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Submitted by
dimitrin
a Weekend Warrior
from ATXDate Reviewed: November 22, 2011
Strengths:
Bottom Line: I’ve had 3 rides so far. This includes loose over hard, deep loose rocks and sloppy wet with mud on rocks and roots. The first ride I had about 2-27 psi and I was not happy with them. Tended to bounce around and it was hard to hold a line. The next ride I rode with 20- 21 psi and it was night and day difference…grip like I’ve never experienced before. Love it on the front… all the above mentioned terrain was ridden with better control than I can recall ever having before. TNT casing + low psi is great. These are mounted on ust rims, and when I broke the bead to add sealant it was VERY difficult, which could pose a issue on the trail if flatted and need to install a tube. That’s not going to keep me from whole heartedly recommending them.
Duration Product Used: Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$37.00
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
ThumbVT
a Cross Country Rider
from Putney VTDate Reviewed: May 15, 2011
Strengths: Great traction on dirt, loam, and leaf litter soilsWeaknesses: Horrible traction on rocks and rootsBottom Line: After reading the other reviews I have to wonder how similar different models of this tire are; there is barely a mention of how scary this tire is on roots and rocks. I am reviewing the 29 x 2.3 with folding bead.
I just got back from my second real ride on them (front and rear). The first time I rode them it was pretty dry and I was surprised how they slipped on rock compared to a Continental Mountain King 2.4. They were OK in the dry but I was really interested in how they'd do in wet, sloppy conditions.
Today I rode them for 2+ hours on soaking wet, mostly tight singletrack. The trails are laced with roots, have some rocks and some bench cut / off camber portions. Pretty typical Vermont singletrack, with fewer rocky sections than the rest of the northeast.
The good: they hook up unbelievably well on dirt. I was able to crawl up a leaf-chocked skidder trail like it was a road bike on pavement. The tread seems impossible to pack up.
The bad: on anything hard (roots, rocks) they were scary, like walk your bike scary. The best way I can describe it: it's just like walking in my MTB shoes with hard plastic lugs. Anything off camber with roots or rocks was really sketchy. If I managed to unweight the front, the rear would slip or get kicked around. If I had to brake or change direction with the front tire it had to be on dirt and not roots or rock or I went down.
I may keep one for use on the rear for riding in the woods (off trail) but I'm switching both tires before I ride again and going back to something with a softer tread compound. The traction on dirt and shedding ability make me believe they will be the most awesome tire ever for someone, but not where there are roots, rocks and off camber.
Duration Product Used: Less than 1 month
Bike Setup: 29er rigid single speed, Salsa Gordo rims (35mm)
Overall Rating: Value Rating:
Submitted by
sxy
a Racer
from Slovenija, central europeDate Reviewed: May 1, 2011
Strengths: - Terrific grip on wet terrain.
- Consistent and predictable grip on wet roots.
- Low rolling resistance, the tire just flies over the terrain.
- Really nice price. 64EUR for a pair (2.1 TNT version), Hutchinson and Maxxis tires are 80-100EUR for a pair >-|Weaknesses: - Hard to get on Mavic xm819d rim.
- Gets "damaged" easily when mounting! Avoid metal tyre levers if possible. By damaged, I mean that new tire looses too much air over time (gets empty in less than a week without tire sealant).
- "Great grip + low rolling resistance" combo comes with a price - the tire losses profile nearly 2-3 times faster than dry-weather tires (Nobby Nic EVO for example or Ignitor 70a). But this is a necessary and unavoidable evil ;) It lasts more than 200km though :D (I expect it to last max. 1000km - 15% of which is tarmac)
- Rolling resistance on dry hard surfaces (tarmac!) is worse than in wet. But this really depends on the tire pressure, so experiment with it until you find the sweet spot. The tire feels faster on wet, muddy surfaces than on dry ones and especially on hard surfaces like tarmac. This is also not a real disadvantage since this is "wet specialist" tire!Bottom Line: Great wet specialist tire. Excels from mid-autumn till late spring (Alpine weather - snow, rain, mud).
What I really like about this tire is that it is NOT the classic racer-only mud tire. Instead it is something between classic super-narrow mud tire and all-round tire which is the best combination for regular wet/muddy conditions.
Of course, every medal has two sides and the dark side (lol) for this one are tire economy, low volume and not that great performance on dry hard surfaces. But then again, this are the downsides of all wet specialist tires and has to be taken in the account!
Would I buy another pair? Yes I will.
Would I recommend it to a friend? Yes I would, as long as that friend needed XC/trail tire for wet conditions with not too much tarmac.
The bottom line:
Buy this IF you are looking for grippy and fast rolling tire for WET conditions, especially if you are concerned on the grip on wet roots.
Do not buy this IF you are looking for mostly dry weather tire (get all-round tire like Nobby Nic or Ignitor) or if your winter riding mostly consists of tarmac riding (get something more tarmac specific).
Duration Product Used: 6 months
Similar Products Used: IRC Serac 2.1, Maxxis Ignitor 2.35 70a, Hutchinson Scorpion UST, Hutchinson Spyder UST, Hutchinson Barracuda 2.3 MX casing UST, Schwalbe Nobby Nic 2.25 EVO UST
Bike Setup: C'dalle F600 05" with xm819d rims, XT775 hubs, Sapim Race spokes, XT775 brakes 180/160mm CL rotors, XT shadow rear mech, XT shifters. (All in all rather stocked)
Overall Rating: Value Rating:
Submitted by
rod munch
a Cross Country Rider
from ohioDate Reviewed: March 10, 2011
Strengths: best mud shedding tires i've used, cornering, not bad rolling resistance, shock absorbingWeaknesses: heavy(steel bead at least)Bottom Line: whoever said these tires wont last 200km is an idiot. ive put about 300km on all kinds of terrain and they are still essentially brand new.
these came equipped on my new bike and i am pretty impressed with them. it's still winter here so i havn't tried them on hardpack but they work really well in snow/slush/mud. if they work pretty good on hardpack i may just replace with the folding version.
Favorite Trail: on and off
Duration Product Used: 3 months
Price Paid:
$700.00
Purchased At: local shop
Similar Products Used: several over the years.
Bike Setup: 2011 jamis komodo stock except for grips.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
cannotstop
a Racer
from Paonia, ColoradoDate Reviewed: June 2, 2010
Strengths: good gripWeaknesses: thinBottom Line: These tires came stock on a new Jamis Dragon Comp. Although they grab the trail well they are only one molecule thin and can be punctured by a wet noodle. Not for the desert southwest. I hope I wear them out fast and can replace them with a good set of Panaracer Smoke and Dart. I might have to revert to a puncture proof tire liner which may weigh a bit more but has worked well for 20 years on an old Trek and sure beats sitting on the trailside pushing a pump.
Duration Product Used: 3 months
Bike Setup: Jamis Dragon Comp
Overall Rating: Value Rating:
Submitted by
DC
a Cross Country Rider
from ann arbor, mi, usaDate Reviewed: March 25, 2010
Strengths: Sheds mud. Nice round profile. Solid performer.Weaknesses: Not the fastest rollerBottom Line: A good predictable spring tire. I love it up front and it is fine on the rear but not my favorite. It reminds me of a Z-max spaced for better mud shedding.
Duration Product Used: 3 months
Price Paid:
$50.00
Purchased At: lbs
Similar Products Used: countless
Bike Setup: full rigid steel 26er
Overall Rating: Value Rating:
Submitted by
justbuster69
a Cross Country Rider
from PhilippinesDate Reviewed: January 10, 2010
Strengths: none yet,just mounted it a few minutes backWeaknesses: had a hard time mounting the darn thing!!Bottom Line: i will in 30 mins.will be hitting the trails with my buddy
Favorite Trail: Lemery
Duration Product Used: Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$30.00
Purchased At: Bike town cyclery
Similar Products Used: Kenda Nevegal
Bike Setup: Jamis XAM-2,Talas 36,Mavic crossmax SX,thomson seatpost and stem,avid elixir cr,Kenda Excavator front and NOW Geax Gato
Overall Rating: Value Rating:
Submitted by
Slowup
a Cross Country Rider
from VancouverDate Reviewed: June 12, 2009
Strengths: This review is for the TNT version.
Interesting & usefull tread pattern. Rolls pretty good & relatively light for a tubeless.Weaknesses: For a wet weather/terrain tire it should be available with a softer & stickier compound.Bottom Line: I believe this tire would be more usefull with a softer tire compound to take better advantage of the tread pattern in the conditions it is purported to be for, which is wet weather riding.
Favorite Trail: Switchback
Duration Product Used: 6 months
Price Paid:
$40.00
Purchased At: Experience Cycling
Similar Products Used: Geax Saguaro
Bike Setup: '07 Element
Overall Rating: Value Rating:
Submitted by
tommyjif
a Weekend Warrior
from Padova, ItalyDate Reviewed: June 4, 2009
Strengths: Fantastic grip for the rolling resistance, very rigid sidewalls.Weaknesses: It wears out way quicker you may imagineBottom Line: If you like very stiff sidewalls (not like Kenda Nevegal's), great cornering grip with a pretty good rolling resistance give it a shot, especially in the rear.
Do not expect more than 200km range.
Favorite Trail: Garda's lake area
Duration Product Used: Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$34.00
Purchased At: Cicli Morello, Padov
Similar Products Used: Kenda Nevegal, Ritchey Z-Max, Wtb, Bontrager Al.
Bike Setup: Ibis Mojo with Fox 36, I9 Enduro wheelset, Maxxis Lust High roller 2.35 in the front.
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Reviews 1 - 9 (9 Reviews Total)
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