New Season, New Tires, New Thread

**simple** · 03-07-2021, 02:42 PM

Originally Posted by mall walker

alright. fully remove, or would it be enough to just push the bead into the center and soap it?

You can probably leave it on. Get a spray bottle with soapy water and get after it. If you don't have an air compressor look in the mirror and ask yourself why don't I have an air compressor?

**mall walker** · 03-07-2021, 02:46 PM

heh, I do have one of those fortunately. I’ll soap er up and see how it works

**bagtagley** · 03-07-2021, 04:20 PM

Soap the bead, hit it with air and fill it well beyond your comfort level until it pops in. Don’t forget to do the safety squints to protect your eyes.

**John_B** · 03-07-2021, 04:51 PM

Also shrug your shoulders a bit to help protect your ears.

**skaredshtles** · 03-07-2021, 05:54 PM

That's what you get for buying skinwalls.

**geomorph** · 03-07-2021, 06:17 PM

Originally Posted by Beaver

Maxis Recon? I've never used them but they look OK. They're on the bike I just bought.

I had a 2.25 front and rear on my bike last season. Liked it well enough for rocky rooty new england xc riding. Good straight line speed and climbing grip, sometimes a little squirrelly in loose duff.

**toast2266** · 03-07-2021, 06:43 PM

Originally Posted by smmokan

Put a 2.4 Continental Baron or Kaiser on the front, especially around CO, and Maxxis fanboy status goes away until the casing tears and puts a massive unfixable wobble in the tire well before the tread is worn out.

Fixed.

**Beaver** · 03-07-2021, 06:46 PM

Originally Posted by mall walker

mounted new tires and they came out like this. fixable?
Attachment 366267

Attachment 366268

they were a righteous bitch to get on the rims

Deflate until you can squash the tire with your hands. Squash wiggle and fiddle fuck until the bead looks fairly even around the rim on both sides. Overinflate until the bead snaps into place, deflate to where you want them. It is easier to get your bead even if the tire is off the ground, if the tire is on the bike and the bike is on the ground it can be a biatch.

**mall walker** · 03-07-2021, 07:38 PM

alright, thanks. I’ve got a compressor and a bike stand, and they were tight as all hell to put on, I snapped a tire lever. so I’ll soap the bead and try again. I’m guessing it is a bad idea to try to pop them into place riding it...

**simple** · 03-07-2021, 07:47 PM

I usually spin and bounce the wheel hard on the concrete floor to pop the bead if it is stubborn. Less risk than the overinflate method.

**SchralphMacchio** · 03-07-2021, 09:38 PM

The top of a round garbage can can be a helpful tool for seating nasty tight tires like that ...

**joetron** · 03-08-2021, 10:05 AM

Originally Posted by SchralphMacchio

Joetron, if you’re getting that much squirm - would that also imply you’re running high speeds on firm trail surfaces, wouldn’t a Minion SS be more optimized for that surface anyway? Or is there too much loose stuff on top that you need to bite through. I’m more curious than anything.

I don’t have a love or hate base opinion on this controversial tire.

Just push on the knobs of a Dissector and watch/feel them mush around. I ride extremely varied terrain/dirt around Durango. I rode it in the local high desert stuff around town, also mid and high country. Plenty of loose over hard, but also good black dirt and big embedded rocks. Squirmy. I was on the EXO. I reckon it rides better with a heavier casing and an insert, but I generally don’t need that on my trail bike.
I’m sure they work well somewhere, but I won’t be stocking more than 1 or 2 at the shop. Aggressor and DHR are my go-to. Probably gonna give the Rekon EXO+ a go when town trails start to dry up.
Minion SS? C’mon now, this ain’t Temecula.

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**joetron** · 03-08-2021, 10:23 AM

Originally Posted by John_B

Also shrug your shoulders a bit to help protect your ears.

I’d just like to show some appreciation for this joke. Bravo.

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**NuMexJoe** · 03-08-2021, 11:53 AM

Originally Posted by joetron

I’d just like to show some appreciation for this joke. Bravo.

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Same! I chuckled 'cause I've done the squint and shoulder shrug (and head turn) many times seating a bead with the compressor.

**jm2e** · 03-08-2021, 12:11 PM

I close my eyes and turn away. Way safer.

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**Whiteroom_Guardian** · 03-20-2021, 09:35 PM

Anyone with time on EXO+ yet? Running DD with cushcore in the rear is just a lot to pedal around even at the bike park/enduro racing.

**SkiLyft** · 03-20-2021, 09:45 PM

Originally Posted by Whiteroom_Guardian

Anyone with time on EXO+ yet? Running DD with cushcore in the rear is just a lot to pedal around even at the bike park/enduro racing.

Felt the same! Went from EXO to DD and after 20 miles purchased EXO+. Have maybe 150 miles on em and dig em. Don’t notice much difference from EXO.

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**bagtagley** · 03-21-2021, 07:30 AM

EXO+ is still a pretty light casing. More puncture resistant than EXO, but still not nearly as much support as a DD.

DD + CushCore is heavier than going from DD to a DH casing. I think I’d switch to a lighter insert before I switched to a flimsier casing.

**Whiteroom_Guardian** · 03-21-2021, 08:01 AM

Most places you can get away with lighter stuff, but Big Sky (where I ride the most and where I will be in two different races this summer) is just next level pointing it through scree. Dirt isn't really a thing on much of the mountain.

**One (+) Sentence** · 03-21-2021, 08:33 AM

EXO is single ply 60tpi with the “EXO” insert at the bead through the sidewall.

EXO+ is a single ply 120tpi (lighter, more supple, and more puncture prone than 60tpi on its own) but with the same EXO insert and Silkshield, which is a thin additional layer that runs bead to bead.

EXO+ weighs like 50g more, might be a little more puncture resistant, but likely does have a little better ride quality with the more supple TPI count.

**simple** · 03-21-2021, 08:39 AM

It is literally tissue paper.

**bagtagley** · 03-21-2021, 09:27 AM

Originally Posted by Whiteroom_Guardian

Most places you can get away with lighter stuff, but Big Sky (where I ride the most and where I will be in two different races this summer) is just next level pointing it through scree. Dirt isn't really a thing on much of the mountain.

Then I don’t think a lighter casing is the answer. Inserts don’t do anything to protect the sidewalls.

**jamal** · 03-21-2021, 09:27 AM

There are also 120tpi exo tires. and 120tpi non exo tires. and 60tpi exo+ tires.

**One (+) Sentence** · 03-21-2021, 09:31 AM

Originally Posted by jamal

There are also 120tpi exo tires. and 120tpi non exo tires.

True. I guess I was speaking to the more gravity oriented tread patterns that folks here like to muster all their nastiness up on like Minions, Assegai, HR2, Dissectors, etc.

You are correct, there are 120tpi EXO Ikons. Although I don’t think they offer EXO+ for the XC oriented tread patterns.

Thanks for keeping me in check.

Edit: wait, what is a 60tpi EXO+ tire? Those are tires I am unaware of. EXO+ Assegai and Minions are certainly 120tpi.

**jamal** · 03-21-2021, 10:06 AM

I didn't really look that closely but dissector has that option and it was like the first tire i clicked on.

60tpi being mostly exo and 120 exo+ is a trend i hadn't noticed though.

And I wonder how the actual construction of like, a 120tpi aspen compares to a 120tpi dhf. I'm guessing not the same?