Am looking for a replacement for a Racing Ralph for the back end. At this time of year I use RR front and year, stick a Nobby Nic on the front if things are greasy (like right now).

Am looking at maybe getting a Rocket Ron for the back, 445g in 2.25 v 520g for the Ralph. Anyone using them and have an opinion? Will be pretty much only dry forest singletrack so roots, no rocks. Ride with a pretty fast, aggressive club, Ralphs have been perfect so only makes sence if the Ron has similar grip.

Merlin have them both for £30.

HATE THEM

They were shite tubed

they were shite tubeless …..

Had 9 punctures in 3 rides , 6 tubed(using normal tubes not condom tubes) and 3 tubeless (using a joes kit)

Previously ran Small block 8s and Fire xc muds in 1.8(with 1 puncture the whole season (tubed) and it was on a recreational ride in the cairn gorms with big rocks and it actually gashed the tire)….the rons felt less grippy than the small blocks , the pressure had to be high (50 psi) even tubeless to stop them burping or pinching (with tubes) so no grip …

Ive put my Small block 8s back on(tubeless) … old worn ones and still they feel better to ride as i can keep the pressures down to about 35-40psi …

Going to replace with some Dreadtreds as a fast rolling intermediate tire. since my experiance with rons was so bad !

FYI im 12 stone , riding a merida FLX3500d . The sidewalls are just too thin on the rocket rons (mines were the evos) If you are lighter you may get on better but it wasnt just rear pinch flats ..it was front as well.

LOL – was just to post that TrailRat was using them the other weekend and HATED them!

trail_rat leaps off the fence, thanks. I’m 14 stone 6’3, will be on a Blur LT most of the time. Punctures and paper thin sidewalls clearly could be the issue with these things. Would be tubed for me either way.

Are they that bad? Ive been using RR/NN EVO’s tubeless with a bit of stans sealant for two years, and although ive heard a lot about thin/weak sidewalls, ive never managed to flat them, not even any burping, and im nigh on 15 st. Maybe ill give them a miss if youve come off RR’s yourself.

my mates race them and love them….

TRail_rat told me that he loves those tyres and just wants to put everyone else off using them.

maybe they are so good he is putting people off to stop people having the advantage they give…

depends where you race i guess … on NPS courses you will be fine

I flatted at the iroc race 4 times on a rocky section of course with 50psi in the tire ! Then the front tire went the next lap !

I then made them tubeless and flatted the rear and then the front at a local race by burping them riding a corner on the edge of control …..didnt roll off the rim just let its air out

then i was riding down a fire road on the STW group ride a fort night ago and the rear just suddenly lost all psi …

I however replaced the tire with the small block 8 , non tubeless version but ran with sealant and strips and made no other changes .. and had no issues with it at all after 70k on sunday in the woods and on fireroads and on singletrack and on “no track” (trademarked) ….that being needing to get between trig points in a trailquest quickly and going ghurka style

Just because i hate em doesnt mean everyone will but i gave you my honest opinion !

george …you wanna buy a pair of rocket rons .. used for 3 rides ….

They come up quite narrow, the 2.25″ is more like a 2.1″ and actual weights are more like 470g.

I really like the way they ride. Very fast and grippy. Grippier than a ralph and almost as fast. Would be better suited as a front tyre IMO.
But the sidewalls are thin and damage easily if you ride anywhere with rocks.

Given the conditions you say your riding they sound like a suitable tyre.

I’ll buy them
…how much

lol @ 50 PSI in a mtb tyre.

” Merlin have them both for £30. “

hmm when I went to order I found these guys worked out cheaper, got them next day with a free pair of tyre levers as well …
nextdaytyres.com

Aren’t the Rocket Rons the more nobby version of the Furious Fred, which are the new version of the Fast Fred? In which case they’re doubtless paper thin (would be implied by weighing significantly less than RRs, which aren’t known for having the thickest sidewalls), and likely to puncture far too easily. Won’t suggest my Fast Freds were awful and puncturing all the time (that distinction still belongs to the Conti Twister Supersonics I once misguidedly tried), but they were certainly far more puncture prone than RRs, and fast rolling as they were I eventually decided they weren’t worth the risk – possibly lost 2nd place in a race due to puncturing one (better than the Twisters, where I’m quite convinced I missed out on a win due to multiple punctures).

I like the Ron, it’s the same carcass as the Fred – as said above – so it’s more flimsy than the Ralph. I wouldn’t use them anywhere rocky, but for loamy rooty stuff they’re rather good I think.

i didnt get a puncture in my front one on saturday BUT my rear tire i went from a 2.1 Rocket Ron to a 1.8!!!! kenda dred tred (tubed) and got no punctures….

the 1.8 sizes up the same as the 2.1 no bother !

FWIW i noticed that alot of folk sporting rocket rons had punctures on saturday at 10utb amd were carrying their bikes. Lots also commented when i passed that it wasnt their first and that they were out of tubes and patches …….

lol @ 50 PSI in a mtb tyre.

Why LOL?

I don’t think i have EVER felt the need for over 30 psi in a tubeless tyre, but each to their own.

“I don’t think i have EVER felt the need for over 30 psi in a tubeless tyre, but each to their own. “

great insight but were you riding rocket rons that had punctured 4 times in the last 3 laps of a 4 hour enduro ?

horsed them to **** and am running 30psi in tubed 1.8 dred treds which come up bigger than 2.1 rocket rons !

For what it’s worth, running Ron’s with a Stans conversion. They are very light and roll well on pretty much everything but are very fragile. I’ve shredded them on flinty surfaces up in the Chilterns on my last two rides up there and even managed to puncture (but sealed ok) at Swinley yesterday, which is in my experience fairly gentle on tyres. Competent tyre, but need TLC.

They’re not a tyre for rocky terrain, I’m not surprised people were flatting at 10utb, it’s an inappropriate tyre choice! Not the tyres fault, they’re billed as a lightweight racey job.

hardly say a 1.8 dred tred was suited to rocks either … coped a million times better than the rocket ron(which was tubeless)

buy tubeless specific ones (with the proper size sidewalls et all) and it will solve all problems 😀

decent tyre for grip nick? need something as an alternate to race kings for the race bike. would run nics for muddier races, but though these may be worth a shot instead of nobby nics…

From the Schwalbe website:

Above all: Rocket Ron is an out and out competition tire, so puncture resistance and durability are limited.

I’d expect better of you Terry!

They do seem good Oli, I’m impressed with them, but it’s much loamier and rootier down here, no rocks. If you took out the weight advantage by going UST I’m less sure, I’d probably go for the Nic.

tbh i never looked at the website … i just ran what was speced on the bike …

Going back to kendas …i ride too hard for schwalbes imho … coming from a downhill background n all

Will give the missus the Rockets , she will get on better with them being lighter and not so aggressive with the bike !

cool.
mixed tracks up here, some loamy, some rocky stuff. i’ll look into them!

I’m looking to replace my old Conti Doublefighters with something quick but with a bit more grip. I’m seriously considering some Conti Speed Kings (nextdaytyres.com seem to be doing a good deal on them at the moment). Does anyone have any experience of the Speed Kings?

hi

I also got my Continental Speed Kings 2.3 from nextdaytyres.co.uk.

Was a good deal and they are a great tyre in the dry, really roll fast and grip consistently. I wouldn’t recommend them in the wet though, strangely I just switch the front one to a nobby nic when it’s slippery.

Currently using a 2.1 standard Ron as a front tyre (Ralph on the back) – I like it, running at 28psi (I’m c.75kgs) with sealent. Had no issues at all (touch wood)- fits nicely between a Ralph & a Nobby N. The 2.1 would make a nice rear tyre with say a Nobby up front for muddy’ish conditions.
For rocky ‘cutty’ conditions I’d probs err on caution and go with NN front instead although it would be good to try a UST or protection version of the Ron.

I can’t imagine using a tyre more fragile than a RR or NN for non-race purposes. As much as I love both these tyres I put a 2″ split in the side wall of a RR riding at barely more than a walking pace going up a woody hill in the Chilterns (I assume on a flint). Anything even less robust than NN/RR is unsuitable for general riding around IMO.