Got a set of Continental Barons I’ve been running tubeless since November, but in the last week the bead has started tearing from the tyre on both of them.

I really like the feel of the barons though, so is there anything else close out there, that feels similar but has heavier duty sidewalls that may last longer?

Bump for the evening crowd

Ust minions ?

If they bring out the proto Schwalbe Magic Mary in the super gravity casing then that could be the one for me as a tough intermediate mud tyre. Would be nice if conti ever bring out the ust baron, it’s heavy but I’d quite happily take the weight penalty for the performance and reliability. I killed both my barons in a fortnight when I converted them to tubeless (it’s rocky where I ride).

Baron seems to be in a class of one, tbh. Though yep, the sidewalls are rubbish. I’ve just accepted it as the downside for them being otherwise completely brilliant 🙁

Though, I’m sure I’ve seen a preview of a very Barony-looking Kenda… Can’t find anything online though.

I love my barons, never had a problem with the side walls to be fair.

Noticed on the Continental site this evening that they say a UST version will be available in ‘Spring 2013’. None on CRC or Wiggle though, but I might see if an LBS can get hold of a set for me.

http://www.conti-tyres.co.uk/conticycle/ti%20baron.shtml

I killed both my barons in a fortnight when I converted them to tubeless (it’s rocky where I ride).

Both of mine were running tubeless, and I was in the Scottish Highlands, so pretty rocky there as well, when I killed both within two days of each other.

I killed a brand new folding Baron in 3 rides. Got a cut clean through the sidewall on cut gate, which is very rocky but not ‘sharp’ rocks. They do seem to be very weak sidewalls. £40 gone very quickly 🙁

Conti sidewalls are definitely fragile one weekend in Dumfries had a Black Chilli Mountain King TR unable to stay inflated tubeless as the sidewalls were shot then the replacement Rubber Queen BC lasted about four weeks of local riding before it was the same! The Baron on the front lasted about three months which although better is still not good, shame as they are all great treads 🙁 Hans Dampf snakeskin back on now. MK and RQ were both protection BC and not the lightweight RS type which must be like silkwalls!

The Rubber Queen UST sidewalls are far better, much tougher. A UST Baron would be excellent if it ever appears.

To add a bit of balance I had a nob peel away from the carcass on my snakeskin evo hans dampf first ride rendering it useless for tubeless (another good tyre) and also put a gash in a minion dhr2 exo tubeless ready tyre first ride last week! Bizarrely the only tyre I’ve managed to run successfully tubeless for harder riding on the rear has been a maxxis crossmark lust 2.25 which has taken everything I could throw at it but unfortunately they don’t come in anything appropriate tread wise for wetter weather (not an ardent or high roller fan). I’ve also run an exo minion up front a lot tubeless without issue but not up to hardtail abuse on the rear. Loved my butcher controls until I gashed the sidewall of my front one on a rocky fast descent which nearly ended in a dentist trip! The ust baron would be perfect for me I reckon. Anything sub 900 ish grams seems to be too flimsy for me. I think a lot of it is down to riding a lot of dh ish type stuff on my hardtail on rocky trails. Don’t go crazy low on pressure, 26-28psi up front and 28-30psi on the rear on flow ex’s.
OP – if you find anything suitable let me know!

Going to call into the LBS when I go to get lunch in a bit and see if they can order any UST ones direct from Continental for me. I shall report back here with what they say.

Cheers mate, they have been ‘due out’ for a couple of years now, would be nice if for this winter they actually surface!

Right, turns out the LBS is shut on Mondays. Will have to try tomorrow.

Strange. I have absolutely hammered my barons in NE Scotland and the Lakes for 6 months on some of the roughest descents going and have had zero problems with hardly any wear.

Ok, so I’ve just been into the LBS (again). They looked up the UST Barons in the catalog for me, and they’re in there. So, they’re going to order a pair in for me at £55 an end (Ouch!). So, it appears you can get them, but have to get your LBS to order them in for you.

UST Barons have been in catalogues/on German sites/on the way for ages. Were due Spring, then August, and now October, I think. German sites have all removed them. Don’t hold your breath – and I certainly wouldn’t put £110 down on a pair.

Schwalbe Magic Mary is coming in Super Gravity carcass amongst other options, will be buying one for the front myself.

http://www.bike-components.de/advanced_search_result.php?keywords=magic%20mary

Schwalbe Magic Mary is coming in Super Gravity carcass

I was just gonna suggest these.

The older Muddy Mary is a really good mud/intermediate tyre and these new ones look even better.

Might even tempt me away from Maxxis.

Baron isn’t really an intermediate, mind, it’s a proper mud tyre, just that it doesn’t suck at the other stuff as much as swampdonkeys etc… I quite like the Muddy Mary but I wouldn’t choose it for the stuff I choose the Barons for.

Don’t hold your breath – and I certainly wouldn’t put £110 down on a pair.

I made it clear that if he can’t have them with me by next week don’t order them and I’ll take my money back. 50% deposit on them ATM.

Ok, as I thought might happen, he can’t get them in.

So, other options?

Whats the difference between a Rubber Queen Protection and a Rubber Queen UST? Bother seem to be UST tyres from Continentals site…

Given I was running 2.3 tyres before, if I go for rubber queens should I go 2.2 or 2.4?

protection = tubeless ready

RQs are pretty different from Barons. TBH I didn’t like mine that much, they just felt a bit low on cornering grip for their size and drag. Fantastic in a straight line though, bashing down fort william and the likes. But, less personal taste, they’re an intermediate/dryish tyre, they’re not very good at sticky mud- too cloggy, and not toothy enough.

<fanboi mode> Closer to the baron (though still a bit different) would be a Specialized Butcher. They’re not as good in mud, but better at everything else. Sidewalls on the Controls are tougher than my Barons despite being lighter, and that’s the lightest weight version, you could go for an SX instead which is basically a very heavy duty singleply. Phenomenal tyres- just what you’d expect really, it’s the people who made the Minion having another go with several years more experience and progress.

THanks northwind, I’ll take a look at those. What are they like in terms of rolling resistance?

Slow 😆 But, not as slow as most things that do the job- faster than a Baron, or a supertacky 2.5 Minion, a little slower than a maxxpro 2.5 minion (which they’re the same size as).

Hmm, the butcher looks very square. I don’t tend to be a fan of tyres with a square profile really, I find the rounded profile more confidence inspiring.

Looking at the Muddy Mary recommended above as well, what’re they like for rolling resistance and wear rates? I’ve heard Schwalbe tyres tend to wear quickly.

I bought a conti mountain king in the US last week. packaging said it was “protection RTR” – revolution tubeless ready. DUnno if it’s just a typical protection carcass or something ded new to do with RTR (suggested it was x% lighter, y% tougher etc on the pack) – it’s a funny, vinyl/nylony stiff-feeling carcass (that was a proper bastard to fit using a mini pump 🙄 ) but feels pretty light and held up to a reasonable amount of rocky clumsy riding without any issues

Looking at the Muddy Mary recommended above as well, what’re they like for rolling resistance and wear rates?

The set I had (the older gooey gluey compound) wore very little over two or three years of occasional use. On par with Maxxpro Maxxis maybe. Much better than super tacky.

I really liked them and would have used them a lot more if I hadn’t gone tubeless on my AM bike, so I just made do with Minions instead.