Schwalbe Ultremo ZX TL Road Tubeless 1st Ride...

Garmin Connect File for 1st Ride

With the weather about to turn bad for the day, I thought I would get in a quick lunch time ride on the new Schwalbe Ultremo ZX Tubeless tire I put on yesterday.  Here are my thoughts on the tires:

Ride Characteristics:

Spinning Up to Speed:

The ZX were quick to spin up, and rolled smoothly along a paved rail trail that had branches and twigs all over it.  They seemed easier to spin up than the Fusion Tubeless, and that would make sense as they are lighter. 

Comfort:

The ride was very comfortable although short.  Tubeless are usually more comfortable as you can lower your normal pressure about 10psi.  This gives a bit more give on the tires and lower deflection with decreases rolling resistance. 

Cornering:

N/A:  I cannot tell yet as I road them on a flat straight rail trail.  Will update later on this.

Ascending Hills:

N/A: Flat ride,  more later.

Descending Hills:

N/A: Flat Ride,  more later

Roll Consistency: 

The ZX were easier to maintain a cadence once spun up to speed, and were consistent throughout the ride.  Making them a good choice for Tri Bikes.  This might also mean they are good on ascending hills, but have not experience with that.

Speed:

Well for me the ride today was about 1 mile and hour faster than my fastest time so far over the same ground for this year.  This could have been my enthusiasm for being on the road with new equipment, Placebo effect. However again this would make sense with lighter tires meaning so much more than static weight to performance.

Longevity

This is a big one for me. Will they last the test of time better than a regular road tire.  Only time will tell, and I will update this post on their overall value when I change them out at the end of the season. 

Conclusion

I think I will like these tires as I liked the Fusions.  My expectation for these new Schwalbe ZX TL Tubeless Road Tires is and was very high from all the hype.  I hold off on any judgement until I have had at least 300 miles on the ZX's.  This should be about mid July, and I will report back.

Schwalbe Ultremo ZX TL Tubeless Tire First Thoughts

Schwalbe Ultremo ZX TL Kit



After waiting for 6 Months for them to show their face on a bike shop shelf, I finally found a Schwalbe Ultremo ZX TL Kit.  I had received a gift certificate to the W.E. Stedman's Bike Shop in Wakefield, RI from my Parents some time back, and had time to go redeem it on father's day weekend.  Low and behold what did I find on the self, but the Ultremo Tubeless Kit that I was for so long waiting.  I could not resist the instant gratification of buying them right then, and walked away with a discount even.  Love Stedman's as it is an OLD SCHOOL bike shop.
Monday I posted the picture above on Facebook, and Dave from my LBS in CT (Cycling Concepts), whom I had told I wanted to try the Ultremo's wrote me an email to see if I wanted to order them, how ironic.  He has a set of tubeless rims that he uses with tubed tires, and is curious to see if the new Schwalbe's are something better than the prior generation Hutchinson Fusion 3 Tubeless.  After work, I went over to CC and we changed the Fusion 3 with the Ultremo's. 
Comparisons before my first ride are that the Ultremo's are lighter feeling and have a thinner sidewall than the fusions.  They also have a thinner profile.  They are way more obvious as Tubeless is prominently displays as a decal on the side of the tire, as Schwalbe in general like their graphics large and prominent.  The ZX also went on much easier with the supplied soap for the sidewalls, and putting the sealant in was a breeze.  The tire went on tight, but no where near as difficult as the Fusions.  This may be due to the thinner more flexible sidewalls.  The thinner sidewalls may also lead to better cornering.  The main contact area of the tire is also thin, which hopefully does not lead to a shorter road life, as the tire is not cheap.  The fusion tubeless only lasted me about 1500 miles max, so hopefully they will be better than that. 
Downside of tubeless road tires is the cleaning of the rims as the sealant is like glue when it dries and requires complete or near complete removal to get the next set of tires to seat correctly on the rims. I first remove the main leftover sealant with solvant and a scotch bright pad cut the width of the rim.  I then use a pick to clean under the Lip of the 7900 rims.  It takes a bit of time and work to get the sealant off the rims, but since it is only once per year, and no flats on the road for 3 years, Tubeless is worth the effort.  Nothing worse than a ruined road ride changing a tube on the side of the road.  Hands all messy getting your bar tape black, and then becoming frustrated trying to catch up...Yikes. 
Now for the test ride. Hopefully the tire will better mimic the regular road tire compared to the Fusion, as I think tubeless has come of age, and the need for better performing tubeless tires has been a must.