Super race in the front (1 puncture) super ground in the back (5 punctures)
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Yeah, I think many of us (including myself) are getting too caught up in chasing low RR. Itās one thing for the pros racing 30 races a year and flatting in 5 or 6 of them and another for an amateur like me racing 5-7 races a year and flatting in 2 or 3 of them. Iāve decided to lean more towards anti-puncture with some OK RR. Trying mezcal XC trail 2.1 front and torreno dry 2.0 endurance back combo. I run Barzo trail/mezcal trail on my MTB and love them for XC races.
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Yup, flatting is always slower.
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Iām have the Vittoria Mezcal XC Race G2.0 XC Race (sidewall) on my gravel bike. Their mezcal line is confusing. I had a sidewalk puncture this past weekend that I had to plug. To be fair, these tires likely are the most supple in their line. It was easy to tell installing them how thin the sidewalls are. Makes for a cushy ride but wouldnāt trust them for places like unbound which shred tires.
Yeah, try the ātrailā version, which has reinforced sidewall protection. Likewise for gravel the extra protection is the āenduranceā casing. They still feel very supple to me, but , Iām sure not as much.
Iāve skimmed many rocks during XC races on my barzo and mezcal trail casings with no issues. Hopefully the same robustness is found for gravel.
Iāve settled on the Race Kings on ENVE 4.5s for Big Sugar next weekend. No inserts, Silca sealant.
I ran that set up in a local gravel race last weekend and it felt really good. Big Sugar will be a much tougher test in terms of punctures so it will be interesting to see how they fare versus what @atdaberry experienced on the TBās. Planning to do some pre-riding Thursday so will be watching the puncture situation closelyā¦
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What frame? MOG?
And sometimes thereās just bad luck. I donāt know what caused the puncture. Pretty smooth gravel when it happened.
How is the puncture protection on the race kings ?
I will tell you after Big Sugarā¦lol
I have flatted them at Leadville when riding aggressively and not purposefully taking good lines. Worst one was when i tore off a side knob and then couldnāt plug it.
Iād settle for Race Kings too if I could find some!
Took the Burts off and rode again on 47mm pathfinder pros. Harsh ride but felt solid and confident again.
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Plenty availableā¦
Also:
Iām running 650b wheels, so I was able to pick up the RK for $55 from TFB.
https://r2-bike.com/CONTINENTAL-Tire-Race-King-29-x-220-BlackChili-ProTection
Not sure where you are, but they ship fast to the US. Shipping isnāt cheap, but I usually order 4 tires at a time and canāt get them cheaper locally.
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Report: TB 2.1 Speed are really fast in pavement, but also rear tire wears fast!
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Thatās probably my biggest concern with these. Iād really like to try them but at $100 a pop it is an expensive experiment for something that wears out so fast.
Worth stocking up. 4 plus shipping is about $200 US.
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They ship to the US? Thatās a great deal!
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Yup! Iām in western Mass and have had a few orders delivered here. Takes less than a week (comparable with domestic orders) and the prices for Schwalbe/Conti tires canāt be beat.
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Been wondering what the fattest tire I can for in my Cruxā¦.Sofia is running a 2.2 up front, undisclosed tire in the rear.
What is biggest tire anyone here has fit in a Crux?
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