Looking for a decent set of xc tyres in UST

Any ideas?

Liked Racing Ralphs but here good things about Conti Speed Kings (although I couldn’t get on with Mountain kings at all!)

Do SK’s come in UST versions and where’s cheap?!!

Many thanks

t,

I have one Schwalbe Fast Fred UST 26×2.0″ for sale, 90% good for £20 posted.

Interested?

Mail me on paul.r.davisAThotmail.co.uk

Why UST?

2011 Schwalbes are Tubeless Ready which saves 200g+ per tyre, which will make a bigger difference than any tread pattern!

Ralphs and Rons are both good, the former slightly tougher, but heavier. Combine with a Furious Fred on the back for a properly fast combo, and buy from Action Sports for sensible prices.

njee

Guess I’m not sure in the difference! Part from the weight

Sizes?

2.25″s are a good ‘all round’ size, although I find the 2.1″s fine for everything.

Tubeless Ready have a proper tubeless bead, but a thinner carcass, so you need to run sealant (which most people do in UST anyway).

UST are fully airtight, so you don’t need to run sealant, although you’ll have no puncture protection if you don’t. A tubeless ready tyre + sealant still weighs >100g less than a UST tyre, costs less, and has better puncture protection. No brainer really!

I’ve just put a Conti Race King on and after an initial test ride it seems very fast
I do like RRs though but the new TL ones are just too tight on Crests for my liking
Anyone seen any old style RRs in 29er flavour anywhere?

Maxxis Ardent spin up very nicely and fast with grip in 2.25 size.

My Boardman came with speed kings front and rear. The front came off very quickly and the backs gone as well now. They do roll well but I just found them a bit too sketchy for my lack of skills. I put on some XC pros which I had lying around which I feel safer on. From all I’ve read on here I’ll probably try racing ralph when they have worn out.

of course we remember that it is unlikely that the racekings on your boardman were anything other than the same pattern.

pucka racekings are slightly better due to soft compound – OEM contis give conti a bad name…..

my favorite fast tire of the moment is the specialized fast trak 2bliss.

second Ardents.. also Crossmark

Put a maxxis Ikon on my rear, run TL.

Fast fast tyre, about the same as a ralph but with better cornering grip. Run a 2.2 on the rear.
I’ve also ran ralphs, speed kings and there isnt much in it, but when you see the tread pattern you’ll understand why
Worth trying

of course we remember that it is unlikely that the racekings on your boardman were anything other than the same pattern

That’s a valid point the speed kings I have are oem steel bead. However I also got 3 punctures in 4 days and bearing in mind my usual rate is 1 or 2 a year that was enough for me to ditch the rear.

Anyone seen any old style RRs in 29er flavour anywhere?

I may be wrong, but I didn’t think they made 29er RRs until fairly recently, which probably means they’re all the new style.

A

Do you mean old style as in the 2010 Triple Nano compound with the knobblier tread – which I assume you did? Or the older style tread pattern as well, with the lower profile tread?

Agree with the above, the 29″ ones never came in the old style tread pattern, but I’d try the German retailers to find someone with the 2010 ones.

On-one were flogging the old ones cheap a couple of months ago in 29er I think

Been running a Hurchinson Cobra UST light rear tyre on the back of my hardtail for most of the summer. Ridiculously fast, way more so than a Crossmark or Racing Ralph (still excellent tyres), not that heavy (sub 600g I think) yet still has a much tougher carcass than the Maxxis or Schwalbe do which matters to me.

Much grippier than it looks too, especially when leant over.

Expensive mind!

about to try some Specialized Renegades

Found a speed king better than a mountain king but you’re sacrificing everything for a low weight tyre.

Rocket Rons are pretty good though but that’s not a tubeless version though

Those ones are bloody heavy too, they’re all 520g+, classic example of OEM product being inferior to the aftermarket one. Pay slightly more at get the pukka article from Action Sports, still only €30/tyre, and more than 100g lighter than the On One ones.

Racing Ralph 2.25″ snake skin, used front and rear all year round. Sensible weight, tougher casing and still damn fast.

I find Ron’s and Fred’s very fragile as they don’t do the snakeskin or DD, just the UST version. Depends where you live though, some areas they are fine.

Sorry for going offthread, but njee20 – you clearly use Action Sports a lot and the prices look good. My German ain’t that good (!) but once I’ve got that sorted on google – are there any problems with buying from Germany ? Shipping ? Returns I guess but just watch what you buy ?

I still love my Geax Barro Mountains 2.1 – fast, grippy when needed. A great tyre for me.

I’m about to stick an Ikon on the back. I’m not convinced by Schwalbe’s rubber compounds in damp conditions, hoping the Ikon will be as fast as a Ralph but with more cornering and wet rock grip. The EXO version makes sense for Peak use too.

My German ain’t that good

At very top right of the page you’ll find a little British flag (to the left of a German one). Pressing that will cause quite a lot of the text (though not all) to be shown in English.
I’m eyeing up some wheels on there, so I’d like to hear reports from anyone who’s used them as well.

I’ve bougt a fair bit off them – XT & SLX groupsets, tyres etc

very efficient, trackable courier all the way and around 3-4 working days to deliver

can’t go wrong

http://www.on-one.co.uk/i/q/TYSCRALFEVO/schwalbe-racing-ralph-evo-folding-tyre

On One are silly cheap at the mo 😀

njee20 – Member

Those ones are bloody heavy too, they’re all 520g+, classic example of OEM product being inferior to the aftermarket one. Pay slightly more at get the pukka article from Action Sports, still only €30/tyre, and more than 100g lighter than the On One ones.
Just weighed one and its 503g but that’s still a fair bit more than the 445 they claim on the website!
Mind you for the money I can put up with that & the grey colour

O.K.

The votes are in and the judges decision is final!

Thanks all for all your help in getting the old grey matter thinking but following the advice of a mate Transwales nutter and 12hour solo specialist I’ve gone for Hutchinson Toro XC Tubless ready 2.15 front and rear.

http://www.cyclesportsuk.co.uk/product_info.php?products_id=10326

A bit more than I wished to pay but on balance with the rainy season on its way a little more grip than the Ralphs may be in order no matter how tempting On One’s offer is!

Thanks again!