bitmuddytoday sounds like you had the same problem as me. Im going to try the slightly larger tyre that I just purchased. Im not very confident it will work, so I will probably also end up changing the rim to something with a wider edge.

Thanks for all the suggestions. I bought a new tyre today, a 2.35 ikon with exo casing. I will give it a try and see if the problem persists.

In regards to tyres being worn out I’ve destroyed 4 recons all in the same area. the problem has been the same on a brand new recon so its not a question of age. Ive also looked for heavier tyres but there is nothing in the xc range that has better protection than exo that I can find. Everything that is exo+ is way to heavy for my xc needs.

Ok so what im understanding is to continue with the same wheel I need to move to a recon 2.40 wt.

But its still strange that the stock 30mm rims were not causing this problem. But I guess this is maybe a question of hookless vs not hookless. or is it a question of stiffness.

Im leaning towards trying a 2.4 wt tyre on the current wheel and keeping it for abuse. and then purchasing another wheel to keep for a faster xc tyre.

But do I really purchase a rim that is of a narrower size than what was originally stock on the bike? or do I keep with 30mm and look for a lighter/ less stiff non hookless rim like the original wtb?

everything above makes sense on its own but the fact that the original combination was 30mm with a 2.25 and worked well is a bit of a contradiction.

Yes the previous stock and rim combination never caused a puncture in the sidewall for the two seasons I rode it.

I have purchased Kona bikes almost exclusively for the last 22 years. But after dealing with their frame replacement policy and paying a small fortune to replace my rear triangle I can only really advice to steer clear of this brand.                                                          This is also before taking into account that the brand seems to have lost its roots since it was sold to a private equity fund in 2022.

 

I had same problem. Managed to bend it back this time. If it snaps to theres a company called Flo Motorsports that make a better design lever.
I will replace with this if it snaps instead of buying another poor design Shimano lever.

Thanks for the response. Thats good to know. I have layed it in a way that there is also a break in the protection around the same area so hopefully it will stay put.

Hey I live in Torino for 3 years and can recommend:

The riding around Bardonechia, Sauze d’Oulx. If your feeling lazy you can always get some head starts with the ski lifts.
http://singletrackworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/midweek-mini-movies-111-2/

Also check out Val di Susa.

Ive just got it off using brute force with minimal damage to the quick release. That will teach me to keep it greased up in the future. Thanks anyway.

I think by far the best protection is to run a high voltage of electricity into the ground anchor and around the chain. you can also do this through your metal garage door. Make sure that the switch is inside your house. This should put them off.

Hey Thanks for the locations. I will be checking out Fontainebleau soon. looks like there’s a lot of stuff to be found on utagawavtt also. Thanks guys.