Musical Specs



When we compare products we expect companies to provide us with accurate specs. It's not like we can go to a bike shop and weigh a ton of parts to double check the claimed weights. In my experience companies usually are honest. By and large the specs are accurate.

So I was a bit surprised when the Ultradynamico Cava tire we tested came in 30 grams heavier than the spec weight. Now 30 grams isn't a huge variation, but the 450 g weight listed on the Ultradynamico site (above) seemed very light for such a knobbly tire. Most other 650B x 47 tires are listed in the 500s. Only the Rene Herse tires push the performance envelope with weights in the lower 400s.

It's one thing to have some variability in the weight due to manufacturing tolerances, but it's something else to claim a close to record weight that turns out to be inaccurate. Recently the weight on the Ultradynamico web site was changed. It's now listed at 490 g (below). So my sample actually seems to be one of the lighter ones.



Honest mistake? Maybe. Still I find it a little suspicious when mistakes happen to favor the product. When WTB introduced 650B Road Plus with the Horizon, they a claimed a superlight 415 g weight. Everybody was excited to see a new high performance option in the market. After a few days the weight was updated to a middle of the road 515 g. Another honest mistake? For sure WTB got a lot of good press out of that mistake.

At 490 g the Ultradynamico tires are still relatively light, but they aren't any longer at the top of the class. It's good for the company to correct the specs. And for now I'm willing to give them the benefit of a doubt that it was just an honest mistake.

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