Had a Black Chilli UST Rubber Queen I was happy with but they’re hard to find in 2.2 26″ flavour and bloody expensive. Anyone got a decent alternative to recommend? I want to run it tubeless on a Stans Arch EX rim. Needs to be reasonably lightweight for some very long rides but tough enough for the rocky Pennines, and grippy enough for wet and greasy technical trails. Moon on a stick, I know. Cheers.

Maxxis Ardent EXO? Tubeless very easily, tougher sidewall. Just so happens I have one, barely used, for sale..

Can’t go too far wrong with a nobby nic. I had one on the front of my 29er for the summer but have moved it to the rear for the winter (the crossmark wasn’t gripping the mud). I’ve swapped to the Joe’s No Flat fluid after I saw it jam up a Stans valve injector kit solid. I figured it it would do that then it’ll seal up punctures fasters than the Stans stuff. In fact – it even occured to me that Stans may make their fluid thinner so their syringe injector kits will work.

Maxxis Advantage?

Cheers, folk. Keep them coming…

Specialized Butcher might do it. Might not be tough enough, I never have any issues to be fair but the sidewalls are thin. It’s not that fast rolling but equivalent to a rubber queen, lighter, cheaper, better imo in mud though not quite as good on wet rock, not as sticky a rubber but a better tread pattern. Wee bit wider, but not quite as tall IIRC, tubeless ready. My favourite hard use rear tyre, I only take it off in really dry summer as it’s not good at that

(more aimed at the question- what you describe, I’d usually say something faster rolling. But if the rubber queen works for you, that’s a big knobbly tyre and not that fast so I’m thinking something similiar)

Not too difficult a brief.

On-One Smorgasbord is pretty decent and cheap, Ardent or Minion in Exo variety are better but more pricey. Spesh Purgatory Grid (only tried in 29er) is very good, reasonably priced but maybe a smidge less durable.

All those survive well in Pennines, Lakes and Peaks IME – just had the odd hole when when I’m really tanking it.

I’ve got a pair of BC rubber queens for sale if you’re interested?

Stevelol – cheers, what exact spec please? I might be interested if they’re the right tyre, new or virtually new, at the right price. Ta.

Beaver 2.25 is pretty much spot on out back this time of year

I’m running a panaracer smoke this season. 2.1 flavour.

The On-One Smorgasbord is what I’ve got on the back of my bike at the moment and it’s seems OK in the current muddy conditions.

Waderider – Member

I’m running a panaracer smoke this season. 2.1 flavour.

This season, is it perhaps autumn, 1994?

I’ve not found anything better – except possibly the Protection versions, the carcass on them is stiffer so you have a bit more downwards wiggle room on the pressure (run them too hard and they get boingy and don’t engage the side knobs well). 26 2.2 UST Rubber Queens on my Soul (2.3 Baron up front in the winter), 27.5 2.2 Protection Trail Kings on my Spitfire. Particularly good on the back.

Northwind – Member
This season, is it perhaps autumn, 1994?

Mine’s a Conti Cross Country 1.9 – in grey. So yeah it is 😛

Q: What did Robert Plant say after spinning out on a climb?
A: “Good tyres, bad tyres, you know I’ve had my share…”

Thank you goodnight and god bless!

im loving my bc trail kings but ive nearly worn through the threads on a rear sidewall and its only a few months old.

Conti sidewalls are shit

Trashed by gritstone;

[/url]2014-02-08 15.11.58 by pat5barnes, on Flickr[/img]]

Trashed by gritstone

Is that trashed? There are three plies on the sidewall if that’s a Protection version and all that photo shows is the top layer looking scuffed.

Yep protection version and its making me nervous.
What do you think, still good for a few miles without explosions and rocky faceplant death?

Well I don’t want to be liable if it causes a crash but here’s what’s going on in there:

So I think you’re quite far from imminent death!

Can’t go too far wrong with a nobby nic

Strange but true, I don’t rate them at all, unless the 29er versions have cured the inconsistent grip and paper thin sidewall issues with the 26er versions I tried and got rid of. Or are there different compound/carcases?
I have some Maxxis Ignitors which seem OK

My Barons all look like that too, damn shame, they’re always fit for the bin before the tread even looks worn. Still worth it, but annoying.

I know there’s yet another new version of the Nobby Nics- they have to relaunch them every 2 years or nobody’d ever buy the useless things but maybe they’ve got it right this time. Probably not though.

mine are going the way of that picture.

i cant see the conti image though guru. what is it?

As per my reply in the other tyre post, swap your RQ out for a MK2 2.4 protection.

Those tyres above aren’t trashed, but conti will be offering the protection APEX sidewall in their 2015 tyres to help those who don’t like the visual thread appearance.

As per my reply in the other tyre post, swap your RQ out for a MK2 2.4 protection.

What’s better about the MK2 in your opinion? I had the Protection 2.4s on a hire bike this summer and compared to the RQ/TK 2.2 (which is the same size) they didn’t seem to corner as well, brake anywhere near as well or roll any faster off-road. Quicker on tarmac (I don’t think the compound is as sticky) but does that matter?

The image is from the Conti site which appears to be down… It shows the sidewalls have three layers, with the Protection stuff as the middle layer. It also shows the rubber on the outside which the tread is part of doesn’t continue down the sidewall, hence the threads getting scuffed.

Mk2 is a lighter tire when getting into higher volume. Sure it gives up a bunch of braking traction over the rq/tk but as far as rotational mass and a (ime) significant reduction in rolling resistance, it makes for a much better do it all tyre that will let you cover the miles.
If you’re “enduroing” I’d absolutely stick with 2.4 rq/tk up front but as a pedallable rear or capeable and pedallable fr/RR pair then its pretty good. If I’m xc racing I’ll happily run that mk2 up front with a X-king rear and be super happy with that volume at lower pressure through tech sections and happy with good rolling resistance characteristics on the hard pack.
As a side note, yes carcass width for for 2.2 rq/tk is close to 2.4 mk2 but the 2.4 mk has much more volume (tire height).
On a hire bike, it was possibly not BC compound. Also, you need to run much lower psi on that mk2 than you would the lower volume 2.2 rq/tk. This doesn’t impact rolling resistance (or effort required to travel forwards) much. Although lower pressures seem to accelerate thread exposure on the sidewalls due to the increased tyre defection. [All ime/IMO] .

Ardent +1 probably my current favourite.

Cheers all. Been offered a free Ardent, so I’ll try that first then explore other suggestions if it’s no good.