Tubeless downhill tyres?

Stevo_666

I'm looking for some options for DH tyres that come in tubeless spec.

The idea is that I stick these on the Spicy when I'm doing stuff like Cwmcarn or FoD and change back to my normal all-rounders for trail work. The wheels on the bike are Easton Havens - fully UST compatible (no messing around with sealant etc).

What are my options?

IBISMojoHDamon

I use 2.5 Maxxis Minions and 2.5 Maxxis High Roller UST Super Tacky's in the Alps, at Cwmcarn, I used Maxxis Crossmark UST's 2.25... But it wasn't muddy...

Stevo_666

Thanks - probably should have said that I'm not looking for mud specific DH tyres.

Tom Barton

hmm - My post didnt post. Drat.

I've used 2.5 ST minions on my spicy - Great going down, heavy up. Have compromised and used a minion up front and a conti RQ out back which worked well for a day out at cwmcarn (bit of extra pushing going round the XC trail but rewarded when playing on the DH later) - not a bad combo. Miion is an awesomly grippy alround tyre.

Also I've got a conti Baron 2.3 UST black chilli on my to try list. Lots of rave reviews, lots of people ditching their HR 2.3s for these apparently - fantastic in the wet but good alround tyres. Was going to pair one up front with my ever trusty RQ out back. I find conti UST tyres very durable for the weight, only 1 rip ever (in 3 years) and 1 pinch and I dont run sealant cos I'm allergic to the latec .

Northwind

Conti UST downhill seem to have a good rep... You can seal up standard Maxxis dualplies without too much bother though. Likewise Specialized- and their Clutch is excellent (similiar to but better'n a Minion IMO).

Buuuut, my dh bike is the only one of mine that isn't tubeless, because I change tyres on it too often to be bothered with it. (it has tubeless-ready wheels on it). DH tyres get more asked of them and with booking uplifts and races in advance I find I'm more likely to want to swap than with other bikes where I can choose the weather a bit.

Stevo_666

Tom Barton wrote:

I've used 2.5 ST minions on my spicy - Great going down, heavy up. Have compromised and used a minion up front and a conti RQ out back which worked well for a day out at cwmcarn (bit of extra pushing going round the XC trail but rewarded when playing on the DH later) - not a bad combo. Miion is an awesomly grippy alround tyre.

Tom, sounds like the Minions could be a good one to try as you're running them on the same bike as mine. I'm not too worried about weight as I'll be doing uplifts not pushing :-). Also I am currently running 2.2 UST RQ's F&R, so a mix and match could be worth a go as well.

Presumably you have no tyre clearance issues with the 2.5 Minions on a Spicy?

Mccraque

Conti Rubber Queen 2.4 UST?

Tom Barton

Stevo 666 wrote:

Tom, sounds like the Minions could be a good one to try as you're running them on the same bike as mine. I'm not too worried about weight as I'll be doing uplifts not pushing :-). Also I am currently running 2.2 UST RQ's F&R, so a mix and match could be worth a go as well.

Presumably you have no tyre clearance issues with the 2.5 Minions on a Spicy?

Nope - the Minions, loadza room under the 36 and acceptable clearance out back - like their 2.3 minions and HR siblings they look narrower than what they are.

@Mccraque - I found the 2.4 RQ fantastic for smashing through rock gardens and on smoother more polished tracks all day long but didnt have the cornering bite I wanted to inspire that little extra confidence esp in variable terrain where it may get muddy/loose intermittantly. Minions are great in the corners. HRs and minions tend to be a bit of taste with riders, dont like getting the HRs onto their sides, feels a bit odd so its minions for me.

Stevo_666

Mccraque wrote:

Conti Rubber Queen 2.4 UST?

I'm already using the 2.2's so not sure what difference the 2.4's would make apart from some extra cushioning?

Tom Barton

Pretty much Steve yeah. Like I said, they make rock gardens disappear but considering their immense size they offer little improvement in grip in other situations, plus they weight 300+g more per tyre and they are inconceivably huge, only just fit under a Fox 36! Raises the BB height and makes the bike feel a bit higher!

Personally the 2.2s do the job and there are better gripper front tyres out there for lunacy.

delcol

not tubeless but i have been running minions on my hardtail for over a year now left them on through winter to see how they would fare and to be honest i aint had any issues with grip at all..
i run ardents on the fs thats the bike i take to whistler for dh/park duties ardents have been fine over the last 2 years i been running them..

Northwind

Aye, the 2.4's a fair bit better in a straight line but still a bit substandard when leaned over. Not a bad trailbike tyre at all, but I wouldn't put one on a gravity bike.

Specialized Clutch SX is allegedly tubeless ready... It's basically a lightweight dh tyre, has similiar compounds to the Clutch DH but in a folding, reinforced singleply instead of a wired dualply. I really rate them, they're faster than Minion STs and are pretty competitive- they maybe lose traction just a little earlier but they do it in a much nicer way. My summer dh tyre- but then I'm light on my wheels, some folks might need the strength of the dualply (which I've not used so can't comment on)

Stevo_666

Northwind wrote:

Specialized Clutch SX is allegedly tubeless ready... It's basically a lightweight dh tyre, has similiar compounds to the Clutch DH but in a folding, reinforced singleply instead of a wired dualply. I really rate them, they're faster than Minion STs and are pretty competitive- they maybe lose traction just a little earlier but they do it in a much nicer way. My summer dh tyre- but then I'm light on my wheels, some folks might need the strength of the dualply (which I've not used so can't comment on)

Thanks Northwind - will have to check up about the tubeless ready point as a quick google doesn't show anything up either way. (Thicky question - if they are 'tubeless ready' rather than full UST, would I still have to use sealant to get them to work on tubeless rims?)

Northwind

Yup. But then you'd probably want to use sealant with dh tyres anyway.

I found they mounted and sealed exactly like a tubeless ready tyre, and the sidewalls feel like a tougher version of my 2bliss Eskars, but I don't think Specialized market them as specifically tubeless ready.