Nice job Hutchinson.
Bottom Line: A solid performer for all XC terrain at a reasonable price.
