Running them on a hardtail with a 15st rider. 25psi front, 30psi rear. just found they pinged off rocks a bit today, particularly the rear. anyone else find this or am I just being overly sensitive? tempted to try less air but most folk say that makes them squirmed.

**** ace tyres most of the time, shy of 14st with about 40 rear and 30 in front. Tend to find the rocks ping out from under me. Don’t understand this obsession with exact tyre pressure though

tyre pressures are very much a personal thing but they a great deal.

In Calderdale here 40 0n the rear sounds a bit hi for me I ran them at 30 rear 25 front not that pingy or squirmy at that pressure (819′ on rocky ridge hardtail) but have been disapointed in there grip good enough on dirt but rock and roots ….found they let go in places maxxis didnt,fast rolling though. (any one want some 40 hr black chilli 2.2′ !)

Err, why is rocks ‘pinging’ a big deal?

Best tyres I’ve used in the peaks IMO. Shame they are so pricey! Anyone seen a deal on the 2.4 tubeless ones?

Don’t know any deals but I’ve got a 2.4 ust I want to trade for a 2.2?

Depends on which peaks you’re talking about.

Onzadog are the ones you are running 2.2 or 2.4’s?

Never used Rubber Queens but I have a friend who’s RQ sidewalls tore very VERY easily whilst out on a ride. The sidewalls on Continentals often feel a bit thin. Is this anywhere near the truth because I’ve never actually used them? I hear plenty of good comments about them though…

I have the black chilli protection version in 2.2 on the front of my bandit and they are awesome especially with grip in the turns, sidewall on protection version feels great. Although the concenses of opinion on here a while ago was to run with the rubber queen black chilli on the front and a MK 2 on the rear. I’m 13 stone and ride with 27psi in the front and 25 psi in the rear. Works for me.

I’ve got the 2.2 ust. it’s not so much rock pinging from under them, more that they ping off the rocks. Might let a few psi out for edale today and see how I get on.

when not riding herts i use 2 bar front and rear

Dale, I’d be interested in your 2.2’s if you wanted to sell and the price is right! 😉

To Jedi, for the last few years ran maxxis, changed recently to RQ front and MK 2 rear, just curious how you find the RQ on the rear?

Dale emailed you last night re rubber queens.

I’d have thought that a tyre at 25/30 under a 15 stone rider would have tonnes of grip, regardless of make or model. How do they feel normally? Maybe you just had an off day.

I’m 12 stone and can’t go lower than 30/35 in the Peak or I start pinching left right and centre. And I run tubeless!

Never used Rubber Queens but I have a friend who’s RQ sidewalls tore very VERY easily whilst out on a ride. The sidewalls on Continentals often feel a bit thin. Is this anywhere near the truth because I’ve never actually used them? I hear plenty of good comments about them though…

I reckon they are a bit on the thin side but I compensate by running slightly higher pressures on really rocky stuff and they cope fine. I’m using the UST versions which I think have thicker sidewalls as they are are heavier than the non UST.

I have the black chilli protection version in 2.2 on the front of my bandit and they are awesome especially with grip in the turns, sidewall on protection version feels great

Black Chilli refers to the sticky rubber version and has nothing to do with sidewall strength. The Conti strengthened sidewall option is called Apex and is available on the 2.4 RQ and the Baron, but not the 2.2 RQ. Apparently 2.2 RQ’s with Apex will be available for 2013

I found the mk 2 broke away to easy in the wet. The rq is more grippy

If they’re feeling too bouncy at that pressure and weight, my guess is that your pump is under-reading and the pressure is actually higher. I have a 2.2 UST BC on the front, weigh 12.5 stone and find 22 (wetter) – 25psi (drier) works best for me. I can feel quite a big difference between 22 and 25, 22 being too squirmy when cornering hard on grippy surfaces, 25 feeling too skittery on wet roots. My pump gauge and handheld gauge agree so I’m assuming they’re actually showing the true pressure.

I’m 12 stone and can’t go lower than 30/35 in the Peak or I start pinching left right and centre. And I run tubeless!

What he said, only I’m not riding in the Peaks but generally in areas less rocky! Except for a trip to Brecon recently… Anyway, even with 35psi in the rear and me at 12 stone I have to be careful not to ding the rim. If its particularly rocky I’ll run 40psi in the rear.

As has been said above though, check your pump accuracy. I know mine is accurate (it’s new and I’ve checked it against others) but some can be out wildly. May be you’re actually running quite a bit more than your pump is telling you.

Awesome tyres though, annoying they’re so bloody expensive!

And regarding squirming, the wider your rims, the lower the pressure below which squirming starts.

If they’re feeling too bouncy at that pressure and weight, my guess is that your pump is under-reading and the pressure is actually higher. I have a 2.2 UST BC on the front, weigh 12.5 stone and find 22 (wetter) – 25psi (drier) works best for me. I can feel quite a big difference between 22 and 25, 22 being too squirmy when cornering hard on grippy surfaces, 25 feeling too skittery on wet roots.

I’m half a stone heavier and run exactly the same tyres as above, and find that very similar pressures work well for me aswell (regular Dark Peak rider on 140mm FS).

Cheers Jedi was considering a 2.4 on the front and putting the 2.2 on the rear, any experince of the 2.4 black chilli as a front, opinion is that they are huge and if run at low psi squirm a lot, I would anticipate running at 25-27 psi as I ran the 2.2 at that any opinion would be appeciayed, Cheers.

The pressure gauge is spot on. either that or all the other ones are exactly equally as duff. still felt skittish today but I really was having on off day, couldn’t climb anything. they felt fine pushing the bike up hill though.

Onzadog: I found exactly the same (BC rubber queens, 2.2, run with tubes), and it meant I had an awful lot of on-off days – though mostly off.

They did a lot of pingy deflection when it was dry, and were terrifyingly skittery when it was wet. Mrs Ninenails found the same. We flogged them (four very expensive tyres we’d used for a week) and stuck the bog-standard, well-worn 60a Maxxises back on. Then all was right the world once more.

Onzadog, what others may find squirmy, you may find to be exactly right. Drop a few psi and see how it feels. I find the ideal pressure window on the RQ and X-King to be very narrow for me, so I check them before every ride – there’s little more than 5psi between too bouncy and too squirmy. When they’re set up right I think they’re fantastic tyres.

I used 2.4 in chamonix and they were awesome

Cheers Jedi might just throw one on the front tubeless of course and get ripping!!

Cheers Fudge

Thanks for all the feedback guys. Think I’ll have to try a lower pressure despite my weight. I was just worried about bottoming out the tyre and messing up the rims.

Onzadog if you have the patience do as I did I adjusted the psi while out on a ride brought a digital guage and went that route, rode the same section of rail with a different psi until I was happy with it, hope this helps

slight thread hijak.. sorry. I am thinking about splashing on some nice tyres… would it be advised to go with 2.4 at the front and 2.2 at the rear? have read above that they are huge. will be going on 160m fronted cotic rocket.. in the black chilli flavour of course.