[Ligero]

I picked up one of these tires from one last week and after putting about 40 miles on it this weekend I thought I would give my impressions.

Casing measurement- 56mm
Knob to Knob measurement- 61mm
Rim mounted on- Edge AM 30mm wide
Weight- 1000+ grams
Pressure ridden at- 25psi

I mounted the tire up tubeless which was very easy to do. I actually mounted it once without sealant to see if it would leak and it held air all night. I remounted it the next day with a scoop of Stan's sealant in it.

This tire is very heavy! I put it on the scale and saw over 1000 grams and din't even bother recording the weight at that point. To me if a tire over 1k grams it isn't going to matter if it is 1050 or 1250, it is still really heavy. The Conti MK 2.4 with a tube that I took off weighs less then this tire tubeless.

The good- On the trail this tire rolls very, very, very fast! The solid center rib makes it roll like slick tire. It corners very good, you can lean it way over and rail around corners or just easy turns with no leaning. Fast flowing singletrack was great with this tire because you can corner so fast. It handled the small amount of mud we have right now better then the Mk2.4 that it replaced. It is suppose to rain all week so i will get to test it better in mud later this week.

The bad- The weight of this tire really becomes apparent when you get onto a trail that requires a lot of speed changes. If you have to do a lot of accelerations you will feel it with the weight of this tire.

I started out at 27psi and it felt good, at 24 it started to feel squirmy under braking and at 20 it was very unstable. I finally settled on 25psi as being the best handling without the squirmy feeling under braking.

The bike I did the test on is 4in travel Lenz Leviathan if that matters. I weigh 190lbs and 200 to 210lbs once all geared up depending on how much stuff I take with me. I am in the southeast and ride in Tennessee and North Georgia which is clay based hard packed dirt, rocks and roots.

 

[FoShizzle]

thanks for the review!

Please note that if you like this review then I should get credit since I sold it to Ligero.

As for weight, I know cuz i weighed it prior to shipping but it was 1038 grams.

I am very encouraged by the measurements...though wonder how much smaller (if at all) it would measure when put on my Stans Flow rim???? Maybe Shiggadelic can extrapolate.

Your review sounds encouraging and it sounds like its gonna be a great front tire!

 

[UnitedWeRide]

Nice review Ligero. So did you like this better than the MK?

 

[FoShizzle]

Nice review Ligero. So did you like this better than the MK?

yes, because i did not sell him the MK

 

[Ligero]

So did you like this better than the MK?

The MK is different, it is lighter but does not roll as fast. Also the cornering on the MK is very good but only if you have the bike leaned way over on the large corner knobs. The FR3 turn good if it is barely leaned over or railing around a corner.

 

[FoShizzle]

The MK is different, it is lighter but does not roll as fast. Also the cornering on the MK is very good but only if you have the bike leaned way over on the large corner knobs. The FR3 turn good if it is barely leaned over or railing around a corner.

i know its heavy for sure...but a horrible rear tire you think? weight alone makes it not appealing (ie, front and rear heavy tires = heavy) but curious. Perhaps on a AM+ bype 29er front and rear?

 

[Turveyd]

I just got a hard on, no seriously

Looks PERFECT for me also looks like a proper 2.35 this is bigger volume wise than a Stout 2.3 yes ?? yes it's heavier 100grams maybe but I like the weighty steam roller effect.

The middle rail looks good for speed and also to stop the flop factor in mud a nice hard line to stop the wheel sliding out in mud.

Where do I get one ?? ( Volume > Stout Pending ) and how much ( actually don't care ) just where

 

[UnitedWeRide]

man another good tire to consider so far I am really liking the MK 2.4 up front tubeless, but the 2.2 I am not sold on yet maybe when I get it converted tubeless. Isnt there a Bonty tire to match this in the rear?

 

[Ligero]

i know its heavy for sure...but a horrible rear tire you think? weight alone makes it not appealing (ie, front and rear heavy tires = heavy) but curious. Perhaps on a AM+ bype 29er front and rear?

It would probably work just fine as a rear tire if you don't expect to climb anything super steep.

 

[FoShizzle]

I just got a hard on, no seriously

Looks PERFECT for me also looks like a proper 2.35 this is bigger volume wise than a Stout 2.3 yes ?? yes it's heavier 100grams maybe but I like the weighty steam roller effect.

The middle rail looks good for speed and also to stop the flop factor in mud a nice hard line to stop the wheel sliding out in mud.

Where do I get one ?? ( Volume > Stout Pending ) and how much ( actually don't care ) just where

sure they will be available to people without MTB blahgs soon enough.

I got the only set in the CA warehouse, and sold one to Ligero and kept the other for my forthcoming project. Defer to Shiggadelic and others in the know but likely after Interbike for general public?

 

[smilinsteve]

The center rib is interesting. There used to be more tires like that, but they seemed to be relegated to city bikes, as though a fast rolling solid center automatically means it can't be a serious off road tire.
I don't know. there must be a reason why a solid center rib is not used more often. It seems to make a lot of sense.

 

[boomn]

The center rib is interesting. There used to be more tires like that, but they seemed to be relegated to city bikes, as though a fast rolling solid center automatically means it can't be a serious off road tire.
I don't know. there must be a reason why a solid center rib is not used more often. It seems to make a lot of sense.

Straight line braking ability could theoretically be worse as there are less edges to bite into the trail. It would depend on the soil type and trail conditions though.

But with this tire at normal trail riding psi I think the adjacent rows of knobs on either side of the ridge would also be in contact with the trail and make it mostly a moot point

 

[Turveyd]

There is no reason not to have a solid center rib as on softer ground the side knobs will come into play if the pressure isn't to hard.

Gives a whack the tyre to max pressure and cruise on the roads to the forest / mountain tyre aswell.

Will they fit in 06 Reba SL's is the questions with 21mm internal Halo Freedom rims ??

Hope there out soon, my Stout is showing wear and losing it's bite on mud

 

[smilinsteve]

If there is no reason to not have a center rib, more tires would have them, as the advantage is obvious. The disadvantage is less obvious, but maybe is the squirrely braking, which could be especially bad on the front. But, I would go with someone who has tested the tire more than any theoretical ideas about the design.

 

[FoShizzle]

how it performs as a rear tire is TBD

 

[yzinger]

isn't it still daylight there?

 

[Turveyd]

Just ordered this again, first time failed and went with the 29-3 2.25 as more of a mud all rounder and best mud tyre I've used even if it's not really a mud tyre the long knobs give it great steering strength even in nasty mud.

FR3 will be used I imagine for Peaks / Trail Centres for MAX float over rocks and the like where mud is less of a issue.

Ligero did you ever test the FR3 in the mud ??

The Centre strip will be interesting but at low pressures I'd bet the next lugs are in contact anyway but it should give a lot of bite to assist in turning on softer ground so find out soon.

 

[dubthang]

I was out in the mud today with these (Portland, ME - it's all mud due to the large amounts of rain we have had.) They did fairly well. Made it through 3/4 of a swamp before I bogged down to much, and had to bail. They could shed mud a little better, they weren't overly squirmy, and cut a nice line through the thick. I was running them as around 23 psi (I weigh around 150 geared up.)

Mine don't weigh over 1000g though. I have the team issues which came in at 810g and 847g mounted to Speed Discs with tubes.

 

[Turveyd]

Mines arrived I've mounted it and whacked it's PSI to @60 in the hope it'll stretch a bit before use as internally it's volume is less than a used 29-3, but it looks a lot fatter cause of the knobs, plan to ride it tomorrow.

No idea how those soft bits coming off the centre line will handle mud there very soft though so likely not a issue, be happer to run without I think ( too much scalpaling for me LOL )

Connect my Shock pump I guess and see if the pressures dropped which would indicate stretch of the tyre!!

29-3 is a great tyre my fav thus far, but I like the look of the more aggressive knobs and the wider tread on this.

I have the Team issue aswell cool, less weight to lug over gates

 

[Turveyd]

Pressure was unchanged 2psi tops drop so not enough to mention.

Quick road test and even pushing down the alley to the road the steering feels really heavy, though headset lifted front wheel nope, it turns very slowly on road it's hard work and I've got the air pressure quite high for a road test.

Felt nice comfort wise up a few kerbs and over some roots though.

didn't notice any extra drag compared to the 29-3 either maybe less but hard to be sure.



Interesting for sure!!

Looks super beefy and confidence inspiring for rocks and roots though, where as the 29-3 looked to thin for me to push my luck on them.