Experience with continental RaceSport tubeless.

Discuss light weight issues concerning mountain bikes & parts.

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allanjuullarsen
Posts: 3
Joined: Thu Nov 27, 2014 5:37 pm

by allanjuullarsen

Hi there.

Just want to share my experience with the RaceSport tire.
Purchased a set and mounted one on the rear and a used Rocket Ron up front.
The Conti just kept loosing pressure. Added more Stans sealant, flipped and turned it like crazy and eventually it was ok. I had to use compressor to inflate it the RR I could pop into place with a flor pump.

Have used this setup for 4-5 XC races and some training but have to add air now and then. A bit like running with latex tube. Also added more sealant and more shaking.
On a training run lately while eating my lunch (and topping the air) I noted the tire wall bubbling. https://vimeo.com/138239989
This tyre have 2-3 times as much sealant as my Rocket Ron but the sidewall is simply leaking all over!

Now it's gone. New RR mounted and it seems to hold air with a normal amount of sealant.

The RaceSport is actually a nice tire, light and ok grip when dry. Does anyone else share this experience or have I had a poor sample?

BR


/Allan

scant
Posts: 270
Joined: Fri Apr 30, 2004 2:05 pm
Location: S.Wales UK

by scant

I had the exact same experience. I now stick with the lighter maxxis & bontrager lighter tyres & they require minimal sealant.

by Weenie


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Benno
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by Benno

I ran the supersonics a few years ago and had the same experience. They were a great profile and light but really porous sidewall. The tire was always wet looking and collected lots of dirt on the sidewall into a black sticky mess. They also took like 4 cups of Stan's to seal which negated any weight savings.
Fast forward a few years and I thought I would try again and bought the RaceSports and it was the exact same story.

mattyNorm
Posts: 126
Joined: Fri Jan 02, 2015 12:29 pm

by mattyNorm

I haven't seen this with conti before but a guy brought a pair of specialized tubeless tires in with the same problem and they were replaced under warranty

mattr
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Location: The Grim North.

by mattr

Did you scrub the tyres before fitting?
I had some of the black chilli supersonic race kings that did the same. After a quick soapy scrub and a rinse inside and out, they went up straight away, and stopped leaking.
I think the mold release agent that conti use is *very* slippery and needs cleaning off to ensure that the sealant sticks

allanjuullarsen
Posts: 3
Joined: Thu Nov 27, 2014 5:37 pm

by allanjuullarsen

mattr wrote:Did you scrub the tyres before fitting?


No I didn't scrub the back before fitting. Still have a new tire on the shelf perhaps I'll try that one day. Guess it won't be until spring. Danish autumn and winter is not RaceSport conditions anyway.

But in some way I'm glad to hear that I'm not just a fool unable to put on a tire ;-)


/Allan

Marin
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Location: Vienna Austria

by Marin

It works fine for me, I thoroughly cleaned the inside with soap & scotchbrite, then rubbed with a small amount of sealant and let it dry. Then mounted as usual, and after 2-3 rides, no more air loss.

sstefanov
Posts: 93
Joined: Fri Jul 25, 2008 7:18 pm
Location: Sofia, Bulgaria

by sstefanov

I have been using RaceSport tyres exclusively for the past 3 years (RaceKing, X-King and Mountain King). The trick is to scrub the inside with isopropyl alcohol before again scrubbing the inside of the tyres with sealant (as per the Conti instruction video).

Also I have been using the Conti Revo sealant since 2 years (long time Stans user before that) and it has been working really well. It does not dry as fast as Stans and plugs leaks just as well.

Stefan

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szymonef
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by szymonef

If you like to ride hard downhill and enjoy low rolling resistance and easy tubeless setup - you can't go wrong with Conti Protection series. It features the same "black chili" compound and has much better sidewall protection. From my experience, giving up 100 g per tire is worth trouble-free riding. Also the lightest Schwalbe EVO tires were annoying to me - like you said - just keep adding sealant and pumping up before every ride... Nightmare. What's more, I cut them both like a paper on a rock section - so honestly I can't recommend them!

Jmdesignz2
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by Jmdesignz2

I've mounted several Race King and not had this issue.

bm0p700f
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by bm0p700f

Mine do loose pressure over night but hold air fine when riding for a few hours. They have alway inflated easily enough but getting they holes to seal required alot of sealant and about a week of waiting.

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Benno
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by Benno

Interesting I figured this was a common problem as it has happened to me and pretty much everyone I know who has tried supersonics or race sports tubeless. I cleaned mine very well with isopropyl.
I've never had an issue with the protections though they are fairly heavy. I'm going back to Ikons for next year.
I've never had luck with Schwalbe either. They are fine for JRA but when I'm really pushing their limits they squirm too much and several times I've ripped them off the rim at a very conservative PSI.

DanW
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by DanW

My non-EXO Ikons (TR) are awful at holding air. The outside of the sidewall is constantly shedding sealant and hence air

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Benno
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by Benno

I'm pretty sure I used the EXO's before. Just wish the Ikons were a tiny bit wider.

by Weenie


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mattr
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by mattr

TBH, i don't know how you get the tyres to continually leak, unless you've either got rubbish sealant, or not cleaned the tyre beforehand.

If it continually leaks, it'll never manage to seal a puncture when you eventually get one, as all these tiny holes are effectively tiny punctures.

The contis i mentioned up there were porous enough that i could see daylight through the sidewall before i installed. They didn't leak. In fact i completely wore the tread out.........

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