Plus Tires and all the hype around them

[4ster]

2.4 wouldn't be consider plus-sized. Plus-sized is generally more in the 2.7 range but not 3+.

Carbon wheels are also quite the upgrade which should make everything feel stiffer and damper.

Thanks! I am pretty happy with this set-up. Next, I see 1 x 12 in my future .

 

[jmeb]

Thanks! I am pretty happy with this set-up. Next, I see 1 x 12 in my future .

I got to ride my bike-shop buddys Eagle-laden whip the other day. It is pretty sick. With a 28t or 30t chainring it would make 1x more accessible in CO.

 

[Tony S]

First let me say that I am much more interested in riding bikes than working on them, test riding, watching other people ride them, upgrading them, reading about them or trying to pretend I am bike tech savvy in the least. Like Doug Briggs said, it is hard to keep up & I can only guess at what I think might be best for me.

I am at the end of my 3rd season on a 27.5 Trek Remedy. After a number of short tryouts on 29ers, I was convinced that 27.5 was gonna be the bike for me even before they were available, I think I made a good choice. About a month ago I cracked one of my stock Bontrager rims which was my excuse to upgrade to carbon rims. I went with the Ibis 742's which are wider rims mounted with 2.4 Maxis High Roller II tires. I have been running High Rollers for a number of years & although they seem a bit sluggish compared to the stock Bontragers that come on Trek, they grip way better (safety) & are more durable (I ride 100ish miles a week & can't be buying & switching tires every month).

Anyway, is this wheel set-up considered plus size?
I was concerned that the handling would change but after a month of riding all kinds of rides & terrain, my impressions are that it is just better for everything that I do. So far, I am pleased . To me they seem both playful & buttery!

View attachment 14627

Nice hoops!

 

[Doug Briggs]

The thing is, you don't have to keep up to have fun. There are quality parts readily available in all sizes, cog configurations. Now you don't get the latest and greatest tech in sizes that have fallen out of favor for certain disciplines (like 26er XC gear), but that is sort of to be expected. Innovation is a good thing and I think a lot of those tire changes, spacing changes, make real differences on hairy descents.

Now the increase in price for a high quality mtb in recent years....

Agreed, and I don't. My 12 or 13 y.o. Sugar 2+ makes my day go by just fine. I have switched to a quick release seat post for a simulation of a dropper ($5 vs $250+) and feel that a dropper seat post is the best upgrade I can't afford.

 

[AmyPJ]

4ster, if your Remedy ends up missing, don't look at me!

 

[4ster]

4ster, if your Remedy ends up missing, don't look at me!

I wouldn't blame you Amy . I think it may be one size too large for you though.

If my wheels were considered plus size I would vote that plus bikes are the bomb but since mine aren't, I'll have to go with "all hype" .

I do know that since I got this bike my riding enjoyment, technique & gnar factor have gone up twofold. The wider, stiffer hoops just make it even sweeter!

 

[crgildart]

If your bike faces forward, all you really need is a good load strap (I've used the Voile stretchy ones, as well as toe clip straps, and I always use two). Between the sharp-ish rails of the tray and the knobby tire tread, it works out fine.

So you're basically saying you strap them down on top of the tray groove with the tire squished in as far as you can get it, use an extra strap, and go with it? Kind of a patch and pray workaround isn't it? Will/have vendors start selling trays that the fatter tires actually fit in properly?

 

[Tom K.]

So you're basically saying you strap them down on top of the tray groove with the tire squished in as far as you can get it, use an extra strap, and go with it? Kind of a patch and pray workaround isn't it? Will/have vendors start selling trays that the fatter tires actually fit in properly?

In the past, yes. Then I hit on the genius (to me) solution. Instead of wheel trays, I now use a set of the old Thule xc ski carriers. The small, black, plastic ones. They spread a bit and gently squeeze the knobby. Then I use the rubber snubber that comes with them AND a load strap. This has been working great for many years, and brings the bonus of making it much easier to install/remove the racks, since the front and rear ones are no longer connected by the long wheel trays (I don't like the racks up there making noise on long trips when they are not needed).

IMO, the front fork mount does the lion's share of the work. In back, wind pressure holds things down, and you don't need much more than a good "locator".

 

[Rio]

Plus size tires and wheels are currently in flux as the kinks are being worked out (much like when the first shaped skis came out.) The rim internal width and tire diameter pairing are still all over the map. I've seen some bike brands putting 2.8" tires on 24mm interior width rims just so they claim being 27.5+ and I know of people putting 2.4" tires on 40mm rims. I've put some 2.8" tires on 35mm rims and found the steering mushy when running at the lower pressures plus tires are suppose to provide. I even found some 2.4 tires (Nobby Nics) that have the same problem when mounted on wider rims. I am currently running some 2.35 SuperGravity Magic Marys and some 2.4 High Roller IIs on 30mm interior width rims and they work great. I've been running both sub-25 pounds without issue.

Maxxis just announced some 2.8 High Roller IIs and Minions designed for 40mm rims that are getting great reviews. (They also announced 2.5 versions designed for 30mm rims that are also getting rave reviews.) Specialized announced 2.6 and 2.8 versions of a couple of their most popular tires with the 2.6 designed for 30mm rims and the 2.8 for even wider. Specialized sponsored enduro racers have been using the 2.6 on 30mm rims this year saying they prefer it over the wider option. Since I have some 35mm interior width 27.5 wheels I'm going to try 2.8 on them with the newer generation of tires. I'll let everyone know how it goes.

The future looks bright for wider tires but my hunch is 2.4 to 2.6 on 30mm rims will be the sweet spot for most of us for the next few years.

 

[crgildart]

In the past, yes. Then I hit on the genius (to me) solution. Instead of wheel trays, I now use a set of the old Thule xc ski carriers. The small, black, plastic ones. They spread a bit and gently squeeze the knobby. Then I use the rubber snubber that comes with them AND a load strap. This has been working great for many years, and brings the bonus of making it much easier to install/remove the racks, since the front and rear ones are no longer connected by the long wheel trays (I don't like the racks up there making noise on long trips when they are not needed).

IMO, the front fork mount does the lion's share of the work. In back, wind pressure holds things down, and you don't need much more than a good "locator".

So that's a no go for you on a wider tray designed for the bike tire.

Front wheel off isn't a a good solution for me. Takes precious cargo space to store wheels. I don't have a hitch. Straight tray for me. Both wheels on for transport.

Other than DIY workarounds.. Does Thule or Yakima actually sell trays designed for plus or fatter MTB tires? This is the problem with no standard..

 

[Tom K.]

So that's a no go for you on a wider tray designed for the bike tire.

Front wheel off isn't a a good solution for me. Takes precious cargo space to store wheels. I don't have a hitch. Straight tray for me. Both wheels on for transport.

Other than DIY workarounds.. Does Thule or Yakima actually sell trays designed for plus or fatter MTB tires? This is the problem with no standard..

If you need a rack that keeps both wheels on the bike, I think you are locked into a full rail system, for rigidity reasons.

I don't know with certainty, since I'm not in the market, but IIRC, both Yakima and Thule (and probably Rocky Mount, too) were showing new racks of this kind with trays that accept plus/fat tires at Interbike this year. You can probably find out on their websites, and I bet REI would be a good bet, too.

 

[crgildart]

^^^That's great to know. I don't think I'd invest a lot of money in a new bike if I couldn't get a roof tray decigned to accommidate said bike, Why cut transport corners with a $2K bike to save a little on the rack? Of course, adding a hitch elliminates a LOT transport issues all around..