I would also be curious on type of puncture/cut. I have been riding rapid race for about a month or more and so far very happy with them. Road a section last week that had some pretty nasty sharp rocks similar to the bad sections of LT100 and had no issues.
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It was a pinch flat. Maybe it’s a fluke but I will note that I’ve never pinch flatted my ricks or rays and this course was much smoother compared to my typical rock/root courses.
I was running 15f and 17r pressures.
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No flats for me using RR Dubs.
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In my mind, it’s basically the same as a pinch flat with a tube. You hit something hard enough to bottom the rim on something solid and the tire sidewall (right at the bead) is basically cut through just like a tube would be smashed/cut between rim and object.
They can be a big pain to plug since it’s right at an area of flex, particularly if the cut is pretty long.
I’d also argue that a pinch flat is less about luck compared to other flats, highly dependent on the rider and how hard they are pushing the limits. Very rare to pinch flat when riding an easy smooth pace and not banging the bike around (at least in my experience). I’ve also found that hookless rims with a bit smoother transition and thicker mating surface are less prone to pinch flat compared to traditional hooked rims, but you can do it on either.
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Never used inserts. Pinch flat, snake bite, whatever you want to call it. The grip on the front with the Rapid worked great until I had the issue. I didn’t feel like I needed a sticker front.
Like I previously mentioned, perhaps it was a fluke or bad luck.
Pumping up your tires might help. 
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Pidcock flatted these at the Olympics. They flatted at Unbound this year. Big questions in my mind.
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Any tire represented in numbers at Unbound is going to have flats at Unbound every year. It’s just one of those races that has a decent chance of flatting if you are racing in a pack (regardless of the tire you run). I agree with the concerns on the Dubs until they get more time in the field, but I personally don’t read too much into the Unbound report (I assume you are talking about the Bicycle station guy?). I flatted a Race King Protection at Unbound this year at a fairly innocuous spot on the course while carefully watching my line, I’m not reading much into that either and still consider them a pretty durable XC tire.
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Wait a sec…go back to that “raced it on enduro world series tracks” bit and explain yourself, sir!
Joe
I’ve rode some XC tires at DH parks and you need to be a lot more precise on techy trails just to avoid puncture risk but it isnt bad.
Race kings are a really underrated tire in that they can handle conditions people wouldn’t expect. I’ve personally done them in super super muddy, rocky and rooted stuff from the Northeast, to the fast downhills of Leadville and they’ve never missed a beat. Are there better tires for specific condtions? Sure… But, I’m an insert user too.
I’d love a little bit more volume for the chunky stuff, what looks like better traction and descending ability, but not if they end up proving less durable.
I will say the one thing that’s always bugs me about the Race Kings as they’re extremely difficult to break the bead with inserts and my 25mm IW rims, and they can develop wobble in the casing.
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I’ve bottomed against the rim pretty hard about 5-6 times, even the front tire a couple of times, and haven’t flatted. I’m at 21/24 PSI though (165-170 lbs). The only thing that gives me pause is why I’m bottoming out so much, but it may just be the course.
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Exactly… and I’ve done it before with my Ricks or Rays and never flatted. I also use the same PSI although I might bump it up a few in the future to avoid this issue again.
That is some serious tire pressure.
I weigh slightly more and run my XC tires 19F/20R.
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Just to comment - rolling down the trail at 221lbs with a Ray 2.35 front and Ralph 2.35 rear and run 20.7psi/23psi for dry conditions.
Inserts?
If I ran 20 psi in the rear I’d be ringing my rim off of rocks constantly.
I run 17/19 with 2.2’s and lower than That with 2.4’s and I’m 180#. Yes I use inserts, but you’re still sounding really high. You’re sure you’re getting rim strikes?
Like you said - surprising to me you’re bottoming out so much.
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The durability and speed combination is hard to beat. The only MTB race I use RK’s for is Leadville since there is so little reward for cornering/handling where the smaller tire suffers. But it’s become my go-to for gravel racing since speed and durability are my top priorities (and the handling is a big advantage compared to most gravel tires). I bought some extra Race Kings while there are still available, gives me enough to cover my gravel seasons for the next couple years. I figure the new Dub 2.2 hasn’t tested any faster (from what I’ve seen) and I think there is a good chance it’s less durable.
100%. My Dub Rapid Race 2.4’s arrived today and I’ll be testing prior to leadviile (and at leadville for a couple weeks pre-riding). Based on my discussion with the guy at the Conti booth at Unbound, I’m not expecting them to be as durable as the Race King Protection. He didn’t say they were less durable, but didn’t really answer the direct question. When pressed, he just repeated that the RR compound/casing is optimized for speed and weight and is a modern tire compared to the 20 year old Race King. I don’t think he was being deceptive, I honestly think the tire is so new that he just doesn’t know (and it’s a bit of a subjective thing based on how you are using it). For a race like leadville, I could live with a little less durability if it’s solid otherwise. I’ve run several different flavors of tires out there and the only 2 flats I’ve ever gotten (in well over 1k miles on course) were pinch flats when getting a little too rowdy on powerline (both my fault and would likely happen with any XC tire). I’m probably jinxing myself, but I just don’t consider leadville a course where you need super durable tires. Lots of flats from pinch flats on the descents, but not that many cuts or punctures from what I see.
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I don’t know the Bicycle Station guy, so that adds another I guess.
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Anyone on the Pirelli XC RC?
I’ve been running Aspens and looking for a possible change.
Also maybe trying Vittoria again.
Hump