been out on my newly build rigid xc bike and i have to say i blody love it but the 2 times iv had it out iv ended up with a pinch first ride was just the rear but last night was a double bubble and left me with a 20 min walk
spec wise im running mavic crossrides with 26×2.0 sb8’s with kenda tubes running around 40psi
iv never had a problem with this setup on my full susser so is going hard on a rigid just to much for these tyres?
if so what lightweight tyres do u recomend that can take a beating?

cheers ta

Can you go tubeless? Will save a lot of pinch flats and can be run lower pressure to make it a bit more comfortable..

I use any tyre on mine but pump up to around 35-40

never had a puncture.

Also riding takes a bit more finesse than just blatting on a full suss

I have no problems running at 25 psi on my rigid bike but that’s probably down to me being 55kg. I use Mud X 2.0 because it’s generally my winter / bad weather bike. I’m running 2.2 Racing Ralph on my hardtail and wouldn’t mind trying the 2.4’s on the rigid bike in the summer. Personally especially on a rigid bike I’d go for a bigger volume tyre before upping the pressure on a narrower tyre.

I use a 2.25 Snakeskin Racing Ralph on the back and a 2.4 rocket ron on the front. The extra volume makes a big difference.

2.2 Conti Mountain Kings on the 26″ and 2.2 Conti X Kings on the 29″

Both bikes run fine and have only had one puncture in 1000’s miles.

That includes riding in the Devon Dirt and Welsh Ride Thing events…

Si

As big as you can fit!

2.35 SMB8’s?

40 PSI is way too much on a MTB 😀

The ride must be harsh.

Bigger volume tyres are better IMHO. Also, you can’t just bash through stuff on a rigid bike like you would on a FS, you’ll need to learn to unweight the wheels at appropriate moments and / or avoid chunky rocks.

2.4 Conti X-Kings here, 30ish, I think? Might go tubeless at some point.

Then again, I might not. Don’t get pich flats because I’m so awesomely smooth/ dreadfully slow/ never ride on rocks*

I have a 2.5 nevegal singleply in the front of mine 🙂 Amazing how much difference a bigger tyre makes. And it’s not too heavy (650g or so, so barely heavier than the 2.25 etc I’d use), or very draggy. Bit pingy/reboundy though! Stick-e model would probably work better with the slow rebounding rubber.

tbh i only weigh 11st myself and ride pretty smooth with unweighting the bike not being an issue,at the time i happend to be railing quite high on a berm on the man made leigh woods trails and just bottomed out amd both went instantly i do have some panaracer razor 2.3’s i could try and have 1.85 trailraikers for when it gets messy but they dont roll to well on the smooth newly made trails so need a fairly smooth tread pattern
anyone run crossmarks front and rear?

conti mt king @ 25-30psi

Maxxis Ikon tyres are pretty good, just make sure you get the EXO protection version.

They do a 26 x 2.2.

After overloading & breaking the weighbridge at the local Quarry, I havent the means to weigh myself but I’m up there are 95kg I reckon. 😳

Anyhow, 2.35 Racing Ralphs here running at about 25psi. Comfy & grip well, but I’m no rad-gnar merchant of skillz anymore so they dont exactly get a hard life. I sold the summer only Small Blocks because the Ralphs roll so well the SB8’s became my year round tyre.

+1 Schwalbe 2.4 tyres. I use racing Ralph in summer and nobby nic in the winter. It’s all about the extra volume!

I also agree with above comments re changing riding style. I think about things like line choice a lot more than I used on a fs, which for me is part of the fun of a fully rigid. I had become bored of my local trails, and now they all have a new lease of life as they are a lot more challenging.

I run 2.25 Racing Ralphs on my rigid, but tubeless is definitely the way to go for the aforementioned pressure/comfort/grip reasons.

Riding style no doubt contributes but this:

40 PSI is way too much on a MTB

would be my first port of call. I don’t think I’ve ever run a tubed tyre above 35psi and I’m heavier than you so I’d be playing with tyre pressures before fitting new ones.

Also, you mention they both blew at the same time? How did they fail exactly? Can’t be pinch flat at that pressure. Are they new wheels? Have they got rim tape?

I use bigger tyres, tyre pressures about 30psi and a smooth riding style.. lots of manualling, hopping and good line choice

‘going hard’ on a rigid bike is a very different kettle of fish from going hard on a full suss

I run 2.25 Ardents at 25 and 28psi (ish), but most importantly run them tubeless. No more problems with thorns on the local trails or clattering it onto the edges of steps in town.

Onone smorgasbords here. Run them around 40 psi and they’re perfect. £25 to £30 for a pair too, cant go wrong.

Anything and whatever pressure is in them really. Most of all, like others have said is to take line choice carefully and get weight off the bike, manuals etc

I actually tell people not to ride to close to me as i may suddenly shoot across the trail to avoid something.

Only ever had one puncture in the 18 months I have ridden with rigid forks and that was a thorn in the back.

Oh yeah, get the lightweight thing out of your head, it really doesn`t matter that much.

Re pressures, I run bugger all in my 2.5. Basically the lowest amount my Joe Blow can register as being pressure, so I reckon in the 10psi ballpark. Did contribute to me knocking the tyre off the rim at the gt7 while doing something silly, mind, but it usually works fine.

Wider rims, 35mm + and 2.4 tires – I run mine as low as 15 psi 😀

another plus one for the Conti Mountain Kings!

I run mine at 40 2.1 rear 2.2 front configuration and the only time i’ve pinched was in CyB and i’m hefty enough at 90ish! Low pressures are prone to problems if your doing jumps to rocks. Imho.

Also (no hijack intended) running rigid isnt about picking the biggest tyres at the lowest pressures for comfort – for that get suspension or a 29er 😆 . 2.2 will see you fine unless your doing dh courses fast and your amazing skills will see you fine elsewhere

My soon to be rigid SS has Bonty XR4’s on it, enormous tyres.

maurizio – Member

Also (no hijack intended) running rigid isnt about picking the biggest tyres at the lowest pressures for comfort –

That’s right, it’s nothing to do with comfort- it’s about control.

I like a big tyre up front whether rigid or not. No smaller than an average 2.3

Nothing wrong with control and comfort.

ok new tubes in and the razor mx’s are on 26×2.3 comes up almost the same size as the sb8’s but with a thicker carcus and sidewall but more of a rounded profile will see how they feel on Fridays ride (was given them in a massive tyre mountain).

the whole reson for going back to rigid for me was after trying a lightweight cube xc bike a couple of years ago it was so easy to lug up hills in a race compaired to my f/s trance that is set quite slack altho if I can pick up a 100mm fork cheap then will prob opt for that to take of some of the hits

I was using Crossrides with Joes No Flats rim tapes on my rigid SS, about 15psi up front, low twenties in the rear tyre. No issues with flats even when smashing the rims into rocks.

just come back from a superb ride on the razors griped like shit to a sheet on all surface even at mid- high presures also gave me allot more confidence to stay off the brakes and bank over on the sides more so currentley a happy bunny will be trying the m/kings on my next purchace tho, are they a good all year tyre or specific?

2.5 bonty big earls run at about 32psi on the inbred rigid ss, and 1.9 maxxis ignitors on the ‘mansize’ bmx (another inbred rigid ss, but with just a rear brake to blend in with the other rad dudes at the track 😳 )

And don’t forget you can probably fit a 29″ wheel in your 26″ rigid fork. I have one in RC31’s with a 440mm axle to crown and it would easily fit in a 420mm fork.