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The tires of Trans-Provence...

slyfink

Turbo Monkey
Sep 16, 2008
9,288
5,028
Ottawa, Canada
Anyone know what tires the top 20 finishers of the Trans-Provence ran? I'm curious to know about rim, tire casing, width, brand, tubeless (UST or conversion or tubes) and how many tires a rider might go through on that race.

I'm asking caus' it seems that's the kind of terrain I like to ride, and I've had lots of problems with rims and tires this year on my "trail" bike. I'm wondering if there's better options out there for me, or whether I should just change my riding style a little. I'm thinking it's a mix of both...
 

slyfink

Turbo Monkey
Sep 16, 2008
9,288
5,028
Ottawa, Canada
thanks!

ok, so maybe my question should be is anyone not running DH tires? and what would they be?
 
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batts65

Monkey
Aug 27, 2002
182
0
Upstate NY
thanks!

ok, so maybe my question should be is anyone not running DH tires? and what would they be?
Just curious what tire/rim combo you are running and what issues you are having, just flats?? Tube or tubeless? If running tubes are they xc tubes or more freeride tubes?
 

NoUseForAName

Monkey
Mar 26, 2008
481
0
No, I know he mentioned taking a Kenda BBG UST/DTC with him and it's only 26.

The bike is some sort of Santa Cruz mule, he had posted a week before the race that he was looking for a bike.
Yeah, spotted it looked like a mule, so started to wonder.
 

norbar

KESSLER PROBLEM. Just cause
Jun 7, 2007
11,346
1,587
Warsaw :/
Just curious what tire/rim combo you are running and what issues you are having, just flats?? Tube or tubeless? If running tubes are they xc tubes or more freeride tubes?
Most of the guys use UST on the Mega so I doubt it's different here. Freeride tubes are used by pros? Outside of special tracks?
 

kidwoo

Artisanal Tweet Curator
The 2.35 dh casing minion 60a durometer tires are the best thing to happen to UST setups on trail bikes that get the crap pounded out of them.

I'm a fan. They're only marginally heavier (if at all) than some of the non dh casing tires sold as tubeless setups with a little burlier casing (EXO from maxxis, SX from specialized etc....)

I couldn't find them anywhere domestically and had to order them from chain reaction which sucks......but they're around.
 

slyfink

Turbo Monkey
Sep 16, 2008
9,288
5,028
Ottawa, Canada
since you asked... I run tubeless on my trail bike. I've run Flows, Arches, WTB Laser TCS Tail, i23s, and I'm having a Flow EX built up right now. I went through 3 wtb rims this season.

Over the past two years, I've run Michelin Wild Grip'R Advanced (2.25), Specialized Eskar (2.3), High Rollers (LUST 2.3), a 2.3 Ingnitor (blech!), HansDampfs (2.35 in both trailstar and pacestar compound), WTB Moto (2.3), and a Specialized Purgatory (2.25 - Armadillo). My problems have all been on my rear wheel.

I've been killing tires and rims usually from airing into rock gardens... My rear tires, I've been cutting the sidewalls. Usually a tear at or around the bead when airing into said rock gardens... and the rims just get crushed once the air is all gone from the tire! One time I tacoed a front rim when I landed on a crooked rock I hadn't see caus' it was covered in leaves. I don't think much would have helped there, tubes or no tubes.

I think I've been riding my trail bike a little too much like a DH bike, so I'm going to modify my approach... But I love to ride my trail bike like a DH bike. The lines I hit I am totally familiar with, and I know that with the right precision, I can ride it out, but sometimes it doesn't go that way.

I'm really curious to know what tires Weir and Ben Cruz rode there caus' I'm pretty ok with the WTB tire I have now (the Moto). I especially like the price compared to the Specialized and Schwalbe tires... It's a little squirmy in the hardpack, but works great right now that things are wet and slick, soupy and swampy. And once you get them on edge, that vagueness is pretty well gone, even on rock faces and such.

I'm also going to look into the dh casing, 2.35 DHF... might be worth a try.
 
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slyfink

Turbo Monkey
Sep 16, 2008
9,288
5,028
Ottawa, Canada
Out of curiosity, which one(s)? I23?
2xi23 and one Laser TCS Trail.

Like I said, one was unavoidable, the impact would have tacoed any rim. the other two were the result of airing into a rock garden and airing a creek gap and casing into a more than square-edged rock...

I really liked having a proper UST bead, never had a tire come off. But then again, I've never really had issues with Stans rims before. So as the old saying goes, once bitten thrice shy?
 

Zark

Hey little girl, do you want some candy?
Oct 18, 2001
6,254
7
Reno 911
I can'te believe how well the rims on my mavic crossmax sx wheels have held up.

Mavic doesn't make a 21mm free standing equivalent rim do they?
Yup, that's a nice rim only available as a proprietary wheel.
 

'size

Turbo Monkey
May 30, 2007
2,000
338
AZ
Mavic doesn't make a 21mm free standing equivalent rim do they?
they don't, and i haven't read any internet bitching about that in a long time - maybe it's time for another 'discussion'...it is the off season after all.

"819 is too narrow for my maxxis 2.5 EXO's, 823 is to heavy to pedal on my trail bike. where is the 821, mavic??????!?!?!?!?!?"
 

kidwoo

Artisanal Tweet Curator
I don't know........I ran a 2.5 maxxis exo on some 819s last year. They worked fine. I've regretted every non mavic rim I've ever bought in the last 10 years so I'd rather run those than something else. But it would make sense for them to make a 21-24mm trail bike rim.
 
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slyfink

Turbo Monkey
Sep 16, 2008
9,288
5,028
Ottawa, Canada
I just picked up my new wheel. Flow EX mounted to my King hub. It's the King hub that kills me. I can't bring myself to purchase a proprietary wheel system now that I finally own a King hub. The only stand-alone rim that would make me fully happy right now is probably an Enve, but I just don't have the coin. I don't think I could justify it to myself either.

I'm hoping this new Flow will be fine. I'm definitely going to give a DH casing DHF or High Roller a try. Preferably used from a racer that's worn off a bit of the rubber to make it a bit lighter... :brow:
 

Acadian

Born Again Newbie
Sep 5, 2001
714
2
Blah Blah and Blah
I don't know........I ran a 2.5 maxxis exo on some 819s last year. They worked fine. I've regretted every non maxxis rim I've ever bought in the last 10 years so I'd rather run those than something else. But it would make sense for them to make a 21-24mm trail bike rim.
did you mean tire instead of Rim?

BTW anyone also noticed that Jey was running Maxxis HR (well at least on the back) tries instead of WTB.

I really want to get some 2.35 DH casing High Roller 60a to run on the back of my bike.
 

ride

Monkey
Jan 11, 2005
471
0
Trans Provence was a wild ride for sure.

I started with Maxxis EXO 2.4's. DHRII 3C on the front, cut like Kidwoo's posted about before. HRII 60d on the rear. Tubeless with Stans on prototype WTB rims similar to i23 but without internal I-beam and weigh 360grams! I have been on the wheelset since July so I expected to have to replace the rims a few times.

On the first day I rode into one of teh first steep switchbacks a little early and peeled my front tire off the bead. I wasted valuable minutes getting it inflated again and vowed to go straight to my dh tires the next day, which I did. I ran a dh casing version of the same front, and a Larson TT super tacky dh in the rear for the remainder of the race.

Throughout the race there was was more flat and climbing in the timed stages than I expected. And generally the trails we less 'gnarly' than I expected. Some were insanely rough, tech, and steep. But for the most part personally dh tires were overkill until the last two days. Next year, I'd run EXO tires until day 6.

Sidenote- the rear rim I started with, lasted the entire event. Blew my mind.
 

Lelandjt

Turbo Monkey
Apr 4, 2008
2,508
821
Breckenridge, CO/Lahaina,HI
At the Enchilada Enduro pretty much everyone was on Exo casing tires. Some people went for 2.25" to help in the pedal sections. Of those riders some were successful but a lot flatted. I used 2.4/2.5" Exos and had no problems but had to push hard on the climbs.
 

slyfink

Turbo Monkey
Sep 16, 2008
9,288
5,028
Ottawa, Canada
I've decided to give 2.35 High Roller DH tires a try. I've also ordered some 2.25 Wolverines, and try them both out to see how they do. I'll be taking them both to Sedona. Depending on the type of riding my buddies want to do, and how aggressive I'm feeling, I guess I'll have the tires I need.
 

ZoRo

Turbo Monkey
Sep 28, 2004
1,224
11
MTL
Yeah what about those asian carbon rims? I overheard couple of guys talking about those at the Trestle enduro saying they were rock solid and a sound investment, especially compared to Edge rims...
 
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slyfink

Turbo Monkey
Sep 16, 2008
9,288
5,028
Ottawa, Canada
re the asian carbon rims, my biggest concern is running them tubeless... maybe when they come out with a tubeless bead hook...
 

slyfink

Turbo Monkey
Sep 16, 2008
9,288
5,028
Ottawa, Canada
Trans Provence was a wild ride for sure.

I started with Maxxis EXO 2.4's. DHRII 3C on the front, cut like Kidwoo's posted about before. HRII 60d on the rear. Tubeless with Stans on prototype WTB rims similar to i23 but without internal I-beam and weigh 360grams! I have been on the wheelset since July so I expected to have to replace the rims a few times.

On the first day I rode into one of teh first steep switchbacks a little early and peeled my front tire off the bead. I wasted valuable minutes getting it inflated again and vowed to go straight to my dh tires the next day, which I did. I ran a dh casing version of the same front, and a Larson TT super tacky dh in the rear for the remainder of the race.

Throughout the race there was was more flat and climbing in the timed stages than I expected. And generally the trails we less 'gnarly' than I expected. Some were insanely rough, tech, and steep. But for the most part personally dh tires were overkill until the last two days. Next year, I'd run EXO tires until day 6.

Sidenote- the rear rim I started with, lasted the entire event. Blew my mind.
I'm still looking for that elusive "perfect" rim, and stumbled upon this old thread of mine. I can't believe how many rims I went through that year :facepalm:

Anyways, sounds like this "ride" fella was on WTB KOM's. I'm curious about those. The reviews I'm reading on mtbr are less than stellar, but I like the inner bead seat (what they call their "Global Bead System") that they have. Anyone know who "ride" is?

I was actually searching for ethirteen rims to find out if their new TCS rim has those inner bead seats. (It's been my experience that they are a design element that is effective at preventing tires from burping). Anyone know?

I'm also thinking the new Mavic EN821 might be a good replacement for my Flow EX when it eventually dies. Anyone have time on those? Too bad they are only 21's and not 23's. But I'm still willing to give them a try.