Considering some wider tyres on my bike and I note that Stans claim the flow can take a 2.8 tyre. Has anyone actually does this? Does it create a sensible shape or is it very round?
General consensus is 35mm internal minimum for 2.8in tyres, but I have never tried narrower to test that.
If your bike is 27in, I have a Stans Baron wheelset I'm selling. And some 2.8in High Rollers.
In my experience and my ten pence.
I've the same rims in 29er. Stans say 2.25 to 2.8 so they will be fine.
My schwalbe nobby nics are 2.6 and they have a rounded profile compared to wider rims but I like this. I think they measure 2.52. They run more on the centre tread on roads (due to the rounder shape rather than square) and I feel they are more efficient but in mud the whole tread is used.
Having run 2.2s on mavic 717 I've no problem with running a 2.8 or 3 inch tyre on them.
What clearance does your frame have?
The magazines tell you that you need a 35mm or wider tyre but what type of rider are you? For my middle aged xc riding it suits me. Im not gnar enough to need wider rims.
I chose the mk3 rim as a balance between width and weight.
I ran 3 inch Chronicles on Flow Mk3s (29er) with no issues
I tried 2.8 minion on a 30mm xm481, was pretty rolley and not very nice. 40mm is much better.
I'm working off the basis that if Stan's recommends up to 2.8, then 2.8 will be fine. Thinking of building a light set up with these rims, to run a 2.8 Vigilante up front and a 2.6 Trail Boss out back.
pretty rolley
At what tyre pressures?
The bike has the clearance for a 2.8 tyre but I've not seen a 2.8 on a 29mm internal rim so was looking for experiences.
The alternative tyre width is 2.6 and I currently run 2.5 minion which is fine so 2.6 would be as well.
My riding is in the Amber Valley/ Matlock area so a mix of rooty woods and rocky trails so I think(?) a flatter tyre profile would be more stable.
14 psi front, 18 psi rear so yeah, pretty soft. I've found any higher and they feel very 'ballony' and un-damped. I am however on an ebike so drag isn't an issue.
Not convinced
2.8 Vigilante
goes with 'light' for the wheelset. And surely if you're running an aggressive tyre like the vigilante then you're going to be wanting to have the sidewall well supported.
If you decide against it, Decathlon are selling off their plus wheels cheap right now- come with the duroc 40 rims
I've run + WTB tyres (2.8s) on Flow mk3s. It's OK but they do come up very round. Switched to Duroc 40 rims (which IIRC are actually 35mm internal) and the profile is much better.