Compass Tire Hype: Warning
08-28-17, 04:43 PM
#51
Calamari Marionette Ph.D
Thread Starter
The Shill is back
Squid the Shill Puppet is back for a thread bump.
I've spent more time and miles experimenting with the pressure on my 35mm Compass tires. I'm down to 60 rear and 40 front. These tires are STUPID luxurious and they just keep freaking rolling.
25 windy miles yesterday and I got tired of spinning out. Everything felt like downhill. If I stopped pedaling the bike would just roll, and roll, and roll, and roll further. And starting from a dead stop is quick and easy. I'm going to reduce my rear cog by one tooth. I'm serious. These things are ridiculous. No flats yet either. None. I no longer care that the price tag is insulting. I'm on the stupid shill train for good.
I've spent more time and miles experimenting with the pressure on my 35mm Compass tires. I'm down to 60 rear and 40 front. These tires are STUPID luxurious and they just keep freaking rolling.
25 windy miles yesterday and I got tired of spinning out. Everything felt like downhill. If I stopped pedaling the bike would just roll, and roll, and roll, and roll further. And starting from a dead stop is quick and easy. I'm going to reduce my rear cog by one tooth. I'm serious. These things are ridiculous. No flats yet either. None. I no longer care that the price tag is insulting. I'm on the stupid shill train for good.
08-28-17, 08:15 PM
#53
Fresh Garbage
It's all good though, over the years I have come to enjoy some squish in my tires. Generally pump my 35mm tires to 60spi and drop down from there if I go off-roading.
08-28-17, 08:47 PM
#54
Calamari Marionette Ph.D
Thread Starter
You sound like some of the mountain bike nerds I know, discussing the nuances their tire pressure. To ride 25psi or not to ride 25psi. Then I have a buddy that pumps up to 40psi and still kicks ass. It's all good though, over the years I have come to enjoy some squish in my tires. Generally pump my 35mm tires to 60spi and drop down from there if I go off-roading.
It's all good though, over the years I have come to enjoy some squish in my tires. Generally pump my 35mm tires to 60spi and drop down from there if I go off-roading.
08-28-17, 08:53 PM
#55
Fresh Garbage
I think it makes a lot more sense on a motorcycle but on a bicycle what works for you is what matters. Some skinny dudes on road bikes pump their tires to 120psi while I, currently at 250lbs, rarely pump over 100psi on my 23mm tires. :shrug: Speaking of motorcycles, I wish I knew more about them. I do a little dirt biking here are there but I really don't know ****.
08-28-17, 09:55 PM
#56
Calamari Marionette Ph.D
Thread Starter
I think it makes a lot more sense on a motorcycle but on a bicycle what works for you is what matters. Some skinny dudes on road bikes pump their tires to 120psi while I, currently at 250lbs, rarely pump over 100psi on my 23mm tires. :shrug: Speaking of motorcycles, I wish I knew more about them. I do a little dirt biking here are there but I really don't know ****.
Dirt bikes were my heaven while growing up. Racing MX was a euphoria better than any drug. Killer exercise too. I still believe Pro MX racers are probably the fittest overall athletes.
08-28-17, 10:10 PM
#57
Fresh Garbage
Hell yeah, the time just melts away. I'll probably go out more with my dad once the weather starts to cool down. I just wish I could get a bigger bike, the Honda 250 we have is like a clown bike under me.
08-28-17, 10:56 PM
#58
Calamari Marionette Ph.D
Thread Starter
Back when I raced (before the stupid tight and slow indoor arena tracks that are all an air show and no speed) there was an open class. 500cc two strokes.
TWICE the power of the current Pro top class. They only had four gears and you only used three because there was always too much power available. They used to ruin the tracks for the 250s and 125s. Knee deep gulches by the end of a 30 minute moto. Better than sex x 10.
The thing I think I miss the most about MX over road racing was the violence of it all. The tracks were violent, the bikes were violent, and more often then not your opponents were violent. It was like ice hockey on wheels. Bash hard and exit fast.
Kawasaki KX 500: The one bike to ride before you die!
“A fuse looking for a light.”
“Unrideable.”
“Violent.”
Those are all quotes from the June 1983 issue of Dirt Bike. The subject? Kawasaki’s first KX500, a bike that was destined to become a legend in motocross and desert racing. It was a humble beginning for one of the greatest dirt bikes in history. At the time, there were no 500cc motocrossers. Kawasaki was the first to go there since the notorious 501 Maico of the previous decade. But in the end, the KX would outlast all others of its kind, officially turning out the lights on the 500 two-stroke class in 2004
“A fuse looking for a light.”
“Unrideable.”
“Violent.”
Those are all quotes from the June 1983 issue of Dirt Bike. The subject? Kawasaki’s first KX500, a bike that was destined to become a legend in motocross and desert racing. It was a humble beginning for one of the greatest dirt bikes in history. At the time, there were no 500cc motocrossers. Kawasaki was the first to go there since the notorious 501 Maico of the previous decade. But in the end, the KX would outlast all others of its kind, officially turning out the lights on the 500 two-stroke class in 2004
https://dirtbikemagazine.com/kx500-t...efore-you-die/
Last edited by SquidPuppet; 08-28-17 at 11:06 PM.
08-29-17, 12:29 AM
#59
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I have much experience with flats. Compass tires in wider widths are very tough.
Mostly I used to get goats heads and glass. I have been riding compass tires since they were introduced. First the Grand Boise, and later Compass 700x32 (had a custom frame built for wider tires before they did their first tests). I was getting several flats a month and started using latex based sealant (totally worth it). Then I started using 42mm and 38mm Compass tires, no sealant, and have had only 3 flats in 20,000 miles.
I think some of that is incremental improvements in rubber compounds over the course of production, but clearly, wider tires at lower pressures simply flat less and don't damage as easily. They deflect, rather than puncture. I have not retired any due to sidewall damage.
I am 6'6", 220 pounds (2m, 100kilo). 700c x 38mm at 55psi rear, 45 front. 650b x 42 start at 50 rear 40 front. I will go a couple months between inflations, which is great for my daily commutes. I have let them go down to 20psi, where they will start to roll in corners. They are only a little faster when reinflated.
Mostly I used to get goats heads and glass. I have been riding compass tires since they were introduced. First the Grand Boise, and later Compass 700x32 (had a custom frame built for wider tires before they did their first tests). I was getting several flats a month and started using latex based sealant (totally worth it). Then I started using 42mm and 38mm Compass tires, no sealant, and have had only 3 flats in 20,000 miles.
I think some of that is incremental improvements in rubber compounds over the course of production, but clearly, wider tires at lower pressures simply flat less and don't damage as easily. They deflect, rather than puncture. I have not retired any due to sidewall damage.
I am 6'6", 220 pounds (2m, 100kilo). 700c x 38mm at 55psi rear, 45 front. 650b x 42 start at 50 rear 40 front. I will go a couple months between inflations, which is great for my daily commutes. I have let them go down to 20psi, where they will start to roll in corners. They are only a little faster when reinflated.
08-29-17, 01:33 AM
#60
Calamari Marionette Ph.D
Thread Starter
I have much experience with flats. Compass tires in wider widths are very tough.
Mostly I used to get goats heads and glass. I have been riding compass tires since they were introduced. First the Grand Boise, and later Compass 700x32 (had a custom frame built for wider tires before they did their first tests). I was getting several flats a month and started using latex based sealant (totally worth it). Then I started using 42mm and 38mm Compass tires, no sealant, and have had only 3 flats in 20,000 miles.
I think some of that is incremental improvements in rubber compounds over the course of production, but clearly, wider tires at lower pressures simply flat less and don't damage as easily. They deflect, rather than puncture. I have not retired any due to sidewall damage.
I am 6'6", 220 pounds (2m, 100kilo). 700c x 38mm at 55psi rear, 45 front. 650b x 42 start at 50 rear 40 front. I will go a couple months between inflations, which is great for my daily commutes. I have let them go down to 20psi, where they will start to roll in corners. They are only a little faster when reinflated.
Mostly I used to get goats heads and glass. I have been riding compass tires since they were introduced. First the Grand Boise, and later Compass 700x32 (had a custom frame built for wider tires before they did their first tests). I was getting several flats a month and started using latex based sealant (totally worth it). Then I started using 42mm and 38mm Compass tires, no sealant, and have had only 3 flats in 20,000 miles.
I think some of that is incremental improvements in rubber compounds over the course of production, but clearly, wider tires at lower pressures simply flat less and don't damage as easily. They deflect, rather than puncture. I have not retired any due to sidewall damage.
I am 6'6", 220 pounds (2m, 100kilo). 700c x 38mm at 55psi rear, 45 front. 650b x 42 start at 50 rear 40 front. I will go a couple months between inflations, which is great for my daily commutes. I have let them go down to 20psi, where they will start to roll in corners. They are only a little faster when reinflated.
08-29-17, 01:56 AM
#61
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a bit 'off topic', but I have been using Specialized Turbo Cotton tyres on my road bike (Giant TCR) for the past few months (700Cx24) .... on my wheels (HED Belgium Plus), they measure just over 27mm wide
amazing tyres that roll fast .... super comfortable, and so far, I have covered 750km on some fairly rough roads .... one puncture from a shard of glass that would have punctured a tractor tyre, and these tyres still look new
I will definately buy these again .... I'm using them with Bontrager Ultra-Lightweight Tubes (not latex, but a lot lighter than normal tubes
amazing tyres that roll fast .... super comfortable, and so far, I have covered 750km on some fairly rough roads .... one puncture from a shard of glass that would have punctured a tractor tyre, and these tyres still look new
I will definately buy these again .... I'm using them with Bontrager Ultra-Lightweight Tubes (not latex, but a lot lighter than normal tubes
08-29-17, 10:52 AM
#62
Senior Member
Swapped my Compass tires for Clements as I practice for the cross season. Very sad.
Currently wishing and hoping that they would make a knobby 33. Please take my money.
Currently wishing and hoping that they would make a knobby 33. Please take my money.
08-29-17, 11:04 AM
#63
Fresh Garbage
Sigh My dad has a 450 fitted with a raised saddle and riser bars and what not to make it work nicely for him and he's 6' tall. It feels good when I get on his bike but I still need some more so I don't have to work so hard to to get my ass off the saddle.
I haven't ridden a more powerful bike and they seem scary. Have you thought of doing so other kind of racing like Enduro rather then MX?
My dad has a 450 fitted with a raised saddle and riser bars and what not to make it work nicely for him and he's 6' tall. It feels good when I get on his bike but I still need some more so I don't have to work so hard to to get my ass off the saddle. I haven't ridden a more powerful bike and they seem scary. Have you thought of doing so other kind of racing like Enduro rather then MX?
08-29-17, 01:12 PM
#65
Senior Member
08-29-17, 01:23 PM
#66
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I just put some 25c Veloflex Masters on my road bike and they improved the ride a lot. Put the Schwalbe Kojak's on my single speed 26" Rockhopper conversion. Thinking about the 120 TPI 28c Clement Strada's for my fixed gear.
All as ways to get Compass like feel for less than Compass prices but at some point I'd like to try the real things. This thread only heightens that desire...
All as ways to get Compass like feel for less than Compass prices but at some point I'd like to try the real things. This thread only heightens that desire...
08-29-17, 01:26 PM
#67
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If they did, I wouldn't be surprised if it ended up as a 700x32C nominal, or undersized for the 700x33C label, just to make sure it passes inspection on wide rims...
08-29-17, 02:49 PM
#68
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I am a huge fan. I rode sewups by preference until I tried Compass tires. I now have them on most of my bikes, including my cheapo builds. It is astonishing how nice an old heavy bike can be when on Compass tires!
08-29-17, 04:53 PM
#69
Calamari Marionette Ph.D
Thread Starter
Scary can be sublime. When a bike is fast enough to narrow your field of vision by 80% and render your depth perception useless, you are beginning to touch the other world. It begins to feel like an artificial experience. My heart rate actually begins to go down. Adrenaline is now not only useless, it's dangerous. Yoga zen at 180mph. Very soothing.
Not violent enough. 
Asphalt is my gig now. MX is for the young studs.
I am extremely qualified to agree with this.
Have you thought of doing so other kind of racing like Enduro rather then MX?
Asphalt is my gig now. MX is for the young studs.
08-29-17, 05:05 PM
#70
aka Tom Reingold
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@SquidPuppet, you're a very amusing writer.
__________________
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Tom Reingold, tom@noglider.com
New York City and High Falls, NY
Blogs: The Experienced Cyclist; noglider's ride blog
“When man invented the bicycle he reached the peak of his attainments.” — Elizabeth West, US author
Please email me rather than PM'ing me. Thanks.
08-29-17, 05:33 PM
#71
Fresh Garbage
Scary can be sublime. When a bike is fast enough to narrow your field of vision by 80% and render your depth perception useless, you are beginning to touch the other world. It begins to feel like an artificial experience. My heart rate actually begins to go down. Adrenaline is now not only useless, it's dangerous. Yoga zen at 180mph. Very soothing.
08-29-17, 11:08 PM
#72
Calamari Marionette Ph.D
Thread Starter
YES! You totally get it man!!!!!!!!! 
And yes, the silence, it's brilliant, the world disappears. It's like your brain and all your senses shut off, and your body is running on auto pilot. And the best experience is IF you become aware of the state that you are in, you can relax, embrace it, and go deeper. If you think about what you are doing, you'll just ruin the whole thing.
Another beautiful part of it is, you know that your rowing team mate (riding buddy) is right there in that same strange place with you, experiencing every detail at the exact same time. It's like an unconscious bonding ballet. Connected.
And yes, the silence, it's brilliant, the world disappears. It's like your brain and all your senses shut off, and your body is running on auto pilot. And the best experience is IF you become aware of the state that you are in, you can relax, embrace it, and go deeper. If you think about what you are doing, you'll just ruin the whole thing.
Another beautiful part of it is, you know that your rowing team mate (riding buddy) is right there in that same strange place with you, experiencing every detail at the exact same time. It's like an unconscious bonding ballet. Connected.
08-29-17, 11:13 PM
#73
Calamari Marionette Ph.D
Thread Starter
08-30-17, 01:04 AM
#74
Senior Member
I wonder what frame and wheel you using? I been looking at Compass tire for a long time but size is so freaking bigMy Fuji Feather frame seems to take 28 just fine but probably not with 35-36, want to try them on but fear of frame clearance will be . . . troublesome
08-30-17, 09:03 AM
#75
Senior Member
I ride my super light compass 38s on terrain I would not in my wildest dreams consider a road. Jagged rocks, dirt, mud, whatever. These things haven't punctured once. I just don't get it. They are amazing tires in every way. Put them back on tarmac and they're schweeeeeet.