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Carry those sticky tire plugs and a tool to easily plug holes with the tire on the bike (careful of the liner/bladder). In the event of a inner bladder leak, you need the ability to generate 110psi for the inner bladder (HP bicycle pump or CO2), although I have seen them hold up at 70psi. Most leaks not from a puncture are around the bead or from the valve cores. "Snoop" them in advance. Once set up, I have had Tubliss hold consistent pressures for months at a time.
Use lots of Slime or other sealant in the tire, pour like 400-500ml in when once side of the bead is still off, helps seal the bead and will lube a flat should you have to ride out on it (I have, when bladder ruptured, might have been installation error ). Also, the red liner, pick the "nibs" off leftover from the molding process, they can also fold over and lead to bead leaks. Run several thousand of Baja, winter and local miles with no tubliss problems, and had to put many plugs in tires in Baja and on a dual sport here, easily done with the wheel still on the bike. Might be good to buy a spare bladder ($12), I have had one pop.
Tubliss and Maxxis at 7psi is a reliable combo. Never tried a trial tire. Keep us posted on how it works for you. Tires will leak down over a couple of days and have only had one inner bladder failure over 3 years. I do replace the bladders every season...I like to ride with DirtyBoy
Thanks for the suggestions. I need to remember to put some plugs in my bag. And having a CO2 kit is likely the way to go for longer rides. Plus who doesn't like having a CO2 filler!
I didn't realize bladders were so cheap. Is anyone aware of who might stock them in Calgary? I might be part shopping on the weekend anyhow as I am finally walking without a cast.
Once riding I will deffinetly provide some feedback on the combo.
takethebounce wrote:Thanks for the suggestions. I need to remember to put some plugs in my bag. And having a CO2 kit is likely the way to go for longer rides. Plus who doesn't like having a CO2 filler!
I didn't realize bladders were so cheap. Is anyone aware of who might stock them in Calgary? I might be part shopping on the weekend anyhow as I am finally walking without a cast.
Once riding I will deffinetly provide some feedback on the combo.
Malcom provided alot of great info. You want to make sure you have the Gen 2 red tire - the bead and the inside of it are orange and its a composite. The Gen 1 are garbage, I've blown up several, the bead and inside are black and they are a wire bead. I run 4 oz. of Stan's sealant in mine and works great. This also allows you to run a used tire with a mangled bead and it will seal right up. I inject it through the tire valve stem after the bladder is inflated. CO2 are okay, but when your out, your out. I have the micro pump from Nuetech thats made for inflating the bladder. Its really small in size and also has an air gauge on it ( although I'm not seeing it on the website anymore, but this is a new product ).
The only issue I've had with the Gen 2 is on an Endurocross telephone pole double jump that I hit every lap on a test track. After a couple of months the rubber wedge part of the rim lock split into 4 pieces, leaving me with a flat bladder.
The Gen 2 fronts can be harder to change tires depending on the brand due to the much increased stiffness of the composite materail. Make sure you leave the valve stem out of the bladder when changing tires, it can make it easier to get the tires bead into the drop center of the rim.
I have a Michelin cross competition X11 trials tire for sale. It is a 18"x4.00 Apparently, this is the best, baddest, nastiest trials tire out there (that's what I was told?) It is a radial and it is brand new with the packaging still on it. I paid $140 for it so I'll sell it for $100. Hopefully someone can get some good use out of it as it is just sitting in my shop and needs to be ridden.
I'm converted to trials tires, for my riding style and skill level, I wouldn't go back.
I consider myself an intermediate type rider. I tend to lug the bike rather than crank the throttle, and I run a rekluse. My experience has been that the trials tire is remarkably better than a knobby for my riding style in every kind of terrain except muskeg mud and really snotty/leafy, slimy type mud. They are slightly worse in loose downhill situations, but if you keep them rolling a little rather than locking the rear tire, they work quite well on downhills. They really shine on rooted and rocky or hardpacked single track. I've found that I can stop beside buddies on knobbies, and while they spin and tear, I just drive away. It often gets so much traction it gets the front end light and I almost wish it would spin a little lol.
I did get a large gash in the sidewall of one on a ride, and like dirtyboy mentioned, riding out without trashing the tire and tube is going to be a challenge, but I've only ever had the one problem, and looking a the spot it happened and how it happened, I'm not convinced I wouldn't have had a gash in a knobby either.
I'm running the Dunlop at around 7-8 psi with a UHD tube. 6-7 psi gives slightly better traction, but not worth the trade off in flat risk and higher speed sections.
The other benefit to trials tires is that they're a lot more trail friendly, they really reduce the impact of chewing up the trails.
I have about 6 hours of riding on the TT I picked up from B rod and I have to say I am very impressed.
Riding everything from hard packed forestry transition roads in BC to rocky, rooted steep up hill single tracks even snow, and I was able to handle it all with ease. I actually found the Trials hooked up so well it over powered my front MX51 and found I had to back off the throttle in tight single track as it would throw me quickly into the trees with every burp of the throttle.
Its true, long steep loose downhills take a few times to adjust to but I think the trade off for traction everywhere else is well worth it. I also had a long 10km wide open, high speed loose river rock up hill that I was sure I would rip knobs off by the time I reached the top and the tire held up awesome.
Running 8 lbs with UHD tube.
I had a new Maxxis to throw on incase I didn't like the TT and I ended up leaving it in BC for a friend.
). Also, the red liner, pick the "nibs" off leftover from the molding process, they can also fold over and lead to bead leaks. Run several thousand of Baja, winter and local miles with no tubliss problems, and had to put many plugs in tires in Baja and on a dual sport here, easily done with the wheel still on the bike. Might be good to buy a spare bladder ($12), I have had one pop.
