Ive been having issues running some Schwalbe rocket ron’s (‘performance’, ie cheaper ones) setup tubeless. After about 3 weeks the sealant has completely dried up, the side walls appear very porous. Is this common with Schwalbe tyres in general?
By comparison I’ve recently bought a maxxis forekaster EXO which is only slightly heavier, but after 3 weeks the sealant was still liquid with hardly any dried to the inside of the tyre.
I’m slightly put off using Schwalbe tyres, but wondering if their ‘super ground’ version are any better?
Are you sure? according to the Schwalbe site they list a 29x 2.25 super ground at 645g; vs 29x 2.25 super race at 630g. which are both lighter than the forekaster (720g). I’m more willing to sacrifice 100g for added reliability.
I’ve never noticed an issue with my Rons, Ralphs or Rays (oh and I have a Nic as well). I’m not sure exactly which versions i have (Schwalbe naming convention is strange and they seem to change it all the time) - they’re Speed / Speedgrip compounds though. They all seem to hold air well and i never noticed and sidewall porocity. I have a Forekaster for more trail stuff and i don’t notice a difference to that in terms of sealing.
My Challenge TLR CX tyres on the other hand you can see the sidewalls fizzing in wet weather!
Anyone know the difference in tyre diameter of a 2.4 or 2.35’’ compared to a 2.25 - is it really only 5mm?
I have a new hardtail ( came with 21 int wheels ), I’d like to move from 2.25 racing ralpha/ray to 2.35 but I am wondering If I have enough clearance. The back wheel has an additional 5-7mm from the stay’s.
With 21 wide wheels is it worth going 2.35/2.4? I ride pretty slippy rooty loamy mucky natural trails.
That’s not a lot of clearance. I think you almost certainly will experience rubbing from the wheel to the seat stays. Maybe not when going in a straight line, but as soon as you throw in a hard corner or two, you’ll get some rubbing. Would definitely add some 3M protective film in that area!
It’s hard to say how wide a tire is going to be on a rim without testing. Just picked up a Fast Trak tire yesterday, that is 2.35 to replace my ground control that is also 2.35. The Fast Trak tire is significantly narrower mounted. That’s the same rim, same tire manufacturer & the same size…
Yup tires can vary within manufactures, let alone from one to another. Pretty much the only way to be sure is to try it out. Remember that tires stretch a bit after riding them. Also, that gap needs to be enough for mud buildup or if your tire picks up a rock and tries to smash it into a stay.
With only 5-7mm of gap I wouldn’t move up in size. Especially if the trails you ride are muddy like you said. You’ll almost certainly start to abrade your stays as mud builds up. I think the recommended minimum gap is in the 6mm range. But might be larger for some situations.
Just got a set of 2.35 Mezcal / Barzo that I’ll run for more trail heavy XC rides/races (as opposed to Rekon Race). Needed a new set and have always ridden Maxxis, so happy to try something new.
I recall someone posting their routine for putting on new tires (I think it was @stevemz , but couldn’t find any post like that anymore) - something like inflating to 50 and let them sit overnight to get them to expand as much as possible. On my previous tire sets, I’ve just set the bead, filled sealant, inflated and ridden right away - what do y’all do?
Exactly, however to get the most out of the tire they should additionally be in warm conditions. When I’ve done it in the summer I’ve put them in the sun or the garage and let them bake to help stretch the rubber. It’s less effective in typical house conditions of 70 degrees and may only stretch to 2.30ish.
Install tires with tubes, inflate to max psi, let them sit in the sun or warm area overnight
Remove tubes, add sealant, inflate to max psi, shake and spin, leave for a few hours
Reduce psi to riding pressure
I’ll usually do this on a Sunday night, since I take Monday as a rest day, and things are ready to ride by Tuesday.
If you have tire inserts, you can skip the step where you install tubes.
My basic bro-theory here is:
Stretch the rubber and create a strong seal at the bead to get the tire to conform properly
Allow for the stretched rubber to get sealant in the micro cracks that come from the stretched rubber
When riding at normal inflation pressure, since the bead is well sealed against the rim and the micro tears already have some sealant, you have a bit of a head start on any sort of flat protection.
It’s served me well so I just keep doing it out of habit at this point.
The only time I didn’t do it was with a pair of Aspens and I got a pinch flat very quickly so I’m superstitious at this point.
Interesting. Never heard of stretching the rubber before. What do you guys find the benefits to be?
I’ve always done it the way that JSTootell is describing, and never had a problem. But if there’s performance to be had, I’m interested of course
The rubber will stretch naturally over time through use. Depending on the compound and manufacture some tires appear to be stiffer initially than others. While other tires just hold their size throughout their use. So a new 2.35 tire may actually only measure 2.25-2.30, however can be “pre-stretched” to get to true size. This just speeds up the break in period of the tire.
Why does it matter, mostly better grip/traction/handling. Likely falls into the marginal gains category but it’s such an easy get that might as well.
Depending on the rim+tire interface, there can sometimes be annoying issues.
Wobbly seating
Unexpected burping
Mostly I’m a bit OCD so I don’t like looking down and seeing a slight wobble in the tire because then I’m thinking about that instead of looking at the trail
Alright, you have at least convinced me to give it a try!
Just installed Fast Trak rear tire, that measures closer to 2.2 inches rather than the 2.35 inches it should measure on a 30mm internal rim! I’ll give this stretching a shot and see what happens!
Not only small, but also surprised how round the profile is, even on an OEM rim that is 30mm internal. The ground control I have in same size, not only measures the 2.35, but is noticeably more square in profile.
