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Hi,
So went tubeless a while back.
Put a Bonty XR4 2.35 on the front - rides great but can hear the drag and looks pretty fat.
I'm wondering whether to put an XR4 2.2 on the front instead.
Question is. Am I really going to notice the extra speed on the whole ride e.g. point to point and not just the up bits OR would the different be minimal compared to getting fitter and putting the extra power in my legs?
Cheers....
rides great but can hear the drag
But can you feel it? I had one of these until the sidewall imploded, and didn't notice it being particularly draggy.
What pressure are you running?
Hi, don't think I could say whether I feel it - I just hear the extra noise when I'm on the odd road section so guess its in my head about the drag...currently run about 25psi front and back (weigh about 12st in full riding gear)..
It could well be a bit draggy on tarmac, that doesn't necessarily translate to off-road speed.
Got the same tyre tubeless on the front of one of my bikes and it is definitely draggy on hard surfaces with a roar to accompany it. Draggier than a Trail King. Rolls freely on dirt though. Tried one on the rear and it was noticeable there so I'm running a 2.2 XR3, noticeably faster. Have wondered about going down to a 2.2 myself although I think it's the centre tread that creates the drag so that won't change with a narrower carcass much.
I've been a long time fan of these tyres. I have a 2.35 on the front with a narrow 819 rim and a 2.2 on the back with a wider Stans rim. Both tubeless. It takes a while to find the best pressures but they give a great ride.
I run XR4 2.35 @ 25psi on the front and XR3 2.20 @ 28psi on the back. Both on Hope XC rims. I'm 83Kg
They are noisy but whether they have any more drag than an equivalent tyre I don't know. Unless the difference was something like 30% (guestimate) more then there are so many other variables involved that you'd be unlikely to notice.
Reads like a few similar set-ups. I have an XR3 2.2 on rear too. I must admit riding wise i'm happy with the set up. Interesting points been made - so don't think I'll spend the £40 on a new 2.2 for something that will probably make a negligible difference..cheers all....
Big fan of XR4s
Got 2.35 front/2.2 rear tubeless on DT5.1s
Yes, they are noisy especially at low pressures, but I wouldn't say they feel especially draggy.
I've got 2.2 F/R with tubes (to be converted) on my SS and not as noisy, but I run higher pressures with the tubes. And the tubes add more drag...
As a comparison, I've just switched from Spesh Butcher/Pugatory to Conti X-Kings on my 29er, I'd say the XR4s fall in between in terms of drag.