[FishMan473]

I'm looking for a new UST tire for endurance racing, and occasional XC racing. Specifically I'm looking for something that will help me survive the Leadville 100 as best as possible.

Right now I am riding 2006 Specialized FastTrak World Cup. They are light, durable, easy to install and have good traction in a straight line all of which I really appreciate. Trouble is that they are not the most secure tire for cornering on. I hate having to slow down in the corners for fear my tires will give out and I hate it even more when my tires let loose and I slide through a corner.

What are people recommending these days for fast UST tires?

 

[FishMan473]

Bueller... Bueller... Bueller... anyone?

 

[baraant]

Maxxis Crossmark LUST or just use the standard Crossmark, which is .25 lb lighter (120g), with Stans.

 

[MichaelW]

Kenda Karmas

I have put many a mile on these in endurance races. I infact raced them last summer in the Silver Rush 50 @ Leadville and they worked great. I also have a friend that has raced Leadville 100 6 tmes, 4 of those on Python Airlights. I would go with Karmas because of the knobs.

 

[Dan Gerous]

Schwalbe Racing Ralphs (2008 models, not the older ones)...

 

[FishMan473]

Thanks for the ideas so far guys. Just to be clear I don't want to go tubeless-ready because I change tires all the time and don't want to have to deal with sealant.

Dan, what's the difference between the old and the current RR's?

 

[Dan Gerous]

It's a whole new tread. Both roll fast but the new one has much better cornering abilities and is lighter too (at least, in the UST version). My 2008 2.1 weighed an average of 635gr but I have seen lighter samples. That's a good weight for a UST tire.

 

[ejh]

I used the fast trax last year, I'm going to use a capton on the front at silver rush and see how it works. With all the snow melt and water I may use a captin on the rear also. See you in PBville

 

[FishMan473]

those 2008 RR's look pretty good. They will probably be my next tires. Unfortunately due to a destroyed cassette this weekend, I am have to be spending my money elsewhere until next season.