Schwalbe
I ride mostly on the road with the mtb, because the off-roads here are way to steep. Until i bought these tires I rode the big off road tires. Now with these tires I almost feel my self back on my roadbike. They are riding real smooth.
The only difficulty we had was putting them on the reem, but after some struggling we managed and they are fitting perfect.
Beside this, the Service of Western bike is beyond measure, because there was an address and shipping problem, so the tires were returned. But they arranged a reshipment and answered my emails almost immediately. So i can for sure recommend Western bikes.
I wanted to try tubeless for my Ritchey Zeta wheels, and I used these tires and the Orange sealant. To seat the tire you should use an air compressor or a CO2 cartridge. The tires were very easy to mount without tools, and easy to remove with a single tire lever. When the tire inflated first time, the seating was a bit lopsided, but after deflating and inflating a couple of times, the seating was perfect. You can also wipe the side of the tire near the bead with some soapy water to get it to mount easier. Schwalbe also sells an applicator for a fluid that will do the same thing. The proper seating issue is not the tire's problem. I have had the issue with other tires (tube or tubeless) with these Ritchey Zeta wheels. I would recommend this product to anyone wanting to try tubeless for first time. They are very light, easy rolling, and comfortable. I climbed Haleakala Crater Summit with these. I am running them at 70-80 psi, and it worked well. There is some slow leakage, so you should pump up the tires before each ride.
Pros: lightweight, packs small, holds air very well, perfect for seat-pack spares
Cons: Cannot be permanently patched with any patch material currently on the market. I've tried Tubolito, slime, and Park patches. Nothing works. Schwalbe says you must use their patch kit, but I've never tried it because these are not available anywhere. Until Schwalbe makes their patch kits as widely available as the tubes, these can only used as a seat-pack spare (unless you want to throw away a $30 tube with each puncture). Note: Tubolito patches work great for a while, but after a few months they eventually fail.
Schwalbe tires are as good as it gets, but the Schwalbe Pro One is the best tire I've ridden so far. I have the 700x30C on my Calfee Dragonfly 44 Pro, and it rides extremely well. 2500 miles and it still has life left, even though I run it at reduced pressure. No flats so far, which is rare for me riding in the Gig Harbor Peninsula area. It is a plus that Westernbikeworks (Biketiresdirect has same) prices are very good, and their shipping is quick and efficient.
