Bought a frame 4 weeks ago fitted a tyre size that is the max recommended by manufacturer, ended up with large rub marks down to metal and a little more on the seat tube. Bike set up is standard running at 25 to 30% sag. Contacted the company and they said different tyres different sizes blah blah but its Ardents and an AM/Trail frame, wouldn’t they be the 1st on the list of tyres they would test? Not a cheap frame either – £2000.

Didn’t you realise while fitting them that it was all a bit “tight”?

with the mud we’ve had most tyres are going up by at least half an inch just with the collected crud on them.

Didn’t you realise while fitting them that it was all a bit “tight”?

+1

So manufacturers should be supplying a full list of tyres the do/do not fit?

As druidh, shouldn’t common sense on your part of been enough?

also check your wheels are tensioned and tyres have enough pressure as they or wheels could be deforming under load and rubbing.

Although seat tube contact is a bit odd. Could it just be lots of mud rubbing?

I always use PU tape or brush on coating where the tyre/mud can rub.

I think you should have realise the tyre was to BIG for the frame taken mud into account.Its only paint.Just get out and ride the bloody thing.Mountain bikes are not for SHOWROOMS coming to think about it nor are road bikes to 😆

In terms of width they are fine so no they did not seem tight, I didnt let all the air out of the shock compress it and check that its not hitting the seat tube, not really something that I would think of doing if I am fitting tyres that are the right size for the bike.

I guess my take is that manufacturers would test some of the more popular tyres in frames. The day this happened was a rare dry dusty day with no mud.

Presumably tyre only rubs at full travel, to be fair who changes tyres then lets all air out of/removes shock to check clearance at full travel?

Or is it just me and the OP who don’t?

DONK- and me – this would piss me off. But what can you do? You might have to write letters and be prepared to go to court if you want satisfaction, or just put it down to experience and don’t buy from them.

Either way you should name and shame so we can benefit from your experience.

TBH I can see where the OP is coming from, you’d expect a frame to be designed so that a ‘standard’ tyre (and I think anything from Maxxis counts as pretty Standard) within the recommended tyre width would not rub paint off of the seat tube under compression.

Having said that is it actual tyre rub or abrasion with lots of mud? again I’d hope the finish would stand up to this, but I have had frames (generally cheaper with poorer finishes) where mud buildup has basically serverd to abrade the paint finish away…

Either way I’d be unimpressed… especially for £2K…

the frame? (save us from killing ours, please 😉 )

1) It’s annoying. I’d be hacked off if it was me. But…
2) It’s a mountain bike, it’s going to get scuffed sooner or later.
3) Manufacturers can’t possibly hold your hand to the extent you’re expecting.

Accept it and move on.