Knobby tires

Different treads on knobby mountain bike tires

Knobby tires are off-road tires that have knobs to provide more traction on unpaved surfaces. These surfaces include loose dirt, mud, sand, or gravel.

Off-road use

Knobby tires are used mainly on off-road vehicles like some kinds of motorcycles, ATVs, and mountain bikes. They are also found on four wheel drive vehicles like Jeep Wranglers. On dirt rubber knobs on the tires give a lot more traction than tires used to drive on streets and roads. The vehicle's weight causes the knobs to dig into the surface. On the streets, knobby tires have less traction than regular street tires.