Newboy Posted January 4, 2012 Posted January 4, 2012 Yes I kow there has been a million topics on this and I have read them all. My Crossmarks LUST's are nearing end of life and needs to be replaced. They are bullet proof and I never had a puncture on them. They don't grip the best though. I ride a SC Tallboy. I want tires that I can do Epic with, i will probably go through one set before therace and replace them once.I am looking for something that is firstly reliable and secondly with a bit more grip than the Crossmarks. I am not too hung up on weight but rolling resistance is important. I had Mountainkings and did not like the roll on them. I am considering Racing Ralph Snakeskin. Anybody have opinions on them? Do they cut or puncture easily? Also under consideration is Geax Saguro back and Geax Aka front. Any opinions on them?Any other recommendations?
Witkop Posted January 4, 2012 Posted January 4, 2012 geax saguro lasts forever and are decent all round tyres, not great on anything, but not bad either
kandui Posted January 4, 2012 Posted January 4, 2012 Racing Ralph Snakeskin are great. I ride a Snake Skin on the back and an Evo on the front. You can see the sidewall getting scuffed on the RR Evo, but the Snakeskin shows nothing. Got 2 brand new RR Snakeskins waiting for the others to give up the ghost.
George Nel Posted January 4, 2012 Posted January 4, 2012 schwalbe(sidewall cut) are bollie!geax are bollie!had both,on MAXXIS ikons,so far so good!on them for Attakwas and Eic.
Guest Posted January 4, 2012 Posted January 4, 2012 (edited) I run a Ralph on front and Ron on back, no issues with grip or punctures so far (been 6 months). Edited January 4, 2012 by Karma
NotSoBigBen Posted January 4, 2012 Posted January 4, 2012 I run a Ralph on front and Ron on back, no issues with grip or punctures so far (been 6 months). Interesting most guys I have seen with the Ron front and Ralph back ....
Guest Posted January 4, 2012 Posted January 4, 2012 Interesting most guys I have seen with the Ron front and Ralph back .... thats what I meant......
Gravity Sux Posted January 4, 2012 Posted January 4, 2012 I rode Racing Ralph Snakeskin front and back for Epic with no issues. Also ridden Rocket Ron (non snakeskin) at back but this wore quite quickly. I also think the non-snakeskin are a bit soft (have had sidewall with these) and wouldn't try them for a stage race. For interest sake the Bulls were riding Schwalbe Racing Ralph last year (don't know which model) and they came through Attakwas, Sabie, Epic without tyre issues. As far as Ron on front, it is normal to have the more aggressive tyre on the front and I think Ralph is more aggressive so if you are going to mix tyres it should be Ralph on front and Ron on back - but why make things complicated?
Revolutionary Posted January 4, 2012 Posted January 4, 2012 (edited) I own a bike shop and there is no doubt that the largest number of Tubeless issues come from Schwalbe tyres, especially the EVO versions that aren't the Snakeskin versions. They seam to come standard on lots of bike brands, and that is why they appear to be popular, but that's probably because they are light (for the brands' catalog weights) and cheap to supply on the bikes. The most reliable just based on what we see in the workshop are: Light Weight (thinner sidewall) and very well priced - Specialized Control tyres - various tread patterns Bullet Proof but heavier - Maxxis Lust - various tread patterns and Great Grip but fast wearing - Continental Protection - various tread patterns Edited January 4, 2012 by Revolutionary
Squier Posted January 5, 2012 Posted January 5, 2012 (edited) I use to ride Racing Ralphs (non-snakeskin though) and had sidewall cut issues. The tyres were light but it just wasn't worth risking sidewall cuts every time I went out. I then changed to a Geax AKA at the back. It's a nice grippy tire and I have had no puncture or sidewall cut issues, however, it has worn pretty quickly on the centre part of the tyre (the part that is in contact with the road the most). This is partly also due to the fact that the tyre hates tar roads. Now, I know it's an MTB and shouldn't be on the tar, but I live in a city so riding to a trail wil always involve a bit of tar road riding. Nothing extensive though. I then decided to go with Maxxis Crossmark at the front and have to say that I am impressed. The Geax will in all probability be replaced by a Crossmark in the near future. Edited January 5, 2012 by Squier
Guest Posted January 5, 2012 Posted January 5, 2012 I own a bike shop and there is no doubt that the largest number of Tubeless issues come from Schwalbe tyres, especially the EVO versions that aren't the Snakeskin versions. They seam to come standard on lots of bike brands, and that is why they appear to be popular, but that's probably because they are light (for the brands' catalog weights) and cheap to supply on the bikes. The most reliable just based on what we see in the workshop are: Light Weight (thinner sidewall) and very well priced - Specialized Control tyres - various tread patterns Bullet Proof but heavier - Maxxis Lust - various tread patterns and Great Grip but fast wearing - Continental Protection - various tread patterns I like this, we should have more LBS owners post stats on most bought bikes, most cracked frames, most popular tyres etc....
rouxtjie Posted January 5, 2012 Posted January 5, 2012 (edited) Running 2 snakeskin ralphs at the moment and they are fantastic. I wouldn't even consider the non snakeskin versions. Previously had some geax sagueros, great all rounder but close to imposible to seat, has put me off geax for life. Edited January 5, 2012 by rouxtjie
philip.maree Posted January 5, 2012 Posted January 5, 2012 I'm running Syncros FLavor's at the moment. Fast rolling and they corner extremely well.
The Worm Posted January 5, 2012 Posted January 5, 2012 I own a bike shop and there is no doubt that the largest number of Tubeless issues come from Schwalbe tyres, especially the EVO versions that aren't the Snakeskin versions. They seam to come standard on lots of bike brands, and that is why they appear to be popular, but that's probably because they are light (for the brands' catalog weights) and cheap to supply on the bikes. The most reliable just based on what we see in the workshop are: Light Weight (thinner sidewall) and very well priced - Specialized Control tyres - various tread patterns Bullet Proof but heavier - Maxxis Lust - various tread patterns and Great Grip but fast wearing - Continental Protection - various tread patterns What is your take on the Snakeskin Schwalbes?
Iwan Kemp Posted January 5, 2012 Posted January 5, 2012 (edited) Try the WTB Bronson. Have replaced the front Racing Ralph TLR on the Anthem with these. Bit heavier but much better grip, speed about the same, does not puncture or tear and doesn't loose air seemingly overnight. From a review on Bikeradar:"The stock Maxxis CrossMark tires were also a bit of a letdown. While light and fast rolling with their tight, low-profile tread, they're nervously sketchy on anything remotely loose. The hard rubber compound doesn't offer much grip on bare rocks or roots, either. We ended up swapping to a set of WTB Bronsons, which provided much better purchase on all ground types and more predictable drift characteristics that were more fitting with the TRc's personality" Edited January 5, 2012 by The Crow
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now