I have Shimano XT Wheels and they are UST ready. I have just being using normal tyres with a inner tube but they now need replacing. Can anyone recommmend me an all year tyre either 2.1 or 2.3, for use in the lakes, trail centres and xc in the alps. Also what sealant would you recommend to limit punctures. I just don’t fancy changing tyres often but realise it will be a bit of a compromise.

Thanks

I am running Kenda 2.1 Blue Groove and Nevegal UST’s with Stans Sealant, although to be honest artists latex will do an equally good job.

I have found these tyres to be fine for most things, no problems with rocks or indeed light mud and they work well at trail centres. Probably just about big enough for the alps although I would change for 2.3’s if most of the climbing is taken care of by lifts.

For trail centres I think a 2.35 high-roller LUST on the front and Advantage 2.1 on the rear works well, no clue about in the Lakes though. Stans sealant seems to work well to IME

High roller’s both ends for me, super tacky upfront. but i’ve run the LUST on the front with an ignitor on the back, t’was alreet too.

Anybody know of any good deals on the ones recommended so far?

I am using specialized eskar 2bliss from Tredz at the moment. They are a cross between high rollers and ADvantage tread. Very light but grip like shit to a blanket.

pair for £45

I tried the Kenda ust combo, didn’t get on too well with them here in the Lakes, problems with them burping, not very grippy. I don’t think they have the dual compound the tubed version has.
The tyre I keep going back to is the Halo Choir Master, roll well enough, reasonable grip, and very durable, they also last ages and crc usually do them cheap. Spanish combo is Halo on the back Larsen on the front.
But what works for one won’t work for another, probably why I have a garage full of part worn tyres.

Difficult to beat the Bonty Jones ACX 2.3’s. I use a home-brew sealant someone posted on here years ago which works well. It’s 1tbl spoon art latex
1tbl spoon Slime
1 ” ” concentrated windscreen washer
1/4 cup of water
Mix well and pour into tyre.
Repeat for other tyre.
Lasts several months when the bike’s used regularly, and will seal pretty large cuts, had one 3mm long seal once.

Kenda Nevegal works well for me – a pretty perfect all round tyre for general xc riding incl in the Lakes. I guuess if you are really launching it downhill on a 6″ travel bike then you want something wider.

As for sealant I find the wheel milk from JRA very good.

Changing tyres is a bit more of a hassle than a trad tube and tyre combo but unless you have a real tyre fetish (and I know lots of people on here do) it is a compromise worth making. Lower pressures make smooth rolling and better grip and virtually no punctures. WMB always say its the easiest way to improve your bike and riding and yet so many people just can’t be bothered to make the switch. Really short sighted IMO/E

Schwalbe Fat Albert, front & rear with JRA wheel milk.

I’m just about to replace a pair of High Roller 2.35 LUST tyres I have – I found them to be ok but they seem to have worn pretty quickly but overall I’ve not been that impressed. I’m going to try the Halo Choir Master on the back and a Conti Ribber Queen 2.4 on the front.

I’m going to try the Halo Choir Master on the back and a Conti Ribber Queen 2.4 on the front.

WackoAK – how is the Halo?

I’m looking for tyres too now and am tempted by High Rollers as Maxxis have always done me well.

Anyone got anything to add?

My experience so far has been 4 months riding almost every day on Bonty Big Earl 2.35 tubeless ready WET. Zero punctures in that time but the back tyre looked like this:

Then the sidewall on the front ripped. I was very fast and clumsy in a stream crossing so felt that was fair enough. Tyres were great in anything apart from very bad mud.

Bought some High Roller 2.35 LUST’s, a 60a for the front and a 42a for the back. I didn’t even get a week and both sidewalls ripped. The tyres are great, they’re slightly grippier than the big earls and roll well on anything apart from tar but for me the sidewalls are too thin.

I would never put another set of LUST’s on a bike I own. If you’re not riding much that’s rocky, you weigh 8 stone or ride as smoothly as Mr Hill then you might be fine.

Odd, to me the High Roller LUST sidewalls are pretty beefy, they’re no DH dual-ply but noticeably thicker than most normal tyres I’ve had.

Funny, I ride in slatey snowdonia and very rarely rip tyres. I’m heavy, clumsy, and am usually on a HT. The only 2 ripped UST tyres would have tor had they been conventional tubed anyway. As said above, I find the LUST sidewalls somewhat beefier than the usual kevlar / wire bead variety…

I’ve got a high roller LUST on the front and a monorail on the back of my ETSX. The monorail is really fast and resonably grippy (but any kind of gloop confuses it!).

On the hardtail I’ve been trying Spesh purgatory 2.2 up front and captain 2.0 on the rear. Not a bad combo in my experience and grip is great but they are large volume for their stated size. Adds to the comfort a bit though.

Oh, I’m also using Specialized AirLock sealant. I got fed up with having to change latex every three months or so and got a puncture that didn’t seal as I was late changing it. I’ve not had any punctures I’m aware of with the airlock but they claim it doesn’t go off. I guess we’ll see.

Using the Halo Choir master – do everything i ask of them and dirt cheap.

+1 for the spesh Eskar 2Bliss here.

Also got a good deal from Tredz.

Matt