High density nylon casing.
Traction-specific tread design maximizes grip, especially in loose conditions.
State-of-the-art Silicium™ tread for even better traction.
Molded butyl inner liner and specially shaped lightweight Kevlar® bead for air tight tubeless seal.
Mavic UST certified and Nagesti (Rigida) tubeless compatible.
Submitted by
Petr
a Cross Country Rider
from Springfield, Va
Date Reviewed: January 30, 2006
Strengths: Good feel, good traction on East Coast trails, holds air nicely, tread last long, rolls OK
Weaknesses: tough to mount (no way without levers), sidewall is weakish (I have already to patches on the sidewall to avoid damaging the tire completely while the tread is still very good), could be a bit lighter but not bad for this size Tubeless 2.1 (about 780 g)
Bottom Line:
I like them for east coast trail. I have to be very carefull when riding the rocky section (meaning have to check them frequently and patch if necessary). I do not mind patching the tire from outside as long as it prolongs the tire life. For rocky riding definitely get a heavier/ biefier tire.
Air tight ( I do not run any liquid in it) and holds nice. overall happy and would recommend for faster trail, without too many rock and too much mud.
Similar Products Used: Comp S, Hot S, Hutchinsons and many other
Bike Setup: Fuel Carbon
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Submitted by
David Levitan
a Cross Country Rider
from Austin,tx,USA
Date Reviewed: December 27, 2005
Strengths: price, worked fine in the front. Never lost any air.
Weaknesses: too little traction.
Bottom Line:
These were the first UST tires I purchased and I didn't read these reviews before I purchased them. I didn't get as much traction as I was expecting, so I got some WTB weirwolf UST tires and love those.
I ended up using these tires on the front and have been very happy with them in the front. They give me plenty of sideways traction and they hold up well, and they hold air very well.
Similar Products Used: WTB weirwolf UST, Hutchinson spider UST.
Bike Setup: Stumpjumper fsr
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Submitted by
Aaron
a Weekend Warrior
from Rainier, OR
Date Reviewed: October 19, 2005
Strengths: When used in the right terrain, they grip very well as a rear tire
Weaknesses: They are very terrain specific, I have only had good success with them in loose, dry conditions. Otherwise, like a lot of Michelin's, they are terrible in the wet. I have also had the sidewall tear on mine, such a burly tire should have a stronger sidewall.
Bottom Line:
I found this tire (when coupled with the Front S in the front) work great in very specific conditions. They worked best for me when I lived and worked up in the Sierra Nevada mountains. They were excellent on the dry, loose, dusty trails and also very good on the ground up granite. Other than that, they have never worked well anywhere else. Like other Michelin's I've owned, they are super slick on wet rocks. For Sierra Nevada riding, they would get a 5, but for anywhere else they get a 2 so I'll give them a 3 overall
Similar Products Used: Maxxis Larson TT, Kenda Kharisma, Hutchinson Mosquito
Bike Setup: KHS Steel Hardtail, Rock Shox, Mavic CrossRoc wheels
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Submitted by
Marvin
a Cross Country Rider
from Everywhere
Date Reviewed: October 14, 2005
Strengths: Good tread pattern. Easy to find on sale.
Weaknesses: Weak-ass sidewalls, even though the tire is wicked thick and heavy. Ended up with 1000 tiny leaks after about a year of riding. Bead doesn't seal well with rim.
Bottom Line:
Buy it on sale, but don't expect it to last forever. For the price it's a good tire, but be prepared to spend a lot of time re-mounting to get a good seal. Put some sealant in to help prevent sidewall leaks.
Similar Products Used: Hutchinson python, Kenda Karma
Bike Setup: Jamis steel hardtail
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Submitted by
Derek
a Cross Country Rider
from Bellingham
Date Reviewed: April 13, 2005
Strengths: Amazing mud tire. Hooks up great all over wet terrain. The silica material of the tread lasts a long time.
Weaknesses: Side wall split in five places. The tread however, after six months, was still good to go. It is also quite heavy.
Bottom Line:
But for the weak sidewalls, I really liked this tire. It adds a plush, and grippy dimension allowing you to blast through the rough and especially muddies. I'm giving it three for value (I got it cheap), and only one Overall until Michelin fixes those sidewalls.
Similar Products Used: Continental, Maxxis, Specialized, other Michelin
Bike Setup: Kona Caldera HT
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Submitted by
Derek
a Cross Country Rider
from Bellingham
Date Reviewed: April 13, 2005
Strengths: Amazing mud tire. Hooks up great all over wet terrain. The silica material of the tread lasts a long time.
Weaknesses: Side wall split in five places. The tread however, after six months, was still good to go. It is also quite heavy.
Bottom Line:
But for the weak sidewalls, I really liked this tire. It adds a plush, and grippy dimension allowing you to blast through the rough and especially muddies. I'm giving it three for value (I got it cheap), and only one Overall until Michelin fixes those sidewalls.
Similar Products Used: Continental, Maxxis, Specialized, other Michelin
Bike Setup: Kona Caldera HT
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
William Magboo
a Cross Country Rider
from Edwards, CA USA
Date Reviewed: November 16, 2004
Strengths: This tire is a fast rolling tire, with great grip on rocks and in sand. Has a fairly good balance of rolling resistance vs traction. They can be found for $15.00 each on several internet retailer sites, so they are an in-expensive UST tire.
Weaknesses: The sidewalls of this tire are easily damaged by rocks. I have had two great rides ruined by the sidewall failing on a corner while riding 15-20 Mph and crashing. The tire is incredibly hard to mount or dismount in comparison to other UST tires. The green color is hardly a fasion statement! They should make the black model shed mud like the green version and get rid of the green. Tire weight is listed as 800 grams. This is a heavy tire compared to some other UST tires. I understand they need to be heavier to compensate for not having a tube to support air pressure, but they are heavier than other UST tires.
Bottom Line:
A great tire if you ride on trails with few or no rocks. Unfortunately, most of the trails here in Southern Califoria have some degree of rocks on them, so sidewall failure is a constant risk. Maybe the new Michelin XL S tires in 2.0 are better, but the older XL S 2.1's have a tendency to have the sidewall shred and self destruct. Even using this tire with Stan's No Tube sealant did not help, the sidewalls ripped open a 1/4" to 1/2" each time. I only got 8 rides on these tires before they failed. I attemped to patch the sidewall, but the shape of the tire at 36 Psi has the sidewall exposed, so the patch was torn off on my first ride after patching the tire.
Strengths: Good Knobbies for the muddy, roots and loose rock.
Weaknesses: Weak sidewalls, don't hold air well, hard to put on, wear very fast. If you lock up the rear wheel while on pavement, say good by to those nice knobs.
Bottom Line:
I really wanted to like these tires, heard Mich made the best, but was really disappointed. I bought 4 Mich, 2 different types Hot S and XLS. First the sidewall ripped to shreds on the second ride. Second rolled out to flat with 40 PSI and could not hold air after that. Third got a small nick in the side wall and can't hold air. Keep in mind, these are on my home turf trails that I know very well and have never had a problem with any of the other tires used. Smoke and Darts are still my favorite, IRC are a close second.
Submitted by
Maurice
a Cross Country Rider
from Lebanon, NJ
Date Reviewed: June 4, 2004
Strengths: Good grip, feeble rolling resistance, hold air well.
Weaknesses: Heavy. Painful to mount. Weak !!! Destroyed in less than 100 miles on the same trails I've been riding for years.
Bottom Line:
The upsides of this tires don't outweigh the fact that I couldn't use it for more than 6 rides... After having checked the pressure at 30 PSI as I usually do, I went for a 3 hour ride only to hear a loud hiss in a rocky downhill section shortly after starting. I thought I had pinch flatted, although I didn't feel I had hit any sharp obstacle. No, a 1/2 cm tear in the casing, next to a knob. Unrepairable. Nice. Needless to say, a tube in those tires not only beats the concept, but also prevents the tire from sitting correctly on the bead. The funny thing is I couldn't find anything on the trail that may have caused the puncture, which actually leaked slowly. I even had time to stop, and actually had to let out all the air by the valve before I could unmount the tire. Hence my surprise when I went to repair the tire at home...
Additionally, both tires are showing the cord on the sidewalls.
Submitted by
Kev
a Cross Country Rider
from Ventura
Date Reviewed: June 3, 2004
Strengths: Seemed to provide low rolling resistance and good traction
Weaknesses: Ripped the knobs off of the rear tire in about 6 rides. Didn't come all of the way off just ripped at the knob-tire interface and you could peel back and see threads. Next I punctured the tire on a rock right in the vunerable thread area. A tube and a dollar bill to cover the hole in tire got me back to the trailhead.
Bottom Line:
Go for reliability over performance if you are going to be ridding in a back country area. This might be a good tire for a racer but its no fun flatting on the trail in the middle of nowhere.
Submitted by
Ratt
a Cross Country Rider
from Carlsbad, CA
Date Reviewed: May 4, 2004
Strengths: Grippy, long wearing, cheap everywhere, available everywhere, and michelins mount and hold air very well
Weaknesses: A bit slow rollers not super slow but slower and the running theme on all these posts.....WEAK SIDEWALLS
Bottom Line:
At the price these tires are a bargain, they offer a pretty good roll and great traction. The kendas and IRC roll better but give up some in traction and a lot in tread wear. These are the second Michelins to sidewall blow on me. I had been sick a week but when i parked the bike the tires were full. Came back after a week, dead flat. Tried to pump it up and air was coming out of large hole in the side. The other side had a similar bulge threatening to pop too. The sidewall is so weak it busted just sitting in the garage. No more michelins for me
These tires offer great traction in many conditions, however the sidewalls are very weak. I noticed fibers on the sidewalls getting a little hairy after the first ride. After about 50 miles of riding on very rocky trails, the sidewall blew out going through a rock garden. The traction looked new and the sidewalls looked like they were 20 years old. I'm 175 lbs and ran the tire at about 35 psi on a full susp. I won't by a Michelin UST tire again. I've had great luck with Conti's and Hutchinson.
Weaknesses: Not the fastest tire in dry conditions.
Bottom Line:
Definatly a great tire for winter or muddy riding. Probably the best traction i've ever had in a tire. If you're racing on a dry packed surface then these aren't the right tire for you but in trying conditions they do the trick.
