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RIDER T1 – 26 x 2.125″, beige sidewalls

(5 customer reviews)

$50.00

As a long-time enthusiast who collects mountain bikes from the period during which my love for cycling eventually became my career, I routinely uncover new finds from the 80s & 90s which are well worth restoring and riding, but whose tires are beyond saving.

Light-colored sidewalls which contrast black tread rubber are back in fashion, and we’re lucky enough to have access to modern production of a couple classic MTB tire designs from the 1990s, but I realized that no available tire incorporated the following design elements, which ideally suit earlier mountain bikes.

  • Large, tall, simply-shaped tread elements
    • The 80s called, and they’re bringing big blocks back
  • A slightly directional, but not position-specific, tread pattern
    • Use the same tire both front & rear; a simple flip changes the grip
  • A round tire profile
    • Consistent cornering control over all surfaces, from soft through hard
  • No graphics printed on the beige, 120TPI sidewalls
    • How much more beige could they be? The answer is none – none more beige
  • Folding, yet not tubeless-compatible, beads
    • The only thing harder than mounting some tubeless tires to old rims is removing them
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Description

The RIDER T1

Terra One is proud to offer the RIDER T1: a new tire for our original, off-road legends.

Specifications:

  • Size: 26 x 2.125
  • ETRTO 54-559
  • Measured Width: 57.5mm, at max pressure, on a 25mm rim (inner width)
  • Bead: Folding
  • Tread Color: Black
  • Tread Rubber: Dual compound (56 Shore A center with 48 Shore A sides)
  • Sidewall Color: Beige
  • Casing: 120TPI
  • Production Weight: 750g +/- 50g
  • Inflation Pressure: 22 - 50 PSI / 1.6 – 3.5 bar
  • Tire Type: Tubed (not designed or recommended for Tubeless use)
Additional information
Weight 0.8 kg
Dimensions 25 × 15 × 12 cm
Reviews (5)

5 reviews for RIDER T1 – 26 x 2.125″, beige sidewalls

  1. Ray Cruz –

    I recently tested a pair of T1’s in a cross country race (Vintage class). They were raced on an 86 Ritchey Team Comp. I was very happy with the over-all performance. The tires are light, fast rolling and supple. The T1″s are designed to look the part and do a great job of that. Only downside was the outer shoulder performance, where i noticed some traction loss on off-camber sections. Otherwise, these are great tires and I will be using them on both of my vintage bikes.

  2. Guy Redshaw –

    I have been using Rider T1s for 6 months now on a few different bikes and they’re brilliant. Top quality and great customer service👍
    Highly recommended!

  3. Matthias (Steelfightsback) –

    I have been lucky to test the T1´s very early after initial production on my 94 WTB Phoenix SE. I rode it now for approx 500km, from Mt Tam to the highlands of Germany as well as along the rivers of and through forrest of Hamburg.
    I´m 100% conviced this is the perfect solution for those, who want a balanced performing tyre for there classic MTB.
    What I like the most is it´s performance uphill and on longer trails. The round, but gripful profile transfers your power directly and wilth less roll resistance at stability in fast turns. As a logical consequence downhill is a joy, even up to very stone ground.
    I´ve ordered now additional 5 or 6 pairs to equipped further other bikes.

  4. Mikky Tee –

    Saw these on YouTube and had to have a set for my old Marin. Fitted well and really look the part. Most of what I do is a mix of xc and commuting, and these are great for that, nice smooth rolling on the road stuff, and plenty of grip on the trails and fire roads. Customer service is also top notch.

    Overall highly recommended.

  5. Christian Santha –

    Great looking and great performing tire! Have been using them for about 5 months on tarmac and on trails and they perform great on both. I have other bikes with Wildgrippers, Scratch/sniff and other tires, but the rider T1 are far superior!

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RIDER T1 Light – 26 x 2.125″, beige sidewalls, sub 700 grams

$60.00

Limited Release of a Higher Performance RIDER T1

  • Lighter weight improves dynamic response on the trail

    • Quicker acceleration

    • Better braking

    • Sharper handling

  • More supple sidewalls enhance ride quality

    • Stronger passive suspension effect

    • Conforms better to trail irregularities

  • Restricted availability due to limited available quantities

    • Delivered by Swiss Post within Switzerland

    • Shipped by DHL from Germany to the rest of the world

    • Sold by Specialty Retro Products to North American addresses

Greetings, citizens of Terra One! While making the second batch of RIDER T1 tires, my manufacturing partner, Vee Tire Co., was able to produce a small quantity which weigh in below the lower limit of the production tolerance range, which was previously 710 grams. They shipped all of these lightweight tires to Terra One, and upon receipt, I weighed and sorted the tires again, setting aside all of the examples below 700 grams to become this limited production, RIDER T1 Light release. A large part of the weight differences between RIDER T1 tires come from the amount of rubber which is captured by the 120TPI nylon casing fabric in and on the sidewalls during the curing process in the molds. This means that while the specifications for the RIDER T1 Light are the same as the original version, their casings should be even more flexible than the original version. You, the rider, will benefit from a more supple ride quality and improved dynamic response (acceleration, braking & agility). However, this also means that the RIDER T1 Light will likely be more susceptible to sidewall damage: from cuts, scrapes, exposure to UV light, and underinflation. In pushing the lower limits of weight possible with this design and specification, occasionally a tread block or two will have been molded with soft, rounded edges, instead of the usual sharp, square corners. You can see an example of this inside a yellow circle in a close-up shot in the product gallery. In addition, with less translucent, undyed rubber material covering the sidewalls, one will see more details of the underlying fabric, especially the joint at which the casing has been joined to itself by hand on the build drum during the making of the tire. Also, the shades of beige may not be as consistent as the standard version: both from point to point around a single tire, and between the two tires which make up a pair. You can see examples of such visible details circled in yellow in the product gallery images. I will personally match pairs of RIDER T1 Light tires by sidewall shade and weight, but be prepared for lighter shades and a larger degree of color variation than the standard version.
The RIDER T1 Light is a limited production tire, which requires compromises in durability and visual consistency to achieve even higher performance. If you have any doubts that it's right for you, your bike, your riding style, and your favorite trails after reading this far, please choose one of the standard versions instead.
As with the standard versions of the RIDER T1, there aren't any designs or information printed on the outside of the tires. All logos and legal information are molded into the sidewalls. As it comes out of the same molds as the standard versions, the RIDER T1 Light will be your unmarked and unmarketed secret weapon. The total number of these lightweight tires produced was low enough that it didn't make sense to split it up across my logistics and reseller partners around the world. The RIDER T1 Light is available through this web site and through Specialty Retro Products in the USA. Please kindly limit each order for the RIDER T1 Light through this website to a single pair. This will both allow more enthusiasts to experience these special tires, and keep my shipping costs from Germany to addresses outside the EU under control. DHL's reasonable Päckchen (small parcel) flat rate to the rest of the world ends at 2kg per shipment, and any heavier packages are charged significantly more. Finally, be aware that customs and VAT charges may apply to destination addresses outside of Switzerland and the EU. That's enough detail from me. Thanks for reading this far, and if the RIDER T1 Light is right for you, enjoy! Happy trails, Terrance
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RIDER T1 – 26 x 2.125″, black sidewalls

$50.00
After over a year of RIDER T1 success with beige-colored sidewalls, I decided to add a version with black sidewalls. Why? Early klunkers, bombers and mountain bikes pre-dated the general availability of tires with beige sidewalls. In addition, the black sidewall rubber is easier to keep clean than the uncolored sidewall rubber of the original version. There are plenty of black 26" tire models available, but no other currently produced tire incorporates the following design elements, which ideally suit earlier mountain bikes.
  • Large, tall, simply-shaped tread elements
    • The 80s called, and they're bringing big blocks back
  • A slightly directional, but not position-specific, tread pattern
    • Use the same tire both front & rear; a simple flip changes the grip
  • A round tire profile
    • Consistent cornering control over all surfaces, from soft through hard
  • No graphics printed on the black, 120TPI sidewalls
    • How much more black could they be? The answer is none - none more black
  • Folding, yet not tubeless-compatible, beads
    • The only thing harder than mounting some tubeless tires to old rims is removing them
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