spesh or bonty tyres

Anonymous

i fancy trying out some new tubeless/ust tyres.

i run specialized 2bliss enduro tyres at the mo and they are pretty good but i wanna try something a touch lighter. i want to know if anyone uses spesh's the captain tyre in 2bliss format and if so how much do they weigh?

also, i noticed that bontrager tyres (tubeless ready) seem very light so i wondered if anyone knows how wide they come up? i have seen some 2.2 tyres and want to know if they are skinny or not.

my current tyres are a 2.2 and come up very tall and fat so i want something a touch slimmer but not too much so (does any of this make sense!!?)

S_J_P

How about a pair of Schwalbe Racing Ralph's or a Nobby Nick/Racing Ralph pairing?

Merlin are knocking out Schwalbe UST Tubeless tyres for £29.95 each, or a bargain £50 a pair (Nobby Nick's retail at £45 each!)

ride_whenever

you want tubeless, light and reasonably broad, not picky then

As above, I'd try a pair of the RR for £50, as you can't pick up one of each for £50 :evil:

It'll be very fast but a little slippy in the wet! The schwalbes do come up a little skinny though.

Anonymous

i have tried rr before and dont really like them, they actually came as standard on the bike in the first place.

my original question stil stands, can anyone give me their experience on the 2 tyres i have suggested.

Surf-Matt

Sheeps - WMB tested the Captains recently and didn't rate their wet grip at all.

Bontrager seem to be the ones to have for tubeless at the moment.

toasty

I've heard lots saying the opposite as well though. Specialized tyres come in wide compared to Schwalbe/Maxxis/Conti, their 2.0" are a similar size to 2.1"-2.25" from everyone else, combined with being 600g tubeless and £20 I think they're fantastic.

I still run Spesh Resolutions and to be honest find them grippier than my Nics + Ralphs, similar weight to the Nics, the rolling resistance difference is negligible, they work better tubeless (using both non-UST, they deform much smoother). People are just put off by the low price and mainstream branding in my opinion, I plan on getting hold of some UST wheels soon and using Sauserwind 2bliss for racing (460g each) and Captain 2bliss for trail riding (600g each).

Oh and I didn't rate the old tyres either. Ironically Roll-X rolled really slowly and Enduro was fairly average. They had a good team one years back I seem to recall though, hmm, I've gone through too many sets of tyres.

Anonymous

my current spesh enduro tyres are about 750g and very chunky, i like them for everything but just want to shave a little weight.

where did you find thweights for the captains? also, what width is that ?

toasty

Surf-Matt wrote:

Sheeps - WMB tested the Captains recently and didn't rate their wet grip at all.

Bontrager seem to be the ones to have for tubeless at the moment.

Oh yeah, was that this review:

http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/category/components/tyres/mountain/product/the-captain-armadillo-elite-20in-31868

If so do exactly as they say, use the S-Works one, it's still only £20.

toasty

sheepsteeth wrote:

where did you find thweights for the captains? also, what width is that ?

Numerous places, there's lots of discussion either way on the mtbr forums, I've heard 600-650 or so quoted for the 2", as I say though, my 2" Resolutions come in wider than my 2.25" Nobby Nics. The Armadillo ones aren't overly popular though which are the ones reviewed bizarrely.

Spud Son

I have been running Captain Control 2Bliss tyres on XM819 rims for just over a month on my local trails and am really happy with them. With 70a centre and 60a shoulders, they roll fast on the straights and corner with real confidence. They should also wear well, but time will tell.

Various web reviews state 600g, which seems about right, and for the money / performance I think that they are worth a look ! The other interesting thing, is that I am running them without sealant and they do not leak over time. That said, I carry a punture repair kit, sealant, fast air and some CO2 cartridges in my Mule on every ride - just in case ! ... and a complete replaqcement tyre for epic rides !

Anonymous

nice review thanks, how much were they and where from? how wide do they seem and have you got any pics of them fitted?

cheers.

CustomReign

Hi,

I thought I had struck gold with the Specialized Captain 2.0 2Bliss as they are wide for a 2.0 and only £20 a pop. Unfortunately, the air leaks through the sidewall so although Spesh made the fit a good one, the sidewalls were not addressed. Also, they need to be pumped up for harsh off road as they can rip. Very thin in deed!

However, if you are running with tubes or if they have finally fixed the leak issue, they actually roll very well and hook up nicely in loose and rooty conditions. I really pushed them and at 16 stone, the took some abuse.

toasty

The whole 2bliss tyres thing is effectively standard tyres with a UST style bead, hence the weight on Sauserwind/Captains being the same as normal tyres. I don't think you've got a bad batch, I just think the person a few posts up was very lucky

http://www.specialized.com/bc/SBCTechPopup.jsp?pid=2bliss

I'm still pondering a set myself on my hardtail.

CustomReign

Thanks for the link. I must say, they were good while I ragged them around a damp Forest of Dean. A little unsupported on the sides, but generally okay. I

Spud Son

I guess that I am very lucky then ! Both tyres are still sealant free and air-tight !

toasty

Were either of you using the s-works versions?

I know what you mean about tyres feeling soft, really liked it on my old Resolutions when tubeless. Hated it on my round Racing Ralph, had to run a much higher pressure due to the way they deform.

Anonymous

i am running sworks eskar 2.3 (once the bike is fixed) and they are pretty good. the casing is massive and only weighs about 650g. have them in tubeless mode and they ahve stayed inflated no probs for a couple of weeks so far.

toasty

sheepsteeth wrote:

i am running sworks eskar 2.3 (once the bike is fixed) and they are pretty good. the casing is massive and only weighs about 650g. have them in tubeless mode and they ahve stayed inflated no probs for a couple of weeks so far.

Might give some a shot some time, I do like Specialized tyres even though they often seem to get whined about on forums (mainly due to not doing super tacky compounds). I'm using a 2.4" Nobby (non-UST converted to tubeless on the front) + 2.35" High Roller (with tube!) at the mo.

I do like the High Roller, single ply, it's just a bit heavy at 850g or so.

Given my 2.0" Resolutions came in wider than the 2.25" Nobbys though I'd imagine the Eskars would be bigger anyway. Would it be better as a front/rear/both tyre in your opinion?

Anonymous

i think they are fine for front and back, the tread looks alot like the maxis advantage actually. they are dual compound too, so softer on the edges for cornering grip.

toasty

Specialized 2.0" Captain Control 2bliss, 620g with the control casing, ie extra puncture protection. £17.50 a tyre.

What a bargain :shock: Fit a set of these earlier today on my Stumpy HT.

Slightly wider than my 2.25" Nobby Nics, half the price, only 50g heavier than the non-UST Nobby, 180g saved per wheel from tubes. The compound is slightly harder, not too bad though, they deform much better at lower pressures too and seem to roll very nicely. Mounted them with an old style hand pump and managed to hold air, without milk, for a 2 hour ride. I went out a bit paranoid but they were fine.

Chuffed to bits!

If my Meta had UST rims I'd order a set of Eskars for it right now.

I have to admit, I stuck some Joes fluid in when I got home, after the battle with the hand pump though I didn't dare risk losing the seal again. Not so bad after a decent ride.