V12man Posted October 21, 2015 Share Lol, I am on the heavier side! Got the wider Nobby nic up front and the 2.25 racing Ralph at the rear. Plenty of time to test I guess.I have recently dumped the Racing Ralph in favour of a Rocket Ron on the rear - not going back... Now just to try the KNic on the front... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jcza Posted October 21, 2015 Share I used Schwalbe for 2 years without much trouble, however recently its been puncture after puncture on the tread not sidewall. Trying Ikons now only because I had some around. So far so good. Done 3 Towers, Sani, Berg & Bush and some other races without any trouble. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rouxtjie Posted October 21, 2015 Share I used Schwalbe for 2 years without much trouble, however recently its been puncture after puncture on the tread not sidewall. Trying Ikons now only because I had some around. So far so good. Done 3 Towers, Sani, Berg & Bush and some other races without any trouble. hope the youngster isn't reading this....you will never hear the end oom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SimpleDom Posted October 21, 2015 Share Ardent front and back for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
W@nna-BE Posted October 21, 2015 Share Did your Conti's get the funny weepy damp look along the sidewalls?I had two sets that did, which alarmed my, hence I'm back on RR for now. I do think you correct in saying the Conti's are strong as hell.... nope, no funny damp look. I did have some of the "wire mesh" showing on the side walls from rocks and running a low tyre pressure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lukep Posted October 22, 2015 Share Okay so the tyres seems to be between Schwalbe and Conti, but what about wheels I have been eyeing out some carbon wheels for a while but everyone who I speak to say not for the Epic unless I want to crack a wheel? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lukep Posted October 22, 2015 Share Okay so the tyres seems to be between Schwalbe and Conti, but what about wheels I have been eyeing out some carbon wheels for a while but everyone who I speak to say not for the Epic unless I want to crack a wheel? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raptor-22 Posted October 22, 2015 Share I've gone with wide lightning. Solid, and light Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eddy Posted October 22, 2015 Share Okay so the tyres seems to be between Schwalbe and Conti, but what about wheels I have been eyeing out some carbon wheels for a whi?Arch EX on Hope hubs built with Revolution spokes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarcL Posted October 22, 2015 Share Did your Conti's get the funny weepy damp look along the sidewalls?I had two sets that did, which alarmed my, hence I'm back on RR for now. I do think you correct in saying the Conti's are strong as hell....HiJust found this on the www and it refers to what I experience. Its a bit long, but worth the read - I’ve received a few complaints about sidewalls perishing on our MTB tyres. The factory in Germany is aware of this problem, and will let me have a detailed report shortly after they’ve carried out tests across the tyre range. Their initial guess is that South African cyclists are running tyres way below their recommended pressures of around 50-60psi (3.4 – 4.0 bars). Pressures this high may be OK for Europe’s soft conditions but they’re viewed as insanely high for our much harder and, in general, drier and rockier terrain.Most local riders are inflating and running their tyres at pressures of between 1.1 and 1.6 bars. Tyres used at such low pressures in our generally harsh terrain are going to take a pounding and wear and tear will be accelerated. Reduced sidewall support at such low pressures will cause the tyres to squirm excessively just above the contact patch. This will increase tyre temperature, rolling resistance, and, ultimately accelerate sidewall and tread wear. At very low pressures, separation of fibres in the casing material will reduce air retention and eventually handling will be negatively affected . The increased distortion of the sidewalls at low pressures will fragment and eventually dislodge the thin rubber that covers the sidewalls between the bead and shoulder areas. The resultant perished look of the sidewalls is what riders are complaining about. This effect is most noticeable on our ProTection models where the Duraskin sidewall reinforcing material is much lighter in colour than the sidewalls of standard unprotected tyres.The safety and performance of the tyres is unaffected by this apparent premature perishing but there is little doubt that the lower the tyre pressure, the higher the rate of wear and tear and the shorter the usable life of the tyre will be. Recommendations from the R&D technicians at Conti is that cyclists in our terrain conditions should inflate their tyres to around 2.4 bars as a starting point.If you’ve got used to running at sub 1.7 bars pressures, then the initial feeling at 2.4 bars is that bike control has been negatively affected. There is, in fact, very little loss of control and with a bit of perseverance you will automatically adjust to the different handling characteristics of higher tyre pressures. Now some fine tuning can be implemented and the best way to find the pressure that best suits your riding style is to experiment on a circuit you know well. Do a couple of laps to familiarise yourself with the different handling characteristics at 2.4 bars then do a timed lap. Then reduce the tyre pressures to 2.2 bars and repeat the performance. Carry on doing this down to 1.9 bars pressure. Don’t go below 1.9 bars as this is the point where the following diminishing returns start to kick in.• Increased sidewall distortion results in higher rolling resistance which increase workload for the cyclist• Tyre distortion increases casing fabric deterioration more rapidly which affects air retention and handling• Overall tyre wear is accelerated • Loss of air caused by burping is prevalent and puncture rates are higher• Downtime caused by tyre failure increases exponentially at pressures below 1.9 barsThe prices of premium grade tyres have increased dramatically in recent times due to the collapse in value of our currency. Extending the life of your tyres by adjusting your riding style to cope with slightly higher inflation pressures will save you money, reduce downtime caused by tyre failure, and, at the end of the day, will probably improve your performance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raptor-22 Posted October 22, 2015 Share HiJust found this on the www and it refers to what I experience. Its a bit long, but worth the read - I’ve received a few complaints about sidewalls perishing on our MTB tyres. The factory in Germany is aware of this problem, and will let me have a detailed report shortly after they’ve carried out tests across the tyre range. Their initial guess is that South African cyclists are running tyres way below their recommended pressures of around 50-60psi (3.4 – 4.0 bars). Pressures this high may be OK for Europe’s soft conditions but they’re viewed as insanely high for our much harder and, in general, drier and rockier terrain.Most local riders are inflating and running their tyres at pressures of between 1.1 and 1.6 bars. Tyres used at such low pressures in our generally harsh terrain are going to take a pounding and wear and tear will be accelerated. Reduced sidewall support at such low pressures will cause the tyres to squirm excessively just above the contact patch. This will increase tyre temperature, rolling resistance, and, ultimately accelerate sidewall and tread wear. At very low pressures, separation of fibres in the casing material will reduce air retention and eventually handling will be negatively affected . The increased distortion of the sidewalls at low pressures will fragment and eventually dislodge the thin rubber that covers the sidewalls between the bead and shoulder areas. The resultant perished look of the sidewalls is what riders are complaining about. This effect is most noticeable on our ProTection models where the Duraskin sidewall reinforcing material is much lighter in colour than the sidewalls of standard unprotected tyres.The safety and performance of the tyres is unaffected by this apparent premature perishing but there is little doubt that the lower the tyre pressure, the higher the rate of wear and tear and the shorter the usable life of the tyre will be. Recommendations from the R&D technicians at Conti is that cyclists in our terrain conditions should inflate their tyres to around 2.4 bars as a starting point.If you’ve got used to running at sub 1.7 bars pressures, then the initial feeling at 2.4 bars is that bike control has been negatively affected. There is, in fact, very little loss of control and with a bit of perseverance you will automatically adjust to the different handling characteristics of higher tyre pressures. Now some fine tuning can be implemented and the best way to find the pressure that best suits your riding style is to experiment on a circuit you know well. Do a couple of laps to familiarise yourself with the different handling characteristics at 2.4 bars then do a timed lap. Then reduce the tyre pressures to 2.2 bars and repeat the performance. Carry on doing this down to 1.9 bars pressure. Don’t go below 1.9 bars as this is the point where the following diminishing returns start to kick in.• Increased sidewall distortion results in higher rolling resistance which increase workload for the cyclist• Tyre distortion increases casing fabric deterioration more rapidly which affects air retention and handling• Overall tyre wear is accelerated • Loss of air caused by burping is prevalent and puncture rates are higher• Downtime caused by tyre failure increases exponentially at pressures below 1.9 barsThe prices of premium grade tyres have increased dramatically in recent times due to the collapse in value of our currency. Extending the life of your tyres by adjusting your riding style to cope with slightly higher inflation pressures will save you money, reduce downtime caused by tyre failure, and, at the end of the day, will probably improve your performance. Someone else on this forum said the same thing a some time ago. Can't remember who it was but that basically people are running super pressures and hurting the tyres due to loss of air pressure spring support. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jcza Posted October 22, 2015 Share 3.4 - 4.0 bar? Are you kidding me? No thanks theres plenty other brands out there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cadenceblur Posted October 22, 2015 Share Indeed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
janbiker Posted October 22, 2015 Share Rode 2014 Epic with Scott Spark 910, ZTR Crests and Rocket Ron Evo TLR Snakeskin 2.25 front and back (new, of course). My weight was 78kg, tyre pressure 2.0 back and 1.8 front. Everything worked flawless. Picked up some thorns but Stan's sealant fixed all of them while riding. No other problems, only had to install new brake pads after stage 4. My partner rode a Specialized Marathon Epic, same wheels and tires. No problems for him either. One chain break (in quick link) at the end of wet and muddy stage 2. I assume we were lucky, but although we rode as hard as we/I could (finishing around 200th GC), we were rather cautious going downhill and probably avoided some bigger problems there. In 2016 I will ride the same bike, wheels and tires (maybe Racing Ralph at the back, tires are the new TL Easy). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raptor-22 Posted October 22, 2015 Share 3.4 - 4.0 bar? Are you kidding me? No thanks theres plenty other brands out there. read a little further..........and listen carefully The safety and performance of the tyres is unaffected by this apparent premature perishing but there is little doubt that the lower the tyre pressure, the higher the rate of wear and tear and the shorter the usable life of the tyre will be. Recommendations from the R&D technicians at Conti is that cyclists in our terrain conditions should inflate their tyres to around 2.4 bars as a starting point.If you’ve got used to running at sub 1.7 bars pressures, then the initial feeling at 2.4 bars is that bike control has been negatively affected. There is, in fact, very little loss of control and with a bit of perseverance you will automatically adjust to the different handling characteristics of higher tyre pressures. Now some fine tuning can be implemented and the best way to find the pressure that best suits your riding style is to experiment on a circuit you know well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
V12man Posted October 22, 2015 Share Okay so the tyres seems to be between Schwalbe and Conti, but what about wheels I have been eyeing out some carbon wheels for a while but everyone who I speak to say not for the Epic unless I want to crack a wheel?Plenty of carbon wheels at the Epic... quality wheels should not be an issue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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