Description:Features a much stronger bead design than other tires on the market making it the only folding bead tire recommend for tubeless use. It features a soft & supple 120 TPI casing, large air volume (a real 2.0), fast rolling, and very light. Intended for low pressure use, 20-40 PSI maximum, this low pressure gives such traction that tread is almost not needed. The Crow tire will spin much faster due to the low tread height. Making it one of the fastest spinning tires.
Submitted by
srwings
a Cross Country Rider
from Potomac Falls, VA Date Reviewed: July 28, 2008
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$45.00
Purchased At:
Notubes
Strengths:
- These tires roll very nicely.
- Your hard tail will feel like a full suspension bike with these tires at the recommended 25 psi.
- Did quite well hooking up on hill climbs with loose rocks and inch or two of dust.
- Does very nicely in rocky descents.
- One of lightest tires out there. My 29er Crows weighed in at 450 grams each. By comparison the Specialized Fast Trak Pro 29er tire weighs in at 590 grams.
- While the Crows are semi slicks they will do ok for the occasional mud hole or wet hill climb.
- Excellent loose gravel tire. They float nice and roll fast.
- Work great on dry secondary roads.
- The Crows are superb in hard pack to slightly moist but firm soil.
- Excellent on dry fire roads and gravel.
- Will perform nicely on asphalt if your race course includes some of that.
Weaknesses:
Limitations:
- I'm not too good when it comes to cornering and the Crows did nothing to improve my confidence. Some of it me and some of it the tire, I suppose. I've never gone down on the Crows but I have had times when the tire started to wash out without much warning.
- These are pretty much race tires given that they are best suited to a more narrow range of trail conditions than a more knobby tire. But if you are looking to get the best possible race time when those conditions exist this is your tire.
- I maintained two complete set of race wheels. The Crows on one set and another set with a Rampage on the back and a Fast Trak on the front. Sort of a hassle dragging two sets of wheels to a race and then stewing over which set to use. I gave up and just decided to run Fast Traks.
- I wish Stans made a version with some knobs on the side.
- Consider running a Crow on the back and a knobby up front for looser conditions.
Similar Products Used:
Rampages, Fast Traks, Exiwolfs, Ignitors, etc.
Bike Setup:
Lenz Leviathan 3.0 XC racer. Rider Profile: Sport XC racer who usually finishes in the top 50% and occasionally bags a podium finish.
Bottom Line:
Crows are a niche XC and endurance race tire that will serve you well under the right trail conditions. Give these tires a shot if you are willing to do everything possible to get on the podium.
Best used for: XC and endurance racing on tracks where there's not a lot of hard cornering in loose soil.
Anecdotes:
I used these tires for a 13 hour endurance race and they were perfect for the event (dry to tacky trail with no hard turns). Side wall hits were my main concern during this race since there were a number of sharp, abrasive rocks. The sidewalls survived all the rocky hits no problem. I'm very glad I used the Crows.
I also took the tires to Panama with me for two weeks of riding on 4WD roads. It was the dry season so traction was excellent on the clay soil. I put a small hole in the sidewall while screwing around bunny hopping sharp curbs in the city. A tire patch and Stans sealant fixed that though. Despite taking that sidewall leak, the Crows really impressed me during fast descents over baby heads. During an all out one mile gnarly descent of nothing but loose sharp rocks I fully expected to puncture the Crows but they held in there no problem and allowed me to descend much faster than I would have on another tires.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Rob
a Racer
from Longmont, CO, US Date Reviewed: May 20, 2008
This is a great tire for hardpack. It can handle rocks, but other tires are better for those conditions. It will spin out on hills when you get out of the saddle if it is loose and you do not pull up on the bars. I would not even think of riding it in med. to deep mud. Some light mud is fine.
Use it for what it was made for and you will love this tire!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Andrew Eckel
a Cross Country Rider
from Westford, MA Date Reviewed: April 9, 2008
Favorite Trail:
Haystack
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$45.00
Purchased At:
Stan's
Strengths:
Fast, Light, Tight on the rim
Weaknesses:
Difficult to install on the rim (as to be expected)
Two race-spec'ed XC 29ers on ZTR/Olympic custom wheelsets.
Bottom Line:
Great tires for smooth, dry conditions. I've also subjected them to many torturous rock garden rides and the sidewalls are still fine. They are light and fast, corner well and are demons on packed singletrack. Leave them at home if you are planning to ride mud or sand.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
RacerVA
a Racer
from VA Date Reviewed: December 10, 2007
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Price Paid:
$50.00
Purchased At:
web
Strengths:
Nicely fits on the rim- tight. FAST, low rolling res.
Weaknesses:
Expensive.
Similar Products Used:
WTB nano raptor, Maxxis crossmark, maxxis ignitor, and more
Bike Setup:
Race ready- light full susp. and hardtail. X.0 and XTR. Own build both bikes. Gary Fisher frames.
Bottom Line:
This is your best tire for racing on 29er. Of course good only on hardpack and smooth trails. If used as intended- very good tire. Really bad in mud, but that can be expected. I am running it tubeless and am very happy. Weight around 500g, very fast and smooth. It's overpriced at $50.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Whitney Jones
a Racer
from Wooster, Ohio, USA Date Reviewed: December 9, 2007
Favorite Trail:
Vultures Knob
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$30.00
Purchased At:
LBS
Strengths:
-Super Light, -Fast Rolling, -Unexpected... Great grip. -Long lasting
Weaknesses:
-Skidding the rear wheel is easy. -I had one sidewall cut maybe 3mm long that Stans did not seal(Only run 30g of sealant) -Reduced cornering traction in dusty or dry sand conditions
Gary Fisher X-Cal w/reba, Gears, 22.3lbs, Maxxis Ignitor in front, Stans crow in back.
Bottom Line:
Great tire for smooth riders/racers. Use your head a 500g semi-slick will not be a good choice for a muddy for loose over hard pack race in most cases. Great rear tire.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Randy
a Cross Country Rider
from the M.V. , CA Date Reviewed: August 24, 2007
Favorite Trail:
browns camp
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Strengths:
Light - fast - do what they were designed to do
Similar Products Used:
several 29ers - all different
Bike Setup:
f/s Zinn Mega Bike
Bottom Line:
I had to give a review after reading these negative comments. You don't take a knife to a gun fight and you don't mount a semi slick ultra light race tire for mud or ultra endurance rides. As for the sidewall complaints - give me a break - I travel for a living - usually with my bike - have ridden literally all over the U.S. and Canada - and the couple times I've had sidewall cuts (not on Crows) they were ALWAYS "unexpected" and one time I couldn't even see what caused it. Sh#t happens and so does tire damage. If you use these for what they are designed for they are unbeatable for weight and speed. If you want all mountain / all day then put on a set of WTB 2.55 Weirwolves and ride on.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Adam
a Racer
from Vinton,Va,U.S.A Date Reviewed: August 14, 2007
Favorite Trail:
Carvins Cove
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$50.00
Purchased At:
Bike29
Strengths:
Fast!Fast!Light,low rolling resistance
Weaknesses:
It is a race tire so it is not as durable as others
Similar Products Used:
About all 29er tires nothing quite the same
Bike Setup:
Salsa Dos Niner Bike29Royale wheelset (sweet!)Sram x9 and shimano xt components,kenda karma front
Bottom Line:
I run this tire in the rear and have done 6 races so far and love it.You just have to be aware that it is a race tire but suprisingly it hooks well!I think i already mentioned it is fast!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Weave
a Racer
from York,PA Date Reviewed: May 7, 2007
Favorite Trail:
Anything at Michaux
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$42.00
Purchased At:
Jason's Cycle Works
Strengths:
Fast - very fast! Very grippy - feel confident on these immediately, until......
Weaknesses:
Side walls - sliced sidewall on third ride - happened to be a race - was running at 25 psi - stan's man said at my weight (162) could probably run at 20-22 and might have made a difference - I doubt it...
Submitted by
Andrew
a Racer
from Austin, TX Date Reviewed: April 10, 2007
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Strengths:
Fast rolling, remarkably good traction for such a slick tire
Weaknesses:
cuts easily
Similar Products Used:
all.
Bike Setup:
Orbea Alma 29er, XTR, karma front, crow rear.
Bottom Line:
Fast rolling and remarkably grippy for such a low-profile tread tire. Light, fast grippy - what more could you want? Well, if you race or ride anywhere with rocks, look out. I cut a sidewall on this thing very easily.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Todd
a
from Colo Spgs, CO, USA Date Reviewed: April 5, 2007
Favorite Trail:
More Fun, Loma, CO
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$45.00
Purchased At:
NoTubes.com
Strengths:
Very light tire with minimal tread for fast rolling hardpack.
Weaknesses:
Weak sidewalls, too expensive.
Similar Products Used:
Bontrager Jones
Bike Setup:
Gary Fisher Paragon with XT crankset, Easton seat post, eggbeater pedals.
Bottom Line:
I bought these tires thinking they were a perfect match for the Leadville Trail 100. The light weight and minimal tread looked perfect for the mostly fast rolling course with a mix of pavement/hardpack/and some loose stuff. I found out at mile 52 on the way down from the turn around that I had cut the sidewall. The Stan's No Tubes sealant was not able to fill the cut and I had to install a tube. Bottom line is they would probably be fine if a side cut was impossible due to the conditions. Definitely would not race LT100 again on these.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Warren
a Racer
from Roanoke, VA Date Reviewed: April 3, 2007
Favorite Trail:
Lots and lots of favorites
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$50.00
Purchased At:
LBS
Strengths:
Very low rolling resistance and rotating weight
Weaknesses:
HORRIBLE traction in wet conditions and while braking. WEAK sidewall. $$$Fitty Bucks!Per tire!!
Similar Products Used:
Never used anything this bad
Bike Setup:
GF Paragon- mostly stock - nothing fancy.
Bottom Line:
My first race of the season was on an 8-mile lap course that contained forest roads, soggy singletrack, and a ton of loose and embedded rocks. I had these imitation tires mounted on Bonty Race 29 wheels with Stans rim strip and sealant - about 21 psi. The only section that these tires were of ANY use at all was on the fire road. These were the worst tire choice I've ever made. Traction was non-existant. Three miles into the race a loose rock torn a two inch hole in my sidewall. DNF
The only use for these tires in a racing situation would be in a race where ZERO braking was required - like an uphill time trail.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Bruce Brown
a Cross Country Rider
from Des Moines Date Reviewed: March 4, 2007
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$45.00
Purchased At:
NoTubes.com
Strengths:
Lightweight race tire with surprising grip. The two I own are both sub 500 grams. Can be used tubed or tubeless.
Weaknesses:
Not the best tire when the combination of extreme dry, off camber and steep is mixed together.
Similar Products Used:
Nanoraptors, ACX's, Karma 1.9's, Kenda Small Block 8's
Bike Setup:
Dos Niner
Bottom Line:
I used these in 4 races last season which including some mud, climbing, sand, leaves and buff singletrack. They were champs for the courses I used them on and I have no complaints. It is surprising how much grip they actually provide in spite of the visual of such low profile knobs. The only course I pre-rode last year where they were not good was at 7 Oaks in Boone, IA. I went down hard a few times as they washed out too often. Obiously, I decided to use another tire for the race. However, they were champs on the other courses I rode. No tire is perfect for all conditions, but these can be the right tool for the right course and conditions.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
rich
a Cross Country Rider
from ny Date Reviewed: February 19, 2007
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Purchased At:
Bike Junkie
Strengths:
light and fast
Weaknesses:
limited front tire traction.
Similar Products Used:
Bontrager ACX, Kenda Karma.
Bike Setup:
Curtlo 29 softail, Stans 355 rims.
Bottom Line:
The tires inflated very easily with a floor pump and 2ozs of fluid and the bead seated just as easy.
The tires are very fast, although the lack of side knobs limits cornering traction. A Crow in the rear and a Karma in the front works excellent.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Joel
a Cross Country Rider
from Silver Spring, MD, USA Date Reviewed: September 11, 2006
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$45.00
Strengths:
light weight, very fast rolling
Weaknesses:
flimsy sidewalls, poor mud shedding
Similar Products Used:
this is my first set of 29er tubeless; I've ridden WTB Motoraptors with tubes until now
Bike Setup:
Salsa Dos-niner
Bottom Line:
First, the sidewalls of these were very porous. It took a lot of Stan's goop to plug up all the pinholes. Then I put a healthy slice in the sidewall of one while riding a very moderate trail. I don't even recall hitting any rocks or anything! Could it have been a blowout? Finally, it's really easy to get the tread all packed up with mud that doesn't come out until you really get them going again. I'm going back to heavier tires with more tread depth - these were a waste of 100 bucks for the pair after shipping.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Javaman Cannon
a Racer
from Fruitport,MI,USA Date Reviewed: July 29, 2006
Favorite Trail:
North Country Trail-Red Bridge
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$50.00
Purchased At:
Notubes.com
Strengths:
Very Light,Had to uninflate and reinflate due to not getting bead fully seating first time out using tubeless. I mounted them on a new set of Notubes 29'r ztr wheels.Tip 1- make sure you have complete soapy/water solution on beads and rim.(Seals much better that way)My favorite training loop was way faster, and could actually push one cog higher. Too new to give long term report yet.
Weaknesses:
Sealing and seating of bead tricky for a novice to tubeless(like me), but attention to detail overcomes probs.
Similar Products Used:
Bontrager race lite
Bike Setup:
GF Paragon, stock
Bottom Line:
If you want speed and amazing smoothness...this is the only way to go!!!!Pricey.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
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