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Submitted by
Gavin Holmes
a Weekend Warrior
from Atlanta, Ga , USA
Date Reviewed: November 19, 2005 | | Favorite Trail: | Tsali | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$14.00 | | Purchased At: | Performance | | Strengths: | Great grip. Nice cornering. | | Weaknesses: | mmmmmm.... | | Similar Products Used: | Continental Vertical Pro | | Bike Setup: | Specialized Enduro, Fox Vanilla 125RLC, Race Face DH cranks, XTR rear derailleur, Avid BBD7s. | | Bottom Line: | Nice for rear wheel use in wet Georgia mud. Excellent in the corner. Nice price. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jose Chavarria
a Cross Country Rider
from San Jose, Costa Rica
Date Reviewed: August 3, 2003 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$20.00 | | Strengths: | Excellent grip, makes you feel so sure and confident in dh. | | Weaknesses: | The rear tyre just blow out after 3 months. It has about four holes in the surface. | | Similar Products Used: | Michelin Wildgriper | | Bike Setup: | Trek 4900, full loaded | | Bottom Line: | I really love this tyre but I had to return to Michelin because the rear tyre didn´t work for me, best traction ever but it started to destroy in pieces and it has several holes in the surface. Front was perfect. I rode Michelin today and I missed the Alligators a lot. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
GlowBoy
a Cross Country Rider
from Portland OR USA
Date Reviewed: April 15, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | This week? Gray Butte | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$17.00 | | Purchased At: | pricepoint.com | | Strengths: | Fantastic mud grip and shedding. Very controllable behavior as a climbing tire. Grips wet roots and rocks as well as any tire I've used. Works decently in all conditions, including hardpack, loose sand, rocks, mud, you name it. This is my all-conditions tire, especially in back. | | Weaknesses: | There are better choices for front tires in loose dry conditions (sand, gravel) | | Similar Products Used: | Alligator GOLD 2.0, Conti Survival 2.3 ProTection, Ritchey ZMax, Specialized Team/Dirt Control/Master, Geax Hook/Warp. | | Bike Setup: | Early 90s KHS frame, built up as rigid singlespeed with Thudbuster seatpost. | | Bottom Line: | The 2.0 black Alligator is simply an incredible rear tire, and a pretty good front one. It's consistently rated as one of the best mud tires out there and for excellent reason. I ride in the Pacific NW, both west of the Cascades (think gooey forest glop or nasty clay) and east of the Cascades (think desert gumbo). This tire packs up less than others I've used (including the Survival ProTec) and has fantastic grip - both front and back - in any kind of mud or snow that is rideable. I run it as a rear tire year-round, and as a front tire in the wet winter months.
Best feature: when the rear loses traction while climbing, you can feel it gradually start to spin up and back off the power in time - contrast this with the Survival, which spins out abruptly and unpredictably, forcing you off the bike. It also rolls very well for such an aggressive tire and performs at least decently, and usually quite well, in ALL conditions. (Again, contrast this with the Survival, which though maybe a little grippier in mud, is very condition-specific, rolls poorly, and has poor traction on hardpack).
The only real weakness I've found (other than it's too heavy to be a true racing tire) is its performance as a front tire in loose dry conditions. I've had the front end wash out unpredictably in sand and loose gravel, causing crashes several times. No tire does really well in these conditions of course (except, interestingly, the Survival, which was intended for slop!)
Get the black model instead of the Gold, which costs more, weighs 100g more and may clash with your bike. I've used both versions extensively and do not believe there is any difference in performance. 5 chilies for value (especially for $17 at pricepoint), 5 overall | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Tony
a Cross Country Rider
from Boise, ID, USA
Date Reviewed: May 14, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | hulls gulch | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$12.00 | | Purchased At: | jenson usa | | Strengths: | good traction on the loose stuff, shed mud well, good cornering | | Weaknesses: | none so far (maybe the retail price) | | Similar Products Used: | specialized | | Bike Setup: | hardtail | | Bottom Line: | Good tire, probably have around 200 off road miles on em in mostly dry, rocky terrain. These are the same as the alligator gold only without the yellow stripe. They shed mud well and have great traction, I am now able to climb some loose sections that always made my specialized tires spin out. 5 flamers for value cause I only paid 12 bucks instead of 40 or 50 (am told bike tires cost a lot because they are hand made and have a hefty import tax) and 5 overall because they have been a great tire. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
DAVID NORWOOD
a Weekend Warrior
from TRENTON , GEORGIA
Date Reviewed: May 2, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | OCEE WHITEWATER CTR. BENTON TN. | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$32.00 | | Purchased At: | OWENS CYCLERY | | Strengths: | CLEANS AND GRIPS WELL, GREAT IN MUD AND LOOSE GRAVEL CHERT | | Weaknesses: | KNOBS TEAR OFF | | Bike Setup: | JAMIS DURANGO SX, JUDY ROCK SHOX DUKE, SHIMANO LX CRANKS, CANE CREEK THUD BUSTER SEAT POST | | Bottom Line: | GREAT FOR MUDDY WET CONDITIONS AND LOOSE CLIMBS. GRIPS WELL ON ROCKS, BUT SEEMS TO WASH OUT JUST ALITTLE ON HARD PACK-CLAY. THE ONLY FAULT I CAN FIND IS THE KNOBS TEAR OF AND THE CORDS SEEM TO SHOW THRU AFTER ABOUT THREE MONTHS OF RELATIVELY HARD RIDING. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Mike
a Weekend Warrior
from Cincinnati, OH
Date Reviewed: February 26, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | Ceasar's Creek | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$12.00 | | Purchased At: | jensonusa | | Strengths: | They shed baby!!! | | Weaknesses: | None yet, maybe weight, but I'm not a weight freak. | | Similar Products Used: | Velociraptors | | Bike Setup: | 01 Fisher Paragon stock except Time ATAC pedals and now, alligators. | | Bottom Line: | These tires do better in the mud than anything I've been on. I took them out last weekend and it was extremely muddy (to the point where I got off the trail cause it just wasn't ridable). Anyway, these tires performed really well. I had all the traction I needed all the time and they never got caked up. Plus who can beat $12 each at jenson. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
George Triantos
a Cross Country Rider
from Farmington Hills, MI
Date Reviewed: December 17, 2001 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$12.00 | | Purchased At: | jensonusa.com | | Strengths: | Excellent for muddy conditions. | | Weaknesses: | Heavy and rolling resistance on pavement (I should be on the trail not road). | | Similar Products Used: | Panaracer Duster II | | Bike Setup: | Ellsworth Truth | | Bottom Line: | For the money ($24/pr) it's a killer deal. So far, so good. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Kris
a Cross Country Rider
from Kelowna
Date Reviewed: September 11, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | Crawford Trails - Vapour! | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Strengths: | This tyre grips everything! | | Weaknesses: | Poor quality. Knobs are tearing off! | | Bottom Line: | Maybe I have a set of lemons, but these knobs are ripping off!!!! Yes I do some rock/root/downhill/north-shore riding so I can see some damage but I have 5 knobs in a row ready to fall off. I've had to replace them as the tube was peaking out through exposed threads. This is on the front but the back is starting to show same signs. These came with my Cannondale SuperV700sx so I'm suprised they don't last more than 3 months. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Charles Coker
a Cross Country Rider
from Austin, TX
Date Reviewed: September 3, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | anything with lots of rocks! | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Purchased At: | hammerheadbikes | | Strengths: | the best rear tire I have found for wet, muddy rocks | | Weaknesses: | somewhat heavy | | Similar Products Used: | everything | | Bike Setup: | Racerx | | Bottom Line: | This is the best rear tire I have found when the trails get wet. Here that means mud covered rocks.
I run the 2.0 on the rear and while I know it's heavy, it doesn't really feel like it..
I run it on the rear with a Conti Survival Pro on the front
when it's nasty out and 99% of the Austin riders aren't riding, I can still go out and ride the most technical, offcamber, loose rocky trails around with this tire setup
I run front and rear at 35psi (I am 200) and no pinch flats | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
mark
a
from Canada
Date Reviewed: May 26, 2001 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Strengths: | average traction in wet and dry
predictable | | Weaknesses: | they wear way too quickly
weak sidewalls | | Similar Products Used: | irc,tioga, etc... | | Bike Setup: | Raven2 | | Bottom Line: | An okay tire.
Not worth the price.
They wear very quickly if you do any riding on road. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
bob
a Weekend Warrior
from canada
Date Reviewed: April 14, 2001 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Purchased At: | my friend gave them to me for free because we were riding together and my other tires blew to shre | | Strengths: | nice wide tire good for mud and dirt wide nobs relitvly tough. | | Weaknesses: | they wear a little quickly | | Similar Products Used: | irc | | Bike Setup: | older kona with everthing upgraded to suit my needs | | Bottom Line: | these are great tires for mud and dirt and just allround riding try them | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Puzman
a Cross Country Rider
from Wallingford, CT
Date Reviewed: April 9, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | tyler mill | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Strengths: | Grip, grip, grip
sheds mud easily
pretty decent rolling resistance for a full knobby | | Weaknesses: | weight | | Similar Products Used: | Panaracer Fire XC Pro, Panaracer Duster II's | | Bike Setup: | Titus LocoMoto | | Bottom Line: | I've been running Panaracer Fire's for the past 2 years. I just got a new rig and had these put on. So far I'm very impressed. I think the rolling resistance seems very reasonable on pavement; feels similar to Fire XC's. I haven't had them on hardpack yet (very muddy around here so far this season). They perform like champs on mud, wet rocks and roots, steep loose climbs, etc. No loss of traction whatsoever. These have a very round cross section, so the cornering feel is a little quicker than the Fire XC's. If these were 100g lighter they'd never come off my bike (when its a little drier out, I'll probably switch to Python's). Have only had them for a few weeks, so I can't comment on their durability. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Beast Boy
a Weekend Warrior
from Melb
Date Reviewed: February 18, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | The jumps we built | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$70.00 | | Purchased At: | Flemington Cycles | | Strengths: | You name it | | Weaknesses: | Compound is a little soft but you get that with this kind of tyre.
A little expensive | | Similar Products Used: | Tioga Psych TT & K & Edge | | Bike Setup: | '98 K2 Proflex Beast | | Bottom Line: | Well, Lets see!!!! I bought this tyre yesterday and raced Dual Slalom today. This tyre rocked for it. There was no concern about washing out at all (Especially compared to my Tiogas). It was my first race and I managed to end up around the middle of the field. Mainly thanks to these tyres. Just go out and bu them. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Benjamin Gehret
a Cross Country Rider
from Las Flores, Ca 92688
Date Reviewed: February 14, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | Porcupine Rim, Moab | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Strengths: | shed Mud well. Great cornering traction. The 2.1's are as wide as a 2.3. These tires give one increased confidence on descents. Great traction on climbs | | Weaknesses: | Tire wears out quickly. I wore a pair out in 6 months, even having swapped the front to the rear after 3 months. Frequency of flats increases dramatically as the tread wears down. | | Similar Products Used: | Panaracer 2.3DH, Specialized Team Control, Ritchey semi slicks | | Bike Setup: | Cannondale hardtail, with hayes discs and lefty. | | Bottom Line: | these tires are amazing for three months or so. After that, replace them. Best all around tire I've come accross, other than the premature tread life. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Big Boy
a Cross Country Rider
from Perth West Australia
Date Reviewed: November 28, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | All of it "BOY" | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Strengths: | Traction in everthing
Reasonable weight
Sheds mud like a champ
Good pinch flat resist(SO FAR) | | Weaknesses: | High roll resistance. | | Similar Products Used: | Everything known to man.
| | Bike Setup: | Dale 900SX | | Bottom Line: | Grip like a Drowning Sailor to a Life Raft
Great having a tire you can really charge on without weighing a F@#ken ton.
Buy em, "they work". | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Mike S
a Weekend Warrior
from Knoxville, TN
Date Reviewed: September 15, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | Flat & fast ones | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Strengths: | Black/ Kevlar | | Weaknesses: | rolling resistance | | Similar Products Used: | Panaracer 2.3 DH//Vittoria evolution3D 1.9 | | Bike Setup: | AZONIC DS1 /Azonic 1.5" risers/75mm stem//Avid 2.5 brakes & R booster//Chain tensioner/Marin 6061 cranks/Platform pedals/XTR ti cassette/Richey asym R rim// | | Bottom Line: | Grip real good.no flats yet//1.85 size/slices & dices/not as good as Panaracers on rolling resis..may file down some knobs on FT. tire for faster roll!! good tire.. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
John
a Cross Country Rider
from Richmond,Virginia
Date Reviewed: April 15, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | Sherando Lake | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Strengths: | Great grip in the mud, which it sheds EXTREMELY well. | | Weaknesses: | VERY heavy, and it falls apart
| | Similar Products Used: | Michelin's whole line of tires, Same with Specialized | | Bike Setup: | 2000 C'dale Raven 900SX | | Bottom Line: | Like every one's said, this tire does very well in mud and gives you great feeling of confidence in cornering. But I have not put a tremendous amount of miles on them and they are falling apart on me. The wire beads are showing through the rubber and I've been getting A LOT of pinch-flats, no matter the amount of air pressure. I'm lucky enough to have a good dealer who's willing to trade them for new IRC tires. Hutchinson needs to work on their quality control! I know I'll never buy one in the future. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
john raymond
a Cross Country Rider
from massachusetts
Date Reviewed: April 10, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | powerlines-salem to lynn | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Strengths: | grips well in all conditions, throws mud well, very agressive tread pattern. | | Weaknesses: | a little heavier than would like | | Similar Products Used: | michelin, ritchey, plus many more | | Bike Setup: | indy fab deluxe, mostly xtr, white bros. sc90 | | Bottom Line: | this an awsome trail riding tire, probaly not for those that race. if you just like to ride for the love of it get these tires, if your a racer i would still say get hutchinsons just not these. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Matthew Weston
a Cross-Country Rider
from Vejle, Denmark
Date Reviewed: December 14, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
Silkeborg, Munkbjerg | | Duration Product Used: |
6 months | | Strengths: |
Mud Clearence, Grip, Control in Mud, Looks | | Weaknesses: |
Weight, Rolling Resistance | | Similar Products Used: |
Michelin Wildgripper Lite | | Bike Setup: |
Cannondale F900Disc | | Bottom Line: | After buying the Hutchinson Python tires, these had to be tried out aswell. I would define these tires as Mud specialists. They give you a great feeling of control on the descents and the corners, and they never pack up, due to the great mud clearence. Unfortunatly these tires are far to heavy. When I threw them up on the scales the pin reached 775 grams. But for overall a great mud handling tire. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
s-rocket
a Cross-Country Rider
from Anchorage,Ak
Date Reviewed: October 11, 1999 | | Duration Product Used: |
less than 1 month | | Strengths: |
Sticks to any surface. clears mud very well. It weighs about 620 gms which isn't bad for an aggressive tire. | | Weaknesses: |
Rolling resistance on hard surfaces. | | Similar Products Used: |
Too many to list. | | Bike Setup: |
Saszbo with '99 Z2 Bam. | | Bottom Line: | I purchased this tire to use in the sloppy conditions we have had. It has exceeded my expectations for all around traction and mud performance. I'll see how long the tread holds up. | | Overall Rating: |
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