First Look: Prototype e*thirteen TRS Tires
PB photographer and all around man of enduro, Matt Wragg, spied e*thirteen testing prototype tires at round eight of the EWS in Finale Ligure. Officially, e*thirteen's new TRS tire is only nearing production, but the versions we saw were close enough to give PB readers a look at what is to come when the final molds and testing are done, and the first TRS tires roll into stores around May 2016. The reasons stated for the component maker's decision to forge ahead into the very crowded tire market were fairly simple: To engineer a tubeless tire that could be mounted and dismounted fairly easily by hand and without tools and yet air up without trouble; and to provide a truly race worthy enduro option that fits (in both weight and durability) between a dedicated DH and a lightweight trail tire.
The TRS's conservative, widely spaced tread profile masks a lot of nuances that keep the big tire rolling fast.
e*thirteen TRS Tire
Tubeless and wide: Being a rim and wheel maker for three years, e*thirteen has run into the usual fit-up issues that, reportedly, stem from inconsistent practices between tire and rim makers. So, they set to work to solve those issues. First, with a rim profile that remains within accepted ETRTO rim and tire standards, but using a deeper well and better shoulder profiling which facilitates tool-less mounting practices. E*thirteen's tires are optimized to work with any ETRTO rim with inner widths between 27 and 30 millimeters, but have proven to perform well when mounted to rims up to 35 millimeters.
Reinforced tread: The second major aspect of the TRS design is a tread pattern that is rigid enough to withstand high-pressure cornering forces without having to rely on a super stiff (read, "heavier than sin") casing to keep the edging blocks from tucking. The TRS edging tread is very beefy - along the lines of Schwalbe's Magic Mary, which has been a staple among EWS and WC DH racers since its inception. Officials at e*thirteen say that the special angle of the grooved "sipes" in the tread blocks add more feel to the tire as it reaches maximum grip and starts to slide.
Proven basics: Simple, widely spaced tread rows, reduced crown tread heights, and a dual-compound rubber strategy (42a hardness for the edging blocks and 50a on top) are said to make the TRS a fast roller, even though it appears to be a very aggressive tire. Look closely at the TRS tires in the photos and you can see that virtually every block has been hand cut to some angle, and those are not willy nilly attempts at saving a poor performing tire. The cuts have evolved over an extended testing period and will be included into the final molds being made this month.
Familiar manufacturer: E*thirteen admits that the TRS is their first attempt at a tire, and that they have been assisted by their manufacturer (CST, the same maker who produces Maxxis, among other top names), and that before they even put a drawing together, they bought and tried every worthwhile tire in the AM/enduro category to establish a base line. The fact that the new TRS shares many features with the most popular rubber on the EWS is not a coincidence. E*thirteen says that they arrived at a similar tread pattern because that is what works best over the wide variety of terrain and at the high speeds of both enduro and gravity racing.
Proven basics: Simple, widely spaced tread rows, reduced crown tread heights, and a dual-compound rubber strategy (42a hardness for the edging blocks and 50a on top) are said to make the TRS a fast roller, even though it appears to be a very aggressive tire. Look closely at the TRS tires in the photos and you can see that virtually every block has been hand cut to some angle, and those are not willy nilly attempts at saving a poor performing tire. The cuts have evolved over an extended testing period and will be included into the final molds being made this month.
Familiar manufacturer: E*thirteen admits that the TRS is their first attempt at a tire, and that they have been assisted by their manufacturer (CST, the same maker who produces Maxxis, among other top names), and that before they even put a drawing together, they bought and tried every worthwhile tire in the AM/enduro category to establish a base line. The fact that the new TRS shares many features with the most popular rubber on the EWS is not a coincidence. E*thirteen says that they arrived at a similar tread pattern because that is what works best over the wide variety of terrain and at the high speeds of both enduro and gravity racing.
Little nips and cuts can be seen on each tread block which are an important part of e*thirteen's ongoing learning process.
Sidewall texturing is part ornamental and part anti-abrasion protection. The TRS edging blocks mean business.
How much and how soon? As mentioned, TRS tires are optimized for wide rims and that is primarily a function of its more rounded tread, in addition to reinforcing rubber that is placed strategically to ward off pinch flats. Presently, the TRS prototypes weigh in the neighborhood of 850 grams, with the final versions (complete with a tougher casing) projected to be around 920 grams. E*thirteen says they will also offer a racing only option tire that will feature super sticky rubber and, although it is expected to wear quickly, it has proven to be well worth the expense on the racetrack. Prices and final dimensions are not fixed, but we expect a 2.4-inch casing and e*thirteen states that prices will be similar to its competitors. PB has a pair of prototypes on a bike and will be cobbling up a ride report soon.
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I like the GRID casing more than Maxxis' EXO casing as it's stiffer.
I also like that they offer a 50a compound. Unfortunately the Purgatory is the only tyre with GRID casing they sell that also uses a 50a compound.
When I was looking for a new front tyre, you could only get 40/42a rubber if you wanted a Butcher with GRID casing.
The 50a Butcher only came with a Control Casing. Bummer.
So I went for my trusted Minion DHF instead.
On the rear I'm using a Specialized Ground Control GRID tyre. Works very well for me. Never liked Maxxis tyres for rear wheel duty. Their tread is focused too much on braking for use as a rear tyre, imo.
The thread pattern looks like it means business, and there are worse testing grounds than Finale, though. Since every e.13 product I used so far worked really well, I'll just assume that they know what they are doing.
Mr. Cheng: "Just look through our catalogue and pick one of our ready to order tread patterns, give us your logo and $200,000 and we'll have them over to you in three months."
E thirteen: "Done."
One mold was opened based on e*13 design concepts, tires were tested (and cut/trimmed as shown in the pictures), and then a new mold was opened based on what was learned from the first design.
It was done the right way with due diligence and certainly not just picked out of a catalog. Opening new tire molds is neither cheep nor a quick process. This means that quite a bit of $$ and time was invested in this project.
Waiting for the comeback
I'm probably overly excited about this tyre.
European Tyre and Rim Technical Organisation (ETRTO)
This helps the audience follow along in case they may not have seen the acronym before.
Just some things I was missing:
- what wheelsizes will these be released in?
- the "how soon" part has not been answered, when are they planned on going into the market?
This isn't something that's covered under any of their existing manufacturing processes or equipment so everything is going to be a new cost with no return until some indeterminate future time? All three of the companies you mention already have hugely successful road tire lines so MTB, even with minimal return, is just sampling another profit stream with minimal risk for potentially strong rewards. Vittoria though is HUGELY successful... they sell over 7 million tires a year and have a fanatically devoted following on the road and a strong presence in XC. e13 won't touch them in 20 years even under the best circumstances.
It's just bad business... guarantee you that 5-10 years from now, e13 is not going to be a viable tire brand. They're seeing dollar signs because consumables like tires generate more consistent revenue streams than hard goods but it's not a smart move.