One way for Delium to reduce this price is to offer tires through its website on the direct-to-consumer business model. Founded in 1956, the Indonesian company has been manufacturing bicycle tires and inner tubes for over fifty years. Previously they created products on a larger OEM scale until recently they turned their efforts to the high performance side of mountain bike tires.
• Triple extra soft 42/50/65a
• Triple zone housing
• 62 TPI + rim impact protection
• Folding bead in aramid
• Sizes: 29 x 2.5 inches or 27.5 x 2.5 inches
• Weight: 1235g – 29 x 2.5 inches / 1150g – 27.5 x 2.5 inches (declared weights)
• MSRP: $58
• deliumtires.com
The Rugged Reinforced tire is designed for the most technical terrain with an open tread, triple compound rubber and a gravity carcass that protects three zones using different layers.
DETAILS
Delium makes it easy to understand their range of tires and also streamlines the possible combinations for the most common choices. For example, the low-profile tread of the “Fast” model, intended for cross-country, is not available in the heaviest reinforced carcass. Likewise, the rugged, meaty model is only available in general-purpose or ruggedized cases for trail and gravity applications. Delium only offers its tires in one width per tire model, but in two diameters; 27.5″ and 29″.
Similar to a Maxxis DH casing, the Delium’s reinforced casing utilizes a 62 TPI double-ply carcass, rim impact protection, all within a collapsible aramid bead. TPI stands for Threads Per Inch, as Mike Levy explained in this Tire Technology video. As with the thread count in bed sheets, the lower the count, the thicker the threads. Above the bead is a belt to deter punctures when the rim might bite through the tire carcass, and a second continuous layer down the sidewall to mitigate rock strikes.
Another triple layer strategy is found in rubber where three durometers make up these square-edged blocks. At the base to support the knobs is a firm 65a rubber, with 50a covering the center and a softer 42a durometer on the shoulder lugs.
As you can imagine, when wearing these gravity-oriented tires, you can expect to hear the “looks like an Assegai” comment frequently. Undoubtedly, they are close in appearance to the two-three-two alternating center knobs and are another version of the popular Maxxis tire. When mounted and compared on a 30mm rim, the Rugged has a flatter profile on top of the tread and measured at exactly 2.5 inches at the widest point.
WEIGHT & PRICE
Each rider will have their own tire safety requirements depending on their discipline and terrain. The heavy-duty reinforced case comes in at 1259 grams for the 29″ x 2.5″, twenty-four more than claimed. This lines up closer to the equivalent size of a Maxxis Double Down casing, which is about 100 grams lighter than their DH casing tire.
Are tires the best place to save money? Remember that our bikes cost thousands of dollars. What’s a few hundred more for maximum traction? Maybe you could spend less on carbon parts or shiny suspension and hoard more black magic rubber. It’s a decision you have to make for yourself, but that doesn’t change the fact that the Delium Rugged tires are exceptional value at US$58. Also keep in mind that Maxxis and Schwalbe prices do not vary between their soft and softest rubbers.
WARRANTY AND RETURNS
For up to one year from the date of purchase, or 50% of the original tread depth, Delium offers a warranty to original owners in the North American market. This of course does not include punctures, only manufacturing defects, such as buttons that can detach from the housing or warped housings. All the fine print is clearly listed in the warranty section of their website and instructions for warranty returns will be handled by their warranty team.
There is also a 30 day return policy for new tires only. This means that you have thirty days from receipt of the tires, still in their packaging, to begin the return process. Any tire mounted or unpackaged will not be eligible for a refund.
Customers are responsible for shipping costs associated with tires returned for refund and authorization must be acquired first. This process will be managed by contacting their sales team through the Delium website.
FACILITY
Tire in hand, you can feel the layers of protection all over the carcass. The folding tire is for front and rear use, so I doubled down on the Ruggeds. Popping the tire on the bead of either rim was no problem and a compressor or charge pump was not needed. They settled into place without any sign of wobbling.
The tires never cried sealant, but they would lose considerably more pressure in a few days compared to Maxxis. Nor was the 10 psi loss due to a faulty rim tape, the usual suspect when a stored tire loses pressure. This is not a breach of contract, but a reminder to always check your tire pressure before setting off.
DRIVING IMPRESSIONS
Considering that the price of Rugged tires is almost half that of premium tires from Maxxis and Schwalbe, does that mean performance is also cut in half? Certainly not.
The first thing you’ll notice is that the rubber isn’t as soft of a compound or as slow to rebound as the Maxxis MaxxGrip, however, it’s very close to their MaxxTerra formula. If you’ve spent any time on both Maxxis compounds, you know that even with the same tread pattern, there is a noticeable difference in grip. Compared to a Schwalbe Magic Mary Super Gravity Soft compound, the Rugged grips wet rocks and roots with more consistency. There seems to be the extra surface area on tap of the Deliums, which makes control on slick rock slabs manageable. The drop in pressure helps here because the sidewall is quite supportive for a mid-weight gravity tire—knock on wood, I haven’t punctured on the Deliums yet.
My pressures would hover around 21 psi in the front and 24 in the rear on the wettest days in Squamish and the North Shore. I was also able to feel the characteristics of the Rugged on the dry, loose, and blindingly fast trail conditions around Kamloops, BC, where I upped the pressures to 23 and 27 psi. Tire roll was manageable and no major burping occurred on either wheelset, even when hitting those face-melting corners found in the arid landscape of the province’s interior region. . I started noticing more tire bounce than I had first perceived at lower pressures on slower speed trails. This is where the softness of the upper compensates for the harder rubber and is an example of the compromises one should choose for one’s riding needs.
On harder trails and rocky slabs, however, there is a limit to the top 50a durometer rubber layer in the center. Balancing sidewall support and grip means a narrower window to fine-tune the optimum pressure—something has to give, and sometimes that meant slipping early in a corner or feeling the front tire bend. Where the square profile sinks into the perfect stringer around the PNW, the harder compound and closer shoulder knob didn’t allow for the same lean angles you can achieve with a MaxxGrip Assegai. However, they are predictable across the entire tread, and the release of the rear tire is not accompanied by a jump or sudden loss of traction. “Consistent” is the best way to describe the traction produced by Rugged tires.
After weeks of use in all possible conditions, the Deliums still look very fresh, even the rear tire. There are no signs of the knobs cracking, and they don’t bend as easily as some super soft compound tires. Everything is a balancing act: rolling speed to straight-line braking, casing support to compliance, quality to cost, durability to weight. Whichever way you want to sum it up, the Delium Rugged Reinforced achieves the goal of meeting all demands very well in a gravity tire that doesn’t sacrifice a lot of performance to hit a cheaper price point.
Advantages
+ Excellent value
+ Predictable braking and cornering characteristics
+ Solid mid-weight, gravity-focused tire for all conditions
+ Durable casing with long life
The inconvenients
– Case could use more damping
– The tackier option would allow for more grip without compromising the backing
Pinkbike’s take
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