Surly’s New Tubeless Tires and Zero-waste Packaging

The big news is that all Surly folding bead tires are now tubeless-ready. But, we think the bigger news is Surly’s zero-waste packaging. One thing that always drives me crazy when I get a new set of tires is the packaging. Most major tire companies use some big, thick, non-recyclable piece of die-cut plastic board to show off their tires in a shop display. Wasteful and unnecessary. Surly just came up with an excellent solution: First, they only use a small scrap of recyclable cardboard, just enough to tell you what kind of tire you’re looking at and how you can use it. According to Surly, “Feel free to start a fire with the cardboard during your next bikepacking trip weenie roast or toss it in the recycling with your stack of six-pack carriers.”

Second, they tie it all together with the brand-new Surly Whiplash frame strap to attach the cardboard to the tire and keep everything nice and compact “like a 1972 AMC Gremlin.” A useful, reusable strap, now that’s smart. Surly suggests using it to lash a spare tube to your bike frame in case you need it later. “Because you might need it later.” The Surly Whiplash strap will also be offered for sale as a standalone product later this year, but for now, the only place to get the strap is by purchasing a brand-new Surly Bikes tire. Bravo, Surly!

But wait, there’s more! In addition to the new packaging and tubeless-ready options, Surly is also rolling out new sizes in a handful of its tires. Here’s what’s new by tire model.

ExtraTerrestrial

The ExtraTerrestrial is Surly’s heavy-duty off-road touring tire (check out our review). It now comes in six tubeless-ready sizes: 26 x 2.5”, 27.5 x 2.5”, 26” x 46mm, 29 x 2.5”, 700 x 41mm, and 650 x 46mm. All sizes feature 60 tpi. And, the ExtraTerrestrial is now available with Slate Gray sidewalls, offering all the same features and performance as the all-black ETs. These will be available to order from your local bike shop the week of August 12th.

Knard

The Knard is the original plus tire, an all-around tough tire with low rolling resistance thanks to a tightly spaced, low-block tread. I admittedly have a little nostalgia with the Knard, having ridden it from Cape Town to Tanzania, then through Morocco and Spain. So, I’m happy to see tubeless-ready Knards in all sizes: 27.5 x 3”, 29 x 3”, 700 x 41mm, or 650 x 41mm—with a range of options in tpi.

Dirt Wizard

The Dirt Wizard is Surly’s more aggressive trail tire. Find tubeless-ready versions in 26 x 3”, 27.5 x 3”, and 29 x 3”, all offering 60 tpi. A quick note here: The Dirt Wizards are already tubeless-ready, so this isn’t really new news.

Fat Tires: Nate, Bud and Lou, and Edna

Nate is a large and aggressive tire that brings “Kung Fu Grip to fat biking” with a knobby tread pattern that’s tall and widely spaced. Look for tubeless-ready Nates at 26 x 3.8” with either 60 or 120 tpi.

Bud and Lou are a front/rear fat tire combo. Bud is a front-specific fat tire at 26 x 4.8” and Lou is a rear-specific fat tire. Both tubeless-ready models feature 120 tpi.

Edna is an ultra-versatile fat bike tire that’s newly tubeless-ready in a 26 x 4.3” size with 60 tpi

Learn more about the packaging and tubeless tire offerings over at Surly’s Blog.

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