Unanswered Are PLUS wheels just for show?

[pegnose]

For my new Jam2 I decided for the "L" size (my upper body is a little bit longer than average), but I took the Plus wheels because they looked a little bit smaller in diameter so that the bike in total would not get too large and too hard to handle. Does that make any sense? I am starting to question my decision because of the performance of the wheels. They likely are heavier (read a bit into tubeless) and with less PSI (only 35 max, 2.4 bar i.e.) you might get more friction anyways. One reason for going eMTB for me was being able to take longer tours.

So... are Plus wheels just for show? Did I make a bad decision? Is only having 35 PSI on the wheels actually a downside? And should I definitely not go beyond that?

 

[Welshman]

Big apples come in 29
Pretty similar and also cheap.

yeh im going to get them next......happy with the conti's at the mo

 

[Gary]

I hate conti tyres.
It's not even irrational hatred either.

 

[Welshman]

I hate conti tyres.
It's not even irrational hatred either.

pray tell??

 

[Gary]

It's a rather loooong story bro.
Basically I have a few longterm injuries caused by Conti tyres being shit!
They're bloody awful quality (eg. their road tyres tread/casing often delaminates long before the tread is worn down) and many of their mtb tyres just have terrible tread designs in the first place.
I genuinely think some of their tread patern design team haven't ever ridden an mtb. They certainly don't understand how tread, knob shape and spacing, placement actually works.

Plenty folk will tell you they are great (and a few of their tread designs actually do make sense) but I expect most of those folk haven't spent time in hospital because of one of their shittiest products failing.

 

[steve_sordy]

..............
Basically I have a few longterm injuries caused by Conti tyres being shit!
They're bloody awful quality (eg. their road tyres tread/casing often delaminates long before the tread is worn down) and many of their mtb tyres just have terrible tread designs in the first place.
.................

I was on a training course with Tony of UK Bike Skills (some know him as "Jedi" because of his training techniques). He looked at my Conti Trail Kings and sniffed. I asked and he said that he didn't trust them ever since one delaminated during one of his DH races (before his training years). What he was referring to happened more than few years ago and it is alleged that Conti had had a batch problem that affected many riders (so much for the fabled German quality control). Over several years, I had great experience with Conti tyres so I stuck with them. Then two new tyres in quick succession tore apart at the bead, big enough to get four fingers through. The location in relation to the logo was the same and it was clearly a manufacturing fault. Both tyres went at similar mileage, and one was a replacement for the other. Both refunded without problem under warranty. I bought a third one (will I never learn?) but from a different country, so hopefully from a different batch. No problems with that one, did another 1000 miles on it. I know the tyres were all made in Germany because tyres with the black chilli compound only come from one factory in Korbach, Germany.
Black chili compound - Continental Bicycle Tyres UK

 

[Gary]

Tony is an old mate.
That's not exactly where his name came from.

 

[Gary]

"Bad batch" is often just a line spun to punters.
Be wary of that shit.

 

[pegnose]

Hi OP, I have the exact same Sam2 as you with same suspension and tyre combination, I'm also pretty much the same weight as yourself and I've been running about 18psi F&R and absolutely love it, really helps the budget fork / shock with really great low speed compliance and as much grip as you'd expect from the Rekon tyres.

Hey, mine is the Jam2 6.8+. Will try 18 PSI out. But basically you are saying the Rekons are not that great and my suspension is rather budget? Sure, if you buy a 10k € bike, you'll get better components, I guess.

 

[Gary]

if you buy a 10 3.5k € bike, you'll get better components, I guess.

FTFY

 

[pegnose]

FTFY

I'd guess 3.8k pounds is more like 4.5k €, but that's probably the benefit of a smaller direct-to-customer brand.

 

[Gary]

I'd guess 3.8k pounds is more like 4.5k €,

nope.
Mine was less than 3.5k Euros
(wiggle platinum discount)

 

[steve_sordy]

Tony is an old mate.
That's not exactly where his name came from.

That's interesting, I was told that where it was from, but I didn't ask Tony because it seemed to make sense. Where did it come from then?

 

[steve_sordy]

Hey, mine is the Jam2 6.8+. Will try 18 PSI out. But basically you are saying the Rekons are not that great and my suspension is rather budget? Sure, if you buy a 10k € bike, you'll get better components, I guess.

Err @pegnose , it looks like you (or I) have misunderstood @Gasser 's post. He said that he has the exact same bike, with same suspension and tyre combination as you do. I don't read that he is criticising your bike. Instead he is using the similarities between you both to recommend a tyre pressure.

The Rekons come as standard on the Focus, as they did on mine. They are no doubt great tyres on dry hardpack (ie "as good a grip as you could expect"). But I could not trust them on anything else and changed them within weeks.

 

[Gary]

Tony's been known as Jedi for 20 years many years before he begun coaching. If you want to know the exact point (story of how) the name came about ask him. It's not really my place to.

Yes. it fits very well with Tony's chilled confident teaching style.
He's an incredibly sound guy.

 

[steve_sordy]

Tony's been known as Jedi for 20 years many years before he begun coaching. If you want to know the exact point (story of how) the name came about ask him. It's not really my place to.

Yes. it fits very well with Tony's chilled confident teaching style.
He's an incredibly sound guy.

He varies his teaching style depending upon the best learning method of the student. Or so it seems when you are with him; maybe we have all bought into the "Jedi mind trick" thing.

He had me doing stuff that was contrary to what had become "hard wired". But there is no way I was going up onto those single floorboards up in the trees!!

 

[Dax]

I'm the one guy here who still happily runs old skool 26x2.35 Maxxis on 21mm rims in proper gnar
(those things probably measure up no wider than 2.1")

2.35 HRs have been my default tyres for about 20 years, although I switched to HR2s when I went to 27.5, as I could no longer stroke my beard and mutter about not liking change

 

[Gary]

I intentionally kept *five 26" wheel bikes to remind me that change IS shit

26x 2.35 DHFs and Bling blings are my defaults. I have a massive stash of 'em (TBF there are a few HRs in there too)


* some may have even been designed to have those horrible NEW wheels.

Yeah mustv'e been about 2000 when MAXXIS took down michelin as THE savy DH tyre choice with their £19.99 RRP Highrollers (vs £34.99 for a Comp16 - still the better tyre IMO)
[/nerd]

 

[Squirrel Squeezer]

I’ve 2.8 tires and no , they are not for show.
I love them as much as I love fat skis- Its Highly unlikely I will go back to anything skinnier , in the power or on the dirt .

 

[daju]

Just found this thread--thank you guys. Been riding a long time and ever since coming out of the 26" cave to Ebikes

2 years ago (But snaps to Gary who has the skill to ride that) have been looking for bigger and bigger tires now that I have the motor to power them. I'm definitely pushing the sense and safety envelope...Just tried a 3.25 front tire on my 2019 turbo levo.
But it rubs on the DebonAir fork. Can anyone suggest a better fork with more clearance?
So we're running a 3.0:
It's got clearance but it's pbly too wide in theory for the 35mm rims. Maybe it'll roll off if a do a cyclcross but so far it's been solid enough and letting me ride bigger rocks and roots

 

[Gary]

A RS Bluto has that sort of clearance
But. it only has 120mm travel
and you'll also need a new hub (or some sort of bodged adaptor) as the axle is 15x150mm

another option could be to run an older USD fork like a marzocchi Shiver

Why you'd want to run a 3.25 tyre unless your terrain is predominantly sand or snow I have no idea.

 

[daju]

Thanks!
for me roots, rock gardens, and steep rolls are easier on a bigger tire

 

[pegnose]

Err @pegnose , it looks like you (or I) have misunderstood @Gasser 's post. He said that he has the exact same bike, with same suspension and tyre combination as you do. I don't read that he is criticising your bike. Instead he is using the similarities between you both to recommend a tyre pressure.

The Rekons come as standard on the Focus, as they did on mine. They are no doubt great tyres on dry hardpack (ie "as good a grip as you could expect"). But I could not trust them on anything else and changed them within weeks.

@steve_sordy @Gasser Apparently, sorry. I get so easily frustrated recently. Thank you all for sharing your experience!

 

[Gasser]

@steve_sordy @Gasser Apparently, sorry. I get so easily frustrated recently. Thank you all for sharing your experience!

Yep that was what I was saying exactly, in fact I've just realised I had accidentally let them get down to around 12psi and loving it.

 

[Gasser]

Yep that was what I was saying exactly, in fact I've just realised I had accidentally let them get down to around 12psi and loving it.

Having just read your reply to my post actually quite the opposite, mine is the Sam 2 Ltd Plus, so very budget suspension with the Rekons, and at low pressures have be amazed how good the whole set up works. My normal bike is an Orange 5 on 29's and very high end suspension with 2.3 wide tyres, don't think I'm any quicker on normal trail down hills on the Orange, probably only somewhere like BPW would my Focus begin to show it's budget susses.