Kenda K-Rad 24x1.95 Black Wall Tire, Smooth-rolling off road tire for BMX and ATB use. Great for parks, dirt trails or anywhere a non-aggressive opff-road tire is needed.
Submitted by
lew242
a Downhiller
from UK and China
Date Reviewed: February 8, 2012
Strengths: Inexpensive, easy to mount, mounts up true, looks cool, high volume, rolls quick, rounded profile can lean beautifully at higher pressures, yet is stable at lower pressures for stunts.
Weaknesses: None found yet
Bottom Line:
Review is for 2.3.
This tire suits me perfectly. The balloon like volume is excellent, adds to the suspension, which really helps Ali HT bikes rough rides. With 30psi you can hop really high and track-stand for ages and take heavy hits rolling down stairs and doing urban drops to flat without much risk of pinch flatting, nice and wide for wheelies and manuals also work fine on dry dirt, wouldn't trust them too much in the wet or mud, might make a good summer rear tire if paired up with a Minion DHF. As good as it gets for its use, but I think the DMR Moto Digger 2.3 might have a tad more bite although less volume and slower.
If you commute and want to have fun on the way to work this tire will suit you perfectly, Despite its size it surprisingly hardly slows you down at all yet provides you with so many options, I'll never go near a narrow (1.5-1.75) slick tire for commuting ever again.
You only need three tires: Minion DHFs in the woods, Wet Screams if it snows or rains when you're there, and K-rads for everything else.
Submitted by
beach cruiser
a Weekend Warrior
from Redondo Beach , Ca.
Date Reviewed: July 14, 2011
Strengths: rolls well, high pressure, very round .
Weaknesses: hard to find in the performance version, 2.3
Bottom Line:
This tire tread design is made many ways and all called K-rad. I ride the 2.3 which is rated at 80 psi and uses a dual compound tread. This is a good street tire, well made, and almost quiet at 80 pounds pressure. No buzzing tire noise. Round, even ,cross section is good for street, tread doesn't washout in a fast lean. Light weight is evident in the sidewalls, mine have some rock damage.
Hard to find a high pressure tire in a wide cross section. One of the best for street with a little tread for insurance if you want to go sightseeing in the country. Holds in the wet.
Bike Setup: Black Market Malice, Atomlab rims, profile hubs, dk cranks, bada boom handle bars, Marrizocci DJ1
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Submitted by
Scott H.
a Cross Country Rider
from Pacific Grove, CA, U.S.A.
Date Reviewed: June 4, 2010
Strengths: Cushy ride, fast rolling, no vibrations, quiet and peaceful,the best part is rocks don't get stuck in the tread like the Maxxis Minions.
Weaknesses: The 2.5 is only rated for up to 50 psi.
Bottom Line:
Today is June 3rd, 6/3/2010. Hey I thought all of the K-Rads were good for up to 80 psi? Wrong! The 2.5 is only rated for up to 50 psi. None of the ads that I saw say that. Okay, well, 50 psi is kind of mushy so I aired them up to 60 psi and that is a noticeable difference. Still a little cushy but that's nice.
I am 6'4" 340, so I had to find a bike that can hold me up with out bending the rims from riding on flat pavement and the Kona Stinky Six is able to do that. Going down stairs and what not, I haven't even had to true the wheels! Amazing! It's one of the market's only cross-country/freeride bikes and it's quite easy to pedal up and down hills. Then I put on the 26" x 2.5" Kenda K-Rads with some Kenda Downhill Tubes (2.25mm thick rubber)and the ride is even more plush.
The frame and fork on the Kona Stinky Six is plenty wide to leave room around the 2.5" tires. The chain doesn't drag on the tire when in low low gear still lots of room for dirt and twigs. I got the schrader valve tubes because with my weight the Presta valves lose about 10 psi every two days. Schrader valves don't do that. I had to air the tires up to 60 psi and they still aren't hard. But so far so good, and if the sidewalls can't handle the pressure then it's my fault and I will order another pair and ride at 50 psi. Honestly I think they could handle 70 psi no problem. They are a strong tire.
Great on the asphalt, pretty good on the dirt. Watch out for cornering on loose gravel, they slide on that stuff. But that can be accommodated by doing one of the old style turns where the rider leans way out away from the bike while holding the bike straight up and down. I deal with it by riding slower. You just have to get used to it and then it is second nature. Other than that they handle great on everything just like a regular knobby tire. I do 20-40 mile rides and these tires are real nice, strong, comfy, quiet and don't vibrate my hands to death. When I'm out away from civilization in the countryside I can ride along and my bike doesn't make one sound. Pretty peaceful. I keep everything really tuned up, aligned, lubed and quiet. The K-Rads definitely added to that effect. I can't feel the weight of the bike or the weight of the tires and tubes. The tires most certainly weighed about the same as the original Maxxis Minions. I ride the same speed with a 25 pound Yeti as I do a 45 pound Kona, slow. So these tires are great since I automatically gained a couple of miles per hour with this tread. The tread is slightly deeper than I expected which is a plus. They still grip in the dirt, just not in the deep muck. But if I plan on riding in the mud then I throw the Maxxis Minions on which the bike came with. The sidewalls are of equal thickness to the Minions as well.
Kenda K-Rads are a fast, smooth, grippy yet comfortable set of tires. I paid $42 for the pair.If you want more speed go with the skinnier K-Rads. The 2.3" would be faster but less cushy. The 1.95" K-Rads at 80 psi must go like a rocket. Price and quality are great. I am happy with the performance and the tread appears to be long wearing. These tires are awesome!Five chilis value and four overall for the 50 psi lower pressure, which was a suprise. Thanks for reading! Scott H., Pacific Grove, CA, U.S.A.
Similar Products Used: Many different tires over the years. There is no way I could remember them all.
Bike Setup: 2009 Kona Stinky Six with a Fox Vanilla-R rear coil shock and 20mm thru-axle Marzocchi Bomber 55-RS fork. Six inch travel front and back, NO BOB. 1.5" Z-Orbit Headset. FSA Moto-X cranks. Hayes Stroker Ryde hydraulic disc brakes with 7" rotors. Topeak Beam Rack E-type with MTX trunk bag. L-bar ends. Light and Motion Vega headlight, planet bike blinky/steady tail light. Specialized narrow seat. 26" x 2.5" Kenda K-Rads with Kenda 2.25mm thick 2.4-2.7 inch range downhill inner tubes. Mirrycle Incredibell. Gotta have the bell with a silent bike.
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Submitted by
sturmruger
a Weekend Warrior
from bpt. ct.
Date Reviewed: March 16, 2010
Strengths: grippy, fast rolling, 80 psi!
Weaknesses: the tires are smaller than they advertise.
Bottom Line:
these tires are just what ive been looking for! fastrolling grippy hi psi urban tire! mine are 26x2.3... they hold 80 psi. they perform just as well as the maxxis holy rollers but at half the price! i got a pair of kendas for 40. the maxxis are 80!
Similar Products Used: maxxis holy rollers, specialized adreline.
Bike Setup: full custom diamondback response! fox talas fork, mavic rims, juicy brakes, shimano hollow tec 2 cranks.
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Submitted by
fatcat
a Weekend Warrior
from los angeles
Date Reviewed: December 27, 2009
Strengths: 2.5 version, super fast, very little resistance
Weaknesses: weak sidewalls
Bottom Line:
I have the 2.5 version. Great rolling, the bike takes off fast and has some bite on the dirt as well. I use it for street riding and dirt.
Although there is not much tread, the tire is no lightweight, it weighs as much as a Maxxis Highroller or Minion. So don't think youre going to be getting off too easy.
You can't have your cake and eat it too, so the only bad thing about the tire is that it slides around on loose hardpack, but once the loose dirt is gone, it takes off like a rocket. It handles wet, rooty and rocky terrain as well like any other knobby tire.
If you are involved in a XC or Super D race, these are the tires to use to get the least amount of rolling resistance. Or if you are a slow or fat rider, try these to get more speed on the trail. The price is right too, they are between twenty one and twenty eight dollars each. The 1.95 and 2.30 are slightly cheaper.
Submitted by
@lex
a Cross Country Rider
from Houghton, MI
Date Reviewed: November 17, 2009
Strengths: Smooth, rolls nice on asphalt, fast on hard packed.
Weaknesses: Not great for all around use.
Bottom Line:
I love these tires! I like to ride pretty gravel, hard packed trails, and road. They roll nice on asphalt and concrete. On hard packed trails, they really cruise along. In soft stuff and mud, they're obviously not the best and I haven't ridden on rock. Like I said, the three areas that I primarily ride they work great. I had 2.3s on my P.2 and I have the 1.95s on my Hardrock. I like Kenda because they make a pretty good tire that is reasonably priced. There are more expensive tires out there, but these ones are pretty fun. They wear pretty well too.
Submitted by
gbosbiker
a Weekend Warrior
from Adams MA
Date Reviewed: May 11, 2009
Strengths: good for the park. front lasts forever. still has losts of tread left after 6 months of daily riding.
Weaknesses: rear wore quick. lacked a little grip on dirt. only slipped on high speed corners. slips on 180s while on dirt. the rear finally gave up though. the side-wall started falling apart. caused the whole tire to warp while riding.
Bottom Line:
very good tire. lasts long, and good for street or HARDpack dirt. holds up well. if you want something for everything, this is the way to go. good for everything. they are like the maxxis holy rollers, but better.
Similar Products Used: none my first k-rad were all i ever needed
Bike Setup: fitbike prk 1 23 tooth sprocket and odessey pc pedals
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Submitted by
JP Taberdo
a Weekend Warrior
from Brisbane, Australia
Date Reviewed: December 1, 2008
Strengths: Great for kicking around town - i just use them as fun commuter tires. Fun cos they're fairly fast and you can jump curbs! And they look cool too.
Weaknesses: Not so great on trails - especially loose-on-hardpack and sand.
Bottom Line:
Fun tires for urban use and the occasional dirt track. I totally agree with people who wrote that they're good for the street, but just okay for the trail. I tried them out on some trails and fire roads over the last week and they can definitely hold a line, but I can't reach anywhere near the cornering speeds as real MTB tires. Also, they don't climb so well on anything but clean hardpack. I'll admit though, that I had them at fairly high pressures - 45-50psi. Happy riding!
Bike Setup: Merida TFS900, deore stuff, crossmax sl rims, marzocci exr pro 130mm forks
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Submitted by
Brandon Sewell
a Cross Country Rider
from South Korea
Date Reviewed: October 9, 2008
Strengths: I have switched these tires around on all my bikes and I am suprised at how much more confident I feel with these tire under pedal. I ride all over Seoul Korea and these tires give me the best of what I need to do whatever. They are fast and smooth, they do OK in the dirt and they really shine as an urban tire. Slide them, abuse them and the last a while.
Weaknesses: Let the air get down to low and you will be walking (pinched several times)
Bottom Line:
A great tire that you can abuse and will go well with most riding conditions. They are not perfect, but all tire have a designed purpose.
Similar Products Used: many different tires, some good, some better than others
Bike Setup: Currently on a single speed rigid
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Submitted by
Tim Blabbing
a Weekend Warrior
from Ottawa, ON, Canada
Date Reviewed: August 19, 2008
Strengths: Fast, smooth rolling. I'll give them that.
Weaknesses: 13% heavier than claimed.
Bottom Line:
I AM ONLY PROVIDING DETAILED WEIGHT INFO. Yes, I suffer from gramitis. For the 26 X 2.30 wire-bead version, my digital kitchen scale showed 876 grams (yes, my scale is accurate and gives weights completely in line with weights posted on sites such as sicklines.com). Kenda says 775 +- 45, which is from 730 up to 820 grams. So, the actual weight is 6% off from the upper limit, 13% off the median, and 20% off from the lower limit. The median discrepancy (forget about the max discrepancy of 20%) is too much for me to overlook. For someone who claims, "Kenda is proud to be the #1 Bicycle tire manufacturer in North America," I am not impressed. When I get bike parts that are 13% heavier than claimed, I feel like I've been lied to.
Similar Products Used: Continental Vertical Pro (kevlar bead) 2.5: 788 grams, excellent tire for volume, rolls good.
IRC Trailbear (kevlar bead) 2.5: 970 grams, 190 grams heavier than IRC claims, does not roll good.
Ritchey Z-Max 2.35: Best cornering front tire I've ever owned.
Kenda Kinetics (steel bead) 2.35: around 1,200 grams. Very cheap, confused tire (downhill weight and sidewall stiffness with XC width) that rolls horribly.
IRC Backcountry 2.25: Worst front tire I've ever owned. Rolls poorly. Width is not impressive.
Maxxis Harddrive (kevlar bead) 2.1: Very impressive tire. Fastest tire I've ever owned. 522 grams. O.K. volume. Not a wet conditions tire.
WTB Motoraptor (kevlar bead) 2.4: Around 850 grams. Much faster and lighter than the IRC Trailbear, but not a fast tire. More burly than the Continental Diesel Pro 2.5, but slower.
