79pmooney

If Compass tires are anything like Paselas, there is zero protection of the sidewalls. Any abrasion will cut threads and the sidewalls will blow out. My experience with years of Pasela riding is that the sidewalls hold up very well in just about all riding conditions, but rubbing the chainstays or, worse, a light touch of the brake pad will destroy those tires in short order. Solution? Know and don't. Easy. (Apparently, this applies to curbs also.)

Ben

bikiola

from my limited understanding/reading, they are better-than. Dunno!

HTupolev

Compass tires have no protection layers, and the sidewalls are actually thinner than Paselas (since the casing fabric is less coarse).

I haven't had any problems with the sidewalls of Paselas or Compass tires, but if someone was grinding them against curbs while slowing the bike, it wouldn't exactly surprise me if blowouts ensued...

I run the Rat Trap Pass ELs on my gravel bike.

I do think there may be some truth to Heine's claims that low pressures reduce puncture flats. There was one time that I rode them tubed for 20 miles on pavement when they were covered in thorns (after riding over a mile or two of grass covered with thorny branches), without anything driving through and causing a flat. And they generally seem to flat less often than my skinny high-performance racing tires. The flats that have occurred have been very slow leaks, except for my most recent flat which involved a gnarly glass shard.

I do think that they'd do poorly with tubed setup in a place with a very high number of thin stabby things, like areas with goatheads; in this case you'd definitely want them set up tubeless.

"Supple" basically means flexy.

ThermionicScott 

That reminds me: I was going to ask @SquidPuppet if his RTP's had come in yet.

ksryder

Weird that they disappeared your link AND won't let you say the word red it.

Been noticing some other shenanigans lately. People being banned without any update of the "banned users thread" and mods come in and threaten to lock a thread if you discuss someone who is banned.

TruthBomb was apparently just X-ed out of existence even though the banned users thread said it was only a 2 week suspension.

And I'm sure this post will get deleted because I've spoken of that which shall not be named. Or something. Even though it's not in the Rules and Regulations post.

I want to try Compass but I don't want to spend $77 on something that can't handle some of the flat-causing things where I live. Maybe if they gave me some to try as a field tester.

SquidPuppet

I have family members who give me gift cards for holidays. In mild frustration they always say, "Sorry it's so impersonal, we just have no idea what to get for you. You are tough to shop for. And you never drop any hints."

Problem solved. One rock, two birdies. KaBoom!

Guess what's going on my Birthday Hint List for August? That's right baby, in the EL flavor too. Don't you be scrimping on my gifts.

Please and thank you.

u235

Old thread I know..

Did those Marathons ever wear out? I thought that was a myth that they did

nightfly

Are narrower Compass tires worthwhile? Thinking of replacing my 28c Paselas with something like the Compass Chinooks but am a little hesitant because of price and durability. Wondering if the benefits are not as great on narrower tires. Also considering the Clement Strada LGG (cheaper not as nice) or the Challenge Strada Biancas (slightly cheaper) if I can get the 30c's on my Rush. Thoughts?

DiabloScott

I can hardly wait for my Vittoria Randonneurs to wear out so I can put Challenge Paris Roubaixs on my winter wheels as well.



Never ridden Compass anything.

HTupolev

Suppleness is just as crucial for narrow tires as for wide ones. Although, Compass isn't quite as interesting in the narrow-tire market since there's more competition.

Tim_Iowa

I just put Compass Steilacooms on my gravel bike. Only pavement riding so far, where they are smooth, fast, and cush but with a little hum from the tread.

No report on off-pavement riding; the dirt and gravel are too squishy yet.



**I've used Compass/Grand Bois 700x26, 700x32, and 650x38 already, and I have a set of lightly-used Barlows (700x38) for dry summer riding.

LewisQC

Are you running them tubeless?

Tim_Iowa

Not yet, I have tubes in them to shape them for now. And I may not go tubeless for the moment; I'm not sure if I'm going to keep these tires on or switch to Barlows once the dirt is dry (and the Barlows I have are pre-tubeless).

I haven't been doing tubeless on any of my bikes lately, because I've been swapping tires a bunch. The studs have been on and off my fat bike 3 times this winter.

ThermionicScott 

Looks sweet, @Tim_Iowa.

Metieval

and then.....



I am confused, the Extra Light flavor is black sidewalls? I thought you wanted gumwall**********

SquidPuppet

Even says Extralight on the sidewall

Metieval

not so confused now...

Cyclist0108

I just bought a pair of Compass 700C x 38 Steilacooms.

Everything you said is ... true.

WTF?

There is no apparent penalty to be paid for riding knobbies on pavement, even when climbing steep hills. Off the road, these things are truly remarkable.

Everything my WTB nanos are not. (These gave me a 2.5 mph improvement on road vs. my nanos.)

I just set these up with butyl inner tubes, arbitrarily set the rear pressure to 40 PSI and the front to 30 PSI. I haven't even started to dial them in yet, and eventually I want to try them tubeless. But right out of the bag, they are a stunning revelation, right up there with the first time I saw the ocean, the first time I saw the Grand Canyon, the first time I had sex, dropped acid, saw the active site of my favorite macromolecule at 1.2 Å resolution, you get the idea ...

I tried a Lauf bike (True Grit with a Lauf fork) a week ago. These tires are what that bike should have felt like, but in reality they are far better.

The scientist in me is embarrassed to admit that my skepticism was completely misplaced.


cf: https://janheine.wordpress.com/2018/...n-a-road-tire/

SquidPuppet

I'm glad you are enjoying them.

The only negative is that I'll never again be able to shop for reasonably priced tires.

Last week I mounted some Rat Trap Pass extra lights on my klunker, rode up and down my street a few times and fiddled with the pressure. Yesterday I went for my first real ride on them, about 25 miles. I feel like a knucklehead putting $172.00 worth of tires on a cheap bike, but I'll assume that you can appreciate my decision. Lemme tel ya, 54mms of Compass EL is like having sex in the Grand Canyon while on acid.

noglider 

@SquidPuppet, thank you for elevating the writing here on BF. I wish I could learn as much from you as @wgscott has.

Cyclist0108

@noglider: I thought I was being downright inarticulate, by comparison, when conveying my giddiness.

The tires are indeed quite mind-boggling.

I made the tactical decision to put a set on my wife's bike first, in anticipation of the standard reaction to my jubilant enthusiasm from that pessimistic naysayer and incorrigible vulture of ill-omen. Being British, her upper lip is virtually paralytic with rigor mortis, parting only enough to emit derision and skepticism, punctuated by choice tidbits of bitter and sarcastic commentary. But even she recognized the improvement, and all was well in the family until she found the LBS sales receipt and realized the price I had quoted her must have been in Pounds Sterling, not worthless California dollars.

When I told her it was the most plush ride I have ever experienced with my clothes on, she was characteristically impassive.

SquidPuppet

I thought wgscott's post was brilliantly written. He has a knack for pacing and timing his deliveries.

On the subject of the tires, his 2.5mph gain is crazy good, and I believe it. In all seriousness, I will be dropping a tooth on the rear cog on the bike I posted above. It's silly how far the bike will coast without losing much speed. The only place my old ratio was OK was on mild inclines or mild head winds. Pretty much useless on flat ground.

SquidPuppet

@noglider, that's solid gold right there ^.

noglider 

OK I believe the tires feel as good as you say, but 2.5 mph improvement? How can you be sure? That's a huge claim.

When the Steilacoom came out along with its sales copy, I thought it does sound like a breakthrough if true. Now, if it is really true, people should be bellowing about it from rooftops. I'm not doubting you, I'm wondering how to get the word out.

Cyclist0108

Thank you. Though I am unworthy of your praise, I am grateful nonetheless.


Similarly, during my on-road shake-down test ride, I realized I had forgotten to shift to the smaller front chainring while hammering up one of the steeper sections. I still lack the vocabulary to convey adequately my bemused bewilderment.