Submitted by
andy bliss
a Cross Country Rider
from st stephen, cornwall,england
Date Reviewed: November 20, 2001
Strengths: Grip (encouraging that!), durability, cheap (through mail order), look the biz!
Weaknesses: Heavy, discontinued (aren't they?)don't shed thick mud too good
Bottom Line:
I really rate this tyre. These were the first proper tyres I had and have served me well on my starter bike (rigid Giant Chicago)and progressed onto the Marin. I can't really fault them for outright grip and always inspired confidence particularly carving fast, rooty turns. Used to clog up a bit when the trails got really claggy, but so do most deep tread tyres. They're a tad heavy so the rolling resistance was quite considerable, so I think they would be a pain to race, but there's not much racing round my way anyway. Front eventually blew out on a rocky, steep downhill and the bead came away from the rubber. This puppy still had enough life to go back onto the rim and get me home. Replaced by Tiogas Factory xc now (tyres that remind me very much of the psycho) and so far no complaints. Review on xc coming when I've had a chance to really test them.If you can get these tyres cheap (and I couldn't find replacements - hence I think they may be discontinued), then do so. You won't be disapointed.
Submitted by
Matt
a Cross Country Rider
from Australia
Date Reviewed: July 7, 2000
Strengths: - Grips well in everything that I throw at it. (E.g. gravel, mud, asphalt, sand, rock, wet grass etc.) - Not really too heavy considering the size of the tyre. - Is still going after 700 km's with very little wear. - Very cheap ($35 Aus)
Weaknesses: - Not too puncture resistant.
Bottom Line:
This tyre is great for the everyday rider or just a weekend rider. The tyre has given me plenty of riding time and lots of fun. It would be great for anyone who rides off road sometimes. Highly recommended
Submitted by
GProv
a Cross-Country Rider
from Scottsdale, AZ
Date Reviewed: November 19, 1999
Strengths: Great dessert tire Corners well in loose conditions Fast rolling Quick handling
Bottom Line:
One of the best front tires I've ever used for dry, loose, rocky conditions. I have the 1.85 and it weighed in at 560 grams.. Had the 1.95 and it was much heavier (700+grams). I didn't notice any loss of performance with the smaller tire. My 1.85 actually measured 2.1 across at its widest point. This is one of the best cornering tires I have ever used. I get best results if I press into the front end (not lean) on fast corners, driving the edges into the ground. If I lean my bodyweight into it, it tends to break loose, so I lean in the opposite direction of the turn and drive the edges with my arms. You can really feel the edge grab and carve. Very confidence inspiring. It's a little bouncy on fast, loose rocky decents, but very controllable, unlike the Mythos. I'm running a Panaracer Smoke classic in the rear and this has become my favorite tire combo to date. They come close to the Tyranoraptors for tracktion and stability, without the rolling resistance and weight. It's a very nimble handling tire, great for tight singletrack, and it's light and fast enough for racing. It's become my favorite all round tire.
Weaknesses: weight (heavy for xc racing), not so good in soft terrain (loam, soft dirt) or mud
Bottom Line:
Good tire but did not feel as secure like the Specialized Team Control. The front of the bike feels a bit uncontrolable when there is mud, clay or loam. Heavy for xc racing.
Similar Products Used: Specialized Team Control Kevlar/Yellow line 99.
Bike Setup: 45 psi
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Richard Styron
a cross-country rider
from Branson, MO
Date Reviewed: February 8, 1999
Bottom Line:
I have had this tire for around 9 months now, and put about 900 road miles and 500 off road miles on it, and the wear is minimal. It says 1.95, but with the massive side knobs, it is more like 2.1 or 2.2. It is not so much the knobs that are wide, but the tire itself has a large round profile. However, the knobs are not to be understated. I have a really hard time getting my wheel in and out of my fork, a Manitou SX with XT v's. Supposedly there are some spacers to put in the brakes to help get the wheel out, but I am not going to invest money in something that doesn't affect the riding. It is very pinch flat resistant, I have gone off 4-5 foot drops with varying landing success and to my knowledge I have never pinched it. This is good, because it is a pain in the ass to remove. I have the steel bead, picked it up at my local shop for 12 bucks, and I haven't been disappointed. It tracks well in all conditions I have taken it in, mostly loose rock and gravel, and doesn't squirm overtly on the pavement. I have only once had it slide out from under me, and that was on a parking lot sprinkled with gravel. It inspires confidence on technical loose descents, and I trust it more than other tires I have used, such as my VelociRaptors. 5 flaming dead horses.
I've got the tioga Edge and i must say it's a real good tire there' s nothing wrong with the traction but my brother say he's slipperly but that isn't true The tire can be used at every terrain. So I give it five chillies
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
J Keith
a cross-country rider
from Lubbock, Texas
Date Reviewed: November 18, 1998
Bottom Line:
The Tioga Edge tire is a very good training / general use tire. It is wide for the claimed 1.95, at least as wide as most 2.1's. Like the TT rear tire, the Edge has large knobs that grab the dirt as good as any tire that I have used. The draw back to this tire, again like the TT, is the weight. It is heavy. But, it wears extremely well, the price is great, and the added weight will just add to your training effort.
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Benedict Patajo
a weekend warrior
from Caloocan City, Philippines
Date Reviewed: February 8, 1998
Bottom Line:
The best Off road tire I have ever used. The traction is good and the breaking power is really magnificent. Except for the Color which is Gray Smoked I don't love it much - in total the tire looks really wild and it's for wild riders. The cost is also cool, and most of all is the weight and the material is has a stronger resistant to functure compared to other rubbers.
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Jeff Wu
a downhiller
from Hsin Chu, Taiwan
Date Reviewed: February 4, 1998
Bottom Line:
Their 1.95 widths look more like 2.2's. These tires are good for high speed riding. Stability and braking are very good. Cornering traction at high speedsis very good, but you need to weigh the front end to get the best performance. Low speed turning is sluggish. The tires have have level of absorption and durability.
