A little rant about Schwalbe tires...

[XXtwindad]

I used to be a big Schwalbe fan boy. I still really like the way they roll. But man, do they seem to be fragile. In the past year, I’ve punctured three Schwalbe tires within two months of purchasing them: two Racing Ralph addix(es) and, just a few days ago, the Pro One 25c. They’re not that cheap, either. Initially, I ascribed it to bad luck, rough terrain, or too much junk in the trunk.

I don’t think so now. Anyone else have this experience with Schwalbe tires? Conversely, any recommendations in the 28c tubeless category? I really, really am sick of punctures. I’m intrigued by the IRC Formula Pro RBCC tires. They seem highly regarded.

[redir]

I still have a few sets of Tubulars but after that I think I am done with Schwalbe tires too. I found the clinchers to be ok though (can't remember what they were called) but the tubulars don't ride as well as like a Veloflex in the same price range. IMHO

[many_styles]

TBH, getting punctures is just a string a bad luck. Yeah, no one likes dealing with them, but the trade off is riding a tire that’s super stiff and has a ton of puncture resistance built in.

I’m on the other end of the spectrum. Decided to ride Rene Herse tires on my road (26mm, standard casing) and now on my Ritchey, 38mm, also standard casing.

The 26mm road tires, ride sooo comfy! I’m tempted to get the extralite casing.

Just take your recent case of bad luck with a grain of salt. It’s a small sample size.


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[charliedid]

Never had a problem with them either personally or in a shop situation.

[kppolich]

Over 5,000 miles of tubeless bliss on 700x28mm Schwalbe Pro 1's here without a puncture. The older version not the latest.

I have a few friends who equate tubeless road to thinking they don't have to steer around objects or handle their bike and just beat them something fierce. That's not the case for road use. Change up your sealant to something more concentrated so when punctures happen they seal instead of a puncture turning to a flat.

-KP

[John H.]

Are your mtb tires of the Snakeskin variety?
The lightskin are pretty fragile.

My experience has been the direct opposite.
I rarely flat- and when I do it is usually on a very worn tire. For me, Schwable tires have been set and forget.

Originally Posted by XXtwindad

I used to be a big Schwalbe fan boy. I still really like the way they roll. But man, do they seem to be fragile. In the past year, I’ve punctured three Schwalbe tires within two months of purchasing them: two Racing Ralph addix(es) and, just a few days ago, the Pro One 25c. They’re not that cheap, either. Initially, I ascribed it to bad luck, rough terrain, or too much junk in the trunk.

I don’t think so now. Anyone else have this experience with Schwalbe tires? Conversely, any recommendations in the 28c tubeless category? I really, really am sick of punctures. I’m intrigued by the IRC Formula Pro RBCC tires. They seem highly regarded.

[yinzerniner]

On the previous-gen Schwalbe Pro One Tubeless I used to get a puncture (which sealed with a bit of sealant spray) every third ride or so. Don't know if this is due to bad luck or poor construction. The only puncture that I got that didn't seal was nailing a pothole which tore the sidewall but also wrecked the rim. But doing the old patch and sew hack worked, and rode the tire for another 1500+miles without fault.

Switched over to the new Pro One Addix TLEs and have never had a noticeable puncture, and they ride much nicer than the previous version.

GP5K tubeless should provide better puncture protection along with faster rolling, but the casing is much stiffer and might ride a bit harsher. Also heard great things about Hutchinson tubeless.

[scoobydrew]

Originally Posted by John H.

Are your mtb tires of the Snakeskin variety?
The lightskin are pretty fragile.

My experience has been the direct opposite.
I rarely flat- and when I do it is usually on a very worn tire. For me, Schwable tires have been set and forget.

+1 -- Which casing does the OP have? Where do the punctures occur? They sound pretty severe.

On the 700x28 category, I know folks that have had good luck with Conti GP5000 TL. Not as fast rolling as Vittoria Corsa Speed or even the Schwalbes, but the difference apparently marginal.

[Red Tornado]

My experience is with MTB tires. Schwalbe Racing Ralph 2.1 rear/2.25 front. Never had major puncture issues with them, but that 2.1 on the rear seems to wear out in NO TIME AT ALL. I can burn through three of them to one front 2.25. They are the compound prior to Addix, can't remember the name at the moment. Other than that great tires, roll good, handle good.

Sorry if I bumped this thread a little off direction....

[WindyCityCy]

I have been riding tubeless for 6-7 years. The Schwalbes from like 6 years ago seemed to be better at avoiding punctures but incredibly hard to mount. The last batch I purchased (2-3 years ago) didn't fare well with our terrible CA roads and I was getting punctures after only a few rides with almost every tire so I switched to Hutchinson and have had much better luck.

[Onno]

Same experience here. When I switched to tubeless 2 years ago, I used Schwalbe Pro One, 30mm. Flatted both front and back about 4 times in a couple of months. Switched to Hutchinson, and have had no flats, despite about 3000 miles on the same roads.

[hobbanero]

I've had good experiences with the now last generation Schwalbe Pro One tubeless. I use Orange Seal original formula--the endurance formula is too liquid to seal at road pressures. I get the occasional puncture but only notice because I have sealant on my seat tube. I am pretty good about scanning the road ahead, and if I do run through glass or other junk, I clean the tire immediately with a water bottle (never with my hand).

[pdonk]

Like the way the pro 1s ride. Hated trying to mount or remove to change tubes. Actually destroyed a rim as tire would not seat properly during a road side change.

At home using a floir pump. Not much better, even soaping bead. At shop with a compressor seemed to be only way they would mount.


I have since switched to conti gp5000 non tubeless and could not be happier. Mount and remove with no tools. Have only flatted after running over nails or glass.

[kingpin75s]

Originally Posted by John H.

Are your mtb tires of the Snakeskin variety?
The lightskin are pretty fragile.

My experience has been the direct opposite.
I rarely flat- and when I do it is usually on a very worn tire. For me, Schwable tires have been set and forget.

+2 on the MTB end.

Lots of Liteskins sold as OEM to keep build weights down. I can run them on my local trails in MN without issue, but I run snakeskin for any bikes that I take out of state to ride or race. My friends in CO had to give up on their Liteskins pretty quickly. YMMV based on local terrain.

[rnhood]

Move up to Continentals, and you’ll be smiling again.