I need some help chosing some lighter tyres please guys

coursemyhorse

I have a Specialized Stumpjumper Full suss FSR Comp 07/08 in Large. I'm 6ft2 but lanky and relatively light for height 11.5 stone.
I currently have on the bike some "Specialized The Captain" 2.2 tyres front and rear. My rims are DT Swiss x430 ("custom for specialised") which came with the bike. My issue with these tyres is simply that they weigh 760g each. Everywhere else I look online for weights they do not seem to weigh this much, but mine do! Maybe mine are an older type or something.
I ride this bike only off road at Swinley Forest, so cross country mixed with some faster downhill and more technical sections. These can be biast to dryer summer riding slightly but would prefer an all rounder. I basically want them to roll well and have enough grip, but to be as light as possible, as I really want to try to shed some weight off my wheels starting with the tyres. Swinley has had a lot of investment now and a lot of the ground is quite compacted and hardened now if this makes a difference.
Finally, the tyres I buy I will be wanting to run Ghetto tubeless with my DT Swiss x430 rims so hopefully they will be compatible with that.

Thanks a lot all

chrisvanderkaap

maxxis maxxlite are extremely lightweight and come in different volumes to fit your needs, but bear in mind they're race tires. If you don't want race only then have a look at the (quite rare?) Maxxis larsen TT. Best tire i've ridden in a while on my SS 26". You may go for dedicated UST is gonna be heavier but saves you the innertube or even the need of latexfiller.

coursemyhorse

My rims x430...are you saying they would accommodate UST tyres? I didn't think they were UST ready rims as such.
Anyway, what do you mean by race tyres? What makes them "race" tyres?

Tom Barton

UST or tubeless tyres tend to be heavier than their normal counterparts but you dont need to run an inner tube and punctures become less common - they are harder to fight on and off rims however and using sealant can be messy - pros and cons (I use tubeless and like them. If your rims do not have drilled holes all the way through for the spokes (i.e. the inside surface of your rim is solid) theres a good chance they are UST ready and require alot less work to set up.

Race tyres are typically very lightweight, have a shallow, fast tread and usually use a high perfomance rubber to help add some extra grip lost by using such a minimal tyre. They are not necessarily the most durable/long lived tyre around.

I've not used the captains but I know lots of people rate them highly for their overall performace. Take a look at schwable racing ralphs/rocket rons or continental racekings (& Maxxis larsens, kenda small block 8 too) - I dont know how much they weigh without googling but they are probably the sort of tyre your should look at.

Greer_

My Schwalbe tyres (Racing Ralph and Nobby Nic) weigh in around 540g each. Rocket Rons are well under this, but use a different carcass which is easier to tear.

coursemyhorse

OK I definitely don't want/need racing tyres judging by what I just read on them. I just want a fairly durable very good gripping off road tyre that does not weight the earth. 540g as above sounds more like it. From a quick google I don't think my x430 rims are tubeless ready. People have had success with using ghetto tubeless setups with them though. This is what I expected to have to do. I just want to buy non UST ready normal tyres, and use ghetto tubeless method with sealant. I will check out the nobbly nics and racing ralphs as always hear good things in searches about them. I certainly don't want anything too easy to tear, especially if I am going to go tubeless.

chrisvanderkaap

Just to help you find what you need. UST (Universal System Tubeless) is dedicated tubeless with is completely airtight and thus heavier. You are looking tires which say 'tubeless ready' such as the Evolution series of Schwalbe, these should be run with sealant, tubeless valves and if necessary an airtight rimstrip (resort to Stan Notubes manual). Nobby Nic EVO/ Racing Ralph EVO should serve you well.

jairaj

The Captains come in different compounds often Spec will put cheap plastic OEM rubber compounds on their bikes which come out heavier and with much less grip than the after market equivalent. Check which one you have.

If you want lighter weight then I think Schwalbe are hard to beat at the moment. These are often much cheaper from the German bike shops.

But can I ask why you want to go tubeless?

If its for lighter weight then it won't work. You already have a tube as part of the ghetto conversion then you will put sealant in too.

If you're getting a lot of punctures then a lighter tyre again is unlikely to work as it will have thinner walls. I would recommend something with some extra protection which will increase the weight.

njee20

Racing Ralphs or Rocket Rons are good. The latter will be fine for Swinley (what I tend to use), but they do wear more quickly as they're a lightweight tyre.

coursemyhorse

I know going tubeless saves minimal weight if any.
I don't know which Specialized tyres I have other than they just say The Captain. They do not say control or anything else I don't think. I weighed one twice to make sure (and no it was not caked in mud or wet!) @ 760g. I think I want to stick to 2ply for durability but I do want to try to lose a bit of weight from them.

jairaj

Sounds like you have the rubbish OEM versions I think they come in Control or S-Works Flavour. I have a set of S-works and they feel much lighter than the Maxis Ignitor I normally use. I haven't weighted them on a scale so its not a scientific test but the difference was obvious.

Njee20 - Are the Rocket Rons only useful on properly dry trails or can they cope with the damp too? A mate of mine has the UST version for sale. So tougher sidewalls but still light.

njee20

The UST ones aren't light, I'd avoid.

IMO they're fine in the wet, they struggle in sticky mud.

WindyG

I've ridden through thick mud with Rons and they wern't as bad as I thought they would be, a bit squirmy but I still had control, in the dry they are very quick.

felix.london

Conti Mountain King II RaceSport with Black Chilli

jairaj

njee20 wrote:

The UST ones aren't light, I'd avoid.

IMO they're fine in the wet, they struggle in sticky mud.

The 2.25 UST is 690g which is still pretty light. Maybe not on a weight weenie scale but compared to most its a reasonable weight.

Are the newer Snakeskin ones durable enough to be used as a every day tyre not just a race day tyre?

njee20

The 2.25 UST is 690g which is still pretty light. Maybe not on a weight weenie scale but compared to most its a reasonable weight.

Mmmm, I disagree, I'd much rather use a Snakeskin TLR one if you're worried about durability. Nearly 700g really is pretty heavy.

Are the newer Snakeskin ones durable enough to be used as a every day tyre not just a race day tyre?

Dunno, not used them.

Depends how much you ride really, the standard Evo ones are my default tyre choice, my rides are usually 40-50 miles, but rarely more than once a week, but they last a couple of years, or generally until I cut them on something. They're not that expensive from Germany. No way I'd carry a 500g weigh penalty to go for the UST ones.

jairaj

great thanks for the info. off go order some Rocket Rons ...