Submitted by
NorCal Bike Guy
a Racer
from San Mateo, CA Date Reviewed: July 8, 2008
Favorite Trail:
Skeggs Point
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$45.00
Purchased At:
Speed Goat
Strengths:
Absolutely the best race tire, providing you know how to ride a bike. Lightest useable tire you're going to find anywhere. Incredible speed due to exceptionally low rolling resistance. Excellent traction except in wet mud, but hey, nothing gets traction in wet mud. I'm buying extra sets just in cse they stop making them.
Weaknesses:
Sure they might slide around a bit in the crners, but once the side knobs dig in, your bike is on rails until you release yourself out of the turn. Sure you might get a flat riding over glass, but why the hell would you want to ride over glass?
Similar Products Used:
Ritchey speedmax (Alpha, Omega, and mudmax). Ride in Norther California and Ontario Canada.
Bike Setup:
Yeti ASR and Trek 8500
Bottom Line:
Exceptionally fast, light high performance tire.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Mark
a Weekend Warrior
from Texas Date Reviewed: July 3, 2003
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Purchased At:
came on bike
Strengths:
None to speak of.
Weaknesses:
Shiatty tire. I kept the pressure between 70-75lbs, rode them mostly on asphalt with a small daily dose of hardpack, and the sidewall blew out where the bead meets the nylon/rubber crap. Do not spend a dime on this junk.
Similar Products Used:
Looking for advice...
Bike Setup:
03 Bianchi Axis
Bottom Line:
As stated above - these tires are bottom-feeders. I've never had ANY tire give way as quickly as these. Matter of fact, I've never had a tire this shiatty - EVER. Kenda has a lot of work to do in order to gain any traction in this part of the market. Pun intended.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Lyndon
a Weekend Warrior
from Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada Date Reviewed: April 27, 2003
Favorite Trail:
anything where the wind's at my back
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Purchased At:
LBS
Strengths:
It was free, that's the only reason it's on my bike. The sidewall blew off my old tire in the middle of a tour, and someone was kind enough to give me this one.
Weaknesses:
Flats. Lots of flats. Poor grip on anything wet. I can make my back tire spin out on level ground.
Similar Products Used:
Panaracer XC pro, Tioga stock
Bike Setup:
Bar bike that I can leave wherever without fear of theft.
Bottom Line:
Don't buy these unless the ground you're riding on is perfectly dry without debris. Where I'm from, if you have to dodge glass to avoid flats, then you can't really ride anywhere. Glass has an amazing ability to hide in the gravel that's thrown on icy streets. Traction is terrible. I would be very angry if I'd spent one cent on this. The guy who gave me mine must've been chuckling.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
David
a Weekend Warrior
from Canada Date Reviewed: December 6, 2002
Duration Product Used:
Tested or demo'ed only
Strengths:
good on paths and gravel
Weaknesses:
slide in mud and over roots
Similar Products Used:
Kenda Kenetics (they're the best)
Bike Setup:
2002 Norco Charger
Bottom Line:
not bad until you hit a trail with roots and mud
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
scott silvers
a Cross Country Rider
from novi, michigan Date Reviewed: October 7, 2002
Favorite Trail:
highland
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$20.00
Strengths:
came with cyclocrosser, kona jake the snake. Didnt realize how good they were til I replaced them with some Geax Reverts.
Weaknesses:
Would like to see a wider version for cyclocrossing
Similar Products Used:
Geax Revert, avocet
Bike Setup:
2001 kona jake the snake cyclocrosser
Bottom Line:
Cyclocrossers! this is a decent tire that grips way better than it has a right to when using it off-road. Its fast on pavement and has just enuff knob to do it off road. Great "thin" tire.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
John
a Racer
from Appleton, WI Date Reviewed: September 11, 2002
Favorite Trail:
any
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$45.00
Purchased At:
Wheel & Sprocket
Strengths:
They hold air.
Weaknesses:
The worst tire I've ever used. I used for 1 hour & took them off for good.
Similar Products Used:
13 years of every possible combination
Bike Setup:
CC...The way I like it
Bottom Line:
I puchased these these as a recommendation from my LBS. I seriously questioned the brand and the comeback was "They're the largest tire mfr. in the world, so they can't make junk..." I'm sorry, but after one 15 mile pre-ride lap on dry ground at the 24 Hours of 9 Mile I can honestly say I could not control my bike at any speed, on any terrain. My teammates wondered what my problem was!! DO NOT BUY THESE EVEN FROM THE BARGAIN BIN!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Jer Thomas
a Cross Country Rider
from SW Ontario Date Reviewed: July 31, 2002
Favorite Trail:
any set of train tracks
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$18.00
Purchased At:
Canadian Tire
Strengths:
Cost effecient, good all around tire for a ratio of 50/50 street/trail. Smooth, quiet, decent street handling, OK on dirt, OK on gravel. Awesome looking tire, love that red stripe on the side wall.
Weaknesses:
terrible in mud (yeah, semislick), Positively SUCKS in rain on ashphalt, wont even hook up unless moderately applying torque. The KENDA KWIK insignia on the left sidewall with the racing flag patter is QUEER! looks like something off a toddler's trike.
Similar Products Used:
Loud, crappy, poor handling tires of a questionable brand that were on my jeep when I aqcuired her.
Bike Setup:
2000 Jeep Renegade, full suspension, rear monroe coilover.
Bottom Line:
If you have read these reviews and think it sounds like a tire for you then buy it. If it doesn't sound like the tire for your needs then don't. Obviously.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
sean penn
a Weekend Warrior
from somewhere,in,australia Date Reviewed: March 19, 2002
Favorite Trail:
all
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$15.00
Purchased At:
somestore
Strengths:
none
Weaknesses:
these tires don't grip regardless of the surface.. too many crashes, too sore. replaced with a pair of REAL tyres..
Bike Setup:
R.M frame,sun big M fat,xt disc hubs,azonic bar
Bottom Line:
don't go fast!!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
David
a Weekend Warrior
from Sydney, Australia Date Reviewed: September 30, 2001
Favorite Trail:
Pennant Hills/Lane Cove National Park
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Purchased At:
Came on Shogun Prairie Breaker
Strengths:
Good on hardpacked ground and open fire trails
Weaknesses:
Lousy on rocky ground (like creek beds). I've shredded rear sidewalls twice on fist-sized rocky ground because the tyres can't stand sliding off them. Lousy in mud (but semislicks are anyway) or slippery track.
Similar Products Used:
WTB VelociRaptors
Bike Setup:
Shogun PrairieBreaker
Bottom Line:
Inexpensive tyres which are good on road and hard,open fire trails. But the sidewalls give out on anything beyond billiard table roughness. They can be good if used only on the front with something a bit more aggressive and substantial on the back. For the price, they are good if you don't intend getting into the rough stuff.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Karl
a Weekend Warrior
from SW Ontario, Canada Date Reviewed: July 11, 2001
Favorite Trail:
Fanshawe Lake loop
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Purchased At:
Canadian tire
Strengths:
Cheaper than a cheap thing, they are lasting some good miles, surprisingly good off road for being a semi slick, easy to mount, red pinstripe matches my bikes paint and although I don't know exactly what they weight, they feel light.
Weaknesses:
Not good in mud, but then a semi-slick has no business being in mud, so there.
Similar Products Used:
OEM tires that came with my bike.
Bike Setup:
Giant ATX-760.
Bottom Line:
An excellent tire for any hardpack but one that also works suprisingly well on moist ground. Toss in the down to earth price and I think we have ourselves a winner. 5 hotties for value since they are so damned cheap, and 4 overall just because they aren't great in snotty stuff - even though it IS a semi slick, it's hard to stay outta the snot when on the trails.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
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