18XL with MSX tires

[gena]

Could you guys point me to a topic here or elsewhere where people fitted a kingsong 18XL with 18x3 inch tire like the MSX's . Essentially I am looking for a lightweight ( <= 25kg ) wheel with great autonomy like the 18XL but with cushy ( so no need for a suspension ) ride.

[alcatraz]

If memory serves the 18XL comes stock with a 2.5in tire which means a 3in might not fit.

I've done tire upgrades and they can be time consuming. One good trick is to pick a tire that is thinner walled. There's a massive range of tires out there that are stamped with the same dimension, but that are vastly different if measured. So you could increase your chances of using a lighter thinner walled 18x3.0in tire and perhaps not having to extensively modify your wheel for it to fit.

Many people that don't understand that tires vary greatly say things like "18x3.0 on the 18XL is impossible without modding X,Y,Z". 

Another trick is to use a USED tire. The comfort is still all there because of the air volume, but the external dimension is smaller because of the rubber that has worn off. New tires come with a lot of "hair" and other stuff that sticks out and makes it look like it won't fit. Use it a bit and it's suddenly a lot smoother, rounder and smaller.

[gena]

8 hours ago, alcatraz said:

If memory serves the 18XL comes stock with a 2.5in tire which means a 3in might not fit.

I've done tire upgrades and they can be time consuming. One good trick is to pick a tire that is thinner walled. There's a massive range of tires out there that are stamped with the same dimension, but that are vastly different if measured. So you could increase your chances of using a lighter thinner walled 18x3.0in tire and perhaps not having to extensively modify your wheel for it to fit.

Many people that don't understand that tires vary greatly say things like "18x3.0 on the 18XL is impossible without modding X,Y,Z". 

Another trick is to use a USED tire. The comfort is still all there because of the air volume, but the external dimension is smaller because of the rubber that has worn off. New tires come with a lot of "hair" and other stuff that sticks out and makes it look like it won't fit. Use it a bit and it's suddenly a lot smoother, rounder and smaller.

Thanks for the answer. 

Does it give the 18XL that comfort and cushiness of the msx? or maybe it is the choice of the type of rubber? I wish kingsong made a 18XL Max with all of 18XL but with the MSX tire

[alcatraz]

Sure you can make it comfier.

You need softer rubber, and more air volume inside. That allows for a lower air pressure without weird behavior.

Personally I've found that the cheaper tires usually tick these boxes. If you pick a big brand like CST their cheap tire has decent mileage.

But I'm trading lifespan and puncture resistance for comfort. With CST I haven't had a single external puncture (I'm lightweight, I never offroad). I had several punctures but they're all from inner tube failures (rubber fatigue). Nowadays I use only CST inner tubes and I never patch them anymore. Because that's how you get repeated punctures. When they start to go...it means the rubber has deteriorated everywhere. A new tube is like 2usd for me and lasts 4000-5000km anyway.

Edited November 2, 2023 by alcatraz

[alcatraz]

If you're a heavier rider your priorities could look different. That's why it's hard to share advice on tires.

Changing a tire on a unicycle is quite time consuming. Are you sure you need to do it?

What you could do first to increase comfort is to find an ideal air pressure. You want to drop it but fill up more frequently. That's how you can maximize comfort.

Lazy riders just put in way too much pressure and don't bother with filling up within the next 3 months or so as there's no risk of pressure being too low.

Get an air pressure gauge and pick a low pressure and fill up every week to this desired pressure. 

Try not to jump up or down any curbs as this requires more air.

[alcatraz]

For me I had no choice but to change the tire. The previous owner was a heavy rider or someone that always rode high pressure. The tire was heavy duty. Sounds good right? Wrong! At least for me, a light rider that wishes to maximize comfort.

When I dropped the pressure the tire was so rigid still that the wheel began riding on the tire sidewalls. Terrible handling, very dangerous. That's not supposed to happen. So I switched to a cheap cst tire and now I could drop that air pressure WAYYYY low without sacrificing handling. Super comfy. It's a good way to squeeze out the last bit of comfort out of a non-suspension wheel. I can recommend it.