Originally Posted by
Kapusta
i am in my 3rd set of Compass tires. Started with the 32mm, then 35mm, and now 38mm, all in the extralight casing.
The good: best performance from a tire I have ever experienced. Ridiculously smooth, ridiculously fast. All the hype is true in this case. The 32mm stampede pass is as light as most 23mm tires, and every bit as fast, and probably faster on rougher surfaces. The 35mm Bon Jon Pass is the best overall tire I have used for a variety of pavement and would use it even if I never rode gravel, even though it is very good on gravel. If you bike will take a 35mm tire, this is the one I would get.
The bad: these are pretty fragile conpared to most tires in terms of tears and puctures. The high cost is exacerbated by the fact that they don’t last as long as other tires. Tubeless is apparently a real hassle with these (if that matters to you). Also, I have noticed some manufacturer defects in the last set I bought. The have a little wobble to them, even though they are fully seated. I thought it was just how I mounted them, or my old rims, but they do same on my new rims as well. Does not seem to affect the ride most of the time (probably because of the very low pressures I run them at) but at high speeds I can detect it.
Kapusta,
When you mention fragile, have you had a lot of flats? I was considering these with tubes even though my wheels are tubeless ready since there seems to be a fair amount of comments about the specific sealant and how well the tubeless tires seal up. But with tubes, I’m guessing you run more of a risk for flats. So, it sounds like you’re using tubes? I’d be on the road or paved trails almost exclusively, so is my concern flats or less mileage than other tires?