XC Tyres

redbruce

Eats Squid
Always snakeskin - the std evo's are tyre wall rippers - which is a hell of a repair to do on the trail - i dont know anyone with long schwalbe experience that uses the evos. evos come as original equipment, has a beautiful deforming sidewall thats lovely and supple, AND "tearable" LOL.
Evo's Ok with tubes. For tubeless go snakeskin.
 

cleeshoy

Eats Squid
Thanks heaps guys! Really appreciate your feedback. I think I will try the schwalbe for something different. And I'll give 2.25 a crack too. I'm sure I can use all the help I can get.

Just one more question for you cleeshoy, do you use the Evo or snakeskin? Or something else...?
Snakeskin all the way :)
 

jheeno

Likes Bikes
I thought i'd add my personal experience here
I ran Nobby Nic Evolution TL ready tyres front and rear
I found them great on hardpack and loose soil

I had this issue
http://www.rotorburn.com/forums/showthread.php?247026-Nobby-Nic-tubeless-fail-help

Then I fixed it and went did the Woodford - Glenbrook run - had a big rear sidewall tear on the rear on the technical section. The tear was so big that it had Stans spurting out of the hole - had to scoop it out and put a tube in so I could limp home
So I would agree will all the posts above about Schwalbe Evo tyres - weak sidewalls
I have reverted back to Ikon rears but I think I might try conti mountain kings for the rear but i'll keep the nobby nic fronts for now
Previous experience
Ardent front - awesome highly recommended - good grip, low rolling resistace - tough sidewalls - has survived 2 x 24 hour races, 2 x 50km races but feels somewhat heavy
Ikon Rears - great combo and really fast - low rolling resistace - tough sidewalls - has survived 2 x 24 hour races, 2 x 50km races but feels somewhat heavy

Note that this combo is difficult to convert to tubeless - countless hours with an air gun trying to get them to pressurize ... I got there in the end but now worth the effort.

First set
Kenda nevegal stick-e front and rear - great but high rolling resistance

in conclusion - I would probably thing twice before spending in comparison about twice the price on Scwalbes
This isn't restricted to MTB tyres - I have the same iffy experiece with Schwalbes and road tyres
 
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vtwiz

Likes Dirt
I've been running a Snakeskin 2.25 Nobby Nic on XT UST rims with a little Stans for almost 2 years (same tire) and it's holding up really well. Still plenty of tread left and sidewalls show no sign of being troubled despite the very rocky terrain I ride. Don't even bother trying to run any Schwalbe tyres tubeless unless they are Snakeskin or proper Tubeless.
 

yuley95

soft-arse Yuley is on the lifts again
Went with Schwalbe RoRo and NN

Hi,

Just thought I would feedback after getting some advice on here. I ended up getting a good price on a 2.1 Rocket Ron UST for the rear and a 2.25 Nobby Nic with Snakeskin for the front. My wheels are not Tubeless but I applied rim tape carefully and figured I would give tubeless a bash.

First up, it was amazing how much tighter the fit of the schwalbe's was than my old s works rubber that I was taking off. They were really hard to get on the rim but that made me confident they would inflate and they did with some sealant and just a Lezyne Dirt Floor Drive pump.

Now they are on I am really happy with them. There is a noticeable amount more volume and the grip is brilliant.

So thanks for the advice people!
 

cleeshoy

Eats Squid
Hi,

Just thought I would feedback after getting some advice on here. I ended up getting a good price on a 2.1 Rocket Ron UST for the rear and a 2.25 Nobby Nic with Snakeskin for the front. My wheels are not Tubeless but I applied rim tape carefully and figured I would give tubeless a bash.

First up, it was amazing how much tighter the fit of the schwalbe's was than my old s works rubber that I was taking off. They were really hard to get on the rim but that made me confident they would inflate and they did with some sealant and just a Lezyne Dirt Floor Drive pump.

Now they are on I am really happy with them. There is a noticeable amount more volume and the grip is brilliant.

So thanks for the advice people!
glad to hear we could help :)
nice work!
 

Coaster

Likes Bikes and Dirt
Mountain King 2

Hi Burners,

I've been riding the new Mountain King 2 on the back of my Anthem 26'er and have to say it's a nice tyre. I use it mainly for the Yarra trails when things are wet but have used it in other locations as well and it's handled everything I've thrown at it. Clears out mud really well, very grippy and rolls pretty well for a knobby tyre.

If you're after a winter or AM type tyre definitely check it out.

Cheers,

Coaster
 

M0z

Likes Bikes
I have a pair of Rocket Ron 26x2.25 that were OEM with my bike... they have "evo" on the side of them.... i was going to change out wheels pretty soon to go lighter and tubeless.... although, from what i read in this thread now.... they probably aren't the best tyre to go tubeless with? i'd be better of getting snakeskin ones? never ridden tubeless before... i've had a pair of pinch flats with them already... which annoyed me both times... but that was what was making me think tubeless would be the go for me... since i like lower pressures if i can get 'em.

I am for the most part, happy with the tyre... build up my confidence on them in fairly varying conditions (i travel alot)... so am going to stick with what i know for a while :)
 

bh78

Likes Dirt
I have a pair of Rocket Ron 26x2.25 that were OEM with my bike... they have "evo" on the side of them.... i was going to change out wheels pretty soon to go lighter and tubeless.... although, from what i read in this thread now.... they probably aren't the best tyre to go tubeless with? i'd be better of getting snakeskin ones? never ridden tubeless before... i've had a pair of pinch flats with them already... which annoyed me both times... but that was what was making me think tubeless would be the go for me... since i like lower pressures if i can get 'em.

I am for the most part, happy with the tyre... build up my confidence on them in fairly varying conditions (i travel alot)... so am going to stick with what i know for a while :)
I've got six of these (one can't have to many) set up tubeless in my house. I'm sure there not the best, however, I've only slashed one in four years riding hans loop. They take little bit work to set up but once done they're good.
 

M0z

Likes Bikes
when you say they take a little bit of work to setup... ??

...would you care to elaborate a little?

i'm thinking this is going to be done with a shift to stans rims at the same time... will that be the best way for me to go about it?
 

The Duckmeister

Has a juicy midrange
I originally had a set of Michelin XC Dry tyres. They took the "Dry" part of the name really literally..... slightest hint of moisture & they'd clog up & skate everywhere. Brilliant on any dry surface, hard or soft though, especially sand 'cos they're not as round across the tread belt as some.

After killing them, my tyre of choice has been Crossmarks, both tubed & UST (haven't tried converting standard ones to tubless yet though. I really like 'em as a general-purpose tyre, but although a lot better than the old Michelins, they do struggle when it gets wet. For that stuff I have a couple of backup options. Intermediate is a set of Maxxix Ignitors; the chunkier tread handles mud better, but is still fine enough to not be too draggy when the ground gets harder, although they're not as nice as the Crossmarks then. For seriously wet stuff I have a set of Geax Barro Mud tyres. At only 1.7" wide, they look ridiculously narrow, but my god do they bite! Absolutely awesome in the stuff they're designed for, but seriously scary on dry hardpack! I once went around Lysterfield with them on, expecting it to be wetter than it turned out to be, and because the tread is so open (combined with the narrow profile) they were crawling all over the place. They also don't like sand, as I discovered on a Red Hill ride once, again because they're too narrow & just dig in.

I had a set of "Tubeless Ready" Evo RaRas on a work bike last year. Never got them to hold air particularly well, although after about the first month they actually got to the point of holding enough air to ride two weeks in a row without topping up (this is on XT UST rims). Swapped to the Barros during the Garmin 24-hr. mudfest at Redesdale after a lap & then never got them to seal again, so threw tubes in for the rest of their short life. After that they were fine until they blew the sidewalls out - both tyres on the same day! Performance-wise, similar to the Crossmarks in the dry, nice & fast & predictable on hardpack, but I actually found them more skatey when a bit of sand was thrown over the top than Crossmarks. Their wet tolerance is lower too. Overall I wasn't impressed enough to consider going back to them, regardless of the tubeless issues.
 

bh78

Likes Dirt
when you say they take a little bit of work to setup... ??

...would you care to elaborate a little?

i'm thinking this is going to be done with a shift to stans rims at the same time... will that be the best way for me to go about it?
Best way of explaining it is that it takes a while to weed out all of the leaks. Once done you're good. I've got a set of Mavics, Stans and American Classic. All do the job. Stans are harder to put tyre on though, their diameter seems larger.
 

M0z

Likes Bikes
Best way of explaining it is that it takes a while to weed out all of the leaks. Once done you're good. I've got a set of Mavics, Stans and American Classic. All do the job. Stans are harder to put tyre on though, their diameter seems larger.
Appreciate the reply.... I'm going to go for it :)
 

M0z

Likes Bikes
FYI, when i changed out my wheels i put on new rocket rons and set them up tubeless... using stans gear... went on with a few drama's and broken tire levers... but inflated straight away without any real dramas... took them straight to the trail and put about 20k's on them in the dirt to spread sealant around (i heard that was the best way?) and didn't have any dramas... until just 2 days ago... they WERE both holding pressure (i've been running them high ~40psi) but all of a sudden yesterday my front seems to be leaking air... only seems to happen overnight... submerged the wheel can't find any leak that way.... but it seems to drop to about 20psi and sit there... the only thing that did happen to them, was they were ridding in some pretty WET conditions a few days ago (apparently it's the wet season in darwin, it just doesn't stop me riding)

when these things don't hold air, what's the normal cause? should i pull the tyre off (oh god won't someone think of my fingers?!?!!?) and have a go at re-sealing? more sealant? replace me valve?
 

wilddemon

Likes Dirt
FYI, when i changed out my wheels i put on new rocket rons and set them up tubeless... using stans gear... went on with a few drama's and broken tire levers... but inflated straight away without any real dramas... took them straight to the trail and put about 20k's on them in the dirt to spread sealant
Anda bippety boppity banger.
when these things don't hold air, what's the normal cause? should i pull the tyre off (oh god won't someone think of my fingers?!?!!?) and have a go at re-sealing? more sealant? replace me valve?
sounds like water has gone through to sticky side of your rim tape. Remove tyres and rim strip and check for tape lifting up. That or your valve has a leak. If you're using stans rim strip, the valve may come loose. Happened to me when setting up last week. Replaced with a 20" Presta tube cut to fill the rim groove.

With the tight tyre fit try this. Get at least 3 large cable ties. Put the bead into the tyre til you have to resort to levers. Put a cable tie around the rim and tyre, at an angle using the tread and a spoke to hold in place. The cable tie is pulling the tyre towards the section where the bead is not in the rim. Repeat on the other side of the gap. Use a tyre lever to pop in what you can. If you have done enough you may be able to close up the cable ties a bit. They are pulling tension towards the gap. If you have done even more you may be able to use your third cable tie. That will free a cable tie - if you're clever, and i know you are, you can use a knife or other sharp item to remove the cable tie without damage. So the tyre is as tight as buggery. Massage the bead from the cable tie around the tyre to the other cable tie, avoiding the gap. This will distribute tension more evenly around the tyre bead. Cinch the cable ties just a bit. Pop in more bead with tyre lever. Repeat til done.

Taking the tyre off I found the hardest, even with this technique reversed. Start with cable ties about 6 spokes apart, use tyre lever to pop out a bit of bead and rest behind spoke. Massage, you may have to go around the bead 2 or even 3 times before you can even attempt to get a second lever in.

I wouldn't have written this thesis but I was almost in tears myself trying to figure it out. Two positives for you: the tyre will stretch a bit if you've had pressure in it, and the tighter the tyre the easier to seal the bead / less chance of burping. I hope this helps. Let me know if you are totally confused PM me and I'll come back with pics. Hopefully I don't have any issues in the cappy or the mont coz fitting a tube trackside might be near on impossible. I might have to include some cable ties in the kit... Good luck
 

nimmersatt

Likes Bikes
conti fail

just to add to the Conti vs Schwalbe debate... i've been riding the same tyre combo for years, Rocket Ron Evolution TL ready at the front, Racing Ralph Double Defense at the back. set up as tubeless of course. never torn a sidewall or any other issues (apart maybe from the initial setup of the double defense on the rear which is a PITA)
sometime last year, purely out of boredom, i decided to give the Conti's a go. As i happen be a little bit of a weight weenie i went for the racesport version which is roughly equal in weight to the schwalbe setup i had before.
so, X-King at the front, Race-King at the back. riding them I found that to get the same level of grip to the schwalbes i had to drop the pressure significantly lower, which meant that after landing jumps on hardpack i would occasionally bottom out.
i rode the conti's for about 3 months, including the 100 mile fling. in the end the sidewalls were so worn that even with lots of scoops of Stan's in them they just wouldn't hold air overnight anymore. this is what they looked like. (mind you the rear pretty much looked like this after the first ride)

... to make matters worse, the same week this happened my trusted Conti Grand Prix 4000s disintegrated completely on my roadie commuter. just started loosing big chunks of rubber on 4 different spots. no skidding involved. it had done about 4000ks so i can live with that. i guess now i know why they call them 4000s.

back on Schwalbe on all bikes now.




IMG_2881.jpgIMG_2882.jpgIMG_3612.jpgIMG_3620.jpgIMG_3621.jpg
 

Warwick

Likes Dirt
just to add to the Conti vs Schwalbe debate... i've been riding the same tyre combo for years, Rocket Ron Evolution TL ready at the front, Racing Ralph Double Defense at the back. set up as tubeless of course. never torn a sidewall or any other issues (apart maybe from the initial setup of the double defense on the rear which is a PITA)
sometime last year, purely out of boredom, i decided to give the Conti's a go. As i happen be a little bit of a weight weenie i went for the racesport version which is roughly equal in weight to the schwalbe setup i had before.
so, X-King at the front, Race-King at the back. riding them I found that to get the same level of grip to the schwalbes i had to drop the pressure significantly lower, which meant that after landing jumps on hardpack i would occasionally bottom out.
i rode the conti's for about 3 months, including the 100 mile fling. in the end the sidewalls were so worn that even with lots of scoops of Stan's in them they just wouldn't hold air overnight anymore. this is what they looked like. (mind you the rear pretty much looked like this after the first ride)

... to make matters worse, the same week this happened my trusted Conti Grand Prix 4000s disintegrated completely on my roadie commuter. just started loosing big chunks of rubber on 4 different spots. no skidding involved. it had done about 4000ks so i can live with that. i guess now i know why they call them 4000s.

back on Schwalbe on all bikes now.




View attachment 257685View attachment 257686View attachment 257687View attachment 257688View attachment 257689
Wow, they are worn way past what's safe! Tyres that thin will puncture quickly......
 

PepsiMax

Likes Bikes
Hey guys so I got my new bike and just recently removed the tubes that were pre-installed.

Now I have used UST rims before but now I am using Giant XC-R0 27.5 and I am having trouble with one of the tyres.

The front keeps losing air some where, I recently found where there was a tiny hole but the sealant fixed that.

Yet I am still losing air, even after resetting the bead and also rolling the tyre in the bath tub to find any air leaks

Could I just buy a UST tyre and use that instead for these rims?
 

gc49

Likes Bikes
Hey guys so I got my new bike and just recently removed the tubes that were pre-installed.

Now I have used UST rims before but now I am using Giant XC-R0 27.5 and I am having trouble with one of the tyres.

The front keeps losing air some where, I recently found where there was a tiny hole but the sealant fixed that.

Yet I am still losing air, even after resetting the bead and also rolling the tyre in the bath tub to find any air leaks

Could I just buy a UST tyre and use that instead for these rims?

Have you ridden with it, or just waiting for it to seal first? I always find that they never fully seal until the first 2 or 3 km's of riding (keep it to light XC for this myself). Only caveat to this is if they're leaking because the rim strip isn't up to scratch and it's leaking through spoke holes/around the stem. best solution in that case is to redo the rimstrip. second is to add more sealant and make sure you rock the wheel around and well coat the rim to get the sealant to work there (though it makes a mess, particularly when you end up with sealant in the rim cavity and coming out the spoke holes).
 
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