Clement XPlor USH Reviews

[Rpoole8537]

Hello Paceliners, I'm building a Soma Smothies ES for riding dirt roads and fire trails. I am considering the Clement XPlor USH in a 35. Does anyone have any experience with these tires. They will go on Open Pro rims. Also, I'll consider the MSO, but I don't think it comes in a 35. Thanks!

[DrSpoke]

The MSO is coming out tubeless in a 36mm if that might fit.

[dawgie]

A couple of my friends are using the Clement USH 35s and 40s on their gravel bikes and really like them. I have been using Clement LAS 33s, which measure 36 mm on my Dyad rims. They roll very nice on roads as well as gravel and dirt, and weigh quite a bit less than the USH. I used the LAS tires on a loaded tour from Pittsburgh to DC on the GAP-C&O Canal trails, as well as unloaded trips on the Virginia Creeper and Greenbrier River trails. All of these trails were mostly crushed gravel with some muddy stretches and the Clements handled them all nicely. The LAS would roll nicer on the roads, and the USH would probably handle mud and dirt a little better. The width of the LAS 33 is about the same as an USH 35.

[zzy]

Love em. I have a set of the 60tpi ones and theyre the best gravel tires I've found that still roll well on the road. Definitely benefit dropping the pressure from 80psi to 60 for off road riding. Since I have to ride out to most of my gravel runs the tires are a good compromise.

[sandyrs]

I used the USH as a rear tire on my cross bike for trail riding for hundreds of miles. I would say it has essentially no more grip on anything loose than a good high volume slick like a Compass. On the other hand it was quite durable until I wore it through, and it rolled well on the road.

[pavel]

USH tires are indestructible. I've had a pair for 3 years now that see dirt and road use. I've never gotten a puncture.

Having said that, they're kind of crappy tires. As an "all arounder" they dont really do anything particularly well and the ride isnt all that spectacular even with the 120 version. Pretty good on the road i guess.

[GRAVELBIKE]

I do most of my unpaved riding on high-volume road tires. My favorites are the Compass Barlow Pass (700x38), but the new Maxxis Re-Fuse (700x40) work better when set up tubeless. When inflated to 30/40 (front/rear) there's plenty of cushion and traction on dirt and gravel.

[chiasticon]

Originally Posted by zzy

Love em. I have a set of the 60tpi ones and theyre the best gravel tires I've found that still roll well on the road.

same. big fan of 'em. usually at 60psi rear/55 front. can drop a little lower if it's gonna be mostly unpaved. my favorite experience with them was a 60 mile loop that included about 30 miles of unpaved michigan back roads; lots of loose sand and dirt. they never packed up or squirmed out on me and they cornered brilliantly, plus they were plenty fast for the other half of the ride that was on pavement. word from clement is that jeremy powers is a big fan of 'em for his mixed road rides as well. good company

[commonguy001]

I've put probably 4K miles on the USH and another 2k on the MSO.
They roll pretty well and are fairly tough for the weight.
Looking at the 36mm MSO for running tubeless this year but haven't had any issues with flats running tubes with the standard model.

Overall a great tire if you're going to be running them on dirt or gravel on a regular basis.

I did have one USH separate at the bead but I don't think it's a problem with the tires, just think it's one of those things.

[cinema]

Originally Posted by zzy

Love em. I have a set of the 60tpi ones and theyre the best gravel tires I've found that still roll well on the road. Definitely benefit dropping the pressure from 80psi to 60 for off road riding. Since I have to ride out to most of my gravel runs the tires are a good compromise.

i agree on 60tpi version not only do they eat up dirt and gravel they are fast on pavement. I commute on them. then hit the trails. the 60 tpi version is stiff and bombproof i have not flatted yet and have a couple thousand miles on them. will buy another set when they die which may not be for a while.

[brownhound]

I have the 120 version on my commuter/gravel bike. I like that its central channel is smoother, making it more road-friendly than other gravel or cross tires. Got one pinch flat when taking the "low pressure" challenge.

[Bruce K]

I use nothing except Clement for my off-raid rigs (cx & gravel)

Great tires

BK

[kevinvc]

Originally Posted by Rpoole8537

Hello Paceliners, I'm building a Soma Smothies ES for riding dirt roads and fire trails. I am considering the Clement XPlor USH in a 35. Does anyone have any experience with these tires. They will go on Open Pro rims. Also, I'll consider the MSO, but I don't think it comes in a 35. Thanks!

Sorry to threadjack somewhat, but I'm really interested to hear how the bike works for you. I have an ES that I've taken on very short dirt and loose gravel roads a couple of times and it performed well, especially considering it had 28 road slicks on it. I'm thinking of trying it on some longer off-road trips or even bike-camping this summer but am not sure how well it would do on several hour or multi-day rides.

Also, what brakes do you have and how do you like their performance? I've got a set of Tektro 539 calipers and I'm not completely sold on them. It's always nice to hear about more Somas getting some love.

[Rpoole8537]

Kevinvc, I haven't finished the build yet. I have the same brake that you have, the Tektro. If I don't like them, I may try different shoes, such as Kool Stop. I have also found that rims can vary. I once had a pair of Bontragers that I sold at a big loss because I could not get my bike to stop. They were also a pain when changing a flat on the side of the road when it was 95 degrees. If I must, I'll try different brakes. I'm building mine with Nitto Mustache bars, which I like, although I haven't really ridden on dirt with them. It's an experiment, I guess! I think I'm sold on the Clement XPlor. I'll get them ordered.

[bismo37]

I like the USH tires. Pretty durable. They do okay on the road. I have the 60 tpi and thought I'd regret not getting the 120 tpi, but in reality, gravel roads are so rough that the subtleties of 60 vs 120 tpi are lost on me, whereas psi is more important.