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Submitted by
Christian
a Racer
from Central Pa
Date Reviewed: October 6, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | Piggy's Camp | | Duration Product Used: | Tested or demo'ed only | | Strengths: | I haven't bought these yet, just reading the reviews. Why hasn't anyone rode these in snow? | | Weaknesses: | How are they in snow? | | Similar Products Used: | Tioga factory XC, Conti competition Pro | | Bottom Line: | How are they in snow? They look like they'll do good, but.... | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Bryan
a Cross Country Rider
from Melrose, MA
Date Reviewed: April 24, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | bow ridge :( :( | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Strengths: | Durable, light and the traction on climbs!! | | Weaknesses: | a sidewall split but after a season of hard riding. | | Similar Products Used: | Specialized,Tioga,Ritchey | | Bike Setup: | Sampson Ti | | Bottom Line: | I have had several of these tires over the years and can't seem to find a reason to change. I race and love the technical stuff and the Smoke has not let me down! I have started my fourth season with the same tire on the rear and with lots of even wear it still gets me to the top without breaking lose!! I will be swapping this tire onto my new wheelset. These tires are old school but I just specd'em on my new full suspension ride. If you look you can steal these kevlar lightweights for $15.00. Such a deal!!
Great for all around cross country riding. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Martin
a Weekend Warrior
from Canada, NB
Date Reviewed: April 11, 1999 | | Duration Product Used: |
more than 3 years | | Bottom Line: | only have the front, Dart tire on my bike... KICKS ASS!!! able to get into pebly , sharp corners... FAST!!! I'm talking like 25 MPH fast... in tight switchbacks and live to tell about it!! front stays planted while the rear... cheapo stock tire.. slides out... No Problem!! Just point and shoot... that simple!!
| | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
jamie lamb
a Racer
from nova scotia canada
Date Reviewed: April 3, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
anything with dirt | | Duration Product Used: |
1 Year | | Strengths: |
not that heavy, low rolling resistance alright traction | | Weaknesses: |
wears fast | | Similar Products Used: |
kona sctatch
methos XC | | Bike Setup: |
norco magnum bomber z3 | | Bottom Line: | this is an alright tire Mine was fine but One of my friends (shane) had one and after riding about 20 feet the side wall blew out and the tire went right off the rim. That was i bit of a problem.
mine held up fine so 3 chillies | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
RENARDO
a weekend warrior
from HUNTSVILLE,ALABAMA
Date Reviewed: December 15, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
IVE HAD THEASE TIRES FOR 2 SEASONS, AND I MUST SAY I NEVER WANTED TO TRY ANYTHING ELSE BUT I WILL (GEAX BLADE). ANY WAY THEIR FAST IN HARD PACK, OK IN MUD BUT CAN BE BETTER. IM A 225 POUND RIDER WHO IS HARD ON TIRES, BUT THE HARCORE SMOKE IS SUPERB,NEVER A PINCH FLAT,DAMN WHAT CAN I SAY THERE JUST HARDCORE.WELL THE INFERIOR BLUE-CROSS VERSOIN IS THE OPPOSITE, LOTS OF BLOW OUTS WEAK SIDE WALLS A LITTLE HEAVEY BUT THE TRACTION IS SUPER. | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Stacey
a
from San Antonio
Date Reviewed: October 19, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I bought my second set of smoke/dart combo for a bike I purchased about a year ago. The new set I purchased were the hardcore kevlar models and the sidewall blew out within a week - while the bike was sitting in my living room for no apparent reason. I see at least one other person in this review experienced close to the same thing. I'm happy with performance but apparently QA needs some attention. | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Vicki
a cross-country rider
from Waterford, MI
Date Reviewed: July 12, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I bought the smoke/dart combo to replace my primal raptors and wow!! what a difference a great pair of tires can make. Instead of the rear tire constantly spinning on steap uphills I can now keep great contact w/ the dirt and climb like a pro. Thanks to MTB review for making my rides much more enjoyable. If any of you have the WTB primals (came with my hoo koo) do yourseld a favor and toss the useless pair of **** in the can.FIve flaming chilis!! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
jamie lamb
a racer
from nova scotia /canada
Date Reviewed: June 21, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
Raced these tires through everything. 6 mud super dry hard pack and loose dirt and leaves. They worked good cleaning in mud and ass kicking traction in hard pack. They feel like a semi-skick. The only thing that is even half bad is that in 1/2 dry sticky mud they clean be flinging crap on to your back. I will give these tires 6 stars but there is only 5. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
I.L.
a cross-country rider
from Boston
Date Reviewed: May 12, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
A tire for all seasons. My usual trails are single-track woods, with lose dirt, mud, rock, roots, streams and hills. Ran them through a hot dry New England summer with no problems. 12 days and 5 inches of rain into May, same trails, same tires and still no problems. Highly recommended. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Erik
a cross-country rider
from Savonlinna ,eastern Finland
Date Reviewed: May 4, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I used to have a set of Panaracer Hardcore Smoke n' Dart on my Fuji
I really loved them . Lasted for ~ 2 summer and winter seasons. Grip was
excelent on dry and moist earth and gravel-rock . Didn't slip on roots and had great cornering in loose gravel . Suprisingly easy rolling on hard pack and road. Only in sticky mud does the tread get clogged . Really wet mud -no problem. Acceleration thumbs up. The tread depth would still have worked if not the knobs and sidewalls had begun to crack and get brittle .My new GT Timberline FS came with 1.9 WTB Velociraptors - So far they climb
well on soft earth , but they slip easy on wet roots and rocks . Acceleration and rolling sucks! Even with high pressure and on dry hard pack you can feel the resistance -stop pedaling and there's no need for brakes on even ground .
I even thought of taking a knife and cutting down on some knobs.
I going out now to buy 2 pairs of the trusty Hard Core Smoke/Darts
for the future.I deeply suggest you choose these tires you will not regret it.Ride on ! Peace. from Erik in Finland | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Daron Tan
a weekend warrior
from Malaysia
Date Reviewed: March 8, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I posted an earlier review on the Smoke Hardcore's short lived lifespan. My Smoke Hardcore was a hit with me as it offers very low rolling resistance for a knobby. It also handles predictably. Unfortunately it expires prematurely, the sidewall surrendered to stress. According to Panaracer it is an unusual case and had my busted tire replaced without any charges. For after sales support I rate them second to none. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Tony
a cross-country rider
from CA
Date Reviewed: February 9, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I had these on my first bike. At the beginning, they were really nice.
The traction was very confidence inducing. After about 200 miles though, they
seemed to loose their grip. Its a pretty heavy tire for xcountry as well.
I'm now riding conti's (dry) and Jones (mud) The Smokes can't compare to these.
They're just OK so 3 Chili's | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Daron Tan
a weekend warrior
from Malaysia
Date Reviewed: February 8, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I had the Smoke Hardcore Compe Kevlar on my HT. I love the low rolling resistance ride from this tire. Overall traction is okay but durability is suspect. My Smoke's sidewall burst under a mileage of just 50 KM for no apparent reason. I am positive my tire have no contact with the brakepads or any objects. Sidewall material appears weathered but treads are still good. I am not sure if mine is a one-off defect case or a manufacturer's material flaw of this model. Will repost if I find out more. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Gideon
a
from Israel
Date Reviewed: February 3, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I've been using various Smoke /Dart tyres for guiding bike tours for a few years now & overall I'm really happy with them. I had a problem with the sidewalls of the kevlar beaded gumwall versions breaking down while there was still loads of tread left, but after a fax to the Japan Bicycle Tyre Manufacturers Association, inside 2 days I got a new set of Classics , no questions ,no quibbles.Good tyre, top service, nice price. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Greg Beech
a downhiller
from nottingham,UK
Date Reviewed: January 5, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
These really are the best tyres I have ever used. The 2.1 Smoke and Dart Magics (yes, the white ones). With the kevlar, they are very light also. I have ridden WTB Velociraprors, which are also excellent, except that the front seems to lose traction slightly before the rear in fast off-camber corners, which is very scary. Michelin WildGrippers are ok, but again, you've got the problem with front washout, and they dont seem to last too well. The Panaracers slide controllably, with the rear going slightly before the front, so you don't wipe out. Perhaps the best option, however, is a Panaracer Dart front and a WTB Velociraptor rear. These work the best. Only problem is, one white tyre, and one black, looks shite, which is why I use the panaracer pair. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Alun Evans
a weekend warrior
from Swansea, Wales
Date Reviewed: December 22, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
I've ridden smole/dart combo for qiute a while now and they are the best tyres ever. Cheap, durably, and grippy. What more do you want unless you're a racer and want to get that leetle beet extra speed from semi-slicks.
Buy them and ride them until they wear out. Then buy a new pair. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
DPB
a cross-country rider
from Kingston, Ontario, Canada
Date Reviewed: October 26, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
I had the Smoke/Dart II (OEM) and the rear smoke tire was faulty and exploded. but I e-mailed Panaracer and their service is GREAT. They said, send me the tire and I'll give you a Smoke Classic for free. That's good service. It is a good performing tire...does just about everything well. I give it 4 stars, for warrenty service, good performance, but -1 for exploding in the first place. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Adam
a racer
from Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
Date Reviewed: August 12, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
I had the Smoke on for about a week and after that time it was worn out.
The knobs were falling off or missing altogether. I wasn't impressed. I
like the older smoke better anyway.(Now called the classic) I have no problem with the front dart or the magics-they rock. However on the plus side, the smoke corners awesome. Climbing is sketchy though. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Chris, the man
a cross-country rider
from Canada
Date Reviewed: August 4, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
Good traction, climbing (read posts below); just gotta add:Truly amazing performance on the beach (on the sand)!!! Just goes through!!! I was shocked! Others push bikes! I ride!!!!!!Also whatever pressure you got you feel good with them; gotta agree though - poor cornering, takes confidence away. Also short loses of control on the uneven (paralelly) sidewalk! Killing!Generaly like the tires, but i will try something else next time.Yep! said! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
SGT ROCK
a weekend warrior
from Kitimat, BC
Date Reviewed: July 28, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
Hardcore Smoke/Dart combo rules. Cheap, tough and climb/corner as good or better than my '97 vintage, super-trick Velociraptor Lazers at one quarter the price. I hope Panaracer keeps making them forever. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
ryan
a cross-country rider
from philadelphia, pa
Date Reviewed: July 14, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
the back tire is great for climbing but the front tire sucks, it slides out in any wet conditions and sometimes even in dry -do not buy these. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Ron
a weekend warrior
from SF, CA
Date Reviewed: June 29, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
I have had the Smoke and Darts for about a year now. They are a good set for the
price. Good traction on dry land. Poor cornering is the downside. You don't
get the confidence on sharp turns. They are undestructable! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Andy Goeckel
a cross-country rider
from Bonn, Germany
Date Reviewed: May 21, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
The Smoke is a pretty good rear tire, no complaints. Especially in muddy conditions it does what it´s supposed to do, give me traction. The Dart sucked. The tire profile is way to square making it difficult to turn. I got rid of it as soon as possible and exchanged it for an IRC Piranha Pro (see comments there). | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Mike
a racer
from College Park, MD
Date Reviewed: April 26, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
I don't know if these are those tan tires, but if they are, they slide out in the wet too much. They also get gunked up fairly easily and don't shed it very well. Decent for the hardpack though. I ride mostly singletrack and woods and during the summer thes are fine. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
peter sellers
a cross-country rider
from wales
Date Reviewed: April 26, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
Like a pile of turd these wear out so quickly youll be pissed you bought them.
Sure there grippy and all, but the dont roll as fast as Id like and there do wear out after usally about 1-2 months,which is not even a season.
Come back Ground Control all is forgiven!!!! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Anthony Torrez
a cross-country rider
from riverside california
Date Reviewed: April 20, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
By far the best tires for hardpack. My Velociraptors sucked so bad, I had to get new tires, and I'm glad I got the Hardcore Panaracer's...I hope they (Panaracer) keep making the hard compound tires for a loooooonnng time, because they are absolutely the best tire for hardpack with occasional sand. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Don
a cross-country rider
from Carlisle, PA
Date Reviewed: April 13, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
I replaced the original OEM front tire with a Dart on my hardtail and it made a dramatic improvement in traction and control - I had previously been plagued with front end washout which the Dart solved. I currenty run a Smoke on the rear of my ProFlex that replaced the original Psycho, again a dramatic improvement. The Psycho wouldn't hook up on anything (eastern PA terrain). Strangely, the Psycho up front worked well enough to leave alone on the ProFlex, but overall the Smoke and Dart tires are great eastern terain sneakers. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Derek Harse
a weekend warrior
from Jupiter FL USA
Date Reviewed: April 11, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
I think that these tires are great. I replaced the stock tires on my
Fisher after only 2 weeks. One blew a hole in the side the other wore
out. So far I have had these for almost 6 months and they still look
fairly new. I may only be 14, but when I look at the side walks around
the hood after it has rained and dried up, I see the front V-pattern on
every turn. I cant belive how well the hold. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Stirfry
a weekend warrior
from Rockville, MD
Date Reviewed: April 6, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
There is no reason to buy these tires. They break away without warning in the
wet and they cannot keep a straight line on off camber trails. Save yourself
from making the same mistake I did and buy a pair of velociraptors. I am now
riding on the WTBs and the difference is amazing. I don't know how anyone can say the Panaracer's work in the wet. Just compare their wimpy side treads to
meaty side treads of velociraptor's for pure cornering grip. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jeff
a racer
from Anchorage
Date Reviewed: April 6, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
Wow,
I couldn't disagree more with the person that wrote the review below this
one. I rode V-raptors for a little bit but after going down on slimy corners
once to many I started to look around for a different tire. I decided on these.
I have not been at all disappointed. They do everything really well and nothing great. This is the highest complement I can give a tire since only a slick rides great on road and it takes a storm control or original smoke to ride grea in mud.....(you get the idea). Never did go down again on one particular corner that kept swallowing my front wheel with the v-raptors on. I would conlude the exact opposite. Burn the v-raptors (heavy, slow on road, unstable front offroad...) and buy a pair of these.JEff
| | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Mac
a weekend warrior
from Albuquerque,New Mexico
Date Reviewed: April 3, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
I have hardcore darts and smokes these are great tires.The tires are very responsive on a downhill run. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
steven mccullough
a weekend warrior
from st. mary's city, md us.
Date Reviewed: March 25, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
these tires suck! they do not bite anything and and are too hard. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jason
a racer
from Hanover, PA
Date Reviewed: March 24, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
overall a good tire, especially on the dry conditions, smooth rollling, corners good, climbs good, etc. The downfall on this tire is mud that is kind of dry and clayey. The kind that sticks to your tires. In these conditions these tires make it seem as if your riding on ice. durability seems to be good.
| | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Lukas Felix
a weekend warrior
from Poland
Date Reviewed: March 22, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
I've been riding on that tire for several months in many conditions and
I find them to be a good one for that price. Especially I like SMOKE,
it has a good traction in nearly all terrain and weather conditions. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Cripple
a
from cross-country rider
Date Reviewed: March 21, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
I have the original black pair without the Kevlar bead and what have you. They flat out rule. Climb - anything. The only time their performancer is hindered is when the mud is semi-dry and clumps together, similar to caly, then the going gets slick. OK, here's some weird, yet REALLY effective advice - cut out the 2 little knobs in the middle of the tire. The tire should now resemble a paddle-wheel on a riverboat. This tread gets traction on anything. You know that brick wall on the side of the local fire deapartment headquarters? Go get on the roof. Yes, the tire is much more susceptible to punctures, but it's worth it. You'll shit yourself at the new performance. And yes, the paddle-wheel gets traction in shit too. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Greg
a cross-country rider
from SLC, UT
Date Reviewed: March 20, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
Great tires for everything but asphalt and the like, no cornering, Beware.
Also they seem to last a long time, I commute to work on them and then hit the single tracks. I am still on my first set. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
bLaDe
a weekend warrior
from Peterborough, On, Canada
Date Reviewed: March 5, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
Smoke/Dart Hardcore (The dual compound puppies) 1996 editionJust getting into offroading in a big way, I way riding stock knock off rubbers on my Norco. I picked up a pair of Hardcores thinking that the name stood for durable, and the bike shop ppl said that it would last longer than reg rubber. --- NOT!Back:
I chewed several treads from the rear in 4-5 hours of trail. Not to mention that the inner compound is soft, and wore half way in the same time period. Front:
Within the same time, I manage to wear the front down to 3/4 of the tread.Needless to say I returned 'em to the respective shops for some new ones. Thanks to Cyclepath and Fontaine's for not fussing!Not worth the hastle of replacing every month or so! Unless your rich and unemployed.... like that with ever happen!
P.S.:
My new Dart Classic front, and IRC Pirana Pro Rear are great.But I can't wait to check out my new Specialized Team Control Kev's on my new Specialized Stump M2!Ride on!
| Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
J Voss
a cross-country rider
from West Chester, Pa
Date Reviewed: March 1, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
Overall very good tire. Nice and light sticks to the ground in everything but the mud, where the tread fills up to give you a slick tire. If you ride in predominantly muddy conditions I would not recomend this tire. If not this set of tires is excellent. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Billy
a downhiller
from argentina
Date Reviewed: February 25, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
This tires are really cool. i've had the for almost a year and rode about 3000 miles and they are a new!!!!!!!!!11 | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jeff Kerkove
a cross-country rider
from Algona, Iowa
Date Reviewed: January 24, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
I ride the rear tire. It works great!! I have ridin' it in all kinds of conditions and must say it works like no other tire I have ever ridin'.The tire has small nobs, but tracks very well in mud and loose dirt. I have raced the rear time many times and it kicks ass! If you are looking for a new rear tire give this one a try! I haven't tried the front tire so I don't know what to say about that one! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Ian Longstreet
a racer
from Santa Barbara, CA
Date Reviewed: January 14, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
Panaracers suck. They are the longest lasting tires I have ever ridden but their handling sucks. I still can't believe that I wasted my money on XC magic kevlars (picture). The rear is okay but the front was horrible. It handled great at times but would slip and break loose without warning. I am much happier with a real tire like some onzas! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Simon V
a weekend warrior
from Portsmouth, Great Britain
Date Reviewed: January 14, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
I find the smoke/dart combo great on hard pack, light snow and frozen ground. No loss of traction up hills, no loss of directional control down them. However, in Sticky clay or chalk mud they are atrocious. They clog, pick up the mud and jam up the fork braces so much that I cannot make them go round.In these conditions I have found the Dart to be positively dangerous , allowing the front to slip away. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Sauceman
a weekend warrior
from Stamford, CT
Date Reviewed: January 8, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
I started with the Psycho K's, they suck!! I went to the Dart/Smoke combo, talk about a night and day difference!! They rip up the hills and handle the mud. They are a little unstable when it comes to a speed/loose ganular combination. Overall-I Love 'em | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
OverTheBars OTB
a weekend warrior
from Texas
Date Reviewed: December 27, 1996 | | Bottom Line: |
I recently replaced the original Spez More Extreme rear tire on my bike with the Panaracer Smoke. WOW!! I can't believe the difference it made in climbing. I am not a strong climber (or rider for that matter), and at 240 lbs, I'm not real well suited for climbing, but I now cruise up hills that I've not yet seen anybody else climb. It handles well in the corners on soft and hard pack, and disperses mud adequately. My only complaint is the tire isn't real well suited for biting wet roots across the trail. It tends to run out if you're not careful to hit the roots square. I would definately recommend this tire to anyone who wants to improve their ability to climb, and blow their friends away on the hills. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Lee Murray
a cross-country rider
from Reno, NV
Date Reviewed: November 30, 1996 | | Bottom Line: |
Geat tires. Good traction on loose rocks & soft dirt. Cleans mud well, until you get into that clayey stuff. The soft tread bites well into the packed sidehills, but the tread is so soft, that rocks will tear it apart. I'm only getting one season out of them. I think the dart is too flat in cross-section. The Velociraptor is just an enlarged version of the Dart and seems to transition fromm side to side better. What happened to black tires? | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Carter
a racer
from Alabama
Date Reviewed: November 14, 1996 | | Bottom Line: |
I think that the Smoke and Dart combination is one of the best tire
combinations you can buy for hardpack and loosepack. They are incredibly
light and corner excellent. I don't recommend them for any on road use
though, they are terribly noisy and have no cornering capabilities.Mud is something that they will perform well in but I wouldn't buy them just for
that. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Josh
a cross-country rider
from ME, USA
Date Reviewed: November 11, 1996 | | Bottom Line: |
I have the butterscotch colored kevler version of this tire and it
looks really sweet on my bike. These tires do very well on semi soft to
hardpack conditions. They don't pack up unless it is really muddy.
They also conor well and are very light weight, also not to expensive. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Mark
a weekend warrior
from Sin-GA-pour
Date Reviewed: November 2, 1996 | | Bottom Line: |
I have been using the Smoke and Dart connoction since the first time I needed a set of new tires. I believe that choice of tires must be correct as it is the only thing holding you down to earth when your engines are power the steed around the terrain. These Pananacers excel in the cornering, mud clearance is good although the mud it cleared onto you and it does not weigh that much. I strongly reccomend these tires to anyone who need a change of tires | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
larry
a cross-country rider
from
Date Reviewed: November 1, 1996 | | Bottom Line: |
First, it should be said that there are many versions of these tires.
I bought the Smoke Comp Lite (490g, kevlar, 1.9) early this year and it
is just about worn out now after 6 months and 500 miles.
Its tread is slightly different than the one shown in the picture,
with a bowtie shaped bars alternating down the middle.I bought the tire for its light weight. It climbs great, corners well but
not great. I disagree with others who say it does not shed mud well, though
this may be due the different tread on my tire.The one drawback is the softness of the tire compound. If not for this I
would give it 5 stars. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Rob
a cross-country rider
from Mississippi
Date Reviewed: October 17, 1996 | | Bottom Line: |
Pretty good all-around tires. Similar to Velociraptors (or more properly,
Velociraptors are updated Smoke/Dart-inspired tires) but the front doesn't
shed mud as well, and the back isn't as stable in soft stuff. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Keith
a racer
from Worcester, MA
Date Reviewed: October 16, 1996 | | Bottom Line: |
I just got done wearing out (after about 800 miles) a pair of the Hardcore Darts in the front and Smokes in the back and I have mixed opinions of them. The Smoke in the rear had very good climbing traction; however, both of them were not great during cornering or riding slanted terrain. I found the side blocks to be too pliable/soft which would shift and move which would create an unstable situation. I just got a pair of Conti Navigator Pro and Cross Country and have noticed an improvement in climbing and especially cornering. Most of my trail riding is on rocky, hard packed, root infested single tracks. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Logan
a cross-country rider
from San Jose, CA
Date Reviewed: August 20, 1996 | | Bottom Line: |
These tires came stock on my GT LTS, and I tossed them after a week. I just
could not get these tires to hook up, and ridin' with the slide quickly lost
flavor. After replacing the Magics with a pair of Specialized Team Editions, I
noticed a marked improvement. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Don
a weekend warrior
from Piscataway, NJ
Date Reviewed: July 4, 1996 | | Bottom Line: |
These tires are a huge step up from the Psycho K's that came with my Trek 970.
First, the Dart. This is a front-specific tire with great turning ability. It's
difficult to make this tire wash out even in loose or slippery conditions. Breaking
great as well. Just make sure the tire/wheel is mounted correctly because the tread
is directional.
Next, the Smoke. This is the rear tire of the pair. I got the Smoke Lite which is
just a bit narrower than the regular Smoke tire. There is little to no slippage
with this tire while climbing. The only problem I've encountered is a tendency to
slip sideways while braking on downhills. This probably has something to do with
the tread design - or my utter lack of skill.
Beware, however, these tires pick up mud and other crud easily but don't come clean
without a bit of riding to loosen the stuff up.
| | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Planetarium
a cross-country rider
from Singapore
Date Reviewed: June 24, 1996 | | Bottom Line: |
I like this set of tires a lot coz they grip well on both loose ground and
hard ones. They don't runout on slippery surfaces and last long enough for
your other components to wear out first! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Erik Su
a weekend warrior
from Ithaca, NY
Date Reviewed: June 21, 1996 | | Bottom Line: |
These tires are not too bad. The kevlar beaded version is light and also does
not cost too much. Performance in mud, which is what I ride, is adequate.
However, WTB Velociraptors are much much better, so there is no reason to
fiddle around with Panaracers. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Don Seib
a racer
from Melrose, MA
Date Reviewed: June 15, 1996 | | Bottom Line: |
The best rear tire ever created. In fact I used to ride them both
front
and back. The Velociraptor has better traction but at serious weight expense.
A 50 gram in tire weight equates to 1/2 pound in actual rotating weight. If
your racing its not worth it. I'll ride the Smoke Comp until they quit
making it. In addition the Smokes generally last 6 months of riding and
racing. I've never went though a sidewall except when I had U-brakes about
4 years ago.
| | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Eric Silberg
a cross-country rider
from Rocville, Maryland
Date Reviewed: June 14, 1996 | | Bottom Line: |
These tires grip really well on nearly everything. The wide knob spacing gives decent mud shedding. They
are very noisy on the road, though. They have also been very long lasting for a tire of this type. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Scott (Treeboy) Schlachter
a cross-country rider
from Los Gatos, CA
Date Reviewed: June 14, 1996 | | Bottom Line: |
Mixed feelings about the Hardcore Smoke: On one hand it did climb excellent, and it
cornered pretty well; but, tread wore down fast, it got a tear in the sidewall a
little too easy. Overall, I think I liked it better than the Megabyte or Z-max
(what I always used to run for my rear tire), but so far my new Specialized Team
Master is noticably superior in handling, and seems at least as good in climbing
traction. I rarely ride mud, and often ride with lots-o-loose stuff. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Ron
a weekend warrior
from Coronado CA
Date Reviewed: June 10, 1996 | | Bottom Line: |
Good at climbing or on trails with rocks and loose dirt. Pretty good in sand,
too. Not so great cornering and INCREDIBLY noisy on asphalt (they can't
corner on pavement, either). | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jonathan
a weekend warrior
from Kennewick, WA
Date Reviewed: June 10, 1996 | | Bottom Line: |
I've ridden on a lot of different tires over the years, but this is one of the best combinations I've come across. The Smoke really hooks up in the rear, and gives you pleanty of traction to drive you forward. Up front, the Dart really steers you right.
I've tried a number of less expensive alternatives, but the Smoke/Dart combo has held up longer and given me better traction in a variety of soil conditions, than tires from Maxxis, Continental, or or Tioga.
I can't say I've tried every combination out there... but this has to rank in the top few. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
JEFF VENGLASS
a downhiller
from rancho cucmaonga CAL.
Date Reviewed: June 5, 1996 | | Bottom Line: |
VERY NICE TIRES GREAT FOR OFF-ROAD WITH THESE YOU WILL NEED A NEW BIKE
BEFORE YOU NEED NEW TIRES. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Simon Berlec
a cross-country rider
from Kamnik,Slovenia
Date Reviewed: June 3, 1996 | | Bottom Line: |
I think these tires are great! They replaced my Z-max tires and I can do things I never did with the old tires. They are really great for allround driving, except on paved roads.
| | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Nelson Ho
a cross-country rider
from Potomac, MD
Date Reviewed: June 3, 1996 | | Bottom Line: |
The Smoke is a rear-specific tire from Panaracer. The tred pattern makes it a more squarish tire, which
is good for all-around XC use. They are not quiet on pavement. Traction is good on hardpack and loose stuff.
They do not self-clean very well in muddy condtions, so they could be bogged down
with mud and lose traction on wet and muddy rides. The compound is relatively soft so they are very good for
Moab type terrain.
| | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Nelson Ho
a cross-country rider
from Potomac, MD
Date Reviewed: June 3, 1996 | | Bottom Line: |
The Dart is a front-specific tire. Not a quiet tire on pavement. They have a
relatively square-ish shape. The center tread is disconnected but does not have
great rolling resistance. The compound is soft and the side knobs do not hold up
very well under hard cornering. They are good for dry, rocky conditions where they can
conform to the terrain and really give you good traction. But on hardpack with fast corners,
they tend to wash out as the side knobs aren't stiff enough.
| | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Shane Kullm
a racer
from Fargo, ND USA
Date Reviewed: June 3, 1996 | | Bottom Line: |
A very aggressive tire suited to sand and softer dirt. Quiet light
for most tires (580g) great for cross-country riders.
| | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Simon
a weekend warrior
from Malaysia
Date Reviewed: May 1, 1996 | | Bottom Line: |
These tires are the best. It has superb grip on downhills, event on wet
surface. I recommend this tires to cross-country cyclists. This tire are
made to endure all punishment. They are surely better than the DH Magic.
| | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Spock
a cross-country rider
from
Date Reviewed: April 29, 1996 | | Bottom Line: |
These tires are good all round, just like the old ones. But I think the Magics out-perform by a little over 20%.
| | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Francis
a Norba racer
from Campbell, CA
Date Reviewed: April 5, 1996 | | Bottom Line: |
The front tire has good cornering grip but mediocre braking. The rear tire
has decent cornering and excellent climbing traction.
Can't go wrong here.
| | Overall Rating: |
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