Kenda Karma Kevlar 29er Tire: Superlight, large volume 29er tire featuring L3R Pro rubber compound for reduced rolling resistance and longer tire life. Low profile square knobs perform surprisingly well in both loose and firm terrain. 120 tpi casing.
Submitted by
leoferus
a Cross Country Rider
from Wilmington, DE - USA
Date Reviewed: November 20, 2011
Strengths: Fast rolling. Good grip on most surfaces. Good volume.
Weaknesses: Poor traction on wet rocks, but they aren't designed for that. Not meant for use with Stans.
Bottom Line:
I am 230 pounds and with tubes, the Karmas did not offer the traction I needed. However, once they were converted to tubeless they were glued. I dropped the pressures to 28F/32R and I'm on rails! I know that these tires are not meant for use with sealants but I had to try. I'll post again in the future if they come apart.
Similar Products Used: Slant Six and Small Block Eight.
Bike Setup: 2011 GT Zaskar Expert 29er: Reba RL, Formula RX brakes, DT Swiss wheels.
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
stevonutria
a Cross Country Rider
from austin, tx, usa
Date Reviewed: June 2, 2011
Strengths: tires roll great but i have gotten a flat all three times I have ridden on them and I use tuffy's!! The Specialized tires I had on before did not do this. I have removed these tires and I urge everyone else not to buy Kenda tires period. I just wasted my money. S.
Submitted by
Puzman
a Weekend Warrior
from Durham, CT
Date Reviewed: April 29, 2011
Strengths: VERY fast-rolling tire, great traction, comfy ride.
Weaknesses: None yet...
Bottom Line:
SUPER impressed by these tires. By way of comparison, the grip and ride comfort are on par with Maxxis High-Rollers I've used in the past, but without the feeling that you're pedaling through wet cement. These tires roll VERY fast, shed mud easily (shallow tread), and have phenomenal grip.
Strengths: Using on the rear only (1.90) with a Bontrager Jones XR 2.25 up front. Fast rolling, grippy in the corners, excellent climbing and braking capabilities. Conditions here are hard pack, loose over hardpack,loose rock and sandy areas. Steep climbs and fast descents, I like to ride hard and fast. Tire has handled everything great so far. Had no problem setting up tubeless on Stans Crest rims with Stans sealant. Beaded up and sealed right up, no air or sealant leakage after 4 hard rides.
Weaknesses: None yet, haven't tried up front yet, will probably go with the higher volume 2.2 when I do.
Bottom Line:
So far, so good. Have friends running Racing Ralphs, but just couldn't justify the cost. This appears to be a comparable tire at a much lower cost. Have seen some reviewers say they had trouble setting up tubeless. It is critical that you set them up right the first time. Bead up tire to rim with compressed air and inject sealant through the stem. Hold tire with both hands, rotate and shake tire hard to get sealant into beads. Lay on plastic bucket on one side for 1/2 hour and flip and lay on other side for 1/2 hour. If you do this it should seal up the sidewalls and bead and you should have no problems.
Similar Products Used: Specialized Captain 1.9, Specialized S-Works LK 1.9
Bike Setup: Jet 9, All XO, Reba, Crest wheels
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Submitted by
cheesehead
a Cross Country Rider
from newbury park, california
Date Reviewed: November 16, 2010
Strengths: grip, cornering, and speed
Weaknesses: having to pump air in before every ride. but no big deal, it's just part of checking the bike over before i ride.
Bottom Line:
I am surprised about these tires so far. I am 185/190lbs give or take. I ride hard, I don't pick lines and the tires do very wel. I have them set up tubeless, and pump them up around 28psi front, and rear, and they corner great, climb really fast. I like them as much as my Racing Ralphs, but alot less.
Strengths: Light, corners well in sand, fast on all hard stuff.
Weaknesses: Hard to go tubeless with. Took me a couple tries to keep air on Stan's Crest wheels. I believe it is due to the very porous side walls.
Bottom Line:
I was skeptical to take this out onto the trail, especially since I had a hard time getting it to take air on a tubeless setup. Michigan is sand, tree roots and hard pack with leaves in the fall. It did surprisingly well. I put it on the front with a small block eight in the rear and rode it on a very hilly course with lots of sand and off camber single track. I had no problems with slipping in corners, loosing air or lose of traction. Rode extremely fast on the hard pack dirt. Only drawback was very porous sidewalls that had a hard time taking air. Does not inspire confidence in the tire on race day.
For racing on dry hardpack these tires will do fine. If you ride any loose stuff or have steep climbs with rocks and roots you are going to hate these tires. If the rocks & roots are wet at all, you might as well get off and walk.
Submitted by
fire-dog
a Cross Country Rider
from New Hampshire
Date Reviewed: June 17, 2010
Strengths: All conditions Grip, never clogged with mud, low rolling resistance
Weaknesses: None
Bottom Line:
While initially skeptical, with use I could not fault these tires, they always exceeded my expectations. They rolled better on the road than I expected. They never let go on the trail, they never clogged with mud. I ran them at about 25-30 psi. I never had a puncture either. I'm considering putting them on my new bike as it came with Kenda small 8's.
I've had these tires for about 6 months and were purchased for the initial build of my bike. I bought them because I want to save as much weight as possible, but I've come to realize that weight savings may need to be traded off for some durability.
For the terrain I ride in (mostly dry and rocky) these did not last very long. Granted, I ride about 5-10 miles on pavement to-and-from the trails, so that may have something to do with it. They do not work well in the loose dust, but found no problem with them in the damp forest.
I converted them to tubeless and I just don't trust the sidewalls (they sound like fingers rubbing over a balloon when I drag them on rocks).
These may be okay for a lightweight race bike for certain conditions and a certain rider weight. But for me - I'm going to sacrifice some weight savings and go with a beefier tire.
Submitted by
1W1085
a Weekend Warrior
from Cornelius, NC
Date Reviewed: March 29, 2010
Strengths: Sticks in turns very well and it's fast
Weaknesses: not sure, if any
Bottom Line:
I rode this tire this weekend at White Water with 28lbs front & 30 lbs back, and the bike flew and stuck whenever needed. They never showed any signs of washing or rolling at all, no slippage climbing steep twisty turns. Yesterday I rode LNSP trails and dropped the front pressure 2 lbs since it was wetter conditions - again, never a slip, wash or roll even at high speeds or on wet roots/rocks. Can't help but wonder how the DTC would be (presumably even better??
Submitted by
Steve
a Cross Country Rider
from Oceanside CA. USA
Date Reviewed: April 12, 2008
Strengths: light rolls fast on the right terrain.
Weaknesses: pinch flat when riding @35psi,riding 40 now. thin side wall does not hook up well on the rear of a SS, front washes out in sand wash
Bottom Line:
I wasted my money. taking them off after only three rides I think this would be a great commuter tire or race tire on a manicured track but not in the real world of riding.
Strengths: rolls really fast, pretty confident in corners...and got a sweet deal on them.
Weaknesses: side lugs could be a bit more aggressive and would be a great all around tire
Bottom Line:
These tires roll really great and by no means are they not a great tire. I tend to like a more aggressive tire because a lot of the trails I like require it, but I have enjoyed riding these on singletrack. The conering is good, but at over 200lbs sometimes they slip in the more loose over hard conditions. I have a pair of Nevegals for the days when I know I will need them, but I am going to go pick up another pair of Kharmas while I can still get them this cheap...
Similar Products Used: Used Kenda Cortez on 26" Stumpy...loved them so I gave these a try
Bike Setup: Niner Sir9, Industry Nine, Fox F29, Chris king/ Thomson, Juicy Carbon185mm
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Submitted by
Jeff
a Cross Country Rider
from Ashland, Ky
Date Reviewed: December 11, 2007
Strengths: These tires hook up on any XC trial that has roots, rocks, and any type of lose ground.
Weaknesses: None... until 5 million gallons of water gets dumped on the trial, turning West Virgina drit into a early form of a brown drywall compound, at this point nothing works.
Bottom Line:
I have been racing on a 29er for the past 6 years, I've tried tire after tire, the Karma's are a nice balance and great all around XC tire, but knowing the trial conditions and the correct tire pressure makes all the difference.
If you want a fast hard pack racing tire you can't beat Kenda's small block 8.
Fast. Nice feel to the casing. Durable for it's weight. Fast. Plenty of grip considering it's size. Oh yeah, fast.
Weaknesses: None yet. Zero. This tire grade A.
Bottom Line:
This tire is used as a rear on my 29" hartail (full rigid right now, sometimes with squish fork, sometimes on a rigid SS). I'm 180# plus gear and ride some pretty rugged NE rocky single track. Unless I'm doing relatively extreme riding I find I don't need more than the Karma on the rear. With a 29er the need for fatter tires just doesn't seem to be there. It's like a 29 x 1.95" is more than a 26 x 2.3". This tire is fast, hooks up plenty well and has a "feel" to it that I really like on a HT. The casing seems super compliant without having the "squirrely" washing-out feel that some lighter weight, thin casing tires have. For such a supple, lightweight tire I rarely pinchflat. I may loose a second or two on a fast downhill but on the flats and climbs this tire simply crushes most other tires out there in terms of speed.
For a front tire I wouldn't use it on a rigid unless your trails are very buff. I've got a dually (FS) on order and am pretty sure I can get away with this tire up front as suspension does a great job with adding traction; you can get away with less rubber on a dully compared to a rigid bike. Maybe a Crow on the rear and a Karma up front?
I like to go fast up, down and all around. This is the tire for the job.
From my previous post between the Karmas and Crows, I've decided to try out the Karmas. Are they available anywhere? Non of the shops in my area are Kenda dealers, the few places Read More »
