Low rolling resistance doesn't do much good if you wash out in every corner. So we designed the Notos XC to be fully lugged for maximum traction, but we shortened the knob height so it remained blazing fast. The result is a feathery XC racing tire perfect for any type of cross country course. Features our exceptionally strong yet amazingly light CAF casing, the PRF (read: no DNF) System, and Hybrid Tread Compound. Click on the image to the left for an enlarged photo showing tread detail and related product specifications.
Strengths: great traction, low profile, fast, low rolling resistance
Weaknesses: mud
Bottom Line:
On hard pack, sand, and loose gravel, you cannot beat this tire on the rear. I know pro's who use this tire front and rear. All I know I use a notos in the rear and a serac in the front and I have never been happier!
Strengths: Low rolling resistance - Very quick whilst the going is easy. Price - You can get some mega deals on the Notos if you look around. Mud clearance - Would not clog up.
Weaknesses: Low mud ability.
Bottom Line:
I nabbed this of a friend with many tires. I had not tried it until the other day when I thought i would give it a go despite the very poor trail conditions. The trail was extrmely wet and muddy. Not clog your bike up clay type, more very muddy top over firmish base. The tire wouldn't clog up and ititially I thought it might be quite good as the blurb says its suitable for any xc course, but a few twisty turnies later and i was having the front wheel (only front wheel tested) washing out regularly. The bite under braking was acceptable for a fairly skilled rider, but the lack of cornering and lateral ability made sure I was unable to handle sections I normally clean. Consequently I had my foot out before nasty sections as my confidence had been eroded.
Bottom line - the speed and low rolling resistance is not beneficial in poor conditions as it is set off against poor grip in a variety of situations. HAving had some experience of similar tires in dry situations I would wholly accept this to do well under a skilled rider.
Bike Setup: Rigid Alu hardtail with lightweight but non-exotic componentry. Enjoy xc-racing, enduros and long trail rides.
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Submitted by
kevin
a Cross Country Rider
from idaho
Date Reviewed: November 13, 2005
Strengths: fast
Weaknesses: using this tire requires great amounts of skill and finesse on areas of the trail that should not require it.i have absolutely no confidence using this tire on the trail conditions here in idaho,which change daily in higher elevations.
Bottom Line:
ive ridden the same trails with other low profile tread designs at the same speeds and have not felt as on edge as with these tires.they seem to make every corner feel like an adventure.also have lost alot of knobs after minimal use.i cant recommend them.
Submitted by
Scott
a Cross Country Rider
from Bendigo, Victoria, Australia
Date Reviewed: July 23, 2005
Strengths: Light, roll fast, corner well
Weaknesses: 1.9.s were a tade small - but the were 1.9's after all.
Bottom Line:
These came on my old NX7.5 (since traded). I wasn't keen on the size or lack of tread and reluctantly left them on the bike (shop had bugger all else to choose from except wire bead rubbish) Terrain in my patch is gravelly hardpack, marbles and red clay. Well they worked much better than I expected, cornering well, rolling fast and wearing fairly well. Grip on climbs was also better than expected given the little knobs. Would make a great race tyre. Would like to try the 2.1's as I think the bigger volume would allow lower pressures and even more grip.
Strengths: light weight, rolling resistance, cornering, and climbing ability.
Weaknesses: side walls
Bottom Line:
These tires are nice tires! BUT- beware dont run them as a tubeless tire with stans at low pressure. i flatted 8 times running them at 36 lbs. i used them with tubes for training and they worked great! just dont run them tubeless with low air. the sidewalls got small embrassions on them and flatted. great tire just dont use them as i did.
Strengths: SMOOTH. i cant belive the difference from my old tire (specialized ground control) extremly low rolling resistance and nearly noiseless on pavement. i rode them through mud, sand, snow, ice and still i had none of the complaints that some of the other reviewers had. i bought them without checking this site and im glad i did. because of what i read here i treated them very carefully for about an hour to see what the could and couldnt do. but i soon gained a lot of confidence in them.
Weaknesses: the tred doesnt look like it will last very long, the rubber coundpound seems like its pretty soft. but for $9 a tire its worth it to replace them 2x a season and get new tires just when things are gett'n good. only other thing ive noticed is that they give a slightly harsher ride and are a bit squirlly in sand (show me a 1.95 tire that isnt)
Bottom Line:
im giving them 5 chilis for value because of the price and 4 chilis for overall because of wear and sand concerns. also a note to the other reviewers with negative comments about using the notos as a front wheel MAKE SURE YOU FOLLOW THE ROTATION DIRECTIONS ON THE WHEEL. i havent tried it backwards but i imagine with the way the knobs are shaped they could easily grip in the wrong places and cause accidents. remember if your runnin a tire that is the same front and back the logo should always be on opposite sides of eachother.
Bike Setup: 99 specialized hardrock pretty well stock except for new saddle and tires. pretty beaten up but still rides perfect
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Submitted by
John
a Weekend Warrior
from Indianapolis, IN, USA
Date Reviewed: October 12, 2004
Strengths: All-terrain performance, smooth on hardpack (for a short knobbie), sheds mud, relatively light (540g), decent value
Weaknesses: A little tough to install, wears a bit quickly, not the best on sand (but what sub-2" tire is??)
Bottom Line:
This review is for the RED sidewall 1.95" version. (According to the IRC website, other versions use different rubber and construction) I was looking for a single all-around XC tire for varied midwestern terrain, inc. some street riding. These do that nicely. I am 170# and run these at around 42 psi (since I HATE pinch flats). While there are better tires for specific conditions, this tire does not embarrass itself anywhere I've been. The tire does its part if I do mine! And no flats (so far..) Although I don't think I'll get an entire season's wear out of them, 2 sets of these are cheaper than 1 set of some other similar tires.
Strengths: -More Grip than a slick, with Small weight penalty. Great mud sheader in wet loamy/ clay surfaces. -No faster rolling lugged tire in the dry. -Cheap. -Light for a full lugged tire. -A classic in my opinion
Weaknesses: -Rust colered side walls. -Performance in: Tracking in deep sand( show me a 1.9 tire that does well in that) Off camber Vasoline/KY Clay at speed(dido)
Bottom Line:
If they were so bad, why Does the TREK mountian Bike Team Still use them(4 years running now)??? Yes fast tires require more mental input, but so does rockin' through tight single track at 10mph. To go fast requires some sacifice, the tradeoffs for a full lugged tire are not worth it to me. This is the best tire I have found form the above listed to take on race day and not worry about how my tire is going to preform. The Hutchinson Mosquito, IRC Serac corner and track quite the same, but wear faster and have mud sheading problems respectively. I hope they keep making this tire, but just like good running shoes, great tires die with the swing of the marketing axe.
Strengths: Great traction as a rear tire, best in slightly muddy conditions with many rocks/roots
Weaknesses: Not confidence-inspiring as a front tire. Keep it on the back.
Bottom Line:
I have used this tire as my rear tire for winter xc riding and all-year training for 3 seasons now and have never been dissapointed. I have the 2.1 and durability has not been an issue--I still have another few seasons out of this tire. It rolls fast and when pumped up to 40lbs, it is perfect. It's soft enough to get good traction, but hard enough that the tall cornering knobs don't roll over. I tried racing with this as my front tire once but it rolled too slowly as a front tire (it rolls much faster in the back due to the reverse-direction desigh) and was not gread for handling. As a rear tire it never fails. Perfect for anyone from an XC racer looking for a training tire to a weekend warrior looking for a durable, worry-free tire. Paired with a Mythos up front and it's a perfect combo for the rocky/rooty/muddy riding you find in Eastern PA.
Similar Products Used: Continental Explorer, Bontrager Jones
Bike Setup: Specialized Stumpjumper M4 Hardtail w/ Fox Float 80mm fork
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Submitted by
chuck f
a Weekend Warrior
from Sydney, Australia
Date Reviewed: May 17, 2004
Strengths: Not too bad on firm, flat fireroads...
Weaknesses: Pretty much useless anywhere else.
Bottom Line:
Now I know I shouldn't be complaining because I did buy them in the first place and I've put up with them for a year now - but these treads do suck a bit. They're fine on your stock standard dry fireroad, but around Sydney most of the action is loose, sandy stuff mixed with sandstone rocks and slabs (hey, its not Moad but its all we've got...). As soon as you're looking at an even moderately technical climb these things lose it. As my climbing has slowly improved I've noticed this more & more. The NOTOS have not aged well at all and are on the shortlist for replacement, along with the butt-breaking Coda saddle that came with my dale (but that's another story...) Overall I would say - keep browsing shopper.
First ride was with Stans System and about 50lbs. On a cross country ride, I did some 'off trail' treking in order to get over to another jeep trail. This little jaunt involved bombing down a very (sharp) rocky section that would not be considered suitable for your average riders. About 50 yards into it, something must have hit the sidewall of the tire and put a 3/4 inch tear in it. These are the narrowest tires I have ever run, which could explain some loss of traction on some trails that I normally stick to (in climbs) and I had a hard time spinning through a sandy river bed that I normally have no problem with. I got a good deal from someone on eBay, but I won't ride these tires again. Value rating ? since I didn't buy retail.
Submitted by
Ibis Breezer
a Cross Country Rider
from Dallas, the metromess
Date Reviewed: January 27, 2004
Strengths: I am with several of the other reviewers of this product, I think they hook up very well and I have absolutely no complaints about traction.
Weaknesses: None I have noticed.
Bottom Line:
The guys ragging these tires must be locking their brakes to get the skids they are whining about, they work perfectly for me. I spent 7 hours in extremely wet and loose and slippery conditions a couple of weeks ago and was amazed at how well I was coping with conditions, I expected the bike to handle much worse considering how muddy and rocky it was.
Similar Products Used: Panaracer TrailBlaster 1.8"
Bike Setup: 1993 Breezer Lightning, full rigid, bike built specifically for riding at L.B. Houston Mountain Bike Trail (a very tight, flat, twisty trail(.
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Submitted by
Scott
a Cross Country Rider
from Bendigo, Victoria, Australia
Date Reviewed: December 3, 2003
Strengths: Light. Fast rolling. Good traction despite small knobs.
Weaknesses: Got a few punctures.
Bottom Line:
These were on the bike when I got it new, folding rustwall 1.9's. I was really sceptical on account of the small shallow knobs. I was wrong. They hooked up really well even in loose stuff. The stiff side knobs worked well in corners and all things considered wore pretty well. I would have another set, but would go for 2.1's for more volume.
Bike Setup: Mongoose NX 7.5 alloy hardtail, 4 inch Judy SL's.
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
Shredder
a Cross Country Rider
from Central Pennsylvania
Date Reviewed: October 12, 2003
Strengths: Good grip in all conditions, and predictable sliding when they break loose. I have had both the front and rear tires slide at the same time and pulled it off just like the motorcycle road racers.
Weaknesses: They wear out eventually, and they will get flats. They don't come in yellow.
Bottom Line:
I cannot believe all the whining I am reading by people about these tires. Waaaaa they slide in the wet, waaaaaa they slide in sand. I bet you guys couldn't hang with me if I were riding slicks! I am using Notos on the front, Panaracer Trailblasters on the back. I like the name trailblaster, reminds me of myself, I am a trailshredder. The Notos work great on the front for that extra traction I get cornering on the slick rocks, leaves, and mud we get here in Pennsylvania, the toughest place to ride in the whole United States. The tires also shed the mud we have over here very quickly. The only problem is the tires don't come in yellow. I like colors. My bike mixes and matches. I like people to see and remember my bike everytime I lap them in the woods. Yeah, I am a shredder, so take from me, my tire setup is radical, I am radical, so learn something here, and quit your whining. hehehe.
Submitted by
Chris
a Cross Country Rider
from Williamsport
Date Reviewed: July 31, 2003
Strengths: lower rolling resistance, forces me to pay attention and pick the best line
Weaknesses: rear wears quick,slippery when wet,demands a lot of attention
Bottom Line:
These came with a 01 Cannondale Jekyll I purchased. On one of the first rides I almost crashed hard going through a muddy tight singletrack turn. My first impression was that I didn't care for this tire. I then switched them out for Conti X-plorers...
Low on funds and in need of some treads, I dug them out of storage and put them on my Trek 7000. The second time around I realized how to ride with this tire and have come to not mind them. I have 7 miles of pavement riding to get to the dirt so I like the lower rolling resistance, which has probably helped the rear wear out quicker. Overall this is not a tire that allows you to forget about what line you are taking or what terrain is up ahead...It demands a lot of rider attention and understandably is not for everyone...I'll probably try another low roller like hutchinson pythons next...
