Inspecting my (flippin’ expensive) tyres this morning I see a side knob is missing!!

In all my years riding mountain bikes (22) on all sizes and kinds of tryes (but almost always on Dartmoor), I have never known this happen.

Am I alone??! is this acceptable? (it doesn’t feel it!!)

Yep I noticed recently that I’d clean ripped off two knobs from my rear tyre. It was an X-king that came with the bike though, so didn’t really bother me too much.

I’d look at it and think

‘Blimey I’m beginning to ride the ragged edge on the gnar like an absolute dude, I shall be stoked to the max for the rest of the day’.

or something.

I’ve bought cheap tyres, expensive tyres, middle of the range tyres and I’ve had problems on all sorts.

Landed a jump a bit wrong on a RQ with Black Chili compound, deformed the sidewall and tyre wouldn’t seat properly – 3 rides in.

Cut a sidewall on a Captain S-Works, didn’t seal after, and was about a month old.

Fitted a new Minion DHR in the Alps this summer, and split the sidewall (beyond repair) on a rock after a couple of rides.

Whilst it’s frustrating (and expensive) I see it as part of riding particularly over challenging terrain.

Tend to steer clear of the “mega expensive latest trend, must have tyres” these days, look out for bargains, and always have spares in the garage.

wwaswas – I like your thinking, but I’m defo as unrad as I ever was, probably even less so (if this is possible).

reassuring to hear others have encountered this, I guess, but it seems nuts to me!

Any ideas for a repair?!

…and addidng to the original question, so we think this could be in any way related to my recent tubeless conversion of said tyres?

Conti MK2 Protection 2.2 on the back here. 1 Sideknob ripped clean off, down to the carcass. A couple more half missing. And a couple more that are halfway to tearing off, the whole knob is still there, but only 30-50% of it is actually attached.

Cant see how it would necessarily affect tread damage but Conti recommend running their tyres at high pressure, something like 45 psi on a UST Rubber Queen. I’d imagine they would justify any sidewall damage down to people(somewhat understandably because that’s blooming high) not sticking to these recommendations and running them at say 25/30 psi.

Years ago, doing the south downs way end to end, one of my mates wrote off a brand new tyre on a flint within 100m of starting the first off road section out of Winchester. On the flat, JRA.

And Credo, Yes, I reckon so. If you want to run tubeless, buy tubeless tyres – I never had any luck running non-UST conti’s without tubes.

Bails – same as mine, although it’s on the front. Never had any problems with any tyres i’ve owned until i bought the MK2 BC protections; grip is ace, tracking and rolling is great; build quality and longevity is obviously gash.
I’ve had about 20 puntures with it, and now i’ve gone tubeless – the bloody thing is ripping itself apart!

The 2.4 on the front seems much tougher. The sidewalls sealed straight away too, whereas the 2.2 took weeks and I eventually painted latex onto the inside to make it airtight as Stans just wasn’t working.

I usually run Survivals for the muddiest part of the year, and can virtually guarantee that if I don’t bother taking them off for when I take in the odd trail centre, i’ll end up ripping chunks off them right back to the canvas.

I got 4 rides out of the last set that came with a test bike. Almost every second edge knob was missing. That was trail kings or something similar. Apparently they do cheap OE versions and I was told that was the problem, the normal ones are fine. It seems like a strange business model though becuse it’s hardly good for their image is it? I was running tubes and I always use higher pressures.

Doug – that’s interesting!
Mine are not OE, they were the full-fat, “made in Germany”, boxed versions. Bought from Merlin.
I’m obviously being too touchy about it – looks like it is not that unusual. But in my opinion, it’s pi55 poor!

I would imagine higher pressures are actually more likely to cause it?the tyre has no-where to go in terms of give so the tread starts ripping off.
Like i said – never had this issue before, but I normally have run low pressures until this set of tyres – where i’ve been forced to ramp it up to try and avoid the endless punctures. Perhaps now i’m tubeless, i can get back down to my preferred PSI and stop shredding tyres!!

Toughness seems poor recently, in my experience and from other threads started here over the last few months.

I had a low down the range pair, and they were pants. On average one puncture per ride, some from tiny bramble thorns, so I went tubless. Carcass burst 2 rides later after a pretty insignificant rim strike. Binned in favour of Geax Saguaro, massive improvement.

IMHO, Black chilli tyres are prone to lose knobbles. I guess in the quest for a fast rolling, but grippy compound, this is the compromise.

I have never pulled or ripped a knob off before, I usually wear mine out or cut the side.

I have a mate who is always pulling knobs off. I don’t know how he manages to do so much damage.

Ive never ripped a knob apart from a BC tyre.

Here are mine btw

I have a mate who is always pulling knobs off.

Hey, as long as it pays the bills…