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I’m just getting into the whole tubeless thing on my 29er and I’m having a hard time finding many tubeless/UST tires out there. Anyone have any recommendations?
The Hutchinson Pythons keep coming up in my searches but I already have this tire and frankly the tread pattern and profile both suck (it does mount well though). I see that Maxxis makes a UST version of the CrossMark which seems like a good option, though not many retailers seem to carry it. Anyone had success with non tubeless-ready 29er tires?
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I have heard really good things about Geax AKA tires. They come in tubeless or not, and 26 or 29. I’m getting some for my 26’er for next season.
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What rims are you using Trek7K?
Unless you have actual UST rims, there’s no need for UST tires. If you’re using something like a Stan’s rim, or those SunRingle wheels you reviewed recently that use a Stans bead hook, you can use standard tires or tubeless ready tires. UST is a dying standard I think. More and more companies are producing tubeless ready tires, and fewer UST tires.
Every tire company has a different name/acronym for their tubeless ready tires.
Specialized = 2Bliss Ready
Geax = TNT – Tube No Tube
Bontrager – TLR – Tubeless Ready
etc.Tubeless Ready vs UST
UST – Universal Standard for Tubeless or something along those lines.
This is a very specific, and stringent standard. Tire beads and rim bead hooks are manufactured to the same exact shape (reguardless of manufacturer) designed to work together. The tires are air tight, they do not require sealant, but most people will use it anyways for puncture protection. For any product to have the UST label it must go through a UST Certification process, which costs the manufacturers money.Tubeless Ready
The tire bead is designed specificaly for tubeless use (you can still use a tube if you want tho), it’s stronger than a standard tire. Unlike UST, tubless ready tires are not air tight- they require sealant. They are a good bit lighter than UST tires because of this, since they don’t have the extra layer of air tight rubber in the casing. As an example, Specialized The Captain Control UST tires are 0.35lbs heavier than the 2Bliss version. That’s significant. The problem with tubeless ready is it’s not a strict standard, so bead shape varies from one manufacturer to another, so some tubeless ready tires may not work with all tubeless ready rims, though this is getting better. Geax TNT tires use to not work with Stan’s rims, although their standard tires did. I believe they have revised their bead shape though, and now they do work with Stan’s rims…but double check before buying any!I have Stans rims. I’ve used standard tires with no problems, except they can be difficult to mount. I have gotten them all seated with a floor pump, but I really had to pump a lot.
I recently mounted up a Specialized 2Bliss tire and it was a dream come true! Super easy to mount, and more air tight than the standard tires, which I had to top off before every ride.
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I’m working on a review of Easton Haven 29er wheels and they actually do have UST rims. In fact the manual says to only use UST or tubeless-ready tires – guess they have something against tubes. 😀
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Gotcha. (those look pretty sweet!)
If you can use either UST or tubeless ready, I’d go tubeless ready all day long. A lot more choices, and lighter tires too.
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So apparently the Maxxis Crossmark UST 29er tires are on nationwide backorder and no one knows when they’re coming in. I’m sorta bummed because I love my regular Crossmarks but I found that BikeBling.com does have the Maxxis Ardent UST 29er tires in stock. Yeah, it’s really an AM tire but it should be a good match with the Haven wheels.
Before ordering online I went to the Performance Bike near my house to see if they had any tubeless or UST 29er tires to choose from. No luck – they didn’t have a single 29er tire in stock (tubeless or not) and no Stans sealant! It’s pretty shocking that bike "superstores" like Performance still aren’t selling 29er tires (even though they have 29er bikes for sale). The guys told me to look online but I checked and they only sell 1 29" UST tire (the Continental Mountain King).
Hopefully as this 29er thing catches on more we’ll start to see better selection and availability in the tire department…
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Heh, my LBS, Alpha Cycles, is heavily invested in the 29’er movement, and they reluctantly sell 26’ers.
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"maddslacker" wrote
Heh, my LBS, Alpha Cycles, is heavily invested in the 29’er movement, and they reluctantly sell 26’ers.
I think I’ve been in there…I spent a month in CO for work two January’s ago, went in there one afternoon just killing time. They were good dudes, bought my current helmet from them actually.
Are they on the South Side of Denver, not too far from the Lone Tree area?
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Yes, they are, but that describes a lot of bike shops, including Performance.
These guys are a Niner dealer, if that narrows it down.
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I have Bontrager mustang 29 rims which are TLR. I’m very interested in the Tioga psycho genius tires Can I run these tubeless on my rims, with sealant of course?
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