Maxxis Ikon 29er ECX/3C/EXO - are they Tubeless????

[Johan Bornman]

http://forums.mtbr.c...ion-777704.html

A more valid point than what bergbok makes is that the ust bead on tires are tighter than on other TL ready tires. Notably Crossmark ust's. These tight beads might detension spokes on very light rims like Crests.

The Icons are not that tight

 

Hmmmm.

 

I don't think so.

[Flippa]

I'm currently using the Ikon's tubeless.Awesome tyre, way better feeling than the UST CrossMarks I had before. Aired up easily on my Velocity Blunt SL rims, no pinholes.

[Johan Bornman]

UST stands for Universal System Tubeless (it sounds stupid 'cause it's translated from French).

 

It is a joint trademark by Mavic, Hutchinson and Michelin - all French companies. You can license the trademark, a little bit like you putting the Heart Foundation logo on your beer, but then you have to conform to certain standards.

 

Loosely stated, the UST consortium requires a thick juicy tyre bead, a thick juicy sidewall and a tread area that is completely sealed underneat. Such a tyre should seal and run, without the use of sealant on any suitably-sized clincher rim which had its spoke holes sealed.

 

In order to have the UST logo on your tyre, you pay someone a license fee. That means that some tyres may technically be UST but doesn't have the logo. I don't know of such a case but it may exist.

 

On the other hand, there is no standard for Tubeless Ready and it is a loose term that could mean anything from "leaks lilke a sive" to "may seal with enough snot inside". You don't have to pay anyone to use that term and you can slap it on anything from fishnet stockings to tyres.

 

The tyre industry is one that thrives on dishonesty and claiming tubelessness is by no means a gaurantee of running a tyre tubeless. I accuse the industry of dishonesty because every single player (except for Avocet) plays a game to fool the weight weenies. They overstate their tyre size in order to come in first on lightness when baaicycle magazines do shootouts with little electronic scales.

 

I've had tubeless ready tyres that won't seal unless I fit a permatube from Makro.

 

At the moment the industry is at a loss with what to do with 29er tyres. Getting a proper tubeless (as in UST-style tubeless) on a 29er is easy. What isn't easy is to get it within an acceptable weight determined by the 29er fraternity. These guys want bigger wheels, yet they insist they don't weigh less than 26er wheels.

 

What they all seem to do is produce inferior (in the tubeless sense) tyres and hope that no-one notices.

[Wallee]

anybody tried running the EXC/3C version tubeless? (ie not the EXC/3C/EXO) I'm fairly light on tires (probably tempting fate - but no sidewall damage in the last 2 years riding rocky trails)

 

I've been running the regular non-EXO version as tubeless for about five months now with no problems. I have just put new ones on now as the threads were starting to show through the sidewalls. When I changed the tyres I did notice a nick on the sidewall of the front tyre that was about to give way. I only weigh 70kg, but I do ride the rocky sections hard and fast. I am taking a chance, but so far so good.

[BergForce]

Except for the Ikon - its lightweight and very good quality and very solid set up tubeless. Other top tyres like Racing Ralphs are also very good but just dont last as long as the Ikon.