Replacing WTB Riddlers 27.5 / 2.4 Seeking Lighter Tubeless w/ Low Rolling Resistance & Maintaining Handling at Speed

[Catalyzt]

I do like these tires in most respects, however tubeless makes more sense for the usual reasons, (flat prevention), I do have a slow leak in the rear tire now, and I'd love to drop weight. Bike is 49 pounds, and I would love to lose 1 pound from the tires, maybe another 220 grams or more from the seat.

(That should probably be a separate question, but if anyone has any thoughts on that, I'm all ears. I currently have a WTB Riddler Comfort COMP with steel rails, it weights nearly 400 grams, and I don't know that I need to be THAT comfortable. I'd like something that has a bit more padding than raw carbon fiber, but I probably don't need much.)

I hope this isn't a fool's errand. The thing is, I feel like I really don't need a 2.4 width for the kind of riding I do-- mostly badly cracked asphalt with occasional tricky patches of sand, some gravel, and some dirt. While the amount of dirt riding I do is limited, I enjoy it a lot, and the Riddlers are awesome going uphill with slippery sand on top of hard pack.

I also hate to sacrifice speed or handling. My downhill speeds aren't insane, but for me, 37 MPH (or close to it) is way faster than I've ever gone on a bike before-- I really like that, but I want to stay safe.

Any thoughts for a suitable replacement? My LBS is looking into it, but I'm not sure I trust him completely. (I trust his work, but not always his parts suggestions. When he suggests a specialized saddle that costs $250 and only saves me 80 grams, I feel like he's not really hearing me.)

Thanks so much for your help. I know I've been firing off a lot of questions since I got here, and everyone has been awesome.

 

[MikeDD]

https://www.vittoria.com/us/en/tires/mtb-xc/mezcal

Look at these. I ride a Turbo Levo on all terrain and pavement, no mud. 600 miles with no problems and the price is reasonable. These tires are not mentioned on this forum but online reviews are good.

 

[Catalyzt]

Whoa, they do look nice... never heard of 'em, but the price sure is right! I like the fact that there are so many variants of width for the 27.5s (though several are sold out.)

I had to make the decision today, and my LBS and I both independently had the Maxxis Ikons at or near the top of our lists. You can't have everything, but hopefully this will mean a dropping a significant amount of weight, maintaining most of the traction for dirt I had with the Riddlers, and slightly better rolling resistance.

Of course, today I discovered a new and really cool Singletrack near my house-- very sandy, and the Riddlers were barely cutting it. So I don't want a tire with MUCH less footprint, just a little less... going from a 2.4 to a 2.2 shouldn't require too much adaptation. Down the line, having the option of a 2.1 Vittoria could be cool... or a 2.3 for the front or something. Thanks for posting, great idea. Who know, I may wind up with a second set of rims and tires somewhere down the line...!