I love riding off-road — forest trails, beaches, and especially sandhills. They offer the most diverse and interesting terrain (at least for my skill level!).
The stock slick tyre actually isn’t terrible in these conditions. It performs surprisingly well, but once you hit wet mud or soft sand, all bets are off.
So the quest began. I’ve now been through a few tyres, and here’s my journey so far.
August 2021 — The Beginning
That’s when I first started riding. Not long after, I began exploring tyre options. I rode about 800 miles on this tyre.
September 2022 — TFL Enduro Tyre
Ordered from floatlife-europe.com
First tyre change! I ordered this in June and it took until September to work up the courage to take my board apart! But it was a lot easier than I thought, so if you haven't tried, don't be afraid! Just be careful...
At the time, this tyre was getting rave reviews. People were calling it a miracle — which probably set my expectations too high. I liked it, but honestly, it didn’t offer much more grip than the slick in most of the conditions I rode in.
It’s definitely more pliable than the stock Vega slick, and more comfortable overall, but it wasn’t an instant hit for me. Having said that, it also did about 800 miles for me, as I put it back on a couple more times after trying other tyres!
January 2023 — Vega 11.5 x 6.5-6 Treaded Tyre (from Craft & Ride)
This one was a pleasant surprise. A harder compound, but with an aggressive tread pattern that really dug into the ground — and it showed!
Grip-wise, it was the best I’d tried so far. However, the hard compound made it less comfortable on pavement. Still, it was a great off-road performer. Has this on for about 400 miles.
May 2023 — Hoosier Racing FF2 (11x6x6)
It felt unstable, especially on narrow sandhill trails where it’s hard to avoid your toes or heels brushing the edges of the ruts. I realised I needed a flatter profile for better balance in those situations. I replaced this with the Enduro after a few weeks
A Break from Riding
After that, I took a break. I mostly used my OneWheel as a utility vehicle — perfect for getting around the house or farm. Hands-free, and almost any terrain. Super handy.
2025 — Getting Back Out There
This year, I’ve been trying to get out riding more intentionally again. When I checked back into the forums, I found a whole range of new tyres on the market — and one in particular caught my eye.
October 2025 — TFL Thundercat (Mid Compound)
I went for the “mid” softness, which I read is roughly equivalent to “soft” on other tyres — and I wasn’t disappointed.
The tread pattern is incredible, and the compound feels just right. When I first unboxed it, I thought it might be too soft, but once installed, it felt perfect.
It’s definitely noisier than the Enduro it replaced, and a bit bumpy when carving hard on pavement — but that’s a small price to pay for the grip it delivers on sand.
When you do fall, the holes it digs are massive — but that happens far less often than with the other tyres. I’ve climbed some pretty steep stuff on my old XR that I don’t think I could have managed on any of the others.
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Bonus: The Low PSI Surprise
I recently picked up a tyre inflator and was shocked to see a reading of 4.5 PSI! It just goes to show how low you can run the Thundercat — and even at that pressure, it delivers tons of grip, even in very soft sand.
Final Thoughts
Each tyre taught me something different, but the Thundercat has finally hit the sweet spot for my kind of riding — forgiving on sand, great grip, and confidence-inspiring on the trails.
If you love off-road riding as much as I do, especially beaches and sandhills, it’s definitely one to try.
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