Rene Herse Chinook or Cayuse Pass?

[raggedtrousers]

Does anyone have any experience of running either of these tyres, in either the standard or the extralight version? I'm tempted by the promised ride quality and claimed low weight, and their lack of tubeless compatibility is a non-issue for me as I'm not sold on tubeless for road. But they are damn expensive, so before I pony up the cash, I thought I'd seek out some opinions here.

[Mr.Gib]

Had a set of Chinook Pass in the extralight version. Incredibly good tires as far as traction and ride quality, and they must be fast given how supple they are. If your roads are clean you can't do better. If your roads have debris and punctures are a problem, these are definitely not the tires for you. IMO the extralight version with latex tubes is the way to go for the full effect. Durability is acceptable for this class of tire. Measure fairly true to size on 19mm internal rims - they're not huge.

[raggedtrousers]

Had a set of Chinook Pass in the extralight version. Incredibly good tires as far as traction and ride quality, and they must be fast given how supple they are. If your roads are clean you can't do better. If your roads have debris and punctures are a problem, these are definitely not the tires for you. IMO the extralight version with latex tubes is the way to go for the full effect. Durability is acceptable for this class of tire. Measure fairly true to size on 19mm internal rims - they're not huge.

Thanks. So poor puncture resistance in your experience?

[Mr.Gib]

No more punture prone that any other race tire. But the fact remains that the casing is very thin. You can only expect so much. The tread compound didn't seem particularely prone to cuts but that again depends on what kind of debris is on your roads. I ride Vittoria Corsa and rarely get cuts in my local area, while I hear that in other locations some people get lots, so it depends... And the difference with the extralight version is that the sidewall is thinner, so more prone to a tear if the corner of a rock should catch it. I assume the Specialized Turbo Cotton would be a good comparison (no first hand experience though).