[sangmatt]

So the tubuless ready tires coming out are looking very tempting (Hutchinson, Bonty, others?) but I wanted to get some more reviews of specific models. If anyone has had enough experience with a range of these to make a recommendation for non-racing, dry xc hardpack conditions, no thorns and not a lot of rocks, light rider, going on a XTR rims, in a 2.1 or so, that would be great...thanks much...

 

[Flyer]

Geax Barro 2.1 TNT- a strong and fast-rolling tire that only weighs around 650 grams. It does well in most conditions and it has to get really loose/sandy for it to get a bit squirmy. It will not have the ultimate grip of Fat Albert or something like that but it's very predictable and 200 grams less.

Another even faster tire- the TNT Geax Saguaro (around 650 as well). This one is not as good in loose conditions and I would not use it in Colorado but for hardpack, it is fast and grippy as well. It holds the ground well. The knobs are closer together than the Barro

Both tires have a round profile for good lean confidence and good volume.

 

[shiggy]

So the tubuless ready tires coming out are looking very tempting (Hutchinson, Bonty, others?) but I wanted to get some more reviews of specific models. If anyone has had enough experience with a range of these to make a recommendation for non-racing, dry xc hardpack conditions, no thorns and not a lot of rocks, light rider, going on a XTR rims, in a 2.1 or so, that would be great...thanks much...

Most Geax models are available in a TnT (tubeless ready) version.

 

[Ronnie]

Excuse my ignorance but I've been happily riding on UST rims and tires for the past four years or so on my main bike and tubes on my backup. What are "tubeless ready" tires as apposed to UST tubeless. I always thought my UST tires were tubeless ready!

Ronnie.

 

[shiggy]

Excuse my ignorance but I've been happily riding on UST rims and tires for the past four years or so on my main bike and tubes on my backup. What are "tubeless ready" tires as apposed to UST tubeless. I always thought my UST tires were tubeless ready!

Ronnie.

Your UST tires are tubeless.

"Tubeless ready" tires use UST type beads and casing plies but they do not have as much rubber pressed into the casing. This means they need a sealant to hold air (or you can just use a tube).

The advantage is they weigh only a bit more than standard tires (50-60g) and as much as 250g less than "full" UST tires. The downside is they do require a sealant for tubeless use which is messy and can add 30-60g of weight.

Some companies are moving towards have only tubeless ready tires for their high-end models.

 

[Ronnie]

Your UST tires are tubeless.

"Tubeless ready" tires use UST type beads and casing plies but they do not have as much rubber pressed into the casing. This means they need a sealant to hold air (or you can just use a tube).

The advantage is they weigh only a bit more than standard tires (50-60g) and as much as 250g less than "full" UST tires. The downside is they do require a sealant for tubeless use which is messy and can add 30-60g of weight.

Some companies are moving towards have only tubeless ready tires for their high-end models.

"I always thought my UST tires were tubeless ready!"

shiggy, that was sarcastic/rhetorical but I must say "Tubeless ready" is news to me because I've been happy with my UST setup. Weight has never been that much of a big deal to me. Is this a way for companies to get around paying Mavic royalties for UST? Have you ever tried any tubeless ready tires? I would think that the thinner side walls would be a bit squeamish, especially for a heavier rider and require higher pressure to support said rider. I'm also not too keen on messing with sealant but the increased choice of tires sounds attractive. Which companies are making them? All the tires I have been interested in come as UST, unfortunately not always in large volume like Panaracer Rampage.

Ronnie.

 

[Thought Criminal 9]

I’ve used most of Bontrager’s Tubeless Ready products over the past two years and have been very pleased. The Bonty’s seem to be fairly fat so they make great front tires. If you use them as rear tires, they may wear out in one season of heavy use in rocky terrain.

The whole deal with TR is weight loss. If you care about rotational weight, these are a good way to reduce that. Otherwise, regular UST will hold up better and lose less air over time. Because TR requires sealant you’ve got those issues with changing and patching tires with a sealant based system. I do it all the time, but it’s messy as Shiggy said above.

However, if you are one of those people who insist on putting sealant in your regular UST tires, then TR is a much better option unless you ride steep areas with extremely sharp rocks and you don’t want to replace your rear tire more frequently. I’ve never had a TR last more than one season here in Colorado (if I use it as my only tire and I ride 5 days a week on very rocky steep terrain).

You can get a TR XC-style tire that’s about 560 grams. Add your 40 grams of sealant and it’s fairly light for a tubeless package. I’ve got one of the new Hutchinson TR tires on order that is quoted by them at 530 grams (yeah, right). They are not “squeamish” by the way and will be fine for a heavier rider unlike a non-UST tire / non-UST rim with Stan’s combo. I’m 190 and have never had a roll-off or anything and run my TR tires down to 22 psi.

Watch the beads on these tires. They stretch out over time more than UST since they are thinner. I had a tire blow off my rim when filling it too fast with my air compressor. Almost deafened me.