# Leadville tire recommendation?



## drdoak (Feb 7, 2005)

Hi all,

My wife and I are riding the Leadville 100 this year on our Ventana. I've read the threads on tire suggestions but thought I'd throw it out to the tandem community for those who best understand these big bikes.

We have been running the WTB Mutanoraptors 2.4" since February and really like them. Nice big tire, low rolling resistance, predictable traction. However, we have sliced 3 sidewalls in our rocky southern California terrain. Only 1 pinch flat in 80 hours and we run 43-45psi typically. We have slime tubes front and rear and have had no other flats other than the sliced sidewalls. 270 lb team weight naked.

A few questions...

1) Tubeless: we have Sun MTX rims and I'm told these are good candidates for Stan's conversion with the Free Ride strips. I've converted my single bike and have not had any issues, and my local mechanic tells me it would hold up fine on the tandem. This conversion + UST tires maybe?

2) Leadville tire choice: lots of fireroad, rocky and loose at times, very good possibility of rain. Need something that rolls well but still hooks up. Been looking at Small Block 8, Crossmarks, the new 2010 WTB Mutanos (now with beefier sidewalls), Continental Race Kings or Mountain Kings with ProTection. I'm thinking a few extra hundred grams on tires might not be as noticeable on the tandem? Also thought about the WTB Nanoraptor but it only comes in 2.1" and a race weight version so sidewalls could be an issue.

Thanks in advance!


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## ds2199 (Sep 16, 2008)

*tires*

So you're coming from California for Leadville? COOL!!

Speaking frome experience (last year at Leadville). We were happy with the Crossmarks 2.25, I believe. Worked out well in the rain, rolling resistance seems reasonable and I have run them with Stans INSIDE tubes. Yeah, I know this is heavier, but I like the idea of not dealing with flats. This is has become my tire choice on the tandem.

We tried Hutchison Pythons and did not like the cornering. I figured the Small Block 8s would have similar results.

Same experience with the Mutano Raptors. Great tires, but sidewall cuts...:nono:

I think tubeles may be the way to go, but I did not have a great experience with converted tubeless. I do like using UST tires on UST rims (i.e. mavic 823 rims with UST tires - awesome combination) but the wheelset I have with the 823s is not a tandem worthy hub...

Good luck at Leadville - we'll be there again too! :thumbsup:

For reference we're riding a Ventana ECDM & weigh about the same as your team.


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## drdoak (Feb 7, 2005)

I just looked at WTB's site and the new 2010 Mutanoraptors (now simply "Mutano") are tubeless compatible and come with "inner peace" sidewall protection. Perfect! Given how much we like our current Mutanoraptors, I think we'll try out these new ones and maybe look into the Stan's Freeride conversion kit in the next couple of weeks. The new Mutanos are 750g, so about 150g heavier than the old model. We're running slime tubes now (very good luck with those) so if we ditch them and go tubeless, weight difference would be negligible. Not that I'm counting grams on a tandem...

Very cool that you'll be there too. We definitely read your report while researching Leadville (at least I think it was yours?). We're on an orange Ventana and will be driving up the Saturday before. Maybe stopping a few places to ride along the way. Thanks for the info and hope to meet you!

Jeff/Katie


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## banks (Feb 2, 2004)

As I live out here and know the course like the front of my hand I will say that the Hutchinson Python 2.3 is a super sweet tire for that course; from the feedback from my client that race that even on tandems. 
Nanos, jeeze, you want to finish right? I'd run Pythons before that tire.
Conti Mountain Kings roll very slow and "Protection" is a marketing ploy using Arimid fibers under tension in the casing that when brushed with a rock, it frays so it looks like it "saved you". The German Conti guy told me that it was a cheap way to make more money and doesn't make the tire more cut resistance. The cut resistance comes from their nylon high thread count casing.
You do not need sealant for the Leadville 100 as there are no thorns or cactus up there.
For sidewall cut protection, look at the Specialized Captain, Eskar or Purgatory Armadillo 2.2 tires
If you need to go tubeless, dear DOG please use either the Mavic UST rims or the Bontrager Duster & TLR rim strips with at least a TLR/2Bliss/TNT tire in not a UST tire! Both the Mavic UST rims or the Bonty TLR setup have a bump on the inside of the rim/rimstrip that supports the bead of the tire on the inside. Any other rim with tape does not and can cause a whole host of problems.


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## ds2199 (Sep 16, 2008)

*Pythons*



banks said:


> As I live out here and know the course like the front of my hand I will say that the Hutchinson Python 2.3 is a super sweet tire for that course; from the feedback from my client that race that even on tandems.


Speaking of Hutchinson Python 2.3s, if anyone wants some I have two sets of them in my garage - pm me if you'd like to take them off my hands. I guess I had high hopes for them and bought an extra set thinking I'd like them. As mentioned by banks above, a great tire for Leadville. I know some people dig em - just not me.


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## Jay P (Dec 16, 2005)

we too are trying to figure tires...

riding a front suspension 29er, wieghing in at 280.

we have over 4000+ miles on Nano's. lot's of gravel but fair amount of varied rough singletrack also.

are you guys really running tubeless on your tandem rides. i tend to run a high pressure on the dually so i never really figured it would be an advantage, but i am running some Flow's so it would'nt be a problem.


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## agriholic (Jan 30, 2007)

We run tubeless on our tandem, 36 hole mavic 823's with a 2.6 ardent up front. We did have a non-ust mountain king on the rear but that got cut up pretty quickly on KS gravel. Now have a maxxis ignitor. I just really dig ignitors for any riding where you might encounter "loose over hardpack"
Our friends, the Arnolds, have been runners-up at leadville multiple times on their Ventena and I have always seen them on Continental Explorers (which is very similar to a ignitor).
I think a Stans Flow in a 36 hole would make for a nice tandem wheel for a sub 350 pound team, but sadly (for me) 36 hole flows are only available in 29er..........there you go JP:thumbsup: 

In conclusion, I think UST or Stans Rims Tubeless is fine on a tandem, however I would never subject myself or (more importantly) my stoker to ghetto tubeless or rimstrips. I would definitely lean towards the meatier DH type tire for the front.


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## Trails4Two (May 12, 2008)

*Ghetto tubeless*

I've been running an experiment for the last 18 months: 
Front wheel with tube - currently an IRC trailbear, but also tried a WTB motoraptor 2.4. 
Rear wheel ghetto tubeless (BMX tube+Stan''s sealant)- WTB Motoraptor 2.4

Rims are Sun MTX. All tires are non-UST and run at about 32-35 lbs pressure. We ride hard rocky trails and I was trying to reduce pinch flats but maintain traction. To date we have had zero issues with the ghetto set-up - no burps, leaks, or flats. I was planning on switching to a "system" like Stan's, but this thing won't die! It holds air better than any other tubeless set-up I have. When these tires die, I'll probably use some Ignitors since I have some around.

I wouldn't necessarily trust this set-up for something like Leadville but it truly has been flawless for us so far.


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## drdoak (Feb 7, 2005)

JayP and T-Race at Leadville? Should be an exciting day out there.

If we ran tubeless it would be for flat protection, not lower pressures. I also like that tubeless tires have beefier sidewalls but I wonder if UST tires + tubes = overkill


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