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I'm a creature of habit and have been running 2.25" Racing Ralphs on the rear of my XC bike since the dawn of time. I don't change tyres often, so these are a good all rounder for me - light and fast enough for my mid-pack XC racing, and durable enough for everyday use. I used to use the Double Defence version, and would just replace tyres after a couple of years once I got a couple of punctures, suggesting they were getting thin.
I've now got a 1 month old Racing Ralph 2.25" "Speed" on, which has punctured on rocks twice since fitting. First was a small hole which sealed, the second was a larger cut which deflated too quickly. As a result, I've lost confidence in their reliability, which is annoying given that I need to ride 100k on the Isle of Man in the rain on Sunday, where I'm told it is quite rocky.
Since the DD version isn't available anymore, is the Speedgrip more puncture resistant? The Schwalbe website rates it the same for protection, but suggests it is more durable, so I would think it must have slightly better puncture protection?
I need to sort a new rear tyre for Sunday and don't have time for mail order now, so options are:-
- Another new 2.25" RR Speed that I have in the garage. Maybe I have just been unlucky and a new tyre will hold up fine?
- Maxxis Ikon 2.2" which was removed from the bike when new, as I was unimpressed with the weight and off camber grip in the wet (it was winter when I got the bike). I'm not impressed with grip of these, and I'm not sure how durable they are?
- LBS have a 2.4" Conti X-King in. It looks gripper than the Maxxis, but I'm not sure how durable these are?
- Do I do my best to get a Speedgrip RR en route to the Isle of Man?!
Interestingly (or probably not for most people) the spare RaRa Speed I have in the garage weighs 50g more than the one I had on. That's a wee bit more rubber to protect against punctures. Maybe I got a thin one off the production line. Hmm.