Surly Knard 29x3

[Nurse_Ben]

It’s probably a one-off problem, Surly will replace it, they don’t want the bad publicity. I’m kinda suprised they let the negative thread get so long/bad, they usually pay attention better to what goes in the social media.

I have both tires, 27 and 120 tpi, have more miles on the 27tpi, it is a fine tire, I have abused it plenty, no problems at all other than a flat from a thorn. I will say that the 120tpi is an ultralight sidewall, so of the two tires this would be the one most likely to have a problem. In terms of pressure, I run 18-20 all the time and it’s not too much pressure by a long shot.

I like the Knard for most of my ridinh, it has great rollover, it just loves mud and crud, very stable and forgiving. For firm conditions I find that it’s a bit more work, can’t really explain it, I suppose it’s just a funtion of being a big floatation tire that it makes it more tiring to ride than a tire like the Hans Dampf.

My plan is to build another wheel, this one will have the Surly 50mm Rabbit Hole rim, then I can see how the tire rides with a wider footprint. I met a guy riding a Krampus; which is the bike designed for the Knard, he had a set of Knards mounted on the Rabbit Hole rims. In comparing my Knard mounted on a Nimbus D2 42mm rim, his set up had a flatter and more rounded profile, so I think a wider rim would make the tire ride better.

If you’re a 29er fan, the Knard is a must have tire. Even if you already ride 26" fat tire or a fattish 29er tire (Hans Damph, RR, Ardent), the Knard is way more tire, verging on a 3.25" in comparision to a Duro. The tread is also quite versatile, gets good traction on all conditions, a very predictable handler I suppose due to the bi directional tread.

April is when the new Oracle arrives, fingers crossed that UDC upgraded the frame…

[davidp]

@Nurse Ben

It’s probably a one-off problem, Surly will replace it, they don’t want the bad publicity. I’m kinda suprised they let the negative thread get so long/bad, they usually pay attention better to what goes in the social media.

I’d also been watching that thread and was glad to see Surly come forward and take care of it. Hopefully it is a one-off and not indicative of a problem with the rim design (I have a Rabbit Hole and Knard on order for the front of my bike).

[danger_uni]

@Nurse Ben

Hey, I just thought of something…if the Oracle frame is redesigned to fit a Knard, you don’t have to change hubs to the Oracle disc hub, instead you could run a Spirit crank and use the D Brake on the other side.

It is a shame the KH frames are not just a smidgen taller and wider, hopefully they’ll get a redesign in the near future.

Just ordered a Knard - will for sure test this for 2014 and see if I can tweak the tire clearance to fit on the KH29. In the meantime; another option would be to run a KH36 frame with Spirit cranks & a disk brake. This will also let you keep the wider flange spacing on a standard hub, which should maximize wheel stiffness/strength if side-to-side tire clearance is close.

[Nurse_Ben]

@Kris,

Does the KH 36 have enough width for the Knard, it is a true 3" wide, actually 3.25" depending on the rim and pressure…

It would be very cool to see a wider and taller KH frame, I think the Knard is a great tire and really opens the door for fatter traded 29ers

Hope you like the Knard!

[danger_uni]

The KH36 has exactly the same tire width clearance as the KH29 - it’s just taller. I can check this once I get the tire, but perhaps you can tell based on that?

[saskatchewanian]

I am guessing it is still going to be too tight. I have measured three KH frames (24, 29, 36) from various years (all blue) and their leg-to-leg clearance at the crowns were 84, 82 and 82mm respectively. You might squeeze one in on a KH rim but there won’t be much (any) wiggle room.

I know it is a niche of a niche but I could see this tire gaining traction in the unicycle community for rough but non-technical trails, beach riding, etc.

I am going to get one in a few weeks and am going to have to use my Triton frame. It would be nice to be able to use it in a less-wide frame as well

And if surly/innova is listening: I have said it before and will say it again. I would LOVE to see some of the 26x3.7+ tires in 26x3.0. I think there is a market for a semi-fat non-heavy-duty tire. I know I would have a hard time resisting a 1000g 36x3 with moderate tread pattern.

[JTurner]

@saskatchewanian

a 1000g 36x3 with moderate tread pattern.

Drool!

[Uni17]

Question For Kris Holm

Dear Kris,
I am doing a book/author report on your book, and i need to ask you 1 question for it. If you can answer it, then that would be great.

Why did you first decide to write “The Essential guide to Mountain and Trials Unicycling”.

Thank You,

Uni17

[Nurse_Ben]

36 x 3?

Woah, that’s a lot of tire to swing around, though if it was light enough…

I like the 36" Todd tire, it works pretty well for single track XC, though it’s still a lot of work to ride for any distance over rough terrain, but I think that problem is mostly due to gearing.

My wife and I were just talking about a downshifting hub…I rode the Shoreline Trail in SLC last night and it is totally rideable on a big wheel. I was riding a 29" which worked great for 75% of the up and 100% of the down, but there are parts that have long and relatively steep climbs where riding 1:1 requires too much work. If I had a lower gear I could have climbed continuously, like the bikers who passed me as I was resting; the bikers are all using their lowest gear.

As to the Knard, I have a bunch of ride time on it now, but only yesterday did I get the chance to ride a different tire to get a sense for how it compares. On a borrowed KH29 I rode an Ardent 2.4", I found it to be a lot more edgy and more prone to off camber issues than I remembered. I missed my more stable Knard, though I think the Ardent might have been a tad faster due to being lighter and narrower. I need to get back on my Hans Dampf to compare the two, but that’ll probably need to wait until I build my new wheel using the Rabbit Hole rim.

I’d like to see Vee Rubber get in the game, building custom “mid fat” tires, they appear to have the interest and the skills, it’s just a matter of paying them to build it; the Todd and Devist8or are examples of what they can do.

But for now, we need an off the shelf frame that’ll fit a 29x 3" tire…

[Siddhartha_Valmont]

@Nurse Ben

I’d like to see Vee Rubber get in the game, building custom “mid fat” tires, they appear to have the interest and the skills, it’s just a matter of paying them to build it; the Todd and Devist8or are examples of what they can do.

For now the problem with the Vee Rubber self-branded tires is that they target aggressive prices by sacrificing weight.

+1 for a 26x3.0 tire as light as the Knard 29er (should give a tire around 900g… :D)

[danger_uni]

For those of you wanting a lightweight 26x3.0 tire, have you used the Maxxis High Roller single ply 26x2.7" tire?
It’s the closest I’ve found - sub 1000g, excellent tread pattern, and the sidewalls are well-supported on a 47 mm wide rim.

[munirocks]

26x2.7 sounds great but I think I read it is actually much narrower than what it says on it.
I’ve been quite happy with the Continental Rubber Queen 26x2.4 on my g26 but I do miss the great grip and suspension of the 26x3 Gazzaloddi which I still have on my Oregon now.
Since the Rubber Queen’s profile is almost gone now I am looking for something wider to check out. Maybe I’ll give the High Roller 2.7 a try.
It would be nice if the next generation of KH frames got a little more clearance for fatter tires, but for me I think 3" is about enough.
And the idea of a 36x3 is interesting but I’m not sure how well it would ride.
One would probably touch the tire with the knees a lot and turning and road camber would be challenging, I guess.

[danger_uni]

Personally I’m happy with the volume on the High Roller 26x2.7; I wouldn’t call it narrower than what I’d expect. It is very noticeably lighter than the Gazz or Duro 3" tires and IMO has a good tread pattern for both DH and climbing grip, plus grip on sidehills.
This is the tire now spec’d as standard on the KH26, but it is not always easy to find.
For lighter riders and more XC-oriented riders, the 26x2.5 High Roller is also good.

[Siddhartha_Valmont]

@danger_uni

For those of you wanting a lightweight 26x3.0 tire, have you used the Maxxis High Roller single ply 26x2.7" tire?
It’s the closest I’ve found - sub 1000g, excellent tread pattern, and the sidewalls are well-supported on a 47 mm wide rim.

Thanks Kris for the insight

(OFF TOPIC MODE ON)
I put it on my list of light tires to test after I got an idea of how the Continental Diesel (26x2.5 and only 700g) feels and behave off-road.
(OFF TOPIC MODE OFF)

[saskatchewanian]

Oops. my finger slipped. 36x3 might be a bit much.

Kris I think you mentioned the High Roller before and it is on my list for when I start buying tires again. It sounds like a pretty good compromise for most of my riding.

[muni_ben]

As far as I know, a Maxxis 2.7 is the same size as a Schwalbe or Conti 2.5 tire.

[Uni17]

Another ? for Kris Holm

Dear Kris,
Im still doing the report and i have one more question…
What is your favorite food?

Thank you so much!!!:D:D:D:D:D:D:D

[danger_uni]

i’d have to say either Taiwanese or Thai at the moment, anyway =)

[Uni17]

…

@danger_uni

i’d have to say either Taiwanese or Thai at the moment, anyway =)

Thank you…

thats great…but i also have to bring in something you like…by tommorw and i need something i can make or get by then… if you think of something then reply:D:D:D:D:):):):)

[danger_uni]

Ha Ha so I guess that’s a bit complicated. Wow this thread is getting diverse, should probably take this somewhere else. Anyway you probably can get Thai anywhere but how about a peanut butter and banana sandwich. Any other questions feel free to email me (info at krisholm.com).