My first set of Compass tires, $162.00 waste of money
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I'm a bit skeptical of them covering the rim damage because "its the right thing to do". If that was the case why didn't they do it when the OP notified them of the blowout and rim damage initially? I'm betting they saw(or heard about) the negative responses here(lots of possible buyers for their tires) to how they handled it and gave the OP what he wanted to stop the bad press; eyes on the bottom line, not doing whats right. Regardless, I'm glad the OP got reimbursed for the rim.
Brian
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I guess I’m a stubborn old goat but I use tubes and ride with 2 extra tubes and a patch kit with a lezyne air pump and a backup CO2 charger with about 4 cartridges and tires boots Over the years I have become proficient at fixing flats in the middle of nowhere. I have WTB tubeless rims with 700x40 Nanoraptors and have had no flats. But I know I eventually will and I am somewhat overkill in preparedness but I ride with the piece of mind I have plenty of tubes and 2 sources of air. Many times I have fixed unprepared cyclists flats in middle of nowhere areas and I refuse offers of money because I am just glad I could help. If all fail I have my I-phone I may have to walk a bit to find a signal
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I'm a bit skeptical of them covering the rim damage because "its the right thing to do". If that was the case why didn't they do it when the OP notified them of the blowout and rim damage initially? I'm betting they saw(or heard about) the negative responses here(lots of possible buyers for their tires) to how they handled it and gave the OP what he wanted to stop the bad press; eyes on the bottom line, not doing whats right. Regardless, I'm glad the OP got reimbursed for the rim.
Brian
Brian
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How many Compass tires are sold direct vs being sold by bike shops?
Some business choices are done based on what is "right". Other choices are done based on what a business thinks will make them the most money. So, if a big store threatened to cancel all their orders and to carry a competitor's product, they company might quickly change their tune.
In this case, I would think nobody would be able to know for sure who was at fault. Compass, the LBS, or the Cyclist.
The wholesale cost of the rim is probably around $30. Perhaps Compass decided to pay for the rim and the LBS decided to kick in the labor to rebuild the wheel.
Some business choices are done based on what is "right". Other choices are done based on what a business thinks will make them the most money. So, if a big store threatened to cancel all their orders and to carry a competitor's product, they company might quickly change their tune.
In this case, I would think nobody would be able to know for sure who was at fault. Compass, the LBS, or the Cyclist.
The wholesale cost of the rim is probably around $30. Perhaps Compass decided to pay for the rim and the LBS decided to kick in the labor to rebuild the wheel.
#56
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And, quite worried about the old goats... Well, the goat heads.
Plus, my riding tends to be a lot of miles, so efficiency is a benefit.
So, I'm wanting to try tubeless. Just a bit divided about:
- Compass Rat Trap Pass (regular or extra light)
- Schwalbe Fat Frank
- Schwalbe Big Apple
- Regular tube tires plus Panaracer FlatAway Tire Liners
Perhaps trying to mount the Schwalbes as tubeless.
Anyway, nothing is perfectly straight-forward.
And, yes, I'll have a spare pump, tubes, patch kit, sewing kit, and perhaps I'll carry a folding tire as a spare.
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I've had problems with tire liners wearing through my tubes (chafing) and causing flats.
I've had tubes with sealant, but when I have a flat its usually a pinch flat on gravel, and sealant doesn't seal pinch flats. If you do go that route, use one of the non latex sealants that never dry out (finishline, slime, etc).
I've had tubes with sealant, but when I have a flat its usually a pinch flat on gravel, and sealant doesn't seal pinch flats. If you do go that route, use one of the non latex sealants that never dry out (finishline, slime, etc).
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#59
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I think some of you are being a little hard on Compass here. I have the Snoqualmies. They're awesome in every way, I love them.
1. I paid $124 for a set of the Standard tires, perhaps the OP got the Extralights? The $62/ tire I paid is certainly very high, but not ridiculous for specialty tires this size from a boutique brand (check out the prices on cross tubulars some time). $81 per tire is indeed ridiculous for most any tire, IMO.
2. 50 PSI is way too high for these tires, especially tubeless. I run mine tubed at 28-32 psi. It's true the tires are rated for 75 psi tubed and 60 psi tubeless but there's no reason to run them higher than 35 psi, IMO.
3. As others have said, tubeless setups are notorious for being finicky with different tire / rim combos. In my experience, the technology isn't ready for prime time in applications over about 40 psi. On any bike I've run tubeless, I much prefer to have extremely tight beads. At least on my rims, the Compass beads were far from tubeless tight.
4. Compass is pretty cagey about exactly how ready their tires actually are for tubeless. Note the weaselly "tubeless compatible" rating. This I do blame them for: either the tires are 100% tubeless ready or they're not.
1. I paid $124 for a set of the Standard tires, perhaps the OP got the Extralights? The $62/ tire I paid is certainly very high, but not ridiculous for specialty tires this size from a boutique brand (check out the prices on cross tubulars some time). $81 per tire is indeed ridiculous for most any tire, IMO.
2. 50 PSI is way too high for these tires, especially tubeless. I run mine tubed at 28-32 psi. It's true the tires are rated for 75 psi tubed and 60 psi tubeless but there's no reason to run them higher than 35 psi, IMO.
3. As others have said, tubeless setups are notorious for being finicky with different tire / rim combos. In my experience, the technology isn't ready for prime time in applications over about 40 psi. On any bike I've run tubeless, I much prefer to have extremely tight beads. At least on my rims, the Compass beads were far from tubeless tight.
4. Compass is pretty cagey about exactly how ready their tires actually are for tubeless. Note the weaselly "tubeless compatible" rating. This I do blame them for: either the tires are 100% tubeless ready or they're not.
Last edited by Hiro11; 05-17-18 at 04:23 PM.
#60
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I think some of you are being a little hard on Compass here. I have the Snoqualmies. They're awesome in every way, I love them.
1. I paid $124 for a set of the Standard tires, perhaps the OP got the Extralights? The $62/ tire I paid is certainly very high, but not ridiculous for specialty tires this size from a boutique brand (check out the prices on cross tubulars some time). $81 per tire is indeed ridiculous for most any tire, IMO.
2. 50 PSI is way too high for these tires, especially tubeless. I run mine tubed at 28-32 psi. It's true the tires are rated for 75 psi tubed and 60 psi tubeless but there's no reason to run them higher than 35 psi, IMO.
3. As others have said, tubeless setups are notorious for being finicky with different tire / rim combos. In my experience, the technology isn't ready for prime time in applications over about 40 psi. On any bike I've run tubeless, I much prefer to have extremely tight beads. At least on my rims, the Compass beads were far from tubeless tight.
4. Compass is pretty cagey about exactly how ready their tires actually are for tubeless. Note the weaselly "tubeless compatible" rating. This I do blame them for: either the tires are 100% tubeless ready or they're not.
1. I paid $124 for a set of the Standard tires, perhaps the OP got the Extralights? The $62/ tire I paid is certainly very high, but not ridiculous for specialty tires this size from a boutique brand (check out the prices on cross tubulars some time). $81 per tire is indeed ridiculous for most any tire, IMO.
2. 50 PSI is way too high for these tires, especially tubeless. I run mine tubed at 28-32 psi. It's true the tires are rated for 75 psi tubed and 60 psi tubeless but there's no reason to run them higher than 35 psi, IMO.
3. As others have said, tubeless setups are notorious for being finicky with different tire / rim combos. In my experience, the technology isn't ready for prime time in applications over about 40 psi. On any bike I've run tubeless, I much prefer to have extremely tight beads. At least on my rims, the Compass beads were far from tubeless tight.
4. Compass is pretty cagey about exactly how ready their tires actually are for tubeless. Note the weaselly "tubeless compatible" rating. This I do blame them for: either the tires are 100% tubeless ready or they're not.
I agree with all of this. If you're running 50 psi in a road tire that large, you're defeating the purpose. Also, I don't understand people who are shocked that a lightweight skinwall tire isn't that durable. Supple comes at a cost.. Skinwall is not the same as gumwall. Oh you're running tubeless? Get a rim and tire that are designed for each other, otherwise don't get mad when it becomes a PITA. Basic stuff.
#61
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Would also recommend against Compass Tyres if you ride anything beyond pavement and buff rail trails.
1) Poor Durability:
Yes, they are more supple. They are dreamy to ride. It comes at a cost to durability if you ride anywhere outside of rail trails or pavement as they have 0 puncture protection. Am pretty light on my bike but managed to slash 2 x 38mm Barlow Pass (standard casing) on the sidewall 1.5cm and punctured the centre tread on the other on separate occasions (which I ad to use a tubeless plug to seal) after 3 months of riding a mixed bag of terrain. Another 6 months through winter (more debris) I've been running a comparable pair of 38mm Panaracer Gravelking (Slick) are looking pristine (and ridden through buff XC singletrack even more so). The Panaracers weigh less too (~60 less per tyre). The Compass weight more as it has more rubber down the centre tread for longer tyre life - but can't see the sidewall lasting the life of the tyre! For the majority of people gravel riding - a wee bit off the top of outright performance (which is what Compass Tyres are) for a wee bit more durability makes a hell of a lot more more sense as a balanced gravel tyre.
2) Annoying to set up tubeless:
They are harder to set up tubeless, but if you know the proper technique they're doable (manually beading the tyre first). They're also annoyingly sensitive to the type of sealant you use. They recommend Orange Seal as it coats the tyre in a film more so than any other sealant, which aids in sealing up the weeping thin sidewalls. You also need to be very careful to seal them up, and rest each wheel on a bucket for a few hours to ensure the whole sidewall gets sealed. Where as many other tyre manufactures seal up nicely with any sealant (Stans, Joes, Schwalbe which are also a good deal cheaper than Orange Seal) and only require a shake/spin in the bike. Probably why they are only rated to "tubeless compatible" rather than "tubeless ready" like Panaracer tyres.
3) Cost:
A pair of Barlow Pass tyres cost $200 AUD. Panaracer Gravel Kings are $100 AUD a pair.
1) Poor Durability:
Yes, they are more supple. They are dreamy to ride. It comes at a cost to durability if you ride anywhere outside of rail trails or pavement as they have 0 puncture protection. Am pretty light on my bike but managed to slash 2 x 38mm Barlow Pass (standard casing) on the sidewall 1.5cm and punctured the centre tread on the other on separate occasions (which I ad to use a tubeless plug to seal) after 3 months of riding a mixed bag of terrain. Another 6 months through winter (more debris) I've been running a comparable pair of 38mm Panaracer Gravelking (Slick) are looking pristine (and ridden through buff XC singletrack even more so). The Panaracers weigh less too (~60 less per tyre). The Compass weight more as it has more rubber down the centre tread for longer tyre life - but can't see the sidewall lasting the life of the tyre! For the majority of people gravel riding - a wee bit off the top of outright performance (which is what Compass Tyres are) for a wee bit more durability makes a hell of a lot more more sense as a balanced gravel tyre.
2) Annoying to set up tubeless:
They are harder to set up tubeless, but if you know the proper technique they're doable (manually beading the tyre first). They're also annoyingly sensitive to the type of sealant you use. They recommend Orange Seal as it coats the tyre in a film more so than any other sealant, which aids in sealing up the weeping thin sidewalls. You also need to be very careful to seal them up, and rest each wheel on a bucket for a few hours to ensure the whole sidewall gets sealed. Where as many other tyre manufactures seal up nicely with any sealant (Stans, Joes, Schwalbe which are also a good deal cheaper than Orange Seal) and only require a shake/spin in the bike. Probably why they are only rated to "tubeless compatible" rather than "tubeless ready" like Panaracer tyres.
3) Cost:
A pair of Barlow Pass tyres cost $200 AUD. Panaracer Gravel Kings are $100 AUD a pair.
#63
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Similar experience with Compass **** those guys
Bought a set of Bon Jons and 3 flats in 12 miles. They offered a 20% discount on a new tire. That would be good money after bad...
Last edited by unterhausen; 07-31-22 at 02:09 PM.
#64
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Punctures can happen to any tire and are more often caused by pinches than anything else. I don't worry about punctures, especially with tubeless setups. What I worry about is ride-ending cuts. I would say that based on my experience, the Compass tires are definitely more prone to cuts than some other tires with more robust carcasses. I am lightweight and nicked a tiny piece of metal (it took me a couple of minutes to even find what I hit) and the tire basically catastrophically exploded. I ride about 6K miles a year and have never seen that on other tires. I will say that I went a long way with no issues on these tires despite some pretty hard use on rough gravel and rocks. There's clearly a trade-off here: creampuff dreamy ride quality for a bit of cut resistance. YMMV.
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“Compass Bicycles Ltd. shall not be held liable for any indirect, special or consequential damages. There shall be no other warranties, implied or expressed”.
#66
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This thread put me off running them tubeless (along with reports that the sidewalls weep sealant), but between me and my wife, we have run 3 sets of them with tubes with zero issues/flats. I'm not sure I would want to tour with them, but for my normal riding, they have been a real improvement with an unreal ride quality, both on and off road. I have two wheelsets for my primary ride, one with 38mm slicks (Barlow Pass extra light), and the other with 38mm treads (Steilacoom TC). Both are mounted to HED Belgium Plus Disc Brake Clincher rims. The slick ones can handle all but the roughest off-road conditions, and the treaded ones only have a slight penalty on the road. The Steilacooms replaced WTB Nanos, and are vastly superior.
I also bought some Vittoria Corsa G+ graphene tires. One blew off the rim (fortunately while in the garage), with the tube. Unlike Compass, they were the most difficult tire to mount I have ever experienced, so it is likely I got a bit of tube pinched in there somehow. I found myself wishing I had bought Compass tires for that bike instead.
I also bought some Vittoria Corsa G+ graphene tires. One blew off the rim (fortunately while in the garage), with the tube. Unlike Compass, they were the most difficult tire to mount I have ever experienced, so it is likely I got a bit of tube pinched in there somehow. I found myself wishing I had bought Compass tires for that bike instead.
Last edited by Cyclist0108; 01-12-19 at 10:01 AM.
#67
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#68
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I've been using Compass extralights (black) setup tubeless going on two years now with no issues.
Get the odd thorn or something else. Just pull it out; tyre seals up straightaway.
I do recognize the fragile state of the very thin sidewall though.
My only tyre disaster so far was riding down a short length of highway on Thunder Burt liteskins and I rode over a hand-length of sharp one-inch steel which flicked up and slashed the sidewall.
Had to stitch it up and boot it.
Have found all sorts of things on the side of the road on main roads (which I tend to avoid due to glass/metal etc.).
Get the odd thorn or something else. Just pull it out; tyre seals up straightaway.
I do recognize the fragile state of the very thin sidewall though.
My only tyre disaster so far was riding down a short length of highway on Thunder Burt liteskins and I rode over a hand-length of sharp one-inch steel which flicked up and slashed the sidewall.
Had to stitch it up and boot it.
Have found all sorts of things on the side of the road on main roads (which I tend to avoid due to glass/metal etc.).
#69
Gravel Rocks
I have a pair of these in the ultra light with a few hundred miles on them - they roll about as well as my GP4000SII tires in a 25mm based on my wattage / speed comparison on the same route and same conditions (flat route 17mph). No flats, cushy ride, I like them.
#70
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Meh, that doesn't mean squat. You can't hang a sign around your neck saying "I'm not responsible," and then walking around all day killing people and stealing cars. It's either their fault, or it isn't. Their website has no bearing on fault.
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I think you'll find that warranty exclusion of incidental damages is pretty common, and not just in the bicycle tire industry.
#73
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I mean stupidity abounds, cyclist (as a group) are not immune to it.
It makes absolute sense that a tire manufacture would distance themselves from babysitting whomever buys their tires.
#74
Senior Member
based on what I know/have seen of people using all sorts of stuff for tire levers, ghetto tubeless, and stupid extreme tire pressure. and who knows what else, like not paying attention and hitting curbs dead on while riding.
I mean stupidity abounds, cyclist (as a group) are not immune to it.
It makes absolute sense that a tire manufacture would distance themselves from babysitting whomever buys their tires.
I mean stupidity abounds, cyclist (as a group) are not immune to it.
It makes absolute sense that a tire manufacture would distance themselves from babysitting whomever buys their tires.
I mean this is obviously an extreme example, but if a tire spontaneously explodes and incinerates half the people on a group ride, Compass is responsible for a whole lot more than a replacement tire.
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No doubt. But you're talking about fault on the part of the consumer. Compass was trying to absolve themselves of fauly due to their OWN actions.
I mean this is obviously an extreme example, but if a tire spontaneously explodes and incinerates half the people on a group ride, Compass is responsible for a whole lot more than a replacement tire.
I mean this is obviously an extreme example, but if a tire spontaneously explodes and incinerates half the people on a group ride, Compass is responsible for a whole lot more than a replacement tire.