High air volume design helps prevents pich flats and provides optimum comfort. Gold Technology features excellent grip during slippery cornering. Uses combination Silica and Carbon ruber compound.
Submitted by
Myles
a Cross Country Rider
from Victoria, Australia
Date Reviewed: January 24, 2006
Strengths: Awesome on dry track, look awesome and low resistance (high speeds)
Weaknesses: Horrible on wet because tread isn't compensating. Just skids all over the place in mud and on slippery rocks. Tread wears down to a slick in no time at all. Octopus is a better bet. You might as well buy hutchinson top slick
Bottom Line:
Great tire for dry conditions, low profile tread really helps with fast speed and resistance levels. only ride on relatively flat stuff in wet/damp conditions as traction is severly hampered. My experience was (even with disc brakes) that I was skidding down rocks rather than braking in control. longetivity is a big question, and at $40US a tire, value isn't great. Bottom line, check the weather before riding on these treads!
Bike Setup: shimano deore xt everything, truvativ cranks, hayes nine discs.
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Submitted by
Larry White
a Cross Country Rider
from Phoenix, AZ
Date Reviewed: January 13, 2006
Strengths: Works great with Stans on a standard rim Rolls well, pretty durable
Weaknesses: not so hot in loose rock or gravel, heavier than fire XCs or Explorers, more expensive than fire XCs
Bottom Line:
I bought these because they were supposed to run well tubless with sealant and I had flatted in two MBAA races. They sealed well and have never even burped. At first I thought they had lousy traction until I lowered the pressure to 25 psi. Now they hook up almost as well as the Fire XCs they replaced, and they're very predictable cornering. I may get another set of these.
Similar Products Used: Panaracer fire xc, Conti. explorers
Bike Setup: Jekyll with Pushed shock
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Submitted by
Doug Gangi
a Weekend Warrior
from Phoenix, AZ
Date Reviewed: January 6, 2006
Strengths: One of the best tires in hardpack, roll fast, look cool, durable
Weaknesses: One of the worst tires in everything else, wears quickly
Bottom Line:
Pythons roll fast and work very well in hardpack (i.e. NO loose stuff). I've raced these tires on some fast courses and they did great for me. They track predictably, stick pretty well in turns, and give just enough on turns to let you know their breaking point (versus some other tires that just give way). This is all due to the design -- the tread is very "round" (small shoulder).
But on anything else...forget it. The Pythons design is both a blessing and a curse. Those small knobs that roll fast don't bite worth a damn in anything loose. They also give way quickly when climbing rocks and roots. I never tried running these wet. My guess is they would be horrible.
The other downfall is the tread wears quickly. However, these tires are very durable. I've smashed them all over the Arizona desert and have never ripped up a sidewall or knobby. That's pretty impressive considering all the other tires I have shredded here.
As a hardpack race tire, I give the Hutchinson's 4 stars. For this they are very good. As an anything else tire, I give them 2 stars, particularly for their poor performance in anything remotely loose.
So I guess I will give the tire an overall rating of 3 stars. Bottom line is that I think there are other tires that are as good for racing that handle the changing conditions a little better.
Similar Products Used: Panaracer Fire XC, misc WTB, Bontrager Jones
Bike Setup: Giant NRS Air, Trek 8000 (had them on both)
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Submitted by
Jonathon Hartman
a Cross Country Rider
from San Antonio, Tx, USA
Date Reviewed: May 6, 2005
Strengths: Looks, Speed, Grip, and Weight.
Weaknesses: Tire is loose on leaves and other debris on the trail, but other than that... I can't find many.
Bottom Line:
I upgraded to these tires after chewing up my Bontrangers. After 150+ miles on these tires in less than 3 months I must say I'm rather happy. I've read the other reviews and I can't comment on mud conditions. The tread design gives great response although can be a little loose if you hit a trail over run with fresh leaves. My only grip on this tire is while riding they seem to throw dirt onto the rider. Now, if that is the only thing I can complain about they must be pretty good. I give this bad boy 5 flamin' ones right off the bat until I can find more bad to say.
Strengths: best balance between grip, rolling resistance and reliability in dry terrain, best tires 4 racing!!!
Weaknesses: the ugly "gold" stripe, because in reality is more like brown. a brighter color there would look nice.
Bottom Line:
I´m a tire freak, after 4 years of succesful XC racing, i´ve tried many tires. The Python gold elite is the winner!!, rolls smooth like a semislick, sticks to the ground like a DH tire, and is super tough, performance is best at low psi, i´m 140 lbs, i ride from 29-32 psi. I have a set on my training bike that is 3 yers ols and still performing well, and a new set on my race bike. When the terrain is dry hardpack to a little loose and maybe even a little wet, performance is outstanding. Handle rocks great too. Do not use in deep mud, but still even ok. The only tire that could come close to this baby is the Michelin comp s light, that can handle mud much better than the python, but still, "lite" tires in my terrain don´t give me confidence, and whenever i run other good tires i feel like there´s something missing, put the pythons back and i feel right at home. As a review posted somewhere here, my xc team rides pythons, my friends ride pythons, and i ride pythons. I have nothing bad 2 say about them other than the brown stripe looks ugly. i feel tempted to try out the "air light" version, but my terrain is very rough, so i´m not sure. To me, this is the perfect tire.
Submitted by
Geoff
a Cross Country Rider
from Sydney
Date Reviewed: January 28, 2005
Strengths: hmm... that funky gold colour?
Weaknesses: lack of grip and spending fortunes on new inner tubes and patch kits
Bottom Line:
i have tried and tried to give these tyres a fair chance, and every time i have been let down by their performance. if you have any conditions other than extreme hard pack or asphalt find another tyre.
riding in sand is not possible, riding in the wet is so dangerous you might as well take the tires off and just run rims (you might get better traction).
these tyres are always on special because you will need that money to buy the 10 inner tubes per ride. i pump mine upto 45psi and the first pebble i hit and i get a pinch flat.
i have just switched to nokian nbx2.1 and it just makes me realise how bad the pythons where.
Submitted by
Eric
a Cross Country Rider
from Pasadena, CA
Date Reviewed: August 24, 2004
Strengths: Decent tread life, decent traction, high volume, strong casing.
Weaknesses: Side knobs tear quickly.
Bottom Line:
Southern California riding changes significantly depending on the season and riding area. Hardpack, rocky, loose gravel, sand, etc. are all quite common. These tires have very good traction, excellent sidewall strength (no sidewall tears - riding some of the high iron-content trails shreds most tires), and perform quite well in most conditions. These tires do NOT perform well in mud due to small tread spacing. I actually initially purchased these tires since the rear end of my bike was washing out after the front end on super loose trails (2+ inches of loose gravel/dust). Hoping to lose the rear end first and allow the bike to hook back up without low-siding, I went with a low tread profile for the rear tire (Python Gold). At the recommended inflation pressure (or 1-2 lbs lower), they have decent traction even in very loose terrain. Overinflated, they are worthless except on hardpack or pavement. I have not ridden this tire on the front - and would only run it on the front on 1)slickrock or 2)pavement - even hardpack would be pushing it... Value rating is based on tire sale price of <$20.
Bike Setup: Trek Fuel w/ 105mm Marzocchi front shock
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
James Rhodes
a Cross Country Rider
from Tempe
Date Reviewed: August 21, 2004
Strengths: Low rolling resistance, looks cool
Weaknesses: Slides everywhere
Bottom Line:
Ok, if you want a tire thats good on hard pack or dry pavement, i'm sure these tires are fine. Where I ride, which is mostly loose rock and sugar sand and rock quarries, these tires have me sliding more that if I was as at a Six Flags water park! Cornering on sand is truely an adventure. You just can't tell when it's going to lose it's grip. After riding on Conti's, these tires make you second guess yourself on cornering and ascents.
Stopping on the trail gives a whole new meaning to planning ahead. At a slight decent, not fast at all, I had to stop for a rider coming up the hill. I slide so far that I passed him and went off the trail. I was so frustrated, I actually measured how far I skidded...25 feet. Unacceptable at the speed I was going.
I shouldn't bash on these tires too much because I'm sure they work on harder surfaces just fine, but if your in AZ and your on these tires, find something with more knobs.
Similar Products Used: IRC Piranha Pro Continental Escape and Explorer
Bike Setup: Santa Cruz Blur with stock components cannibalized from a Jamis Dakar
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Submitted by
Steveo
a Cross Country Rider
from Pittsburgh
Date Reviewed: August 16, 2004
Strengths: Super volume for xc tire, light, fast rolling
Weaknesses: a little slick cornering
Bottom Line:
Had these for a solid season and loved them, but really couldn't run at the pressure I wanted because of pinch flats (35psi). Went to Stans NO tubes and absolutely love these tires. When running at low pressures they're great. I ride at least 50% on wet trails (life in PA)many roots, many rocks, mud. They have a low tread profile so really don't pack up a lot and when they do, clean easy. The volume is super for running low pressure, especially with a hardtail. They can slide up front in corners, but it's predictable. I've run other tires with much more bite, but haven't found a tire with as much upside as these.
Strengths: Low rolling resistance, grip on hardpack, grip on rocks, grip on loose dirt, durable as hell, very resistant to pinch flats
Weaknesses: Grip on loose gravel/sand, wears a little fast
Bottom Line:
These are fantastic XC tires in the hardpack - probably the best on the market. I've raced 2 NORBA races and a 24-hour race in the desert on these tires and they were perfect for the job. They have fantastic grip in the hardpack and corner very well. These tires do not suddenly wash out on you -- they lose grip gradually, telling you to back off. And when the tread starts to show a little wear, these tires still grip like mad (unlike others where the smallest amount of treadwear results in a huge loss of traction).
These are NOT mud/wet tires, so if you live in an area where it is wet, don't buy them (duh). These tires do not have a deep tread, so if you live in area with lots of loose gravel or sand, don't buy them (duh). It's plain and simple folks - there is no 1 tire that can handle hardpack, mud, water, sand, and gravel. Choose the right tire for the right job.
Regarding durability - I have no clue what the other reviewers have against this tire, but I ride Pythons...my friends ride Pythons...many other rides in the area have Pythons...all with success in the BRUTAL Arizona desert. These are one of the few tires that can take a beating on the rocks and nasty terrain we have in Phoenix without tearing apart at the sidewall. These are durable tires, plain and simple (127tpi casing is far stronger than almost any other tire).
Lastly, regarding the dreaded pinch flat -- the 127tpi casing also helps fight pinch flats. I have yet to pinch flat on these tires and I am a very aggressive rider.
The only downside to these tires is that they, like ALL tires of similar design (lots of soft small knobbies), wear fast. The outside knobbies actually have held up quite well -- it's the center set of knobbies that have worn flat. I have had my current set of tires for 6 months and the rear tire is toast.
Bottom line - if you ride in hardpack and want a fast rolling tire, get these. Plus, you can find them for sale at Performance or Supergo on a regular basis.
4 flaming chilis overall. Only a "perfect" tire should get 5 chilis, and in my mind there is no such thing yet. 5 flaming chilis for value if you get 'em on sale.
Similar Products Used: Bontrager Jones, Panaracer Fire, various WTB's
Bike Setup: Giant NRS Air, Trek 8000
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Submitted by
tony p
a Weekend Warrior
from grafton, MA
Date Reviewed: July 23, 2004
Strengths: low rolling resistance, great on hardpack, don't weigh too much
Weaknesses: sucks in anything remotely wet
Bottom Line:
these are the sweetest tire if you are gonna be riding hard pack XC on a fairly high PSI with narrow rims. Otherwise... don't bother. i have syncros big box alligator rims... i forget the width... i think they are are at least 28 mm. i get pinch flats all of the time. one thing i noticed is that in anything that is wet at all they clog up like mad and you have no traction. they don't shed it well either.
Submitted by
Bernie
a Cross Country Rider
from Reading, PA
Date Reviewed: July 21, 2004
Strengths: ok on hard pack. low rolling resistance.
Weaknesses: everything else. No side hold when going around turns, especially dangerous in the front. Don't use them when you ride when it's anything other than bone dry. Punctures easy - lot of flats
Bottom Line:
dont' buy it if you ever intent to ride in wet conditions. poor traction in the rear, dangerous in the front (I actually feel safer with my semi slicks, since the knobs on the side, which the python doesn't have.) Punctures easy. That's why they are on sale on every website, because nobody wants them!!
Similar Products Used: Panaracer Fire XC and schwalbe racing ralph(excellent products); maxxis semislick - almost better then the Hutchinson Python Gold
Bike Setup: bergwerk faunus carbon fiber, fox f100x, roox xc racing stem+ bar, everything xt,hope mini disks, easton seatpost, 317 disk wheels.
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
Rod Munch
a Cross Country Rider
from Santa Rosa CA
Date Reviewed: June 9, 2004
Strengths: Silica rubber compound, large air volume, smooth ride
Weaknesses: Not the best for my local conditions- dusty hardpack to loose & rocky
Bottom Line:
I like the silica tread compound of the Gold Series (I put some Scorpions on my girlfriend's bike) and wanted to try out some of the trendy low-profile knobbies. When Performance had a sale, I jumped. The combination of lower pressures with small knobs was an interesting change from my usual Mythos K's at 48 psi or so. The tires climb great, roll smooth with large air volume, and right when I was thinking "nice tire," I spun out on a rocky ledge climb. Can't remember the last time I spun out on my FS bike with Mythos, Fires, Roll-X's, Tioga Factories, etc. On loamy dirt, or for fast, sketchy training or racing, these tires may be the bomb. But despite the low pressure setup they're too loose for my XC riding. I like the WTB Nanoraptors (a similar micro-knobby) better since they have larger, more dependable cornering knobs. Chilis for good construction & rubber, a tire for a specific purpose.
Performance is currently running a sale on Huthinson Python Gold Elite's for $17 each. That is less than half of the MSRP. I bought 4 this morning.
Thx...Doug Read More »
so whats the skinny on these?
supergo got em for $18 bucks. im on Irc Mythos II 2.1 kevlar folding tires now (another supergo deal), I like the mythos tires, but lots of people Read More »
I know it aint vintage but im not getting a response in the tire forum and besides i like it here. sooooo
so whats the skinny on these? hutchinson python gold 2.0
supergo got Read More »
