Why oh why did Kenda discontinue this tire? Lightweight 2.4 and super sturdy. I have this as a front tire on my 575 and it BOMBS the downhills and is light enough to pick up and put exactly where I want on the climbs.
I wish I had bought 10 of them when they were being cleared out.
Strengths: half decent in dry weather, they're foldable, price...
Weaknesses: puncture and get 'snake bites' very easily! in wet weather they do not have much grip..
Bottom Line:
It's nice having a foldable tire.. but with these you are sacrificing strength! They have very bad grip in wet and get puntures and snake bites terribly easy no matter what the tire preassure. But on the better side on wet smooth runs they have ok grip and corner well. To be honest i would not buy these tires unless your area is very dry and not rough!
Similar Products Used: other kendas,maxxis' and michelin
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Submitted by
benjamin thomas
a Weekend Warrior
from redlands, ca
Date Reviewed: February 4, 2008
Strengths: Sticky
Weaknesses: not a full 2.4 but I'm just splitting hairs.
Bottom Line:
I've ridden these a few times and they are definitly stickier and faster rolling on the flats than my gravity's. We'll see how long they last. I got em for 20 each
Submitted by
Scott
a Cross Country Rider
from Victoria, Australia
Date Reviewed: January 7, 2008
Strengths: It's a true 2.2. Corners well. Works well in dry, loose and rocky conditions. Rolls OK once up to speed. Not too heavy for a good sized tyre. Appears to wear well.
Weaknesses: Mud sticks real hard to the closely spaced knobs. Feels a bit slow when you are torquing big gears on smooth fire road hills - can't hold a candle to racier rubber as far as speed goes.
Bottom Line:
Review is for the 2.2 folding bead DTC tyre. Kenda says on their site that this is a "fast" tyre - compared to what is the question. I normally run racier style rubber, as I like light weight, low rolling resistance and it often works OK around here. The trails have been very loose of late, lots of gravel, loose rock and loose soil. So I wanted something with a good bag but not too heavy, and not slow. So these replaced my 2.1 Mibros. These tyres do work well as a trail tyre in rough conditions - they give good climbing grip and spin up to speed pretty quick. They rail loose corners very confidently as well, and can handle being run nice and soft, for good cush factor. BUT - get them on smooth fire road hills where you torque bigger gears and they start to feel a labour to push. These probably cost me a gear on most smooth climbs I think. If you are used to racy rubber like me, you will notice it. If you are used to trail tyres like the Nevegal or similar, you won't. In short, if you want an all around trail tyre for loose, dry conditions these work well. If you want a tyre for open fire roads that screams "SPRINT ME!" look elsewhere. Forget these for mud - which is what Kenda says anyway. I think they've made a pretty good tyre here, but like most rubber it won't suit everyone, and the "fast" description is a bit misleading. They lack the zing of other bigger tyres I've used, like the Scorpion, for example. Despite several good rides in rocky abrasive country, these show no chipping, tears, and minimal wear - unlike the fast wearing Mibros I've just put back on....
Submitted by
Lyle Steely
a Weekend Warrior
from Phoenix,AZ
Date Reviewed: November 25, 2007
Strengths: Rolls really nice, corners great, good volume
Weaknesses: braking traction in really steep loose descents
Bottom Line:
(Size 2.2)These tires are a great tire for someone looking for something more aggressive than a fast XC but not as extreme as the 2.35 Nevegal. They felt like they rolled just as good as the Spec Resolution, but didn't end up sliced to ribbons like the Resolution. I pulled all my turns just as fast as I would with the 2.35 N'gals, but without the weight and drag. They only weekness I found was they didn't hold as well as the Nevegals on really steep loose over hardpack descents. Whether that is a function of the tread or the smaller contact patch I am not certain. I like them enough to go ahead and grab another pair for a rainy day at that price. They will be my everyday tire...still sticking with Nevegals for the really harsh stuff and SB8's for racing. nuf said.
Similar Products Used: Nevegal, Advantage, Resolution
Bike Setup: 06 Stumpy S-works, C-King wheelset, Sram X0, Fox Talas
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Submitted by
Deo
a Weekend Warrior
from Philippines
Date Reviewed: March 14, 2007
Strengths: Good grip on any trail. Also kicks ass on cornering. These tires don't crack. I used to have a Kenda Nevagal on my mtb and it sucks, it got deformed after a few rides. The Cortez are cheaper and better. On my kind of riding which i can say is really rough and torturing the Cortez outperforms the Nevagals. Very lite compared to other tires.
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