When you see 'Fly' and 'Ruben' in a title there's a few things you can expect to follow - assured and proven quality with proficient design are guaranteed. Hailed as the first "big" tyre, Ruben has seen his signature tyre with Fly take on many forms through the years. We've had the Rampera and Campillera which have gained legendary status among trail and street riders alike, but even the best can sometimes do with a re-vamp. Enter the new Ruben 2.25 and Ruben Ligera 2.4.
Ruben went out to the the Fly HQ and sat down to extensively go over every inch of the new tyres. While still retaining the claw like tread with smooth centre, on the outside it might look like it has remained the same, however with Fly it's always the subtle changes that matter.
How has your year been so far? Have you been busy with contests and your bike park company?
It's been a great year! So cool to go to contests to see friends and the amazing riding that is going on these days. The skatepark design work has been good too - we did some small fun ones but we're always hoping for bigger projects. Unfortunately though most towns normally don't have big budgets, but let's see in the future .
You've been out at the Fly headquarters working with company founder David Quesada on the latest incarnation of your signature tyre. Do you feel it's important to be directly involved in the final product, seeing and feeling it for yourself to get a better end product?
Of course, this is the most important thing and the way to end up with a good product. It's very cool that these days you can print 3D designs and get really close of the final result, which makes things easier and with less risk, in case you need to make a product mold.
Your signature tyre has been around for a good number of years now and has had much acclaim since it's inception. What brought about the need for a new design?
Just little adjustments to adapt better to the type of riding you need. In this case it is made to ride well in dirt, concrete and street, and also with different materials to hold pressure better and get less flats .
We'll start with the business up front. The 'Ligera' is coming in at a bigger size and still retains that classic claw design. What else is new?
No much more - a lot of people love this tire so we made it in a bigger size, and with good materials to be light and strong.
And for the back, the 'Ruben’ tyre, which has a notably smoother tread and smaller radius. We're assuming it is meant as more of a back tyre option? Are there any changes we should be aware of?
Talking with the team, we realized that we needed a size in between the current Ruben 2.35 and the old Ruben Callegera 2.0 tire, what we used to use in the rear. This tire will have a lower tread and can hold 120 PSI, which is great to ride bowls and trails.
With the advent of the 'big tyre movement' we've seen a lot of tyres only able to reach PSI's of 60-80 while the new Ligera and Ruben are able to hold up to 120 PSI. What was the reasoning behind making this an available option and how will the compound of the tyre prevent it from blowing out at such a high pressure?
What this really means is that in the structure there is more nylon than rubber. It costs more to produce but is much better because is lighter and stronger .
What does it mean being able to work with Fly on yet another signature product after all these years and how many in total now how you guys put out together?
It is always a very exciting process of designing, sharing opinions, see a prototype, testing etc. It is super fun and normally, if all is good, people love it and the positive comments are always grateful.
There's also word that there will be a re-issue of you're signature grip. Care to give us a quick run-down of anything we can expect from that?
Yes, we are working on one! After years riding it you always think of little things to make it run better. This new one will feel just a bit thinner and smoother, because the lines are thinner, and we'l also change the logo slightly and the ends.
And on a final note when can we expect these tyres to hit distros and shops?
Look for them from the end of November.
FLYBIKES RUBEN LIGERA TIRE 2.40
- Ruben Alcantara signature
- Classic Ruben Ligera Tread.
- Light kevlar folding
- “HPPR” layer technology (High Presure and Puncture Resistant)
- Pinch resistant Layer
- High Pressure casing
- Material: 60 TPI Construction
- Max Pressure: 120 PSI
- Size: 2.40 x 20”
FLYBIKES RUBEN TIRE 2.25
- Ruben Alcantara signature
- “HPPR” layer technology (High Presure and Puncture Resistant)
- Pinch resistant Layer
- High Pressure casing
- Material: 60 TPI Construction
- Max Pressure: 120 PSI - Size: 2.25 x 20”
