Thinking of getting a pair of Nobby Nics for XC racing this year. Will use both when it is muddy, and if it is semi dry, run one of my old slightly worn Specialized tyres on the rear, and if it is very dry, stick both old Spesh tyres on.

Thoughts on size? I was fairly happy with my 2.0" Spesh tyres although they are not terribly grippy. Currently got some cheap Contis on which are 2.3" front and 2.1" rear, although the 2.1" does seem quite narrow.

2.4" front and 2.5" rear for NN sound best, or save a few grams with 2.25" both ends (or even 2.25 / 2.1)?

Is the snakebite protection worth the money? I can handle a few extra grams if it saves me a puncture in one race, although I am quite light and run reasonably high pressues, and I think this contributes to me not puncturing too often.

Thoughts and experiences appreciated.

I'm a big fan of the NN 2.25 but the 2.4 is horrible, had a set and they just didn't seem to do anything better than the 2.25. Also felt somehow less grippy/fell onto corner knobs/more draggy. Ugh.

Snakeskin are good, the sidewalls are petty thin. Also Schwalbe recommend you run them at 30psi apparently for more speed over varied terrain. There's a big PDF floating around with all the science behind it.

Anyway NN 2.25 as an all round tyre I think is great. As for racing, dunno thought everyone was still on 1.5s 🙂

The only suggestion I'd make is to keep the NNs on when it's dry, as they're likely to be faster rolling than the Spesh tyres. That or get some RRs as well for real speed in the dry.

Thanks. Encouraging thoughts there. Maybe just go for the 2.25s at both ends then. I know there are lighter tyres around, but I can't afford a new pair every week, and can't be bothered with too many punctures, so NN snakeskins seem to be an okay compromise. I'll be running them with inner tubes if that makes a difference to anyone's opinion.

Think I'll still keep my Spesh tyres for dry days races. They are the 2Bliss versions that came with my Epic (although I still run them with inner tubes) and are pretty fast on firetracks etc. Ideally some RRs would be good, but will see if I can get a few more months from the Spesh tyres to save the pennies.

got a couple of RR's left over if you're interested? UST version though. brand new.

tracknicko, thanks for the offer, but there seems to be a reasonable weight difference, so think I'll try to get some snakeskin non-tubeless versions.

no bother. sorry to pedal me wares all over your thread.

A lot of people use Schwalbe tyres for Xc racing. Typically Rocket Ron, Racing Ralph, Nobby Nic and on a very small number of occasions Furious Fred. Schwalbe have designed the range to be interchangable depending on conditions. So you can run RR front and rear or RoRon and RR if the conditions become a bit softer etc etc. Hopefully you get the idea.

I would say most people are running 2.1s. They tend to provide enough grip and are lighter than the 2.25s. Having said this the 2.1 RoRons come up a little small and 2.25 is better there. It is still a very light tyre as a 2.25.

Otherwise the NN is a pretty good tyre. I personally would consider a RR (2.1) rear and RoRon (2.25) up front as a fast rolling and grippy alternative but if you want a more general purpose tyre you can't go wrong with NN – just stick with 2.1s.

Whilst I would echo was James said durability is definitely compromised on the Rons, they don't last nearly as long as the Nics.

What are you using in the wet at the moment? I'd keep using those in the wet and get some Ralphs, think they're more versatile than Nics, which are only really better when it's really wet, when Nics still aren't exactly a mud tyre.

I thought 2.1 NN were great for 18 months.
Many people use them – it seems more a default tyre in almost the same way that the FireXCPro used to be.
Moved "up" to RR for any races – all summer duties actually.
I've also gone tubeless which does away with the fragile nature of NN's which I got fed up with as they're expensive, wear out very quickly, especially along the contact patch with the rims, and God, do they like punctures!

Thanks James, sounds like a good option (2.1 Nobby Nic or 2.25/2.1 in Rocket Ron / Racing Ralph. I see however that none of these is available the snakeskin protection. Are they fairly prone to punctures when run with inner tubes?

Thanks for the further comments. Currently I have some cheap Continentals which aren't particularly light or fast rolling for use in the damp conditions. Not too impressed so thinking of replacing those with the Nics and keeping my existing Specialized tyres (or a schwalbe/specialized combination) for dryer days.

Too much choice from Schwalbe by the sounds of it!

Pix:
Get used to changing tyres / inners if you go that route!
I went to the thicker Tubeless trye and have not had to stop once for such, what now, in hindsight,seems almost amateurish in comparison i.e punctures!

PS – WHY "old slightly worn Specialized tyres on the rear" when you are being advised to mix 'n' match Shw' made tyres as above?

Ti29er – can't really afford more than two tyres at the moment, so looking for a reasonably fast, reasonably good all rounder. My front Spesh tyre would give a bit of grip on the back on medium conditions, and I reckon would be fine on the front on really dry days. I guess it would be my own cheaper version of the Schwalbe three tyre setup.

Should also say that although tubeless sounds more reliable, if changing tyres for different conditions is better, changing tubeless tyres sounds like a right faff by the time you have put in sealant etc, and a spare set of wheels would be far too pricey for me at the moment.

Not ideal I accept, but thanks for the comments all. Still veering towards something around 2.1/2.25ish with decent puncture protection and inner tubes.

I just changed from Panaracer Fire XC's to NN 2.1's and will never look back, so far they seem a great tyre even in the snow. Mine come in at 954g for a set so pretty light.

On the contry.
The faff is in changing inners several times a ride & having light tyres run thread bare when they're only 3-5 months old.
NN are expensive tyres!
That's also very expensive in the medium to long term if you're having to replace them a couple of times a year.
Tubeless is without doubt the way forward as they're made of a thicker material and there's ultimately less faff involved.

If you ride anywhere near hedges (hawthorns = punctures)or anywhere with rocks or stones (some trail centers are rockier than others as are places such as the Peaks) then avoid NN would be my advice.

For 90% races you would be fine with a NN front and RR rear.

I wouldn't run them with tubes on the rear. ~72 kg and used to get repeated pinch flats even running the tyres at 40 psi.

FWIW I believe NNs are very over rated, and here's why…..

You know when you're going up a tough climb, and sometimes your tyre won't bite? It kind of stutters and loses a little traction. Like it bites, lets go then bites again….as if the knobs are to tall and distorting maybe…..

On at least two occasions i've been in a head to head in a race, and the rider I'm riding against can't get grip….. I'm wondering what tyres they're using that's giving them a problem. I check after the race. Both were using NNs. They didn't seem to have them pumped up really hard or anything.

I race Hutchinson Piranhas in all but the clayfest of conditions.

SB

I've had very few problems running non-tubeless NNs and RRs with tubeless conversion kits and latex. Had one small split which eventually caused me to retire the tyre, but at the time I just pumped it back up after it sealed.

Rocket Rons are based on the lighter FF carcass aren't they? Personally I'd consider them a bit too fragile from my experience of FFs.

Just to qualify my comments somewhat. I have been running Schwalbe tyres in various configurations for the last few years. They are all pretty lightweight which will mean thinner sidewalls.

I have had a lot of success running standard tyres tubeless on ZTR Race 7000 and ZTR 355 rims with just yellow tape. However, I do think you need to run them at low pressures. Letting the sidewall deform over objects seems to stop them getting ripped. Despite being a thinner carcass, I rode with a RoRon on the front (Ralph rear) in a four day stage race in the US in October. It was super rocky and very technical and the tyre held up brilliantly.

A lot will depend on how hard you ride and your line choice. These tyres do require riding with some finess. The UST versions are indeed thicker and more bullet proof but considerably heavier and more expensive.

I have used NNs for a while now, changed over from Fire XC Pro. I think it is an excellent tyre that rolls well and dont find it quite as puncture prone as some people make out. At the beginning of the year I changed to tubeless (stans) and really think they are excellent. Tried the Ralphs a few times and thought they rolled better but didnt offer the same traction.

Rocket Rons are based on the lighter FF carcass aren't they?

They are. I used a set for most of the summer, no punctures out riding, although a couple of times they'd gone down when I went to use the bike, they always sealed. Pretty worn now though, lots of cuts and visibly worn lugs, but IMO worth the weight saving considering they have more grip than a Ralph.

Wouldn't use them anywhere rocky mind.