Maxxis Tread Lite - any experience with these?

[silentbutdeadly]

OK, sounds like good advice. So gravel is best tackled with thinner (say, 2.1) tyres?

Personally, for the gravel roads in my area I prefer a narrower tyre...more like 1.75...so that's 42C? Plenty of 26" options in that size...

Both my 29ers run 2.1 tyres and neither are that fab on a gravel road compared to a decent 700x35c plus CX tyre on my CX bike or the ghettograveller.

Yeah the fattish 2.1's are plush but they are also comparatively slow on gravel. But when you pump them up they then get twitchy because they ding and bounce off every stone, pebble and corrugation.

The CX tyres on the other hand seem to remain that bit plush whilst being faster at around 50 psi

[Espresso_]

That's pretty interesting. I'll take all that on board. I'm currently planning to build the bike up and run the Nobby Nics and assess from there - ie go thinner/fatter, less knobby/more grippy, etc.

Gravel is a large part of what I plan to ride, but not exclusively.

Right now I ride mixed surfaces including gravel on 42mm slicks (Hetres) tubeless at around 35psi with great, great results. Suppleness appears to be the key. They'll fall over when it gets muddy or though, or when gravel becomes looser, and they have no added puncture resistance to speak of so this bike needs to be able to go into tougher conditions while still rolling decently on hardpack and coarse road.

Hard to find a tyre that does everything!

E

[RonK]

I'm going to mount some 1.6 (42mm) Supremes for riding around town, but if they are good enough I could stick with them.
However I tried slightly narrower Supremes last time and it took a lot of concentration to avoid the front tyre washing out to keep the bike upright. Not a relaxing ride. Looking for more edge grip.

Edit: If the Supremes seem to have enough bag in 42mm I may try Clement X'Plor MSO adventure tyres which are available in 40mm. Will have to run with tubes though as Clement warn against using sealant.

[RonK]

I've looked at cx/gravel grinder tyres, but they are all a little bit narrow to my liking. There are only a couple of 40mm tyres available, and neither are tubeless.

Hmmm, but these are - I like the look of the Stan's NoTubes Crow and NoTubes Raven tyres.

[Espresso_]

Ron - what about the Bruce Gordon Rock n Road?

I definitely take a good look if I were running 700c.

E

[RonK]

Ron - what about the Bruce Gordon Rock n Road?

Yeah, I looked at them already but they have a very chunky tread and are not tubeless.

[Espresso_]

Ron - what about the Bruce Gordon Rock n Road?

Yeah, I looked at them already but they have a very chunky tread and are not tubeless.

I know of three people who ride them, and two have them set up tubeless.

All report them to be a great combo for road and light off road - which is what they're designed for, obviously. Very supple, I hear. Probably a tad hardier than Thunder Burt too, but I'm just guessing there.

E

[silentbutdeadly]

That's pretty interesting. I'll take all that on board. I'm currently planning to build the bike up and run the Nobby Nics and assess from there - ie go thinner/fatter, less knobby/more grippy, etc.

Gravel is a large part of what I plan to ride, but not exclusively.

Right now I ride mixed surfaces including gravel on 42mm slicks (Hetres) tubeless at around 35psi with great, great results. Suppleness appears to be the key. They'll fall over when it gets muddy or though, or when gravel becomes looser, and they have no added puncture resistance to speak of so this bike needs to be able to go into tougher conditions while still rolling decently on hardpack and coarse road.

Hard to find a tyre that does everything!

E

I've got some redundant Schwalbe Land Cruiser 26x1.75 wirebead tyres kicking about! Great in a straight line but cornering is...interesting due to the weird blocks and hard casing. Fast but!

Slicks in gravel aren't really a problem in my experience until such time as one wants to steeply ascend on a gravel road...

The other thing that both of you should remember/could consider is a mix and match option. My XC MTBs tend to run a slightly more aggressive pattern up front and a semi-slick pattern out back (currently Geax Saguaro (F) and AKA (R); Bontrager Jones XC (F) Vredestein Spotted Cat (R)...and going down to one bike for while it'll be Vittoria Saguaro 29x2.2 (F) and Schwalbe T'Burt 29x2.1 (R)) and I'm looking towards much the same for the CX and gravel bikes when their time comes. The 'aggressive' pattern up front helps cornering while the back lends itself to reduced rolling resistance...

In Espresso's case I'd consider a Panaracer Pasela TG in a 26x1.5 size (400 grams) out back with a Panaracer Razer XC PR in 26x2.1 (490 grams) up front...

[RonK]

The Soma Cazadero looks interesting. Made by Panaracer same as the Bruce Gordon Rock 'N' Road, but not quite so chunky.

[Espresso_]

They do look good. Made by Panaracer I'd bet, so the same focus on supple sidewalls as their Pasela etc.

Could be a good option. You've seen this review no doubt?

http://ridinggravel.com/gravel-news/som ... heckpoint/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Too bad for me they are 650b and 700c only. My frame will actually take 650b wheels but I'm trying to be a cheapskate and use my existing parts. ]

E

[RonK]

They do look good. Made by Panaracer I'd bet, so the same focus on supple sidewalls as their Pasela etc.

Could be a good option. You've seen this review no doubt?

http://ridinggravel.com/gravel-news/som ... heckpoint/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Too bad for me they are 650b and 700c only. My frame will actually take 650b wheels but I'm trying to be a cheapskate and use my existing parts. ]

E

Yes,made by Panaracer.

Hehe - there is no escaping Guitar ted these days...

[tcdev]

Racing Ralphs (RaRas) are good if you like fixing flats..... They like hardpack but are fragile when it comes to pointy bits, skittish on lumpy bits & skaty on wet bits.

Can confirm, I'm rotating 4 tubes with 8 patches between them over 2,500km. Most punctures have been riding over grass, others on road. Worst was 3 in as many days. And right now, the tire that was until just recently on the back now looks like a Kojak and has actually worn through the outer rubber in one place on what was the centre tread. I'm living on borrowed time.

I'm looking to replace them now, and my research has led me to Schwalbe Marathon Supreme/Tours, with Continental X King / Speed King II close runners up. Also considered the Big Apple Plus, but I'm hesitant to go with a balloon tire without actually experiencing a ride first. My criteria is a long-wearing tire (4,000km I hope!) that is 'bullet-proof' and rolls fast (MTB 29er) for riding road/PSP. On the odd occasion I go off-road, I'll swap them out for something more suitable for the day.

[Dragster1]

Maxxis cross marks have been good for me, have done a few 100km ride with them without any problems. I ride pretty aggressively on the dirt and they can be a bit loose but when you cruise with them they are fine.

[RonK]

My criteria is a long-wearing tire (4,000km I hope!) that is 'bullet-proof' and rolls fast (MTB 29er) for riding road/PSP.

RaRa's are race tyres. I would consider 2500kms quite acceptable mileage for them.

Bullet-proof, long-wearing tyres such as the Marathon Plus are very heavy (also quite difficult to mount) and not at all fast-rolling. The Marathon Supremes are light and fast-rolling but while quite puncture-resistant they are definitely not bullet-proof or long-wearing. A compromise which may suit you is the Marathon Mondial.

What we are discussing here is tyres which are light and fast. To hell with bullet-proof if it means heavy. Fixing an occasional puncture doesn't bother me, I've had countless practice.

[RonK]

Maxxis cross marks have been good for me, have done a few 100km ride with them without any problems. I ride pretty aggressively on the dirt and they can be a bit loose but when you cruise with them they are fine.

Yeah, I've looked at them. At almost three quarters of a kilogram for a 29x2.10 tubeless ready version I'll pass. Thanks.

[silentbutdeadly]

What we are discussing here is tyres which are light and fast. To hell with bullet-proof if it means heavy.

The problem I have is that we are talking about a difference between light and heavy of just 200 grams per tyre. And that difference is more than just weight...it often makes a functional difference in the performance of the casing in terms of handling and cornering. The heavier tyres can often perform better at lower air pressures for example which makes a big difference in comfort and cornering.

It is easy to overstate the significance of 'weight' especially when in your case you are not exactly looking to use the MTB tyre in the way it was designed. Your purpose is perhaps more weight sensitive than what is more typical.

Anyway...other options to consider:

WTB Nano (575-685g in 29x2.1; 470-550g in 700x40)
WTB Nine Line (615g 29x2.0)
Specialized Fast Trak Control 2Bliss Ready (580g 29x2.0)
Michelin Wild Race'R Advanced Ultimate (460g 29x2.0)

[RonK]

What we are discussing here is tyres which are light and fast. To hell with bullet-proof if it means heavy.

The problem I have is that we are talking about a difference between light and heavy of just 200 grams per tyre. And that difference is more than just weight...it often makes a functional difference in the performance of the casing in terms of handling and cornering. The heavier tyres can often perform better at lower air pressures for example which makes a big difference in comfort and cornering.

It is easy to overstate the significance of 'weight' especially when in your case you are not exactly looking to use the MTB tyre in the way it was designed. Your purpose is perhaps more weight sensitive than what is more typical.

Anyway...other options to consider:

WTB Nano (575-685g in 29x2.1; 470-550g in 700x40)
WTB Nine Line (615g 29x2.0)
Specialized Fast Trak Control 2Bliss Ready (580g 29x2.0)
Michelin Wild Race'R Advanced Ultimate (460g 29x2.0)

It's easy to minimise and dismiss weight differences, but 200 grams per tyre is nearly half a kilogram per bike. It may not matter to you but it is important to me.
I think I stated my purposes fairly clearly in the OP. Not specifically looking for MTB tyres, but for tyres that suit my purposes, i.e. fast, light and preferably tubeless with some edge grip for confidence on gravel roads.
Since beginning my research I have discovered several tyres that fit most of these criteria, including being reasonably low in weight.
I have seen but not considered WTB tyres since Stan advises that they are too tight for my Flow EX rims. I've also considered and rejected the Michelin and Specialized.
The Challenge Gravel Grinder, Clement Xplor MSO, Soma Cazadero and the Bruce Gordon Rock 'N' Road look good but none of these are tubeless ready and some are narrower (lower volume) than I would prefer.
Stan's Crow and Raven have more volume, are both light and tubeless but have more of an MTB tread.
I may turn up a few more yet, but all these are in the running even if tubes are required.
As previously posted I have a set of 1.60" Supremes on the way for local use, and I'll evaluate these for volume to help decide if the gravel grinder tyres will work for me. The wheels are ready to be picked up from Craftworx and Supremes should arrive this week

[tcdev]

My criteria is a long-wearing tire (4,000km I hope!) that is 'bullet-proof' and rolls fast (MTB 29er) for riding road/PSP.

RaRa's are race tyres. I would consider 2500kms quite acceptable mileage for them.

Yes, not complaining - I appreciate that. My bike came with them, that is all. I was a complete newbie but at least knew they wouldn't roll fast. Obviously the more you get into it, the more you learn about it and the more you want to optimise your experience. I plan on a set of "touring" tyres for the road, and swap them out for a good set of off-road that should last me many years.

Bullet-proof, long-wearing tyres such as the Marathon Plus are very heavy (also quite difficult to mount) and not at all fast-rolling. The Marathon Supremes are light and fast-rolling but while quite puncture-resistant they are definitely not bullet-proof or long-wearing. A compromise which may suit you is the Marathon Mondial.

Thanks, I'll check them out! I'm not overly fussed about the weight as I cycle for fitness more than clocking up the km's, but I would like something that rolls a little faster than the RaRa's on the road. Do you think a heavier but slicker tyre would cancel the speed advantage over an off-road tyre?

[RonK]

You should be fussed about weight - the Marathon Plus Tour you mentioned weigh only 60 grams short of a kilo - each.

Marathons of any variety will likely suit your style of riding. They will surely roll better than MTB race tyres. I've done three tours on Supremes, the lightest and fastest.

You just need to decide what compromise best fits your criteria in the speed/weight/puncture proofness/robustness/durability/ride/grip equation.

For the type of touring I'm planning durability is not so important. I'll start out with a new set of tyres and will bin them at the end if necessary. They only need to last for around 2000kms.

[Espresso_]

Why did you rule out Furious Fred's, again?

E

[RonK]

Why did you rule out Furious Fred's, again?

Not tubeless and only offered Liteskin not Snakeskin carcase.

[Espresso_]

Is lite skin too flimsy? Reviews say it's hardier than Schwalbe claim. Too bad for me they don't do 26x2.4 anymore.

E

[RonK]

Is lite skin too flimsy? Reviews say it's hardier than Schwalbe claim. Too bad for me they don't do 26x2.4 anymore.

Yes, Liteskin is really only suitable for racng.