There’s nothing quite like the feeling of fresh rubber beneath you as you line up for that first corner. The confidence, the grip, the connection between the bike and the track that manages to transform good riding into great riding. And right now, we’ve got brilliant news that’s going to shake up how you think about your next tyre choice.
Dirt Store has just welcomed three heavyweight tyre manufacturers to our lineup, and these aren’t just any brands.
We’re talking about Mitas, Kenda, and Bridgestone.
These names have carved their reputation in everything from world championship paddocks to local club races across the UK. Whether you’re chasing lap times, tackling brutal winter weather conditions, or simply want tyres that’ll see you through a full season without breaking the bank, this trio brings something special to the table.
Let’s jump into what makes each of these manufacturers worthy of your hard-earned money, and more importantly, how they’ll transform your riding experience.
Mitas: European Engineering Meets British Tracks
Born from decades of European racing heritage, Mitas tyres represent everything we love about Continental engineering applied to the brutal realities of motocross. These Czech-made tyres have been quietly dominating European championships whilst many UK riders were looking elsewhere, but that’s changing fast.
What sets Mitas apart is their obsessive focus on compound technology. The Mitas Terra Force-MX range, for instance, uses a dual-compound construction that keeps the tyre supple in cold conditions.
This is absolutely crucial for those early-session rides when the ground is barely thawed, whilst maintaining structure and resisting chunking when things heat up. We’ve all experienced that horrifying moment when you glance down and see chunks missing from your knobs; Mitas engineers have actually done something about it.
The Mitas C-02 range deserves a special mention for intermediate terrain riders. If you’re tackling typical British mixed conditions – part hard pack, part loam, with the occasional sandy section thrown in for good measure – these tyres read the terrain like they’ve got eyes.
The tread pattern offers progressive grip characteristics that let you feel exactly what’s happening beneath you, giving you confidence to push harder through those sketchy bermed corners.
Kenda: American Grit With Global Reach
Kenda tyres bring something different to the mix: proven performance that doesn’t demand a second mortgage.
Don’t mistake affordable for inferior, though.
Kenda’s been supplying OEM tyres to major manufacturers for years, which means their rubber has been tested at the highest levels before it ever reaches aftermarket shelves.
The Kenda K760 Trakmaster is rapidly becoming the go-to choice for riders who see proper muddy conditions regularly. And let’s be honest, if you ride in the UK, you see mud. A lot of mud…
The deeply siped tread blocks slice through slop whilst maintaining enough lateral support to prevent that vague, floating feeling that leaves you guessing where your front wheel is actually pointed. Real riders have reported being able to maintain momentum through sections that previously had them dabbing or worse.
For harder surfaces, the Kenda Millville II brings desert racing technology to your local track. The dimpled knob design might look unusual, but there’s serious science behind those divots. They create micro-edges that grip hard pack without sacrificing knob durability. It’s the kind of innovation that emerges when you’re actually listening to what riders need rather than just tweaking last year’s design.
Bridgestone: Racing Pedigree You Can Actually Afford
When you say Bridgestone, people immediately think Grand Prix racing, and they’re not wrong. Bridgestone motocross tyres carry decades of racing DNA, but here’s the brilliant part: that technology has trickled down to tyres that everyday riders can actually fit within their budget and maintenance schedule.
The Bridgestone Battlecross X30 intermediate tyre exemplifies this perfectly. It uses a “castle block” design on the rear – named for its distinctive shape – that provides phenomenal forward drive whilst maintaining predictable sliding characteristics.
You know that beautiful feeling when you can get the rear stepped out just enough to point where you want without it snapping back or washing out completely? That’s what proper tyre design delivers, and Bridgestone’s engineers understand it intimately.
For sandier conditions or looser terrain, the Bridgestone Battlecross X40 takes things further with taller, more widely spaced knobs that penetrate surface layers to find grip underneath. British sand tracks can be deceptively tricky, they look benign but hide hard bases beneath loose tops, and these tyres handle that transition brilliantly.
Why This Matters Right Now
Timing matters, and now is the perfect moment to be thinking about your tyre strategy for the season ahead. Most riders wait until their current rubber’s completely shot before considering replacements, but that’s leaving performance on the table.
Fresh tyres transform your bike handling, reduce arm pump (because you’re not fighting vague front-end feel), and genuinely make you faster.
Having Mitas, Kenda, and Bridgestone all available through Dirt Store means you’ve now got options that weren’t there before. Perhaps you’ve been running the same brands for years simply because that’s what your local shop stocks?
Now you can experiment with different compounds and tread patterns to find what genuinely suits your riding style, local terrain, and skill level – not just what’s convenient.
Make Your Move
The riding season’s already knocking on the door, and tracks across the UK are preparing for opening rounds. Don't let worn rubber hold back your potential this year. Whether you're intrigued by Mitas's compound technology, Kenda's muddy-conditions prowess, or Bridgestone's racing heritage, there's never been a better time to explore what these manufacturers can do for your riding.
Head over to Dirt Store tyre collection and explore the complete range from all three manufacturers. Compare tread patterns, read through the technical specifications, and imagine how much more confidence you'll have when you can actually trust what's happening at your contact patches.
Your bike's only as good as its connection to the ground, and with Mitas, Kenda, and Bridgestone now in the Dirt Store lineup, that connection just got a whole lot better.
See you at the track – on fresh rubber.