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How much protection do I need?

Sandwich

Pig my fish!
Staff member
May 23, 2002
21,031
5,921
borcester rhymes
I'd like to grab some more significant tires for DH riding/lift days on my enderpo.

The obvious choice is the DHF. Weight isn't really an issue, I'm not racing, I just want protection from pinch flats. I'm not sure I can cram a 2.5" tire in my frame, so if I can stick with a 2.3, I'd be happier.

So, what's going to give me the best protection for lift days, in a 29" tire?

Maxxis "mountain":
29X2.3058-62260FOLDABLE925DUAL60EXO/TRBlack
29X2.3058-62260FOLDABLE9253C MAXX TERRA603C/EXO/TRBlack
29X2.5063-66260FOLDABLE1,015DUAL50EXO/TRBlack
29X2.5063-62260FOLDABLE1,0053C MAXX TERRA603C/EXO/TRBlack

Maxxis "DH":
29X2.5063-62260FOLDABLE1,255DUAL60TRBlack
29X2.5063-62260FOLDABLE1,2503C MAXX GRIP603C/TRBlack

Will an EXO tire suffice for DH riding? I'm OK with going up in air pressure, I just want to avoid pinch flats as much as possible. I'm not running tubeless yet, but I can if that'll resolve the issue.
 

jackalope

Mental acuity - 1%
Jan 9, 2004
7,596
5,894
in a single wide, cooking meth...
I don't know how thick your rubber needs to be, so I suggest you refer to the proper literature on protection



So really, where will you be riding? If its something smooth and parky, you'll probably be fine with a 2.3 EXO tire. If it will be the rocky gnar at mountain creek and the like, I'd opt for moar fatness.

EDIT - just saw your comment about tubeless, and I'd give it a shot if you're gonna run the lighter EXO models - just make sure you're not crushing the rock-gnar at speed, especially if you're running lowish pressure. EXO models really don't have any additional side wall support, so you can bang up some rims in a hurry if you're monster trucking the east coast rox.
 
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Cant Climb

Turbo Monkey
May 9, 2004
2,683
10
EXO is more about "tear protection" not pinch flats. I did the same analysis your doing and went with a full on DH tire for the rear (27.5 HR2). I think tubeless EXO will be enough for the front....
 

EVIL JN

Monkey
Jul 24, 2009
491
24
High volume is also something to have in mind for preventing pinch flats, made a world of difference for me going to HV Michelins from my Intense tires.

However I've had more luck running sp on a ht with me at 190-200ish on same pressures, I think I might have had one flat on a longer trail ride since I started riding trail some 5-7 years ago.
 
Use any tire you want and fill it with 65% dimethyl siloxane (hydroxy-terminated polymers with boric acid), 17% silica (crystalline quartz), 9% Thixatrol ST (castor oil derivative), 4% polydimethylsiloxane, 1% decamethyl cyclopentasiloxane, 1% glycerine, and 1% titanium dioxide.
 

wydopen

Turbo Monkey
Jan 16, 2005
1,229
60
805
I have to say I just got the smaller one with the waterbottle holster for death loops where carrying 2 bottles is necessary..sure beats a sweat drenched back you get from a backpack...once the bottle is empty you almost cant tell it's on...that said I avoid wearing any kind of pack like the plague but when doing rides in the 30mile 6kft of climbing range in the summer it's a necessary evil..

About the tires...if you arnt pedaling up run dh casings...and go tubeless either way...I resisted for a long time and now I would never ever run a tube again...I smash stuff with exo casings and they hold up great...rarely will I poke a hole in them which is easy to fix with a plug kit..I've torn 1 sidewall in the last year and it was just a freak thing while bombing a fireroad....now that Im back on narrower rims I'm running 25/28psi on a 2.4/2.3 HR2 combo
 

wydopen

Turbo Monkey
Jan 16, 2005
1,229
60
805
Will a plug kit patch a pinch right at the bead? If so, where do I find one?
Yup...have one in right on the bead right now..I poked a hole in the tread and right above the kevlar a couple weekends ago..You can get them from any autoparts store..make sure you get one that uses rubber cement..just pump your tire up to 50 or 60 psi with a compressor and then use the poker it comes with to open the hole up...then just use allot of glue on the plug and jam it in...wait until the glue is dry and trim the excess with a razor knife or cut it with dykes..It always seems I only puncture when the tire is almost new so it's nice to be able to salvage them..

This was from last week...first time not running a maxxis in a long time..only lasted 2 rides..apparently they warranty these though which is pretty cool...anybody ever fixed anything like this?? RC car tire glue?? I've never had a slice quite like this but have had holes that were too big to plug..Didnt go all the way through but Im pretty sure it would split open if it hit a rock..didnt want to risk it with new rims
 
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Sandwich

Pig my fish!
Staff member
May 23, 2002
21,031
5,921
borcester rhymes
I did fine at highland up until I took on their "dh" trail and prompty pinch flatted in the first section...the normal walled tires are fine for park stuff.

I would much prefer the double ply minions, I just don't speak maxxis so A) I'm not sure which is which, and B) I'm not certain they will fit on the back of my bike, so I'm a bit hesitant to buy one if I can get away with an exo ply tire and tubeless or just slightly higher pressure...but it sounds like the only thing I want is 2ply...
 

wydopen

Turbo Monkey
Jan 16, 2005
1,229
60
805
I did fine at highland up until I took on their "dh" trail and prompty pinch flatted in the first section...the normal walled tires are fine for park stuff.

I would much prefer the double ply minions, I just don't speak maxxis so A) I'm not sure which is which, and B) I'm not certain they will fit on the back of my bike, so I'm a bit hesitant to buy one if I can get away with an exo ply tire and tubeless or just slightly higher pressure...but it sounds like the only thing I want is 2ply...
The exo should be fine...I ride them on super rough stuff...then you dont have to take them off for regular riding...get a 2.3 60a for the rear and a 2.5 3c for the front..you wont want to take them off
 

wydopen

Turbo Monkey
Jan 16, 2005
1,229
60
805
Not a bike plug kit. Nothing made by the bike industry will.

Curious about wyd's auto tire plug method. That's about the only thing I haven't tried. But I've never gotten anything to work.
Like I said my rear tire has 2 plugs in it right now..one in the tread and one in the bead...as long as there is enough room between the hole and the rim to fit the poker in there you are good to go...the one in my tire right now was so close to the rim that the poker was touching the rim when I stuck it in..I actually had to let the air come out until I could move the tire enough to get the poker in then I reinflated it...pulled it out and then shoved the plug in..give it a try it works awesome...I always add some more rubber cement on after I cut the excess off too
 
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Like I said my rear tire has 2 plugs in it right now..one in the tread and one in the bead...as long as there is enough room between the hole and the rim to fit the poker in there you are good to go...the one in my tire right now was so close to the rim that the poker was touching the rim when I stuck it in..give it a try it works awesome
I have a candidate tire, now I need temps above zero...
 

jstuhlman

bagpipe wanker
Dec 3, 2009
16,623
12,915
Cackalacka du Nord
advantage of 2ply vs exo comes in if you're taking big hits (and are a hack like me) or riding in choppy, rocky terrain in my experience. less likely to burp if tubeless.
 

rollertoaster

Monkey
Aug 7, 2007
730
179
Douglassville , PA
Automotive tire plugs do work, but for a more permanent solution I use an automotive plug/patch. I've fixed some pretty decent tears and a bunch of pinch flats right on the bead. Works every time, I think I generally have about 4 repairs in every rear tire by the time it's worn out
 

TGR

Monkey
Jan 9, 2006
263
3
I rode the 29" 2.3" Maxxis minion dh-f/dhr2 in 3c maxxterra exo casing setup tubeless for 4 weeks in the alps (megavalanche included) and the rest of the season locally from september on and had zero flats, best tires ever.
 

Jm_

sled dog's bollocks
Jan 14, 2002
18,852
9,557
AK
I don't know what mine is, it says Minion 29x2.5 TR Tubeless Ready. I really don't care, because it's a minion. And they are good.

No pinch flats ever, did run the tire off the rim right off the bat when I got it, think it had to do with the specalized rim-strip and me not realizing I had screwed it up during installation, have changed it out several times since and never any issues (just got to watch and make sure I don't mess up the rim strip). I gotta think if you are pinching you need a little more pressure, but IDK, I've never had any tire problems like this, doing many races on em. I find 29er tires last longer than my 26ers usually and they don't seem to need quite as much "protection".

I'm sure you'll have no problem fitting the 2.5 in the rear, but for DH on this bike I don't know if you want that wide. It already seems to have gobs of traction.
 

wydopen

Turbo Monkey
Jan 16, 2005
1,229
60
805
ill post a pic of one in the bead tomorrow..as long as the kevlar isn't ripped all the way through and you can fit the poker in next to the rim it should be fine
 

wydopen

Turbo Monkey
Jan 16, 2005
1,229
60
805
Yea just cut off the extra plug sticking out and then add some more rubber cement. Both pics are of the same fix. The second one shows the plug in the tread as well..I used a kit identical to the one I posted a link to. 8$ from auto parts store. Enough to fix allot of tires. I had to deflate the tire enough to get the poker in. Then I inflated it with the poker in then pulled it out and stuck the plug in. Scratched the rim a bit but the tire covers it and got the job done.