Among a few new tyre companies we spotted at the Sea Otter were Teravail, owned by QBP (Quality Bicycle Products), who also count amongst their companies Salsa, Surly and 45NRTH. As you might expect from such a pedigree, these tyres aren’t aimed solely at Extreme Death Gnar, but a broad range of conditions from XC and bikepacking, up to more aggressive trail tyres. Unusually, they’re doing 29+ (2.6), which not many people seem to be making right now.
If you’re interested in getting any of these in the UK, Charlie The Bikemonger is your man, and they’ll be appearing on this page sometime in June (Charlie’s helpfully sent us a pricing breakdown, which you can find at the bottom of this story).
Most of the range is plus, variously in 29 x 2.6, or 27.5 x 2.8 – 3.0The 29 x 2.2 Sparwood (left) is an exception to Teravail’s off road plus tyres, filling a gap in the range between those and gravel tyres.There are a few aggressive tyres in the range, but most Teravail tyres are built around lighter, faster rolling tread patterns.The Cumberland is more of a plus semi-slick, and in the foreground here you can just see the burlier, more trail-oriented Kennebec.The Coronado is a 27.5+ only option, coming in at 3.0 and designed to give a bit more float on loose, sandy surfaces.The 650 x 47 Rampart is a high volume road tyre for people who maybe want a bit more cushioning or speed for CX/gravel duties. Or for extremely optimistic mountain bikers.There’s no word on their website about this Teravail branded bike…While their website and range both heavily emphasize gravel riding, their stand at the Sea Otter showed plenty of MTB-appropriate rubber.Most of their tyres will be available with two casing options: “Durable” with extra puncture protection, and “Light and Supple” for those non-tyre murdering trails.
You can read more about the full range of off road tyres here, and here’s Charlie’s breakdown of UK pricing and what’s coming in. ETA according to Charlie and Teravail is June/July.
With 23 years as Editor of Singletrack World Magazine, Chipps is the longest-running mountain bike magazine editor in the world. He started in the bike trade in 1990 and became a full time mountain bike journalist at the start of 1994. Over the last 30 years as a bike writer and photographer, he has seen mountain bike culture flourish, strengthen and diversify and bike technology go from rigid steel frames to fully suspended carbon fibre (and sometimes back to rigid steel as well.)
Each I’m afraid, and they’re in line with prices from a few other plus tyre manufacturers.
Chipps and I both fondly remember taking trips to the US around 2008, when the USD/GBP exchange rate was nearly 2:1. After import duties (etc.), 2017 prices in dollars and pounds are occasionally hitting parity.
With prices like these, (and that of the Minion 3.0’s) plus is always going to be niche, a shame really . Light and Supple is cheaper, sorry less expensive, than Durable. Used to be the other way round, didn’t it? Or is durable no longer related to wear,?
Is that £90 a pair?
Each I’m afraid, and they’re in line with prices from a few other plus tyre manufacturers.
Chipps and I both fondly remember taking trips to the US around 2008, when the USD/GBP exchange rate was nearly 2:1. After import duties (etc.), 2017 prices in dollars and pounds are occasionally hitting parity.
With prices like these, (and that of the Minion 3.0’s) plus is always going to be niche, a shame really . Light and Supple is cheaper, sorry less expensive, than Durable. Used to be the other way round, didn’t it? Or is durable no longer related to wear,?