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Saturday, April 2, 2016

FINALLY!!!!!!!! Tubeless Fatbike Tires!!!!!!!!!

The bike industry can be so lazy sometimes to adapt to new technology. They are reluctant to lay out the initial expense for tooling machines and making molds etc for new stuff. Fatbiking tires that are tubeless ready are a perfect example. It's maddening. For years, they have known we are out there running tubeless. For even longer the technology has existed to make fattie tires tubeless. They've just not wanted to pay for the first rounds of molds. In the meantime, the consumers have been left hanging.
I've spent many, many, many hours over the past years obsessing over obscure technological patches and fixes for making due with the old tech in a new world. I know more about spray adhesives and duck tape than I care to admit. I've scoured two countries for Gorilla Tape (Malaysia and Singapore). I've spent hours on scooters braving SE Asian traffic looking for Gorilla Tape. I've paid to have it sent to the states. I've invented new fixes like the blue tack.
The whole time the only thing needed was for somebody to lay out the initial molding process.
Finally, this year, we are seeing them. They are few and far between, especially since they are now going 27.5 fattie, like the Trek Farley, but I've found two so far.
I tried the Vittoria Bomoboloni first. No go. Defective from the factory. They are working with me to get me a refund.
So, finally, enter a solution three years in the making for me: Schwalbe Jumbo Jim TL tires, and good Schwalbe valve stems too:



Weight

Super cool packaging. Weight very resonable at around 1100 grams / pair, which is at least 250 grams less than the Bombolonis.

Mounting

Second best ever. The Bombolonis were only slightly better. Regardless, they will be exponentially easier to mount than any non tubeless ready tires you've been using. I might have even been able to do it with a floor pump. It was instantaneous, and absolutely trouble free.
No initial leaking. Very small amount of overnight leakage. None after that.

Rolling

They are meaty, beefy tires, much more akin to the Lou than the Larry. Serious, blocky, motocross reminiscent treads. Having said that, they roll pretty well, even on pavement. Noisy, for sure, but less so than some Surlys and less so that the Bombolonis also.

Cornering

Cornering is good, also motocross style. By that I mean they don't stick like the Larrys and the Velociraptors, for example; rather they break away and aim to do so predictably and with stability. It's not how I usually prefer my tires, but it makes sense for a fatbike which can bite too much in corners sometimes. I've grown to like it. They are rowdy and fun, but you never feel out of control.

Braking

Exceptional.

Pedaling Traction

Uphill is solid. A few tires have gripped better on standing climbs up steep hills, where these tend to spin out, but otherwise climbing traction is good.

Durability

Too early to tell, but all signs point to great. They are tubeless ready, and they have snakeskin reinforcement on the sidewalls. It looks great.

Overall:

A+
Best fatbike tire ever.