# Don't Buy Kenda Tires



## fredrick flintstone (Jun 1, 2004)

In the past Clyde's have asked what tires worked for them. I have had good things to say about the kenda tires that came on my new Titus. I now have to retract that statement. DON'T BUY KENDA TIRES! The tire failure I experienced is apparently a common fate for kenda tires when you put any type of sealant in them. I don’t care if you put battery acid in a tire it shouldn't delaminate like that. Kenda refuses to replace the tire because of the sealant. The dealer I bought the bike from put the sealant in when I bought the bike. It seems that most tubeless tires leek 5-7 psi when they sit for a week. My car tires don't leak air when they sit for a week. I currently have some Michelins on order; I hope they work out better.


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## okie_calvin (Jan 31, 2004)

*no problems here*

I run the same rim as you and have run both 2.35 Kinetics w/Stick-E compound ran tubeless w/ Stans and UST Kinetics w/Stans and never had that problem and the terrain we ride here in OK is extremely rocky. Is this the original set that came with your bike and how long have you run them? Both my sets lasted about 6 months w/out a problem.


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## eokerholm (Apr 9, 2005)

*Austin loves it's Kendas*

What you speak is Blastphemy here in Austin.

Everyone LOVES their Kendas, especially the Blue Grooves for our terrain here.

I too have the 2.35 Kinetics (couldn't pass up on $19/each at www.blueskycycling.com)

They're great and holding up well.
and for $20 a tire, I could care. Lasting as long as my $45 Continential Vertical Protections.....

But I'm not riding tubeless.

The kinetics can handle the extra PSI I need.
Anything under 50 PSI and I was pinch flatting something fierce before on my Specialized and Conti Tires.

Love the stick-E. Nice quiet Tire. Great grip.


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## fredrick flintstone (Jun 1, 2004)

*picture is worth 1000 words*

as you can see from the picture, the tire delaminated, after a long batch of emails to kenda they basicly stoped replying to me without offering to replace my tire. I am still running the front tire, it has about 10 months on it. I will be repacing it when my new michilens come this week. You are free to run whatever works on your bike but the wording of the emails from kenda is that they are woried about crashes and lawsuits.
because they wont stand behind there product I wont be purchacing any more.


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## smudge (Jan 12, 2004)

fredrick flintstone said:


> as you can see from the picture, the tire delaminated, after a long batch of emails to kenda they basicly stoped replying to me without offering to replace my tire. I am still running the front tire, it has about 10 months on it. I will be repacing it when my new michilens come this week. You are free to run whatever works on your bike but the wording of the emails from kenda is that they are woried about crashes and lawsuits.
> because they wont stand behind there product I wont be purchacing any more.


 A word of advice...don't put Stans in the Mich tires either. You're running the risk of breaking the bead.


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## mappable (Aug 29, 2004)

i had a nevegal that kenda replaced when the knobbies started to spin off after three months of riding in austin. 

kenda replaced it 1/2 off retail. they also told me not to use sealants. the replacement tire arrived with an anti-sealant disclaimer.


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## shiggy (Dec 19, 1998)

If your LBS put in the sealant they should replace the tires.


kendausa.com said:


> April 1, 2005
> 
> DO NOT USE any fluuid based sealant product in your KENDA tires
> 
> ...


http://www.kendausa.com/bicycle/bicycle_news.cfm?pr=174&cat=2

It is not unusual for any bicycle tire to lose 5-7 psi a week. They are just not as heavy/thick as a car tire. You can not compare the two.


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## riderx (Jan 6, 2004)

It's not Kenda's fault you are using the product in a way it wasn't intended. 


> I don't care if you put battery acid in a tire it shouldn't delaminate like that. Kenda refuses to replace the tire because of the sealant.




Guess what, try doing the same thing with a car or motorcycle tire and you can bet the manufacturer won't warranty it either.


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## chuky (Apr 3, 2005)

*You did it to yourself...*



fredrick flintstone said:


> I don�t care if you put battery acid in a tire it shouldn't delaminate like that.


Kenda is not the only company that has problems with people using tires incorrectly and then asking for replacement. See this thread...

http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=102029&highlight=failed+tire+bead

I am all for the improper use of products, as long as you acknowledge that any failure is your own fault. Kenda is a great company - my experiences have shown that they are supportive of grassroots racing and that they make great products. To criticize them for something you did to yourself is silly.

Cheers,
C


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## jimjo (Jan 25, 2004)

fredrick flintstone said:


> In the past Clyde's have asked what tires worked for them. I have had good things to say about the kenda tires that came on my new Titus. I now have to retract that statement. DON'T BUY KENDA TIRES! The tire failure I experienced is apparently a common fate for kenda tires when you put any type of sealant in them. I don?t care if you put battery acid in a tire it shouldn't delaminate like that. Kenda refuses to replace the tire because of the sealant. The dealer I bought the bike from put the sealant in when I bought the bike. It seems that most tubeless tires leek 5-7 psi when they sit for a week. My car tires don't leak air when they sit for a week. I currently have some Michelins on order; I hope they work out better.


ive been running kendas for almost two years with NO problems....


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## BlueBike (Aug 22, 2004)

My two weeks old Nevegal











jimjo said:


> ive been running kendas for almost two years with NO problems....


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## mattbikeboy (Jun 8, 2004)

I've had good luck with 2.1 Blue Grooves. In eight months I've ridden them over 360 miles and they are starting to have lugs pealing off. Not to bad for our trails -- I had Fire XC Pros do that four miles into their first ride. Maybe I shouldn't have ordered new Fire XC Pro USTs -- I guess I'll find out how they hold up. My riding buddies seem to love them. 

mbb


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## Bikehigh (Jan 14, 2004)

BlueBike said:


> My two weeks old Nevegal


Yeah, we can see by the whacked rim what happened in this case. It's all the tire's fault.


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## BlueBike (Aug 22, 2004)

Yeh, I probably hit a rock or something, but I have never had a sidewall puncture since 1999. I know it clould happen to anyone, but isn't it weird it happens now especially with a brand new tire? I'm told to try the 2.1 instead of the 1.95 one for better sidewall protection. I will try both size again because I like how it grabs/turns.



Bikehigh said:


> Yeah, we can see by the whacked rim what happened in this case. It's all the tire's fault.


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## Ken in KC (Jan 12, 2004)

*Congratulations...*



BlueBike said:


> Yeh, I probably hit a rock or something, but I have never had a sidewall puncture since 1999. I know it clould happen to anyone, but isn't it weird it happens now especially with a brand new tire? I'm told to try the 2.1 instead of the 1.95 one for better sidewall protection. I will try both size again because I like how it grabs/turns.


You ripped your first sidewall. It happens in mountain biking. I'm riding a tire right now that I've ripped and repaired twice. It happens. I don't think you can blame the tire in this case.

Ken


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## jimjo (Jan 25, 2004)

BlueBike said:


> Yeh, I probably hit a rock or something, but I have never had a sidewall puncture since 1999. I know it clould happen to anyone, but isn't it weird it happens now especially with a brand new tire? I'm told to try the 2.1 instead of the 1.95 one for better sidewall protection. I will try both size again because I like how it grabs/turns.


yeah youre right that _is really_ weird

the only way that its not going to happen again...is if you stop mountain biking


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## JamFan44 (Apr 4, 2005)

*I like my Kendas*

I've read this post for about three days straight now and it's time to put in my 2 cents. I've never liked the idea of using any sort of sealant for my tires, be it from the bottle or the puncture strips what-have-you. If sealant was used by your bike shop, then your beef is with them, not with Kenda. Your LBS should know better.

I've been riding on my Kinetics (non-Stick-Es) for about three months now. I ride hard and fast over very rocky terrain, and yet to have a single knob break or sidewall gouge, unlike my Hutchinson 'Skeeters Air Lites that came stock. I've also tried Fire XC which caked with mud all the time. i've also tried the Maxxis Mobsters with the same problem. And let me not get into the rolling resistance issue with these tires, unlike my Kendas.

From what I've read and what I experienced, Kenda makes a great tire and is really supportive in the industry. Lay blame where it's due, not where it's most convenient.


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## BlueBike (Aug 22, 2004)

Or use another tire!!! Have I said something bad about the Nevegal at all? I simply said what happened to a brand new tire, and I didn't even said it was the trire's fault. I just wanted to let people know that the tire didn't give me much of sidewall protection especially 1.95 tires. Oh, is it my fault getting a sidewall functure for the first time with a brand new tire? Didn't even I say I'd give them another try?



jimjo said:


> yeah youre right that _is really_ weird
> 
> the only way that its not going to happen again...is if you stop mountain biking


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## Ken in KC (Jan 12, 2004)

*Well....*



BlueBike said:


> Or use another tire!!! Have I said something bad about the Nevegal at all? I simply said what happened to a brand new tire, and I didn't even said it was the trire's fault. I just wanted to let people know that the tire didn't give me much of sidewall protection especially 1.95 tires. Oh, is it my fault getting a sidewall functure for the first time with a brand new tire? Didn't even I say I'd give them another try?


Is it your fault? I don't know. It could be. It doesn't look like it's the tire's fault, though. It looks like you ripped it on a rock. It happens, regardless of the age of the tire. It sucks when it happens because tires are so expensive but it's part of the gig.

And as I've said before, there's no reason in the world for someone who weighs over 200 pounds to ride tiny tires. 2.1 and up.

Ken


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## stormcrowe (May 16, 2005)

*I run GEAX Evolutions!*

Kevlar cored and durable as hell! 26X1.90 and actually a commuting tire, but it has block side treads and a center rib. It get's good traction on pavement, gravel, hardpack and muddy trails! I've put about 750 miles on them and haven't even worn off the molding nipples yet! I ride a mix of ride conditions here and they seem to be an excellent all purpose tire. As to tread peel, nada! As to sidewall problems, NADA! I'd recommend them to anyone! By the way, they don't have that numbing buzz through the handlebars if you ride them on pavement either!  
RATING:       


Ken in KC said:


> Is it your fault? I don't know. It could be. It doesn't look like it's the tire's fault, though. It looks like you ripped it on a rock. It happens, regardless of the age of the tire. It sucks when it happens because tires are so expensive but it's part of the gig.
> 
> And as I've said before, there's no reason in the world for someone who weighs over 200 pounds to ride tiny tires. 2.1 and up.
> 
> Ken


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## outdoornut (Aug 13, 2005)

*Kenda's been good to me*

Have run Kenda's on three different mountain bikes over the last 7 years. No problems other than the normal things that happen to mountain bike tires. Running Nevegal 2.5 now and love em'.


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## Acme54321 (Oct 8, 2003)

fredrick flintstone said:


> It seems that most tubeless tires leek 5-7 psi when they sit for a week. My car tires don't leak air when they sit for a week.


Most other bike tires leak that much in a week though.


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## fredrick flintstone (Jun 1, 2004)

*too little time to ride*



Acme54321 said:


> Most other bike tires leak that much in a week though.


I have too little time to ride as it is, by the time i get off work daylight is in limmeted supply. i dont want to have to take the time to air up tires since presta valves are a pain in the ass to put air in and check presure. i recently bought a presta chuck for my air comperesser to speed up this process. i think i am going back to tube tires.


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## rzozaya1969 (Nov 28, 2004)

fredrick flintstone said:


> as you can see from the picture, the tire delaminated, after a long batch of emails to kenda they basicly stoped replying to me without offering to replace my tire. I am still running the front tire, it has about 10 months on it. I will be repacing it when my new michilens come this week. You are free to run whatever works on your bike but the wording of the emails from kenda is that they are woried about crashes and lawsuits.
> because they wont stand behind there product I wont be purchacing any more.


The michelins aren't that much better in long term. I've put the XCR all terrain, have 4 rides on them and some knobs are, not torn, but starting to.

Edit:

Any tire can get ripped off if you give it enough time. How hard have you been using yours? Not just 10 months, how often did you use it? XC or agressive XC or freeride?

I think that components in a bike tend to deteriorate with time.


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## Trevor! (Dec 23, 2003)

I find Kendas to be generally fine. I have found them a little more susceptible to pinch flats but nothing as bad as this. perhaps its just bad luck. I am not too sure that I'd tell everyone to forget about em because of one mishap.


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## garboui (Jul 16, 2004)

the team from the shop that i worked at was sponsord by kenda. they all ran tubeless tires with stans for flats not one team member has had problems with that combination yet. there are 15 people on the team.


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## bulletbob (Apr 5, 2004)

*had to gloat...*



garboui said:


> the team from the shop that i worked at was sponsord by kenda. they all ran tubeless tires with stans for flats not one team member has had problems with that combination yet. there are 15 people on the team.


I have a Maxxis HansVenture in the front and Maxxis Minion in the rear and with TruGoo, I've never had a flat and never lost a pound of air for months!

<knock on wood/>

I cross my fingers though, I hit the trail pretty hard and generally plow through/over everything and hope for the best. And being the clydesdale I am, I've never had a bit of problem. Heck, myself and some peeps have pummeled WInter Park all day twice in the last 3 weeks even including the downhill courses.

Maxxis rules!


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## schnauzer (Jan 30, 2004)

bulletbob said:


> I have a Maxxis HansVenture in the front and Maxxis Minion in the rear and with TruGoo, I've never had a flat and never lost a pound of air for months!
> 
> <knock on wood/>
> 
> ...


I wonder why putting Stan's in a tire causes a problem. I realy dont know.... anybody have any details? I have Ran Stan's with my Hutchinson's for three years and I would not go without it. I ride were there is a lot of thorns and the Stan's is a life saver. I can even remeber the last time I had a flat (knock on wood).


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