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Average Rating
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3.21/5
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# of Reviews
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42
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MSRP
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$ 50.00
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Weight
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More Products from Kenda
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Description:U.S.T. tubeless
All-conditions cross-country tire
L3R Compound...Kenda's lightest
Size: 26 x 1.95, 2.10
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Submitted by
John
a Racer
from Pietermaritzburg, South Africa
Date Reviewed: July 3, 2008 | | Favorite Trail: | Ferncliffe, Pietermaritzburg | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$30.00 | | Purchased At: | Greg Minnaar Cycles | | Strengths: | Slow wearing, easy to mount, great grip in dry conditions, reasonable in wet, sheds mud well, reasonable price. | | Weaknesses: | None too obvious. | | Similar Products Used: | Kenda Nevegal, Panaracer Fire. | | Bike Setup: | Santa Cruz Superlight, XT. | | Bottom Line: | A good value-for-money tyre to handle most conditions in the damp sub-tropical climate of Pietermaritzburg. No obvious failings and wear has been reasonably slow thus far. Tire is narrower than expected but doesn't seem to compromise its reliability and performance. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Loehr Young
a Cross Country Rider
from Athens, GA USA
Date Reviewed: January 24, 2007 | | Favorite Trail: | All of them | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Strengths: | Great all around tire, works well in all conditions, very durable and wears well. | | Weaknesses: | None for me. | | Similar Products Used: | Maxxis Ignitor, Kenda Karma, WTB Motoraptor & Velociraptor, Maxxis Larsen TT, Maxxis Advantage, Specialzed 2-Bliss. | | Bike Setup: | I have run these on a XC race hardtail, short travel XC race bike, and 5" travel all mountain rig all with great luck. | | Bottom Line: | This is one of the best mount and forget it tires I've ever used. It really works well in ALL conditions and it is a tough tire. I have ridden/raced it in every condition/terrain in the SE US and it works great rain or shine. I have even run it some crazy urban riding and it holds up to stair riding up & down, wall drops etc... You do need to run stans in it to keep from flatting, but that is the case with all tubeless set ups. Play with you air pressure a bit and don't be afraid to run'm a little low when running tubeless. I have been through a couple of pairs of these and have not had mounting or sealing issues at all. I have run them on Mavic crossmax wheels, Mavic 819 rims, Bontrager wheels, and the stans rim and all work great. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Robert Lim
a Cross Country Rider
from Singapore
Date Reviewed: July 27, 2006 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$40.00 | | Purchased At: | KHL | | Strengths: | Looks good only | | Weaknesses: | Very disappointed with KENDA product, a brand new MTB tire on my second ride only, burst on tarmec with a hole about the size of a dime. Even damaged my Mavic CrossMax rim. | | Similar Products Used: | Have tried others such as IRC and Panaracer, and rode them since I bought my bike, no doubt they're still much more reliable than Kenda. | | Bike Setup: | GT i-Drive & Versus Blitz | | Bottom Line: | Junk. Last time for Kenda | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Aaron
a Weekend Warrior
from Rainier, OR
Date Reviewed: October 31, 2005 | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Strengths: | Honestly....none, except maybe that they roll pretty fast. | | Weaknesses: | Very small (2.1 tire should be a 2.1, not a 1.9!), front tire has NO traction in any condition other than on pavement. Difficult to mount on Mavic UST wheels, requires lots of sealent to hold air. | | Similar Products Used: | Hutchinson Mesquito, Michelin XLS, Maxxis Larsen TT | | Bike Setup: | KHS steel hardtail with Mavic CrossRoc wheels. | | Bottom Line: | I've used this tire in mud, loose, loose over hardpack, hardpack, and medium conditions and they don't work worth a crap in any of those conditions! The rear tire has decent climbing traction but thats it. The front tire might just be the worst tire ever made as far as traction. I mean it just doesn't bite at all, I've had WAY to many washouts with it. Also, these tires are so low volume, that running the low pressure that is the advantage of tubeless can cause damage to your rims. They need some volume (The other three UST tires listed above all have great volume) to be a UST tire. I'm tired of tire manufacturers list their tires the wrong size as well. Tires aren't cheap and once their mounted you can't take them back. When I buy a tire listed as a 2.1, that is what I want, not a 1.9 (otherwise, I would have bought a 1.9!). Someone needs to come up with a standard and stick to it (The WTB system is not bad, except they are guilty of undersizing their tires as well). UST tires also should be way easier to mount, without having to use tools. These tires required some serious thumb stregnth. Bottom line, these tires are turds, pure and simple. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Tzali Morr
a Cross Country Rider
from Nes Ziona, Israel
Date Reviewed: October 11, 2005 | | Favorite Trail: | Kisalon trail | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$50.00 | | Strengths: | None | | Weaknesses: | Spose to be 2.1", but according to a test by Mountainbike Israel it is only 1.97". Put it on my Crossmax weels with sealant but it went loose at one of the first rides. Traction - very bad. | | Similar Products Used: | IRC Trailbear, Huchinson Spider, Specialized Endoro. | | Bike Setup: | Turner 5 spot, 5th Element, Manitou Minute 3, Sram XO, Crossmax SL. | | Bottom Line: | Very bad value for the mony. I replaced them after 50 miles and called the representative in Israel and told him that I t is not 2.1". He told me that this is the way Kenda measures the tires. I asked him to replace the tires with wider ones, he took my name and telephone and promised to call me after the exhibition on the first week of September. I never heared from him.
There is a very litle chance that I'll buy a Kenda product again. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
jeremy
a Cross Country Rider
from Hong Kong
Date Reviewed: October 2, 2005 | | Favorite Trail: | Lady Clementi's | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Purchased At: | $30.00 | | Strengths: | Looks good and rolls well | | Weaknesses: | poor puncure resistance, no grip when wet. | | Similar Products Used: | Maxxix Ugnitor | | Bike Setup: | Yeti Arc 05, Rock Shox World Cup, AVID JUICY7. | | Bottom Line: | slips on the tarmac when wet, hopless on the trail except when really dry. Too narrow and instils zero confidence. I won't be buying any more Kenda Tires. I had 4 falls due to a comination of tire grip ( as well as some dodgy lines! ) in one ride. I will wear them out on my tarmac rides only when dry! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Kevin
a Cross Country Rider
from Sherman Oaks, Ca. USA
Date Reviewed: September 11, 2005 | | Favorite Trail: | Caballero to the beach and back | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Purchased At: | Came with Bike | | Strengths: | Light weight | | Weaknesses: | Consistently would not keep a line when riding down hill or up hill in minor to moderate sandy terrain. Instils ZERO confindence when descending. Almost crashed going up hill on very steep sections of the ride, back tire kept spinning out, and getting sideways, hence, forcing me to clip out. I was in the saddle at all times, with my weight fully on the back tire. I have Weirwolves on my other bike, and never had any kind of problems going up or down. | | Similar Products Used: | Velociraptors, Weirwolves. | | Bike Setup: | Titus Talas Switchblade, dt240s, mavic 819, El Camino's, Minute 3 IT, Thomson stem and post, Easton xc composite bars, Sram X.0 rear derailer and shifters, XT from derailer, crank, BB, Eggbeater Twin Ti pedals, WTB Stealth Laser saddle. | | Bottom Line: | Tomorrow, as soon as my LBS opens, where I purchased the bike, I am ordering some UST Weirwolves for front and rear. The Kenda's basically really suck. The friend I ride with couldn't believe how timid I was riding on descents, I usually bomb down, but that is my other bike with other tires, and that bike only has 3" of travel and is a 9 year old DBR carbon. Seems like trying not to wash out, both front and rear tires, was my main concern while riding. Trying not to wipe out going up steep hills was an entirely new experience. One that I never want to repeat. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Little Ze'
a Weekend Warrior
from Colorado
Date Reviewed: August 1, 2005 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$27.00 | | Purchased At: | online shop via ebay | | Strengths: | ...they ride firly nice when going in a straight line on pavement, otherwise I can't say | | Weaknesses: | ...maybe its me but the rear punctured easily and the front was unstable; had a terrible wobble | | Similar Products Used: | my first ust tire, my second was Continental Vertical Pro 2.3 UST | | Bike Setup: | Specialized Epic w/F100x fork, 50psi in both tires | | Bottom Line: | Okay, I have 1200 km on the matched pair of these tires. In my three months of riding on gravel roads and pavement I don't have many positive things to say about this combo.
Front tire, mine has an instability that causes the front to wobble at speeds above 24 kph. The instability is so bad that if hands are left off the handlebars they will wobble violently. A question to Kenda USA via email provided a prompt reply and an offer to replace at no charge. Have not done this yet. Non-plused about the front tire for this reason and won't get another one. (props to Kenda on the warranty)
Rear tire, 5 punctures and terrible grip on loose or wet conditions has left me unsatisfied. The punctures have come in the form of the smallest glass slivers, nails and some other unidentified sources. For some reason the rear has picked up all sorts of garbage that the front has not. I had no luck with Stan's Notube sealant with this tire and cleaning the inside of the tires and installing patches has left me with a tire that still leaks more than 10 pounds of air pressure in a day.
The grip of the rear tire is also terrible on gravel roads. It is so bad that I consciously prepare myself for a washed out rear tire whenever I have to take a corner on loose stuff. Whenever I hit wet pavement the rear will slide out if it is leaned even the slightest degree. That being said I should restate that I am runing both tires at 50 psi all the time. A few times I rode around on them at 30 psi and used my imagination a bit; they would probably work well on trails at lower pressures.
...going to retry stan's in the rear tire and replace the front for something different. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Daniel
a Cross Country Rider
from Phoenix
Date Reviewed: June 1, 2005 | | Favorite Trail: | Trail 100 and South Mountain | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$35.00 | | Purchased At: | ebay | | Strengths: | Low rolling resistance and it looks cool. | | Weaknesses: | Not durable at all. The tire tears easily and the rear tire (not the rim) warped after about a month of use. | | Similar Products Used: | Specialized Roll x Pro UST | | Bike Setup: | Specialized Epic Disc. with Mavic Crossmax XLs. Thomson stem/seat post, XTR, etc.. | | Bottom Line: | This tire started falling apart within weeks of being purchased. The sidewall develped several tears and gashes. I have never seen a tire warp on the rim - this tire did. A bulge started to appear on the tire and it started to warp. The rim was fine but the tire just developed a curve and bulge. Very poor traction, the tire is really narrow for a 2.1. Don't buy it......... | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Michael Twomey
a Weekend Warrior
from Columbia, SC
Date Reviewed: December 31, 2004 | | Favorite Trail: | Harbison | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$30.00 | | Purchased At: | Online | | Strengths: | Low resistance / Fast rolling. Light, hold air well with slime. | | Weaknesses: | Useless in wet conditions. | | Similar Products Used: | WTB Weirwolf UST and Panaracer Fire XC both A++ | | Bike Setup: | Moots YBB Air, Full XTR | | Bottom Line: | OK for dry hardpack but not for anything wet. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Kevin
a Cross Country Rider
from Windsor
Date Reviewed: July 1, 2004 | | Favorite Trail: | horsetooth mtn park (all) | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$30.00 | | Purchased At: | Pricepoint | | Strengths: | Decent and predictable in dry, packed conditions. | | Weaknesses: | HORRIBLE in anything wet. Slick roots become impossibly slick roots. Also, 2.1 sizing is more like 1.9. These are smaller than my python 2.0's. | | Similar Products Used: | Hutchinson pythons, python lite, michelin ?? | | Bike Setup: | NRS Air, Minute 3, xtr/xt, easton bar, thomson post/stem, wtb laser disc lite/ mavic 3.1, Stan's | | Bottom Line: | no problems mounting or holding air (zero loss over two weeks). These aren't bad on the hard packed forest terrains. They are a little unpredictable on rocky (loose fist to baby-head sized) descents, but still not horrible. BUT wet, muddy, or even moist conditions are downright dangerous. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Sam Julier
a Cross Country Rider
from Hamden, CT
Date Reviewed: October 29, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | mid mountain loop, Park City | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$35.00 | | Purchased At: | Belmont Wheelworks | | Strengths: | Low rolling resistance, holds air well, excellent dry (hard trail) stability | | Weaknesses: | poor traction over wet roots and stones and in mud | | Similar Products Used: | first UST tire | | Bike Setup: | Soulcraft Option 3, Fox Float Fork, etc. | | Bottom Line: | Two flats in 6 days of riding at Park City. These tires do not do well below 40 psi. A real challenge to remove on the trail. Good stability at speed in most conditions. Average in loose gravel or loam. Good wear.
Difficult, sometimes frustrating in wet conditions and on wet roots and rocks.
This tire is best in dry conditions. I would not change them if I lived in Park City, Utah year around. They are not acceptable in the wet, slippery conditions in New England where I live. I am changing them for a set of WTB Weirwolfs for the Winter and Spring and will report later. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Ratt
a Cross Country Rider
from SoCal
Date Reviewed: September 7, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | All of them | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$30.00 | | Purchased At: | lbs | | Strengths: | Soft sticky compound, relatively tough | | Weaknesses: | Wears out too quickly. A nightmare in the sand. no traction | | Similar Products Used: | Tubeless: Rockster, Wildgripper S, Python, Firepro | | Bike Setup: | Lite weight FS XC | | Bottom Line: | For me these are the worst Ust tires i have tried out so far. They have a very narrow sweet spot tire pressure wise, have no traction, have no directional stability in the sand, the rear tire wore out in 3 weeks of riding. They are soft and sticky so i think they would be good on slick rock and none of the knobbies broke off like they do on the Firepros. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
geoff
a Weekend Warrior
from West Caldwell, NJ
Date Reviewed: August 13, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | anytrail | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$35.00 | | Strengths: | I haven't found any yet | | Weaknesses: | zero traction in wet conditions, one of the worst I've ever riden | | Similar Products Used: | Mich, Conti in tubeless and many other in tubed | | Bike Setup: | 2002 truth | | Bottom Line: | I didn't find mounting this tire as bad as some of the other reviews. Maybe I got lucky.
This tire should carry a warning dangerous when wet. We have had a lot of rain lately so conditions are bad. but this tire doesn't shed mud and wet rocks and roots are like ice with this tire.
To be honest I haven't riden this in dry conditions so maybe it shines there but it won't be on my bike long enough to find out.
If you gave this tire a good review, I've got a tire you can buy cheap.
| | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
andrew
a Racer
from Australia
Date Reviewed: June 7, 2003 | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Bottom Line: | I had these front and rear and I will never use them again. the rear wore out too quickly and the didn't offer much traction, especially on gravel. All too often I found myself doing two wheel slides around corners. They were fairly resiliant towards flats (I only got two) and worked well on hard pack, with hardly any rolling resistance. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Mike
a Racer
from Locke, NY
Date Reviewed: May 9, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | Shindagen Hollow | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$30.00 | | Purchased At: | Nashbar | | Strengths: | None. This is the worst tire I have ever owned! | | Weaknesses: | Extremely hard to mount on the trail without tire levers and soapy water. Even with the levers and soapy water they are a pain to get on. | | Similar Products Used: | Hutchinson Python, Mosquito, Michelin Jet S | | Bike Setup: | Schwinn Moab Disc, Mavic X3.1 wheels. | | Bottom Line: | I can't say enough bad things about this tire. I was shocked to see so many good reviews. This tire is difficult to mount, doesn't hold air, and isn't very durable. Fixing a flat on the trial is nearly impossible. I tried the Kenda's after I punctured the $50 Hutchinson Python (beyond repair)and didn't want to spend $50 on a replacement. I had used Kenda semi-slicks in the past and was very happy with them so I thought I would give their tubeless tires a try.
From the start the Kenda tire leaked a lot of air. It has to be re-inflated before every ride, even if its just the next day. The tire was not off to a good start. After 2 months of use, I puctured it on a rock, but it was repairable. Two weeks later I punctured it again. By this time I was very sick of removing the tire on the trail to put a tube in it, pumping it up constantly, and patching it. I got tubeless tires to reduce the number of flats that I had, not to keep the same amount of flats and increase the price to repair them.
Its not like I ride on trails of broken glass or cactus needles. There are rocks on the trail, but at 45 psi an impact with a rock at 15 mph should not puncture the tire unless the rock is shaped like a spear, which these wern't. The second flat was the end of this tire for me. In fact, when I went to take the tire off the rim to replace it, I ended up cutting it off. It was much faster and easier than fighting with it.
The Hutchinson Mosquito has been on my bike a year and has given me no problems. I also leaks air, like all mtb tires, but it only needs to be filled once a week or so, not every day. I'm now trying the Michelin Jet S. I hope this tire is more durable. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Luke
a
from Australia
Date Reviewed: April 21, 2003 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Bottom Line: | Fantastic tyre | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Eric Trelz
a Racer
from St. Louis
Date Reviewed: December 24, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | Castelwood | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$50.00 | | Purchased At: | Big Shark | | Strengths: | They sell a front and rear specific tire. The front is a great cornering tire. It holds air very well and resists punctures well. One leak in 6 months of hard riding is great. Both back and front tires have low rolling resistance. | | Weaknesses: | Back tire does not hold grip on loose climbs. Not good in mud. | | Similar Products Used: | Michelin; Hutchinson; Panaracer; Continential | | Bike Setup: | NRS | | Bottom Line: | The front is a worhty tire, the back is not. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Rod C.
a Racer
from Locust Valley, NY
Date Reviewed: December 11, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | #6 at Killington | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$25.00 | | Purchased At: | From Kenda at the NORBA Nationals | | Strengths: | Durability,traction,durability, front and rear specificand oh yeh, durability | | Weaknesses: | Could be loghter weight. | | Similar Products Used: | Michalin Comp S, Hutchinson Pythons and Mosquitos. | | Bike Setup: | Giant NRS1 with CrossMax wheelset | | Bottom Line: | I almost tossed the tubeless system due the the poor quality of the Hutcinsons and Michelins. Flats, flats and more flats with the crappy French tires. (Stick to making Champagne Pepe)
The Kenda's are the only tires that have held up. I'm 150 pounds and "ride light", but the Michelins and Hutchensons would pinch flat so often that they were ruining my season.
The Kenda's have been on the bike since mid August with absolutely no trouble at all.
Love em, and trust em! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Steve
a Weekend Warrior
from Miami, FL USA
Date Reviewed: December 8, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | Oleta | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$40.00 | | Purchased At: | Bell's Bikes | | Strengths: | Traction | | Weaknesses: | None that I have noticed at this time | | Similar Products Used: | Hutchinson Python, UST | | Bike Setup: | 2001 Giant XTC NRS 1 | | Bottom Line: | These tires BLOW AWAY the pythons that came on my bike. I can actually make it up short steep climbs where my pythons wouls spin. These also inspire me to ride faster and with much more comfidence around turns, my pythons would constantly wash out. I don't want to put all hutchinson tires down, the scorpions and mosquitos are probably good tires but I didn't want to add too much rolling resistence tro my ride. The conditions I ride in are hardpack, some sand, lots of roots and wooden obsticles such as bridges and teeter totters. I highly recommend these tires. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Ben
a Weekend Warrior
from Portland, OR, USA
Date Reviewed: November 16, 2002 | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$35.00 | | Purchased At: | Jenson USA | | Strengths: | Light for UST tires, great rubber compound, wear well | | Weaknesses: | Traction of rear tire, air volume | | Similar Products Used: | Michelin WildGripper XL-S Tubeless, IRC Serac UST, Continental Vertical Pro UST | | Bike Setup: | Steel hardtail, Mavic X3.1 rims | | Bottom Line: | These are pretty decent tires if you ride on hard to slightly loose or tacky surfaces. I like the rubber compound - it grips well while seeming to last a while. The main problem I've had is that in looser stuff the rear tire just plain sucks. It hooks up on stuff a slick tire would but doesn't go much further than that. They're also quite small tires compared to many other 2.1's that I've tried, which is a feature I'm not too fond of. However the sidewalls are quite nice and I've yet to have any issues with flats or any other damage. They're also quite easy to mount on rims, unlike the IRC Seracs. Overall they're not bad, the front is a much better pattern than the rear though. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Dan
a Cross Country Rider
from Silver City, New Mexico
Date Reviewed: November 7, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | CD North | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Purchased At: | Kenda Booth @ Durango Nat'ls | | Strengths: | Good traction on loose rock.
Holds air well.
Resists punctures. | | Weaknesses: | Very difficult to mount.
They're heavy with alot of rolling resistance. | | Similar Products Used: | Michelin Jet S and Comp S UST, Hutchinson Python UST, Panaracer Trailblaster UST | | Bike Setup: | Litespeed Tanasi w/XTR Group, Bontrager Mustang UST rims on Chris King hubs | | Bottom Line: | I received the tires free from a drawing at the NORBA Nationals at Durango. The front tire had been punctured, probably by a screw driver used for unmounting it. I patched it and had no problems with it holding air.
Mounting the tires was difficult. Lubing the tires and rims and using Michelin tire levers helps, but its still a pain compared to other UST tires I've used.
The tires work well in loose rock and hardpack. They are noticeably slower rolling than Michelins, but they are also a wider tire than the Michelins that I've used. I run these tires at 40 to 45 psi.
They corner well in the conditions here. I've had two punctures, one front and one rear. Both were small from cactus spines. The tires didn't go flat until the next day and were easily repaired.
I like these tires for our local riding conditions. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Sandbagger
a Racer
from CO
Date Reviewed: August 19, 2002 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$40.00 | | Strengths: | Fast rolling tire, really grippy rear. They work real well in CO being a great dry, loose, and rocky terrain tire. | | Weaknesses: | Not the best wet conditions tire. I ran Mavic Crossrocs and had the Kenda's front and rear. It leaked a lot more up front that rear for some reason. DO NOT forget to air up tires regulary. TOO low pressure = funny looking endo. I popped the bead while jumping on my Kenda's. Of course noone would ever jump XC 2.1 tires between 20psi and 30psi. | | Bottom Line: | Buy this tire for fast, dry, loose, rocky terrain.
Discourage buying it if you live in wet, muddy, root terrain. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Mark
a
from Ridgefield CT
Date Reviewed: August 18, 2002 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Strengths: | Received free. Adequate straight line braking, traction, and cornering when trail is free of debris. | | Weaknesses: | Heavy, impossible to mount without tire levers, sideslip frequently on rocks and roots, particularly so when conditions are wet, lack air volume of other similar UST tires | | Similar Products Used: | UST Hutchinson Pythons, and Mosquitoes. Just about everything out there non UST. | | Bike Setup: | Cannondale Scalpel 3000 | | Bottom Line: | Received these as a gift and decided to try them after slicing a rear Python. Initially they felt adequate, yet after three rides, I trust them less and less. I start each ride with wariness. My initial impression upon taking them out of the box was that Kenda used an inexpensive rubber compound; slippery sheen, chunky, and stiff. They were very difficult to mount even with soapy water and tire levers. They seemed to hook up fairly well in a straight line, and grabbed in corners provided there were no sticks and debris on the trail. However, in a perfect world... On off camber rocks and roots, they are prone to sideslipping and lose traction immediately with even slight unweighting of the rear, almost as if the side knobs compress then spring back; the compound does little to aid traction. Wet spiderweb roots are an experience. I've coined a new term here called 'riding with Kharisma' involving the need for hitting them perfectly perpendicular, then making rapid jerky micro corrections in your line to turn prior to hitting the next batch. As an East Coast rider, I'm used to riding roots, but these tires truly make it an exercise in bike handling. My Pythons may have had their faults in one or two areas, but are overall far superior, as are the Mosquitoes. The Pythons roll faster, and both have greater air volume with a more compliant 'tubeless' ride. I think I'll fork out the bills for those Scorpions after all. What price free...? | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
TJ
a Cross Country Rider
from San Jose, CA
Date Reviewed: July 13, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | skeggs, demo forest | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$35.00 | | Purchased At: | Performance price match | | Strengths: | Easy to inflate, good cornering and braking. | | Weaknesses: | Hard to mount on TX3.01 mavic rims, one ride and the some of the center blocks on the rear already have cuts. | | Similar Products Used: | Hutchinson Python UST | | Bike Setup: | '01 Giant NRS-1 | | Bottom Line: | Mounting was a pain, but learned that soapy water on the bead made the installation much easier. Carry tire levers with you! I went on my first ride today out at the demo forest. For those that dont know, its sandy and dry and several rock gardens around. I instantly noticed that the tires had lower air volume than the Pythons. However, I did not notice any rougher ride, but that is probably due to my FS. The hardtail guys may notice a difference... The sidewalls are stiffer, much less supple than the python but better abrasion resistance. The sidewalls make the tire easier to inflate. The tires cornered better than the worn out pythons and braked better as well. Kenda uses reinforced knobs on the side that grab and dont deflect when cornering hard. I noticed that when the wheel turned in sandy areas, my legs would get peppered with dirt. This never happened with he python. For high speed braking, I was getting used to the pythons skidding down the trail vs. grabbing the trail and slowing me down. Kenda did a great job with the front and rear braking abilities. However, after a 22 mile ride, I see the some knobs on the rear braking faces have been cut. I dont expect the rear knobs to keep a square profile for very long. I wish Kenda used the L3R crystal compound for supposedly improved durability. For climbing, I think the pythons were slightly better, even after 12 months of use, but barely noticeable. The knobs are stepped in the acceleration direction to increase surface area and traction. I dont expect the steps to last long since a little tire wear and the steps will be gone. I ran the tires at 35 psi (Im 195) was happy and probably will not change. I have not noticed any significant air loss either.
Overall, I still like the pythons when new but after 12 months of riding they were ready for the trash can. I think the pythons had better rolling resistance, but whats speed without control? The kendas seem to do a good job in cornering and braking renewing my confidence on high speed XC riding. Overall Im happy with the Kendas so far but time will tell over the next 12 months. Still would like easier mounting and more durability on the knobs (even though the pythons cut the same way). | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Mario Ch
a Cross Country Rider
from Sinaloa Mexico
Date Reviewed: July 11, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | Rocky, dry, heat | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$34.00 | | Purchased At: | Pricepoint | | Strengths: | good look,pinch flat resistant, | | Weaknesses: | Very slippery, heavy. | | Similar Products Used: | Panaracer Fire XC tubeless | | Bike Setup: | Litespeed Unicoi, Mavic Crossmax disc, Rockshox SID Race. XTR/Raceface. | | Bottom Line: | I don't have problems in mounting or dismounting this tires, I Think it´s a matter of soap water, a fresh place to do it and a cold beer in hand (obviously You dont have this conditions in Trail) Now I used it 500 kms and My problem is they are very slippery in extreme wet or dry conditions (loose rocks an dust) and this is worst with the time of use (probably for wasted knobs). They remember me the Firestone tires in my Ford Explorer. I don't recommend it if you have extreme climbs, descents or technical trails. If you need more control go for the Panaracer. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Paul
a Cross Country Rider
from Dublin
Date Reviewed: July 8, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | All of them | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$35.00 | | Purchased At: | Danville Bike | | Strengths: | Great traction over varies of terrain. Stable thru soft sandy spots. | | Weaknesses: | leaks a lot more air than the other tubeless tires I've used. Tough to get on. I'm a little worried if i need to do some trailside repairs. | | Similar Products Used: | Mich, Hutch | | Bike Setup: | Gary Fisher Sugar 2.1 Kendas | | Bottom Line: | The best tires I've had on my bike minus the leaky air problem. I lose about 10 pounds a night. I've ridding on the Pythons & the Comp S and really didn't like them overall. They had some good points but a lot more very bad points. I heard a good review and tried them out. I was very happy. thumbs up to Kenda | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Gimpy00Wang
a Cross Country Rider
from Whitehall, PA USA
Date Reviewed: July 4, 2002 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$36.00 | | Purchased At: | JensonUSA | | Strengths: | - Grippy
- low rolling resistance
- holds air very well | | Weaknesses: | - heavier than non-UST tires(duh)
- difficult to mount
- difficult to mount
- difficult to mount | | Similar Products Used: | Panaracer Fire XC Pro 2.1 + Stan's NoTubes | |
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