I usually run 2.35 High Roller LUSTs, tubeless. I’m petty happy with the LUST casing and lack of punctures, but am dinging and flatspotting rims like there’s no tomorrow. It’s bigger tyre time.

Now have Hans Dampfs, 2.35, Snakeskin. Three rides, two gashes through the tread area – one big enough that I have to bin the tyre.

So, three questions:

1) Are Schwalbe Snakeskin tyres really this fragile, or have I just been unlucky?
2) Anyone used the Super Gravity version – how tough are they?
3) How to Maxxis EXO compare to LUST tyres. The LUSTs have been great, but don’t come in big sizes so to get more volume I need to go to an EXO.

That’s it basically. Nothing to do with the tread etc on the tyres – I’m happy with my old Maxxis and with the Schwalbes. I could go to a 2-ply but don’t want the weight, haven’t the cash to be buying tyres just to test.

Ta.

1) Are Schwalbe tyres really this fragile, or have I just been unlucky?

yes, IME (NN tubeless)

Even Snakeskin ones?

My Hans Dampf’s have been fine testing ridden through Peak District rock and they survived a day with me riding fairly unsympatheticly at Hebden Bridge with silly low pressures. I think you may have just been unlucky. I know that the lighter weight tyres like Nobby Nics have got a reputation for splitting but I thought the Hans Dampf’s were better.

Where are you riding? What pressures are you running? Just wondering if you need to up them slightly to give better protection against dinging rims etc.

Yes – they are that fragile. Even Snakeskin.

Never again. Not impressed by non Protection Conti’s either.

Big strong tyre – 2.2 (or even 2.4) rubber queens? Or even just your highrollers with a bit more air in?

The HDs have been on a hardtail and a full suss around the Peak and Wharncliffe. Pressure around 30psi in the rear, (35 if I’m racing and really don’t want to puncture), so not silly low. I don’t really like hard tyres and I’d go lower if I could.

I’m a fairly ‘clumsy’ rider through the rocks…

I guess I’ve probably just been unlucky.

Any experience of Maxxis EVO v LUST? I’m thinking of going up to either 2.4 Ardents or 2.5 Minions in EVO.

yes – the standard ones are a bit fragile – but then they are really light for the volume. I love my Nobby Nics on my hardtail.

The snake skins are normally much better though. I did the Meegavelanche and Morzine on 2.4 snakeskin Nobbys last year and had 1 pinch flat. Running the Hans Damps at the moment – no problems so far.

I think it’s cuts that they’re most susceptible to – flinty round my way so won’t be buying schwalbe again for quite some time

I guess people with nice rounded (say, sandstony) rocks might think they’re ace tyres

Are the Super Gravity versions better? I’m not sure if they’re beefed up under the tread (Schwalbe make a big thing about how light they are there!!) or just on the sidewalls.

Any EVO users?

I’ve been running LUST HRs for a while and got fed up with slashing them open and having to bin them.
I have just replaced another with a HR 2 TR Exo 3C which after a couple of rides does seem a lot more robust than the HR LUST.
The 3C compound is a nice middle ground between 60a and 42 super tacky too.
It’s a fair bit larger than the HR 1 and comes in a cheaper 60a compound too.
The TR bit works really well, just pump it up and add sealant.
Not tried the HD snakeskin though.

My HD’s have been fine for ages inc. a fair bit of rocky terrain, fragile isn’t a word I’d use to describe them (run at 30-35psi to).

I never had an issue with mine, but although I am big chap I am a smooth rider.
It does sound like you are being harsh tyres and wheels….

IME Beaver EXO’s are puncture magnets.. 😆

I know that the lighter weight tyres like Nobby Nics have got a reputation for splitting but I thought the Hans Dampf’s were better.

The HD and the Nic are the same carcass, the Ron/Dan/Fred are lighter.

There is a double defence version which is tougher than Snakeskin.

20 psi Hans dampf no issues with moderate use, few gravity enduro races, uplift at Antur Stiniog etc. Snakeskin Ralph on the back lasted 6 months, still moderate tread but quite a few cuts but then not really designed for uplifts at a rocky place so it did great, no punctures in that time as such, 2 which sealed, no failures, would buy them again.

Non snakeskin ralph/ron noticably more flexy in the sidewalls though

An exo minion is similar to LUST.

Proper DH tyres are tougher than both.

Any experience of Maxxis EVO v LUST? I’m thinking of going up to either 2.4 Ardents or 2.5 Minions in EVO.

I’ve used both, mostly running EXO versions of the 2.5 Minion DHF and the 2.25 Ardent in the Peak and elsewhere and I’d say the EXO, in those tyres, is pretty tough and good halfway house between their normal tyres and the LUST versions, not quite as much support from the sidewalls if you run lower pressures.

I’ve not used the Snakeskin HDs but I’d say the EXO on those tyres is tougher. The EXO versions of the Beaver and the Ikon seem lighter and more fragile though, but the Minion/Ardent ones have worked well for me.

I’ve pinch flatted a LUST Ardent 2.25 run tubeless btw, so I’m not super gentle. That said, it’s all relative and depends on how aggressive, clumsy, heavy, fast, etc you are.

Got a shallow cut on my NN rear after only a couple of rides (Lakes). The slate is pretty sharp mind.

I shall run it a bit longer I think, then perhaps pop a HD up front to swap the good tyre to the back until that gets killed too… then try something else!

Haha, Cheers! Some people puncture Snakeskin, some don’t. Some rate LUST, some don’t! Some like EXO… I should have known! 😆

I think there are enough people with ‘fragile’ Schwalbe’s that I’m not risking more money and punctures on a Snakeskin.

Anyone used a Super Gravity Schwalbe and able to compare it to a Snakeskin?

BWD – I’ve popped LUST tubeless before too. How’s the EXO holding up?

my snake skin fat alberts are running silly low pressure in the peak and seem fine

Ex HD Supergravity user here. They seem awesome, casing is much more beefed up and at an incredible low weight but I had a split tyre on the fourth ride after years of running LUST’s without a problem so that put me off a bit. Had to walk back to the trail centre too because I couldn’t get the bastid tyre off the rim to put a tube in!

Out of curiousity because the tyre was trashed anyway I cut open the carcass and it seems like the sidewalls around the bead have been massively thickened to avoid pinch flats but along the treadline its as thin as a single ply maxxis.

BWD – I’ve popped LUST tubeless before too. How’s the EXO holding up?

Fine, but I run slightly higher pressures than with the LUST versions to prop up the sidewalls and no longer labour under the delusion that you can’t pinch flat when running tubeless, so I’m possibly a little less gung ho when it comes to piling into big rock complexes at speed.You can break anything if you’re stupid enough 🙂

And as above, the EXO on the Minion DHF and Ardent seems more robust than on the lighter, racier tyres like the Ikon and Beaver – the sidewalls are very obviously much thicker.

Glad you didn’t get 2 sets then stu. you gone back to high rollers then?

Pridds – trying out high roller 2 tlr so will see how long they last!

I reckon most of the punctures I’ve had in the last couple of years were on one Nic/Ralph evo snakeskin set, even though they didn’t last very long and were on the bike that got the least hard use. Not even like it was rock strikes or anything, they seemed to pick up little cuts on trails you’d not expect. It was pretty annoying combined with the rapid wear, put me right off.

Think it might be back to Maxxis for me…

Anyone want a three-ride old Pacestar Hans Dampf?

I run Snakeskin Ralphs all year. The sidewalls go on the standard ones after a few rocky races but the snakeskin ones last until the tread wears right down. I don’t ride anywhere particularly rocky though.

GB

I’ve had the rear tyre cut down to the kevlar sidewall, it didn’t go into the kevlar, but the rubber had a clean deep cut. I put this down to cutting a corner with a sharp rock, running 22psi in the rear.

Snakeskins are tougher than the normal schwalbe sidewall, I’ve never had a problem with them unlike the normal one, which I thought I would risk recently and had split open within about 20 minutes riding at innerleithen. They are nowhere near as solid as LUST sidewalls though.

I had a pair of UST Nics and a Ralph about 5 years ago, which punctured a hell of a lot more easily than any other UST tyres I’ve had since so put me off Schwalbe. I then bought another 2.35 Nic this year to see if the new ones were better and that’s started to cut up badly after just a few months. Also put the old Ralph on since its never had much use and cut the sidewall at Innerleithen yesterday. That’s perhaps not surprising – it’s not really suitable for that – but anyway I’m put off schwalbe again, perhaps for good. Will be spending money on UST Rubber Queens I think, having had good experiences with them.

Had rocket rons and racing ralphs both binned after no more than 15 rides because they got sliced open by pointy rocks (25-28 psi timeless). They appear to be made of tissue paper or sweetie wrappers.

Conti ProTection (MK and X king) both loads better. But definitely get ProTection. Better sidewalls and black chili compound.

I’ve been running 2.5 UST minions for the last year in wharnecliffe \ peaks \ enduro races. Pure reliability, they are brilliant.

The 2.35 minions on my lighter wheels keep exploding off the rim though so I need a proper UST tyre in about a 2.35 that is a bit more reliable tubeless, I was going to go for Hans Damps but might avoid based on this thread.

so it looks like everyone would suggest conti protection? Anyone know of any other lightish 2.35 tyres that are good tubeless?

nosedive – Member

The 2.35 minions on my lighter wheels keep exploding off the rim though so I need a proper UST tyre in about a 2.35 that is a bit more reliable tubeless,

Specialized Butcher Control- basically a better Minion. Not UST but tubeless ready and tough, lighter than a 2.35 Minion but the size of a 2.5 (because Maxxis like rubber so much they make rulers out of it) Little bit harder than a supertacky- grippier on soft stuff, slightly less grippy on hard stuff, but rolls faster. Ace.

I’d be looking at the new high roller 2 tubeless ready 2.3. Not run that version but got a supertacky 2.4 as a front tyre and its great

good suggestions, thanks both, I didn’t know about the new tubeless ready maxxis, and the butcher control 2bliss is ‘only’ £30 at Evans, thats a whole lot cheaper than conti’s