[freeridebiker21]

any inputs on VERY light well performing durable XC tires. show me some pics!

 

[Special K]

If you ride tubeless, definitely take a look at the Michelin Wildgrippers or the Maxxis Ignitors -- Great in dry and muddy conditions and pretty light weight

 

[rockracing]

tubeless tires are very heavy, hutchinson python lights @ about 480-490g are great, I'm riding Michelin Comp S lights which I weighed @ 468g, and am loving them, didn't at first, but now I do (using sluightly less pressure and standard 170g tubes, kept pinching the 116g tubes, so now there is more grip with lower presure and no flats )

 

[oldfart]

tubeless tires are very heavy, )

Not anymore. You can get tubeless 2.0 race tires like the Michelin Comps lite in the mid 650gram range. Subtract the weight of a proper tube, 170 gm and the weight of the rim strip, say 15 gms and with your tires your there.

But lightweight and durable are pretty much mutually exclusive terms. To make a tire light means using less and lighter rubber. The casing will also be pretty thin and supple and while that provides a great ride quality, it's not going to be as tough a tire. So if your riding takes you through pointy rocks, be prepared for torn sidewalls and pinch flats.

Some of the Tioga tires are very light and perform very well, but the foamed rubber does not last very long at all. Hutchinson makes some very light high performance tires too but again, they don't last long. I really like the Michelin Comp s Lite tubeless and I find them more durable than either the Hutch or Tioga. Maxxis make nice tires too but the claimed widths seem to be a little narrower in reality.

 

[Westy]

tubeless tires are very heavy, hutchinson python lights @ about 480-490g are great, I'm riding Michelin Comp S lights which I weighed @ 468g, and am loving them, didn't at first, but now I do (using sluightly less pressure and standard 170g tubes, kept pinching the 116g tubes, so now there is more grip with lower presure and no flats )

I love the Hutchinson Pythons and Mosquitos Air lights, use them with Stans. But like Oldfart said lightweight and durable are somewhat mutually exclusive. The above tires are very durable considering their weight but you may want to think twice about using them as rear tires if you are tough on equipment. Personally I have had few problems with them.