It’s hard to know if I’m missing out on anything running 2.35-2.4" tyres on the 25mm. I am the same in that I never had an issue with it with the Hunt’s.
I guess I have FOMO and want to make the right decision for the current wheel build, but there’s no right answer.
I’m giving up between 20 and 40g per rim going Duke 28 or 30mm IW over the Crest 25mm internal. Still saving some weight over my Hunt’s, but barely.
(I tried 2.6" tyres briefly but found them too heavy and slow. Plus, despite my bike having “clearance” for 2.6", 2.4" is a more comfortable amount of space around the rear)
Thanks. Ya, I definitely don’t want this to be a “blame these folks” situation. That’s actually why I was asking. This is my first time using this shop, and my first Santa Cruz. I went here because they had the Blur available, and they have a very good reputation. If you’re in the area, you have likely heard of the shop, but I won’t name them either. I’m just trying to adjust expectations if needed and be able to the folks with a bit more background.
FWIW, I went from 30mm rims to 25mm when I upgraded my wheels. I originally had 30mm rims with 2.6” tires, but I didn’t like the tires, so I switched to 2.35” Ikons. When I upgraded wheels and went down in rim width, I continued to run the 2.35” tires and, at least with the Ikons, I’ve been happy. They’re the only tires I’ve ridden on both.
I went in the exact opposite direction…from Roval Control Carbon 25mm to Roval Control Carbon 29mm. I love the wider rims. I can drop 1 to 2 psi per tire and have a much better ride and grip without the sidewalls of the tires folding over. I also like the profile of 2.35 tires better on the wider rims.
Yeah, the benefits you mention had me concerned at first, but I think as a lighter rider (~53kg/117lbs), the benefits of lower pressures without tire squirm are less noticeable for me, but that’s just a guess. I definitely think this comes down to personal preferences to some degree.
The benefit (or the lack thereof) depends on the rim + tire combination.
The marketing jargon would have us believe that a wider rim + wider tire setup at a lower air pressure would reduce rolling resistance and absorb more chatter. I generally find this to be true myself, when swapping between wide aggressive tires & more narrow tires on my enduro bike.
How wide a rim you need will depend on your favorite tire. If you mount your favorite tire to a rim that is on the narrow side, you will see it “bulging”, creating a more round profile. If the rim is of a more appropriate width it will be more “square” in profile. This can be important for cornering in loose and loose over hard conditions where you want the side lugs to “dig in”
So… looks like I’ll be getting a ‘22 Blur C S TR (120/115, GX, and the slightly heavier frame) in the next week or two.
Super excited! This will replace my Ripley as my XCM bike. With 3 bottle cages I can eliminate the camelback, and save a bunch of frame and fork weight.
So a couple of questions while I have time to make changes:
Exchange the dropper (Rockshox reverb stealth or RaceFace aeffect) for a bike yoke divine SL 125mm?
Anybody have good bottle cage recommendations?
Top or side load?
Left / right?
All the same or different ones in different spots?
Anything else I should think about?
(Backstory)
Walked into my LBS on Sunday to ask what might be available, and it turns out, they had a Blur shipping out to them on Tuesday!
Santa Cruz doesn’t accept orders right now. Instead, they tell each shop what they’ll get.
I’ve got a Lezyne side loader that’s great. My new Top Fuel came with a Bontrager side loader but I lost a few bottles so put my old Lezyne on. I think it’s this one, may not even be the SL, perhaps the SL superceded the one I have?
Depending on your budget, the X-Lab Gorilla cage is I think the best bottle cage on the market for strength/never losing a bottle. Expensive though.
I just got an Elite Vico Carbon cage and it’s so far proving a decent approximation. It’s not as good as my X-Lab, but it weighs even less and holds bottles so far.
I disagree! I have 2 of these side loading cages and I’ve never lost a bottle even through some pretty nasty crashes.
I highly recommend the ARUNDEL STR Water Bottle Cages (obviously if you drink with your left hand). The also have right handed and top loading as well.
I got a Fidlock from my wife for Christmas and tried it below the shock. Fun idea for trying to make a side-load work without the lost bottle concern, but I would not recommend for XC/XCM. Maybe I am doing it wrong, but I have a hard time getting those magnets to align while putting in an effort, and the magnet part of the bottle makes it so that I can never get to the last of my sugar fuel. Swapped it out for a standard Bontrager, so this is good timing for this conversation! Thanks all.
Long live the Bike Mag “Beer Foam Shootout” where they judged full-suspension bikes by strapping a beer on a HT and FS bike, cracked the beers after riding and judged the smoothest ride by the amount of foam
.
