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So i have just got my 10yr old a new voodoo bike and he loves it. Wanting to shave a bit of weight off it for him when we start to hit the trail centre and was looking at replacing the stock kenda tyres/tubes with a pair of schwalbe liteskin tyres with light weight tubes, this would save about 800g of his wheels and cost under £50 from zee germans. Now i would not run these myself for fear of puncture/pinch flats but i reckon they should be fine for a skinny 10 year old. Any one used these light weight tyres and tubes? Any good or am i wasting my money?
At 68kg and a rubbish rider I found them a massive waste of time due to pinch flats belting into things a bit fast. Other than that the tyres needed to be rock hard.
I think the tyres were ok, it was the tubes I had problems with (I think)
Your lad might be different but I would get the light tyres and proper tubes. Or just go tubeless.
Don't kids just ride whatever they have and enjoy it? Only adults count grammes.
If you must shave some weight I wouldn't bother with the Schwalbes. What about a Specialized control casing? Tough enough to be a proper tyre but as light as it gets without being stupid.
Is there much risk of sidewall damage where you ride?
Interesting issue...
Personally bike heavy tires. Hate flat tires and had enough of them...
But:
The kids in our biking group all bike the low cost liteskin tyres. They do crazy stuff - jump, bike like maniacs on the flow trail and brake so hard that they need replacements quite often. They kill the studs in no time (no matter if the tires are expensive or cheap).
But nearly NO issues with flat tires with the kids. Which is strange.
@sharkattack..you are right, he doesnt care. I was just thinking the lighter tyres might make things a bit easier for him, therefore more enjoyable, but its no good if we are at the side of the trail fixing punctures all the time. The schwalbes are only €44 a pair (hence thinking they are worth a punt) but the specialized look about €70+ and he is not worth that 🙂 .
@bigyan..there is little chance of side wall damage where i will be going with him.
@larrydavid..i might pass on the tubes then. Cheers.
@andreasrhoen..thanks, this is my thinking.
I'd choose light tyres and tubeless myself...
@shermer75:
you are a kid then?
(o.k.: still don't have figured out where to find the emoji thing.)
emoji, emoji, emoji
My eldest is 'enthusiastic' in riding style. He's destroyed two back wheels, five tyres and multiple inner tubes through pinch punctures.
I would council care of trying to save too much weight on tyres. Cheap, thick, steel tyres survive battering better than light tyres IME.
I'm now buying some pretty hefty tyres for him.
I on the other hand, despite being 14st, rarely damage tyres or rims. #ridelight