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Big Top Tire Clearance/Tire Choice

3K views 12 replies 4 participants last post by  TheFCuddy 
#1 ·
Guys,
I am concerned about chain stay tire clearance on my Big Top, specifically the left stay. Originally I was running a Stan's Flow wheel with an XT hub and standard QR in the rear with a Slant Six 2.2. I had some hard miles on that wheel and assumed the dish was a little off due to sloppy re-truing over time (the wheel was used on another bike). In the meantime I had another Stan's Flow built up with a King Hub with a 12x142mm TA. I thought with a new wheel the "dish" problem would be gone. The new wheel helped but it is still biased to the left stay and will make contact every now and then when I hammer on it or when it gets mud packed.
Obviously the safest option for me is to run a slimmer tire to ensure I don't wear through the carbon chain stay. The Racing Ralph tires that came with the bike would work fine but I was hoping I could run a tire with a little more volume than that. I have found the Slant Six to be a great tire. I am 6'6" 245 pounds and like/need volume. Has anyone else noticed this bias towards the left chain stay? What are you guys running for rear tires on this bike? Let me know what you guys think and thanks for the help.
 
#2 · (Edited)
Guys,

Obviously the safest option for me is to run a slimmer tire to ensure I don't wear through the carbon chain stay. The Racing Ralph tires that came with the bike would work fine but I was hoping I could run a tire with a little more volume than that. I have found the Slant Six to be a great tire. I am 6'6" 245 pounds and like/need volume. Has anyone else noticed this bias towards the left chain stay? What are you guys running for rear tires on this bike? Let me know what you guys think and thanks for the help.
The Racing Ralph's have started to cut into the left stay on mine also. It's all stock so I'm wondering if I should take it in and see about a warranty???

It's right at 1 year old.





 
#3 ·
I wonder what they would say about warranty. I think a good solution would be to epoxy a light piece of metal to the stays. A metal similar to that used on the drive side to negate chain suck damage. This would take up usable space on the inside but at least when contact is made no damage is inflicted to carbon.
 
#4 ·
Negative ghost rider. My Big Top runs a Schwalbe RaRa TL SS 2.25 on a Stan's Arch with no rubbing, unless the wheel is out of true. The wheel has a Hope Pro II setup 142x12.

Long story short, go to a Yeti dealer and explain/complain.
 
#6 ·
Just got off the horn with a local Yeti shop, they want me to bring it in for inspection. There is a possibility the dropouts were not drilled straight. I hope so because I feel there is twice as much room on the drive side compared to the brake side. I will let you guys know what comes of the inspection.
 
#11 ·
Hey! Almost forgot...I went to the shop and they checked it out. The mechanic said my dish was a little off. He corrected it and things are little better but I still have a sinking feeling. The 29" wheels flex more than 26" and I think no matter what, if we want to tires with decent volume than we are going to run into this problem. The Big Top is an incredible bike, I think it's the best hard tail available for me. I just wish they put a little more space between each of those chain stays. I still have the RR 2.25's that came with the bike. I will try one of those cyclo-cross tires on my mountain bike and see how I like it. Anyone else got anything?
 
#12 ·
I am 190lbs, come from a dh background (so I push the bike hard), and I haven't noticed any rubbing yet. I am only five rides in but I have railed it hard through corners and would image I would have seen something by now. That said, I'll post it up if I see any issue with mine but so far so good. I really dig the bike for what it is.
 
#13 ·
Smith, no doubt it's a killer bike for most everything I do on the east coast. 190 pounds is solid and I am sure you're hard on it. I never rode dh but I spent some years on motocross cross tracks and technical woods riding on a CR250. Unfortunately for bicycles, I weigh 245 +- 5 pounds with nothing on, add in shoes, gear and a loaded camelbak and spokes cringe on sight. I try to ride the smoothest lines possible but sometimes that doesn't happen and wheels pay. What tires have you been running?
 
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