Tioga's Prototype Glide G3 Tire - Taipei Cycle Show

Mar 24, 2017
by Mike Levy  
2017 Taipei Cycle Show

Taipei Cycle Show


Tioga has had some rather interesting tire designs over the past few years, with their Psycho Genius range employing odd looking central lugs with extensive siping that was designed to allow each lug to conform to the ground easier than a more traditional design. And as odd as the Psycho Genius was, it actually worked pretty well. Regardless, Tioga needed a tire that didn't look like it belonged in a 1980s sci-fi film, and that's exactly what the new Glide G3 seems to be.


Taipei Cycle Show
Taipei Cycle Show


The prototype Glide G3 at the show is a 27.5'' x 2.35'' trail tire that comes in at a claimed 810-grams, which puts it squarely in the sights of the Nobby Nic and a whole bunch of other rubber options. Not exactly an easy market to waltz into, then, but arguably the most important for a brand's image.

Massively prominent stepped side lugs feature deep and wide siping, and they sit next to ramped central lugs that also see heavy siping. Interestingly, the central portion of the Glide G3 is fairly open, which gives Tioga's new tire a unique appearance. Refreshingly, it doesn't appear to be a direct ripoff of a Minion, unlike many other rubber options out there. All of this is laid over a tubeless, 120 TPI casing with a relatively round profile - it's more Schwalbe-esque in shape than the square cross-section of a Highroller II.






Author Info:
mikelevy avatar

Member since Oct 18, 2005
2,032 articles

29 Comments
  • 31 5
 "it doesn't appear to be a direct ripoff of a Minion". Yes, it's an indirect mix of DHF and HR II Wink
  • 17 2
 If it works it works.
  • 18 1
 Happy memories of constantly pinch flatting the factory Tioga DH back in the 90,s
  • 14 0
 Oh gawd they were crap! The fat66 dh versions were great though. I don't trust tyres under 1kg without butyl inserts & dual ply, ain't nobody got time for flats.
  • 3 0
 Genuinely happy memories of those pinch flats. The Tioga DH tyres are part of the history books.
I can't believe they were the first properly fat tyre for the masses, in a thin-by-todays-standards 2.3"

The fact that they were actually terrible doesn't dull those memories though. Most mtb components were in the 90's!
  • 1 0
 @IllestT: Yes that seemed a golden age for MTB As for the Tioga DH I remember pinch flatting both the front and back at the same time riding the rocks at Gethin , at least they were easy to get off the rim in those days
  • 1 0
 @konacyril: Happy memories of the Tioga Comp III. I had red, yellow, and the blackwall versions, as well as piles of the regular tanwalls. I even found a pair in 20x2.25" which was huge back in the 80's Wink
  • 8 0
 Tioga used to be what Maxxis is now in the MTB world. I remember when I had these butterscotch tires on my XC bike back in the nineties (channeling the REAL legend Tomac):

www.retrobike.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=195094

forums.mtbr.com/vintage-retro-classic/1992-93-raleigh-john-tomac-signature-ti-carbon-journey-end-314827.html
  • 9 0
 Side knobs sitting right next to center ones. Not sure how much bite they are gonna get when leaned over.
  • 3 0
 Sideknobs also are angled the wrong way. They´re not cupped to grab dirt, they are angled so they will slide over it easier. That´s the most important trait of all the minion derivates imho.
Ripoffs are fine, as long as they either improve upon the original or at least show some insight into why the original was good. This looks more like the typical "cheap chinese copy" (excuse the cliché), where they halfheartedly try to make it look the same, but actually don´t understand why the original is the way it is.
  • 9 0
 I wonder how the old BMX Comp III tread would work for a MTB today?
  • 5 0
 I was going to post the same thing. They should just make a comp III and see how it works. Talk about a tread design being copied and ripped off.
  • 4 0
 @sino428: If they made a 27.5 x 2.35 I would try it.
  • 1 0
 A perfect throwback dirt jumping tire!!!
  • 6 0
 Loved my skin wall Psycho's back in the day!
  • 5 0
 White tiger FTW
  • 1 0
 What about Panaracer, and IRC? They had some great tires back in the day, but not happy with what they have now. I have always loved "made in Japan" tires... Would like to know if they have any new stuff too.
  • 3 0
 Its all just a re-creation of the Smoke and this case Dart.
  • 3 0
 I wanna see a 2.35~ Comp 8.
  • 2 1
 WOW! Tioga still exist and are still making tires... I'm just about to jump in my Delorian and drive back to 2002 to check em out...
  • 3 0
 We want butterscotch Psycho II's, ya hear Tioga?!
  • 1 0
 I like my tyres to last two rides or more
  • 1 0
 I want my Comp IIIs already! You already perfected this! Quit trying to reinvent the wheel...err, tire...
  • 1 0
 Free rainbow-colored Oakley Razor Blades with every set purchased?
  • 1 0
 Hell yea Tioga tires!
  • 1 3
 2.3.... ?? ugh.
  • 1 0
 They are also releasing them in a 2.6 or so i hear
  • 2 5
 Go back to sleep tioga
  • 1 4
 I'm gonna guess. . . no







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