Looking to pick up a set of x-kings for my on one, I can get the standard ones for £18.99 each from Chain Reaction (also have a 5% off code) or the protection version for £39 each.

Is it worth the extra £20?

Sorry for yet more daft questions!

My experience of Conti tyres is yes, go for protection. However, it is rocky round here, so extra sidewall protection is needed.

Have a look on Bike-discount.de they often have decent enough prices to outweigh vouchers and free post. Also with Contis my experience has been that Wire bead are ok for tubeless but that "normal" folders are porous like a sponge and bugger to seal up. If tubeless matters to you of course...

http://www.merlincycles.com/schwalbe-no ... 76423.html
I've just got these, little more than the x kings, but tubeless ready and with all the protection schwalbe can get

I've been using ProTection XKings, 2500 miles, no punctures. and flinty as f**k around here.

Protection definitely worth it. After a total of 900 km in Scotland I could see the inner tube through the worn skin of the racesport version. Was lucky to make it to Tyndrum... on similar trips with protection no such issues. Takes me about 2000-2500 to ruin the skin. I run latex tubes. I guess it'd be less tubeless.

The non black chili compound is plastic rubbish concerning grip, especially in the wet, compared to protection or racesport and the skin will last a bit longer than racesport's and similar to protection's.

Also with Contis my experience has been that Wire bead are ok for tubeless but that "normal" folders are porous like a sponge and bugger to seal up. If tubeless matters to you of course...

That's interesting… complete opposite experience to what I've had! (Two sets of Barons, and a race king)

danielgroves wrote:

Also with Contis my experience has been that Wire bead are ok for tubeless but that "normal" folders are porous like a sponge and bugger to seal up. If tubeless matters to you of course...

That's interesting… complete opposite experience to what I've had! (Two sets of Barons, and a race king)

Could just be inconsistencies in their cheaper imported tyres? My wire race kings went tubeless with no hassles. My BIL's folding Trail Kings went up OK but the stans bubbled through the sidewalls.

Every folding RK I've ever tried to set-up tubeless (and like regrets, there's been a few) has laughed in the face of my compressor ... always had sieve like sidewalls which no amount of sealant, boucing, shaking or swearing has sealed.

I think, judging from the real mixed bag of experiences, it must be as Nigel suggests and there's good and bad out there.

I heard the 'mould release' stuff was bad for setting up tubeless and you should wipe the inside round with IPA to clean them up. No idea if it was necessary but after doing that my mountain kings went up very easily. Little bit of bubbling but only a couple of spots.

They were the protection ones though so probably thicker sidewalls (in folding).

wipe the inside round with IPA to clean it

Really? That's be a waste, surely.

Ian wrote:

wipe the inside round with IPA to clean it

Really? That's be a waste, surely.

Not if it's Greene King.

Not x-kings, but f^^king flint did this yesterday.

A liberal application of IPA (7 or 8 bottles) should help with that too.







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I should add for anyone that doesn't know, I was originally talking about Isopropyl Alcohol but was typing on a phone and didn't want to write it in full!