I need advise on choice of MTB tyre.

[konky]

I recently bought a Scott Scale 700SL which comes with Thunder Burt tyres. I am getting endless punctures with these tyres. They are tubeless but the bike came with tubes and I've been using them since. I had two punctures on my last 4 hour ride. No pattern as on both wheels and when on both road and off road. I'm principally a road cyclist but want to get into off road as well so no experience with off road kit. What would be a good choice of tyre with top puncture resistance but as light as possible considering? Help would be much appreciated.

[the_marsbar]

You're saying that you've been using the tires with tubes since you got the bike? I'd try tubeless first.

[martinSL]

Thunder Burt is a XC racer type. Light and fast rolling. But puncture resistance is on the low side (especially in the liteskin version; Raceguard will give you more core belt protection and Snakeskin - sidewalls. This tire will roll better and might handle punctures better (depending on your terrain) without the tube (with the sealant). But Thunder Burt might not be the tire you want for your daily riding. There are many options available and best suited for your riding style and terrain.

[Marin]

Go tubeless and forget about flats.

[konky]

For my sport road bike I use tubular and haven't had a flat for literally 2 years. For my commuter I use clinchers and get a flat maybe once every 2 months. With the Thunder Burts I get one every ride and sometimes two. Tubeless might be better than tubes for puncture resistance but but I was still hoping I would still have less (not more) punctures on nobbly tyres with tubes than with slick 23mm road tyres. At this point I don't think I can be bothered with tubeless. What would be a good non tubeless option?

[Getter]

Going tubeless does not guarantee puncture protection. There have been several occasions that I have seen where the sealant did not seal the puncture and a tube had to be used.

I do run tubeless tires...but I always carry a spare tube with me.

[Benno]

From my experience the Protection line of tires from Continental are really reliable. They seal up tubeless really easily and rarely get punctures. I get maybe one flat every 2 years or so.
I don't touch UST tires, I never run tubes unless it's to get me back home from a flat, and I only run Stan's rims with Stan's sealant.

[grover]

Thunder Burt are thin, light race tyres. They are also a hassle converting tubeless. The snakeskin version is better but still a hassle.

You sound like you just want a relatively reliable tyre to enjoy the trails. That means no flats and lots of grip to have fun. Those two things mean you are going to gain weight though.

If the area you ride is relatively dry then look at Schwalbe Racing Ralph 2.25 Snakeskin, Continental Race King 2.2 ProTection, Maxxis Ikon 2.2 EXO are the most popular options.

If you can't be bothered with tubeless the Maxxis is an especially good option because they still offer it in a non tubeless version which saves weight (50grams) but still gets the extra puncture resistant casing (EXO). I find it to be the longest lasting and most grippy of those options too, but probably a tad slower rolling.

[Benno]

I liked the Ikon as well, was just a tad narrow but other than that it's a great tire.

[konky]

Thanks for comments and suggestions. I think I will have to bite the bullet and go down the tubeless route as I think pretty much everyone is thinking and if the Thunder Burts don't deliver the reliability I need than go for a less sporty option like those suggested. An obvious conclusion but thanks for helping me think things through.

[stoney]

Get the Maxxis Ikon EXO TR, go tubeless, and be done with it. Schwalbe tires wear faster and puncture easier than the Ikons. I know because I've tried the Rocket Rons and Racing Ralphs and both of them punctured easily and wore out fast.

[Benno]

Yeah I won't run schwalbes for the above reasons plus I find under extreme forces they are easily blown off the rim.

[martinSL]

Flats happen no matter what and they will happen with tubeless, tubulars, and with tubes.
You can increase their chances by riding in more puncture prone terrain and by having a less puncture resistant tire. The terrain you don't want to change as you most likely really want to ride where you ride. But you can deal with the tires.

Terrain and riding style will influence your tire choice: grip, rolling resistance, weight, ...

Tubulars in MTB happen but are rare. Tubeless is a preferred by many setup - better ride and generally better handling of punctures than ones with tubes. Some ride with tubes and are OK with it.

The typical relationship between puncture protection of the tire and its ride characteristic is: better puncture protection (and often better durability) = less suppleness. And therefore we have the options. Rarely puncturing and long lasting 'bricks'. Uber supple but uber puncture prone and short lasting tires. And many variations in-between.

Manufacturer is another variable. Within different manufacturers you will find a different relationship between the puncture resistance and suppleness and this probably is the biggest subject of discussions - is there are are there manufacturers (or tire models) that have the best mix of suppleness and puncture resistance/durability? Hundreds of answers and hundreds of mixed opinions. And then there are personal preferences and factors like quality control, price, service, look, ... are taken under consideration.

Some look at what PROs ride on. There is something in it but let's not forget about sponsorship dollars. Some PROs ride on non team sponsor tires re-badged to look like sponsor's - this could be a great indicator (unless they are privet sponsored )

Fortunately we have many great options to select from.

Cheers

[bm0p700f]

Conti X-king or race king protection run tubeless for general riding/training. For racing I would use the lighter version of these tyres well I don't I run dugast tubs for racing but most round here use X/Race kings or racing ralphs, tubeless of course. I also take a spare tube when I am riding with tubeless tyres. With tubs I cross my fingers and hope.

For training I would avoid light weight tyres as nothing slows you down like a puncture. I currently use X -king 2.2" tyres (the basic folding ones) for training rides and they have not punctured and at 25psi seem to offer good grip. Tubulars are the last word in ride comfort and grip. I run those at 18 psi front and 20 psi rear without bottoming out on the rims. The problem is if I puncture I have to hope the can of sealant will do its job or I am walking. Hense they come out for short race course where the ammount of walking would be limtied. Oddly enough though they seem quite puncture resistant and I race them on flint strewn tracks.

UST tyres seem competley pointless. The cheap way of doing this is buy some tubeless rim tape, valves and add some sealant. The main advantage of tubeless apart from the sealant to protect against punctures is the ability to run low pressures like 25psi which improves comfort, grip and rolling resistance off road. I don't even think the low pressure slow you down much if at all on the road.