I’m looking for a 29" offroad tire and would also like to hear how this compares with the Exiwolf, which i’ve read good things about.
nashbar.com has the exi for $25 right now so I might go for it anway.
I haven’t gotten around to trying a Stout yet. This is mostly because I’m really happy with my Exiwolf for almost all of what I typically ride–a mix of road and dirt, basically anything that doesn’t have bigger than about a foot drops.
Yeah, I like the Exi, too; I’m really just wanting something with a little more volume. I’m tired of hitting rim all the time on the rocky trails in Chico. I’m going to swing by my LBS that carries 29er stuff, and see if they have a Stout in stock.
Just ordered a Stout from Universal Cycles ($36.99), so I’ll report back once I get it on the uni and have some miles on it.
I’m anxious to hear how the stout performs, as I too, have been running Exi for a couple years. Thanks for being the guinea pig, pkittle.
Well, the Stout arrived today, and I mounted it up. It was raining today, so I didn’t get out on it yet. If the trails are open tomorrow (they close in wet weather), I’ll get out and report. If they’re closed, it may take until this weekend’s Shasta Lemurian Classic mountain bike race for me to give it its first workout.
Two things I noticed, though. First, it’s not quite as wide, sidewall-to-sidewall, as the ExiWolf I had on it before, although only by maybe an eighth or sixteenth of an inch. The profile seems far less rounded, too, compared to the Exi; side by side, they looked a lot like the difference between a Duro Leopard and a Gazz (although the Exi I was comparing it to, after mounting, was on my bike, which has a narrower rim than the KH on the muni, so that may tend to round out the profile a little more).
Second thing was that, after pumping it up to 22 psi (which is where I’d been running the Exi) and doing a bit of hopping, I can say that the tire is significantly stiffer than the Exi; I didn’t bottom out, which was an issue with the Exi. It seems like the sidewalls are quite a bit thicker, or at least put up more resistance. I hope that they’re better at resisting tire fold on off-camber trails, but we’ll see.
Your bike rim would round the tire some, but maybe not a lot.
Take a picture of each from the front (or back), both on your KH rim.
)
If I can remember, I’ll take some shots of the Stout next to the Exi (but it’ll be mounted on my bike, so won’t be quite apples-to-apples).
Got a few miles on the Stout today, mostly rocky singletrack with about 300 feet of climbing. What I noticed: it’s stout. Yes, really stout. I still hit rim in a few places, but it was far more cushioned than with the Exi. I felt a lot more confidence about tractoring through really rough sections, and didn’t cringe so much on drops.
So that’s the good. It really felt more like a fat tire should feel.
The bad? It’s heavier. A lot heavier. Noticeably heavier. 1150g for the Stout, versus 825g for the Exi it replaced. I had to get used to a different climbing cadence because of the weight–I got caught several times not putting enough power down to swing my crank over the top, just because the rotating weight was different enough from what I’ve been riding for the last 5 months. It wasn’t a dealbreaker or anything–I figured it out soon enough–but if you’re particularly attentive to increased weight, it may not be the tire for you. On the plus side, this seemed to have some good effects in terms of keeping momentum up on flats and downhills.
It seemed to handle pretty well, and had better traction on looser rocks. But it also felt more prone to getting squirrelly on off-camber trails; I don’t think this would be good road crown riding.
I’ll update when I have more miles (and more diverse kinds of riding) on it.
A couple more thoughts on the Stout. I had the chance to look at the profile next to my friend’s Nevegal, and it actually looks to me like it’s a little narrower across the tread–but probably just a hair.
I ran the Stout in the Shasta Lemurian Classic today, and I can’t say I was pleased with my choice. The course starts with a 4-mile climb, and the weight was absolutely noticeable; I felt like I was handicapped significantly, compared to the Exiwolf I’ve been running. That’s on the uphill. On the downhill, it was pretty great–terrific for tractoring though rock gardens, great grip even in the loose, decomposed marble trails.
So I’m going to keep it on the 29er until I get a few rides on more traditional xc trails that are rolling, with some good rocky sections, and see how I like it. Right now, I’m thinking that I may be heading back to the Exi.
just noticed the weirwolf is now available in 29x2.55. anybody try one on a uni yet?
I’m not sure if the WW has been put on a muni. But the reviews at mtbr haven’t been favorable–really thin sidewalls, especially, and in the rocky stuff that’s closest to home for me, that’s what I was trying to avoid when getting the Stout.
yeah, that part doesn’t sound good 
that would tend to negate the benefit of the wider profile. oh well
Time for an update?
It’s been a while since this thread was active. What is your present opinion – which is the best 29" xc-tyre? Is it the Exi? The Stout? Kenda Navegel? Or some other tyre?
I got my new KH 29" today and it has the Big Apple on so I need to find some good rubber for xc-rides on single tracks.
pkittles review on the stout sidewalls of the Stout sounded good but the tyre’s weight scares me.
Well, the Stout is now sitting from a hook in my garage. I couldn’t get past the weight. I liked the sidewalls, but went back to the Exi just because the Stout got in the way of my climbing.
I suppose I should try a Weir just for the heck of it. It’s lighter than the Stout by a pretty good margin.
If anyone wants to buy a used Stout …
Thanks pkittle, the Stout is off my list then.
Here’s a post about the Continental Mountain King, available in 29X2.2 & 2.4".
The tread and profile look pretty good, IMO.
http://www.unicyclist.com/forums/showpost.php?p=1048228&postcount=246
I think I wouldn’t mind trying the Exiwolf (620g), since its only 40g heavier than the Mountain King (580g). At 784g, I think the Weirwolf seems pretty heavy to me. At 1150g, the Stout seems like it would be like riding on a lead tire…
Anyone ever ride one of these?
The more I ride with a lighter tire, the more I like it. I think I may try something other than the Big Apple - something a lot lighter. Even the BA 2.0 is 885g.
Anyone have any recommendations for a light 29er road tire?
Maybe this one?
Where’d you get those weight figures, SqueakyOnion? Are they for 26" versions? I ask because the Exi I’m using (non-folding bead) is listed as 900g, with 825g for the folding. The Weir is listed as 725. I’m using the figures from Bike29.com, a site that’s been pretty reputable. I didn’t double check with the WTB site.
The Conti Mt King 2.4 lists at 860g, but twentynineinches.com weighed them out of the box at just 760, and really liked the tire overall. I think that may be my next try–thanks for letting us all know about it, skilewis74.
Got them from the WTB and Schwalbe websites. All the weights I listed are for 29 sizes. I guess tire weight varies a lot, based on what you say.
Yeah, he let you know about MY post in the 29" Discussion Thread:p . A few posts later in the thread, I also mention that the sidewalls could be considered thin. Just something to keep in mind.
Two types of Stout?
pkittle – is your tyre a 29 x 2.3 WTB Stout Race? With a folding bead?
I just got this tyre but I suspect it’s not the same as yours – these sidewalls are not thicker than on my Kenda Klaw.