Best Tubeless tires for 2020?

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toronto-rider
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Location: Toronto

by toronto-rider

So I have been running the older version Schwalbe Pro One Tubeless. No issues but since these came out over 2 years ago, there have been a lot of new Tubelss tires released.
There is the new Specialized Tires, Conti 5000, Vitoria and the new version of the Pro Ones.
Interested to hear your thoughts on which ones stand out over the rest.
My criteria would be from most important to least.
Ride feel/Comfort
Speed (do they feel fast)
Ease of putting on (the old Pro Ones are bitches to mount and get air to hold)
Long lasting
Cost

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jlok
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by jlok

I think the new Pro One ticks the "Ride feel/Comfort" and "Ease of putting on" boxes. Street price is not too high. Plus it's on the lighter side of the scale.
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fastezzie
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by fastezzie

New to road tubeless but I went with Maxxis High Road tires. Very little press about these but they check all the boxes and were relatively affordable.

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Dan Gerous
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by Dan Gerous

Michelin's new Power Road Tubeless comes out in March and are interesting, on paper at least. Pre-production models were tested by various medias, apparently easy to mount by hand, feeling good and grippy (media reviews on a short ride, doesn't mean much) and the claimed weights are quite good, the 25's supposedly 235g and the 28's 255g, there is also a 32.

Note that Michelin has only given weights for the updated tubed model but said the tubeless are the same weight... I'm not sure I buy that as it has one more casing ply, the narrow protective belt is replaced by a bead to bead sealing layer and beefier tubeless beads, I think keeping the same weight is wishful thinking but I'll be curious about those if the claims prove to be true... or near true. Michelin's marketing department are saying they're faster, more durable, grippier dry and wet, more durable, but that's what every manufacturers all claim for all new tire releases.

For now I'd probably go with Schwalbe Pro One Addix as well. Conti 5000TL are fast but quite heavy and tough to mount, Vittoria Corsas are also heavy, not that fast apprently (not the TT race day only Corsa Speed, the more daily Corsa) and I could let a few cons slide if the tubeless was available in tan walls but it's black only, Mavic Yksion UST are okay, weight is good, easy to mount, the feel and grip is night and day better than any tires from Mavic before but that's easy to beat, and I'd rate them as okay but nothing special...

TobinHatesYou
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by TobinHatesYou

I bought Pro One TLEs, but won’t be using them until I find real faults with the Vittoria Corsa G2.0 TLR. I don’t TT, so Crr doesn’t matter as much to me as grip and durability in road races. The Corsa Controls last forever and seemed to withstand gravel, potholes, glass, winter rain conditions with aplomb.

I was on the Hutchinson Fusion 5 / Mavic Yksion Pro UST train before, but for my purposes the Vittorias are better.
Last edited by TobinHatesYou on Wed Jan 15, 2020 11:50 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Stueys
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by Stueys

I'm interested in trying the new Pro One but have been nothing but impressed by the 5kTL, rides beautifully and is fast. I've Mavic UST on my mountain wheels and as Dan Gerous said, they're ok. The new Spesh tyre is probably worth a look, the turbo cotton was a lovely tyre hopefully they've translated some of that into the tubeless release.

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IrrelevantD
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by IrrelevantD

I still like the "feel" of the old Pro One better than the Conti 5000TL, but I feel like the Conti has better grip, especially in the wet. The Pro One also fit about a size bigger than it was on my rims (HED, ~21mm internal). My Pro One 25's measured about 29mm, about the same as the Conti 5000TLs in a 28. I haven't tried anything else on your list yet, but I'd like to try the new Pro One next.
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TobinHatesYou
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by TobinHatesYou

Stueys wrote:
Wed Jan 15, 2020 10:59 am
I'm interested in trying the new Pro One but have been nothing but impressed by the 5kTL, rides beautifully and is fast. I've Mavic UST on my mountain wheels and as Dan Gerous said, they're ok. The new Spesh tyre is probably worth a look, the turbo cotton was a lovely tyre hopefully they've translated some of that into the tubeless release.

I doubt Turbo Cottons were even made in the same factory as the older Turbos and that probably applies to the Rapid-Airs. There’s not much to directly compare between a cotton casing clincher vs a vulcanized tubeless clincher. At higher pressures, the regular clincher + latex tubes will probably ride better. The tubeless clincher can make up for that by being usable at lower pressures.

sychen
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by sychen

TobinHatesYou wrote:
Stueys wrote:
Wed Jan 15, 2020 10:59 am
I'm interested in trying the new Pro One but have been nothing but impressed by the 5kTL, rides beautifully and is fast. I've Mavic UST on my mountain wheels and as Dan Gerous said, they're ok. The new Spesh tyre is probably worth a look, the turbo cotton was a lovely tyre hopefully they've translated some of that into the tubeless release.

I doubt Turbo Cottons were even made in the same factory as the older Turbos and that probably applies to the Rapid-Airs. There’s not much to directly compare between a cotton casing clincher vs a vulcanized tubeless clincher. At higher pressures, the regular clincher + latex tubes will probably ride better. The tubeless clincher can make up for that by being usable at lower pressures.
I've ridden the turbo cottons until moving to Rapidair late last year.

While Tc with light latex is still lighter and rides slightly nicer.. It isn't much in it though.

Rapidair definitely the better for being able to ride on after small punctures. A hole that would immediately flat a tc/latex was ridable home with spurts of sealant. Plugged it and can forget about it.



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theStig
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by theStig

Im kind of miffed that no one is really making newer tubeless tires in 700x23. 25s won't clear my chainstays :(

LiquidCooled
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by LiquidCooled

theStig wrote:Im kind of miffed that no one is really making newer tubeless tires in 700x23. 25s won't clear my chainstays :(
Vittoria makes Corsa TLRs in 23mm.
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theStig
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by theStig

LiquidCooled wrote:
Thu Jan 16, 2020 5:16 am
theStig wrote:Im kind of miffed that no one is really making newer tubeless tires in 700x23. 25s won't clear my chainstays :(
Vittoria makes Corsa TLRs in 23mm.
yeah but only the older version. The new G2 isn't available in 700x23

Jugi
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by Jugi


Dan Gerous wrote: Note that Michelin has only given weights for the updated tubed model but said the tubeless are the same weight.
I saw that statement as well and thought it was a bit dubious. I mean, there is no reason not to make the standard clincher as light as possible as long as all design parameters are achieved. A tubeless version should have a slightly heavier casing as it should be air tight, but the standard clincher doesn't have to be. So which element of the tubeless version can be made so much lighter (or what is added to the standard clincher) that they end up weighing about the same?

LiquidCooled
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by LiquidCooled

theStig wrote:
LiquidCooled wrote:
Thu Jan 16, 2020 5:16 am
theStig wrote:Im kind of miffed that no one is really making newer tubeless tires in 700x23. 25s won't clear my chainstays :(
Vittoria makes Corsa TLRs in 23mm.
yeah but only the older version. The new G2 isn't available in 700x23
Yeah, you're right. I misread Vittoria's (somewhat confusing) website.
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2003 Cannondale R1000 (CAAD7)

TobinHatesYou
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by TobinHatesYou

Jugi wrote:
Thu Jan 16, 2020 5:48 am
Dan Gerous wrote: Note that Michelin has only given weights for the updated tubed model but said the tubeless are the same weight.
I saw that statement as well and thought it was a bit dubious. I mean, there is no reason not to make the standard clincher as light as possible as long as all design parameters are achieved. A tubeless version should have a slightly heavier casing as it should be air tight, but the standard clincher doesn't have to be. So which element of the tubeless version can be made so much lighter (or what is added to the standard clincher) that they end up weighing about the same?

It could be a situation like with the original Pro Ones using a slightly porous "Micro Skin" which was notoriously fragile. A tubeless tire doesn't necessarily have to be reinforced for puncture protection because sealant will prevent a flat most of the time. A regular clincher is better served with an aramid layer of some sort to protect the underlying tube.

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