There are essentially two big tire makers in the Czech Republic that have been churning out performance rubber for decades. For 2019, both Tufo and Mitas have a couple of new treads, working along the lines of making more tires tubeless, and then making them wider again, pretty much across all disciplines…
2019 Tufo XC11 TR tubeless XC mountain bike tire
Tufo’s new cross-country mountain bike tire is called the XC11 TR, and interestingly enough is their first MTB clincher. They teased the tire to us last autumn, but now it is has been refined and is actually coming this winter. Tufo has made a number of XC racing tubeless vulcanized tubulars for many years, but while they started making road clinchers a few years back, this is their first tubeless clincher mountain bike tire.
Developed for XC & marathon racing, the XC11 TR somewhat mixes the tread design of their current XC5 & XC6 tubulars with fast-rolling, low & connected center blocks and taller, more aggressive side knobs. Tufo says the XC11 TR balances low rolling resistance and good grip, while also self-cleaning. The tire gets bead-to-bead Vectran puncture protection a high thread count casing, and comes in 29″ or 27.5″ version, both at a 2.25″ width (claimed 700g & 660g, respectively).
2019 Tufo Comtura 3, 4 & 5 TR tubeless road bike tires
On the road side of things Tufo has expanded on their TR tubeless ready Comtura 3 which also debuted last year with its curved shoulder sipes. That tire did actually make it into production, but now it gets a couple of siblings in the new Comtura 4 TR & Comtura 5 TR.
Tufo has finally signaled that they are ditching 23mm tires, so these three road racing & training tubeless tires will come only in 25mm & 28mm variants.
The new Comtura 4 TR takes over the mantle as the fastest and lightest (260g as a 25) of the group – intended for road racing – with lighter weight Vectran puncture protection under the tread only and a series of shoulder filed hexagons for cornering grip. The Comtura 5 TR on the other hand is more training focused with heavier puncture protection and a bit more rubber (280g as a 25). It gets alternating filed triangles on its shoulder for cornering grip.
Tufo’s new tubeless road and mountain bike tires will be available starting in January 2019.
2019 Mitas Scylla XC mountain tires in wider size
Mitas – self dubbed ‘the largest European manufacturer of bicycle tires & tubes’ has a few new wider tubeless tires on offer as well. Plus they have extended their lightweight puncture protection tech across two different disciplines.
Their popular fast rolling Scylla XC mountain bike tire is the first to get sized up for more technical trail riding. Still using a lightweight, supple tubeless Supra construction, the new Scylla TD will now come in a large volume 29 x 2.45″ tire (780g) with the same Textra bead & sidewall protection developed for racing the Cape Epic.
2019 Mitas Kratos & Highlander enduro tires, new Textra+ protection
Then, Mitas’ Kratos & Highlander enduro tires all get a new extended Textra+ protection layer that dramatically increases puncture & anti-pinch flat protection while retaining a flexible casing.
The new Textra+ just extends the same durable rubberized high-density polymer reinforcement fabric from bead-to-bead (then doubled up over the bead) for extra flat protection for aggressive trail riding.
The new aggressive tread dual compound enduro tires comes in 27.5 or 29″ x 2.45″ versions. The Highlander only in DH casings (1180g 29″, 1120g 27.5), and the Kratos in a DH casing option (1120g 27.5) and lighter more all-round Supra casings (880g 29″, 830g 27.5).
2019 Mitas X-Road gravel tires in wider size
The all-rounder X-Road gravel tire now also in 38c wide version with Mitas’ tubeless Supra performance casing, a CRX Light tread compound, and a new lightweight Weltex+ protection layer offering reinforced rim protection against pinch flats and rock strikes.
Weltex+ is essentially just the same new bead-to-bead mountain bike Textra+ repurposed for a lighter application, and not coming up as high on the sidewall.
The new, bigger gravel tire weighs in at 455g in 700x38mm (vs. 330g for the carryover 700×33 that doesn’t get bead-to-bead protection).
2019 Mitas E-Protec e-bike casings
Mitas has also added a few mountain bike tires with a E-Protec casing option that sues a wire bead, plus a heavy puncture protection belt under the tread to handle the rougher life of an e-bike tire.
