Volsung wrote:Weird seepage 7 weeks after being installed. I took them off for a muddy race tomorrow. They come off very easily which is nice.
Something I've seen with some tires now that I'm at least 12 years of tubeless tires on bikes. It's usually with lighter tires. A little more sealant with right away turning the tire on side plane and more air can improve it. Different sealant can improve it.
The interesting thing about different sealant is I generally use the Bontrager that calls for less and is less gunky or Panaracer with the nut shell bits and more sticky nature. There seems to be no rhyme or reason for which has been the solution. I recently had a WTB tire so leaky on sidewalls I figured Panaracer was the answer, but more Bontrager did it.
Yep same. I usually get it with either new tires or old ones, and these are neither. I was shocked these didn't do it immediately based on how soft the sidewalls are.
For the Challenge curious, they come off the rims pretty easily and went back on with no straps. I didn't use a tire iron to put them on, but did to take them off to save the sealant
I took mine off for a potentially muddy race, then bailed on the race because someone was shot in my alley and the shooter also hit my house. So my Conti Terra speed/trail combo has now been mounted more times than I've ridden them.
Volsung wrote:For the Challenge curious, they come off the rims pretty easily and went back on with no straps. I didn't use a tire iron to put them on, but did to take them off to save the sealant
I took mine off for a potentially muddy race, then bailed on the race because someone was shot in my alley and the shooter also hit my house. So my Conti Terra speed/trail combo has now been mounted more times than I've ridden them.
First, stay safe. Second good to know about the removal and remounting process being easier. I have purposely left them on the rims to get them to stretch as much as possible before I take them off..
45mm Getaways and Stradas coming soon. Also some smaller tires, but a 700x45 road quality slick is what I've been looking for.
I get more and more interested in a big 700C road friendly tire, and at opposite end of spectrum the rebirth of American Classic brand making modestly priced tires is interesting.
Where my brain goes in all this is I don't mind paying a premium for truly outstanding or unique products that fit what I want or need such as the RH knobby or getting a Moots, but then I get reminders like the Bontrager GR1 tires that are less expensive than many and really good.
I'll watch the Challenge tires if only because their US manager is one of my trail steward associates and a good guy.
Volsung wrote:45mm Getaways and Stradas coming soon. Also some smaller tires, but a 700x45 road quality slick is what I've been looking for.
Thanks for that! IMHO 45-622 is a great size.
FWIW I got my first flat on a Strada Bianca Pro after about 400 miles. This wasn't a tire problem, I hit a nail which went through the tire, through the tube, through the rim side of the tube, and bent when it hit the rim. The tire came off with the slightest application of a plastic lever and went back on with easy thumb pressure. Everything is fine except I don't think the big holes in the Aerothan tube can be patched.
Volsung wrote:400 miles might be a record for you Stu.
Ha! Since I gave up on thin-carcass tires I've had better luck with flats with 4 in about 3300 miles. And that includes the nail which would have penetrated a steel-belted car tire.
You see Tubolito makes a new tube they're claiming to be flatproof?
Thanks, I hadn't noticed that. They say the new X-Tubo City/Tour is fits 30 - 50 mm tires and the Presta version is 130 g. Also has a 1-year warranty against flats. BRR will be testing TPU tubes, dunno if they'll include this one. I might try a pair, or at least one on the rear. Looks like they'll cost about $30.
stu wrote:Thanks for that! IMHO 45-622 is a great size.
FWIW I got my first flat on a Strada Bianca Pro after about 400 miles. This wasn't a tire problem, I hit a nail which went through the tire, through the tube, through the rim side of the tube, and bent when it hit the rim. The tire came off with the slightest application of a plastic lever and went back on with easy thumb pressure. Everything is fine except I don't think the big holes in the Aerothan tube can be patched.
How do you like it on gravel? I ride on dust over hard gravel.
I got a second wheelset and have been using the 40mm version of these as road tires. I cheated and had the shop install them, I'm hoping they'll stretch out and be normal if I ever need to change them. Anyway they're super comfy and fast as road tires but sometimes I don't have the time or I forget to swap wheelsets for my more-beefy gravel tires and these are surprisingly capable on gravel. Haven't really noticed any more slipping and sliding around on climbs than normal and they're comfy and fast overall.
Knock on wood I've had them for a little over a month and haven't had an issue with flats. I've probably just pissed off the flat tire gods by saying that, but they've been dependable so far.
I went with Challenge because I've used them in the past and liked them, I'm not a huge fan of Gravelkings, and I don't want to pay Rene Herse prices (even though the Challenge aren't any cheaper but I'm waiting for more people to test out the Rene Herse endurance casing before I hand over my money for them.)
jruhlen1980 wrote:I got a second wheelset and have been using the 40mm version of these as road tires. I cheated and had the shop install them, I'm hoping they'll stretch out and be normal if I ever need to change them. Anyway they're super comfy and fast as road tires but sometimes I don't have the time or I forget to swap wheelsets for my more-beefy gravel tires and these are surprisingly capable on gravel. Haven't really noticed any more slipping and sliding around on climbs than normal and they're comfy and fast overall.
Knock on wood I've had them for a little over a month and haven't had an issue with flats. I've probably just pissed off the flat tire gods by saying that, but they've been dependable so far.
I went with Challenge because I've used them in the past and liked them, I'm not a huge fan of Gravelkings, and I don't want to pay Rene Herse prices (even though the Challenge aren't any cheaper but I'm waiting for more people to test out the Rene Herse endurance casing before I hand over my money for them.)
I'm in a circle of people who've put a lot of miles on with the RH endurance versions but most of us are getting knobby versions. Our Fargo pretty much sees unpaved use or urban use and I feel all treaded or knobbed tires cut the urban cut or puncture incidents.
Otherwise I'd be more prone to pay the premium for Challenge than RH tires without knobs. Associates like the Challenge tires, and the US Challenge manager is one of my trail steward peers and a really good guy. Some associates who have Challenge tires say they really like them regardless of our friendship with Chris.
My interest in these tires remains because getting the Routt 45 (Moots) has really upped my doing 50-80 mi rides with more pavement, and my Bontrager wheels state min 35 mm width tires.
Killed my SS over some sharp glass semi-hiding in a sand portion of a trail. Durability wise would Bianca tubeless variant either handmade or vulcanized be better or worse than the various base GK models?
