Ibis make some pretty bold claims about their ultra wide carbon fiber 741 wheelset, most notably the combination of super tire stability and significantly increased traction at low pressures. Funnily enough everyone that has gotten their hands on the 741’s – Enduromag, Pinkbike, MTBR, Singletracks et al – agree. The 741’s are indeed the schizz!
The key to unlocking the 741’s game changing schizz comes down to running the right tires at the right pressures. Sounds easy yeah, but given very few (in any) current tires have been designed specifically for +40mm rims some experimentation is required. As a general guide, tires with rounder profiles are the go on 741’s versus those more square edged. Luckily forum threads on the interweb provide a good starting point.
While you could just bolt on a pair of burly man tires and be done with it, there aren’t any bonus points for dragging way too much tire around the trail. For the 741’s to shine what you really want is just enough tire; maximum performance and acceptable durability at the lowest weight.
Presenting Hippie’s 741 Tire Gnar Quest
I’m starting off with XC tires on the 741’s, and intend to work up from there until I find an all round sweet spot. Here’s the first round of tire combinations I’ve got in mind:
- Light Gnar (XC/Trail): Specialized Purgatory 2.3 front & rear
- Medium Gnar (Trail/AM): Schwalbe Rock Razor 2.35 rear, Schwalbe 2015 Nobby Nic 2.35 front
- Heavy Gnar (AM/DH): Maxxis Minion 2.35 front & rear
I’m guessing I’ll most likely end up running a medium gnar combination as I know from the past that pretty well covers all the riding I’ve done here in Australia. We’ll see though – I’m prepared to be surprised by what works and doesn’t work on the 741’s!