Strengths: Good street/dry hard pack tire, rolls well, decent traction, fast.
Weaknesses: Taking tight corners at high speed.
Bottom Line:
I used to think this tire was just OK until I started using other tires. After riding other Continental and Michelin tires, I could not wait to get these back on my rims. It is just a smooth solid, reliable tire. I also like the Continental Sport Contact tire. It is very fast but you better not flat on a night ride because it is a witch to get on and off the rim. The Michelin Rock (now called Country Rock) tire gets the job done if you are a street rider.
Similar Products Used: Michelin Wildgripper City, Continental Sport Contact, Continental Traffic, Continental Town and Country.
Bike Setup: Ted Wojcik, Chris Kings, Mavic rims
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Felix The Cat
a Cross Country Rider
from Roosterville, Ohio
Date Reviewed: January 9, 2006
Strengths: Serious appearance, Wide, Smooth tread tire. Handles high p.s.i for more speed. Fits most limited width frame rails & forks. Semi-easy to mount on Ryno and similer rims. Fair traction on pavment & tarmac. Cornering traction median to fair on damp/wet surfaces.
Weaknesses: Over the years, I have owned a dozen sets of these tires. Every one of them crack severly in the sidewall area. I have recieved new ones with cracks present in the sidewall. Doesn’t seem to affect the performance or longevity of the tire, however looks terrible. On some sets the sidewall rubber peels off in thin layers & they won't shine up regardless of the preservative used. Acoustic transmission (howl) is noticeable in both sound & feel even at low speeds. I wrote Michelin many times about these problems because I like these tires. Never recieved a reply from them. Amazing that a product so chronically defective can be sold for so long without a recall.
Bottom Line:
My criteria for any component has to be value, longevity & durabillity, fit AND finish (cosmetics), In other words, if it costs $100. it better last & look like it. Too much sub- standard "junk" comming into the market, at high prices & being passed off to the public as "components". The bottom line? If you only have $20. to $30 to spend on city tires, buy the Michelin Transworld City (2.0 wide -65 p.s.i).
Similar Products Used: Many other models of Michelin tires. No other Michelin I have used, has the cracking/peeling issues
Bike Setup: 2001 Giant Rainier SE set up as city/pavment/commuter bike with luggage rack, elaborate lighting system(front & rear)amplified IPod stereo system,carbon fiber fenders, dual TT mirrors & 200 db electric horn. I own many bikes of all genres, recumbents, freeride, mountain, XC, trikes, even choppers
Strengths: Smooth riding, only one flat and they look okay
Weaknesses: Side walls cracked or dry rotted with in the first year and feel I paid a touch to much
Bottom Line:
I rely on bike shop people to give me value for the buck I did shop around and this was the best value at the time I also ride in the rain and these tires seem to work well on wet pavement But next set of tires I will try an other brand
Bike Setup: Use a 26 inch bike for city riding on pavement
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Dave
a Cross Country Rider
from Honolulu, HI, USA
Date Reviewed: May 2, 2004
Strengths: Durability. The tread is thick, which makes it very puncture resistant. The only flat I ever got (and I do a lot of commuting on city streets) was from a huge piece of metal that would have probably made a CAR tire flat.
Weaknesses: Two things. For one, there's a ridge where the tread meets the sidewall that makes high-speed cornering pretty freaky (if you lay over onto the tread's border during a turn, the handling becomes really squirrely and uncomfortable). Another thing is that the hard rubber (which is great for preventing flats) isn't nearly as grippy as some softer competitors.
Bottom Line:
If you're a non-performance oriented commuter, this is a really nice tire, because its tread thickness makes it very sturdy and reliable. Just don't enter any fast events that require you to fly through corners...
Bike Setup: Trek 800 (stock, straight from the shelf).
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
John
a Cross Country Rider
from Biloxi, MS
Date Reviewed: October 30, 2003
Strengths: Very good grip on pavement and light gravel. Works well on damp pavement (haven't ridden them on all-out wet concrete). Relatively quiet.
Weaknesses: None that I've found.
Bottom Line:
FYI, I'm 37, been mt. biking for 17 years. These tires are great. I ride this bike around town quite a bit, and I got tired of the Bontrager Revolts I use off-road. I wanted a slick at first, but after checking out what was out there, it made sense to get something that would work well in gravel or uneven, rough pavement. These fit the bill. They're very quiet and smooth. They work well on light gravel, the kind you find on the road around town. I haven't ridden them in the rain, but on damp pavement they're fine. I highly recommend these tires.
Strengths: Fast, quiet pavement tire with a very long life
Weaknesses: Well, mud of course. Whimpy looking.
Bottom Line:
I have over 2000 commuting miles on a set of these tires and figured it is time to contribute a comment. These are great pavement tires. They're quiet and roll fast. The tread is thick enough to avoid the glass and sharp rock punctures I was getting with semi-slicks. And they are not showing any sign of wear - amazing.
So for conditions, dry pavement is great, damp pavement is good, standing puddles can be a problem. They do amazingly well on dry hardpack (even roots) but come up short on damp hardpack and are worthless in mud. And the edge blocks on the tires make them surefooted in corners.
Submitted by
Guy
a Cross Country Rider
from Silicon Valley, CA USA
Date Reviewed: January 3, 2003
Strengths: great traction on wet, excellent subsitute as a dual-use tire on pavement in the city or light-off road, good value for the price... i also prefer this hybrid tire over a straight City tire because i don't have to swap tires
Weaknesses: you've pretty much converted your MTB to a pseudo-city bike, so don't expect these babies to do what your knobbies used to. since i had already expected this, it's not much of a weakness
Bottom Line:
solid tire, good for off-road, great for pavement, very friendly price
Similar Products Used: Farmer John Cousins (original OEM knobbies) -- in fact, i'm finally replacing my original tires now that the sidewalls are deteriorating and unwinding!!
Submitted by
Mark McCarthy
a Cross Country Rider
from Howell, NJ, USA
Date Reviewed: December 8, 2002
Strengths: This tire is a good value for the money. It also allows those who ride their MTBs or comfort bikes mostly on pavement with an occaisional detour to the bike paths, hard pack conditions, or light off roading.
Weaknesses: For its intended purpose, this tire has no weaknesses. Do not even THINK about doing DH, serious off roading, or mudding with this tire!
Bottom Line:
If you have an MTB or comfort bike and do most of your riding on pavement, this tire rocks-no pun intended! On pavement, hardpack, bike paths, grass, and even light sand, this tire will do the job. You can ride to your local trail, have fun, then ride back. You can also use your MTB/comfort bike for exercise and/or errands on paved roads and streets. In other words, for most MTB riders, this tire is a good choice. How many of us really need a super aggro tire-really?
As noted above, I tried the Wild Gripper City. Even though that's a decent tire, it's not suitable for big guys weighing in @ 200# plus(I weigh 250#), particularly if you run it @ max pressure (80 psi). The Wild Gripper City is 26x1.5, and it has a lower aspect ratio than the Wild Gripper Rock does. I had a lot of rough rides, not to mention tweaked rims. Hence, I switched to the Wild Gripper Rock.
On my SC-40, it's perfect! I can ride to the local trails or paths, and I can have fun. I can also ride to post office, video store, or nowhere in particular, having fun. This tire does everything the Wild Gripper City does, and more. It also offers a better, smoother ride. If you own an MTB or comfort bike, and you stick mostly to pavement with an occaisional detour to a bike path, this is a good tire for you.
Bike Setup: I have a 1999 Raleigh SC-40 with CyclePro rack and Selle Royale double sprung saddle. Other than that and the Wild Gripper Rock tires, this bike is stock.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Kev
a Cross Country Rider
from Fort Collins, CO, USA
Date Reviewed: August 8, 2002
Strengths: Can be run at about 80psi. Nice pavement traction.
Weaknesses: The sidewalls started to dry rot after three or four months. This is nuts on a bike that gets kept inside my apartment. These tires are falling apart after 350 miles of easy pavement riding on my City Bike.
Bottom Line:
I've had so much bad luck with Michelin bike tires. These were only $15 each, but they should last more than a few months. The inside casing of my WildGripper Comps and Axial Sports both fell apart in a month or two. Threads from the belt cut holes in my tubes. I'm going back to Contis.
Bike Setup: Just an old MTB that's been converted to a city bike.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Rick
a Cross Country Rider
from Marcellus
Date Reviewed: August 1, 2002
Strengths: Rolling resistance is low. My bike runs faster with the high pressure tire. Grips well on gravel roads and asphalt. I agree with all the above reviews.
Weaknesses: For its intended use none.... Like stated above I wouldn't want to do mud with it but that is not what it purpose is.
Bottom Line:
I put the Rock on the front to replace the stock tire, the stock tire was very noisy while road riding and the Rock much quieter. I will soon replace the road slick on the back.... I clock my average speeds for my rides and have noticed improvement. High pressure tire(for a mtb tire)really helps the speed. I ride 75% roads and 25% bike trails or gravel roads. The tire feels stable and quick on everything I have tried so far. I have about 300 miles on the tire so far. These reviews were the main reason I tried out the tire, and it fit my bill exactly and I am very pleased with how helpful the reviews were, and the opinions of the reviewers.
Similar Products Used: Trek stock tires, ChenShen 1.95 road slick
Bike Setup: Treck Navigator 300 pretty much stock.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Will
a Cross Country Rider
from Beaverton, Or
Date Reviewed: July 18, 2002
Strengths: +Low rolling resistance; makes my mtn bike cruise +Amazing cornering on dry surfaces +Very durable tread with low wearing +Possible to take these guys off-road but limited usage +Strong sidewalls; I know this because when I get a flat, I've been known to continue riding on them :)
Weaknesses: -The channels can pick up stray debris (glass & metal) which means flats for you
Bottom Line:
I swear by Michelins despite the fact that Wildgripper Comp S's are awful :(
These tires are so durable & fast. I've never ridden a road bike so I'm sure I don't know what speed is; don't laugh at me.
I first got these tires to ride in a local charity ride & have fallen in love with them; is that possible? You can fall in love with a bike so why not tires?
At any rate, if you're a commuter, get these. This is especially true if you would like to ride your mtn bike on the road. Knobbies make for a great workout but be nice to yourself & buy these.
Similar Products Used: none, first "slick tires" I've used on any of my mtn bikes
Bike Setup: Originally on a '99 Haro Ex1 (FS), but are now on a MongoosePro DX 4.0, Deore/LX drivetrain, Avid brakes & levers. It's my touring & commuting bike!!
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Doug
a Weekend Warrior
from Boston, MA
Date Reviewed: March 26, 2002
Bottom Line:
I ride about 60 miles/week - mix of city streets, urban bike paths, and hardpack trails - also a few curb hops and stair descents here and there.
These are cheap, light, and fast semi-slick tires with decent grip, even on wet asphalt, loose rocks, and mud. They can't handle or brake like a knobby, but the speed gains on smooth, hard surfaces is worth it. They aren't as fast as full slicks or "city" tires, but they provide a good balance between traction and rolling resistance.
Nice and predictable transition to the side lugs during tight cornering, unlike the IRC C16's. Good flat resistance (less than 1 flat per 100 miles in my experience).
Crank these babies up to 80 psi and you can rock it...
i use these tyres for highspeed cornering on asphalt > wet or dry , they´re great for rock sand and gravel as well. at least i´d recommend them most for the summertime.........
Similar Products Used: tioga psycho , specialized pro control , ritchey z-max
Bike Setup: trek 930 , shimano xt/stx
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Tadej Vodopivec
a Weekend Warrior
from Ljubljana, Slovenia, Slovenia
Date Reviewed: July 4, 2001
Strengths: 1.75": Very low friction, easy acceleration on the road, Good both on wet and dry terrain.
Weaknesses: Grip in mud, occasionaly slips on roots on steep up-ride.
Bottom Line:
I am using these tires for short period, but had chance to try them on different types of terrain and course length. I found it excellent for everything except tracks with sharp rocks and mud. I found them extremely fast on the 15o km long dry road track, filled to 4.8 bar (max 5.6). They appeared to me faster than Tom Slick 1.0 (no bad word for them anyway), which I find quite strange. At the low price I paid for them definitely THE tire for travel, road w/ occasionaly damaged surface, and a bit of freeride, too.
Similar Products Used: Ritchey Speedmax, Ritchey Tom Slick 1.0
Bike Setup: Cannondale M400, XT/Deore, RockShock Judy XC
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Wm. L.
a Cross Country Rider
from Madison, WI USA
Date Reviewed: July 4, 2001
Strengths: Best of breed tire for hard surface use.
Weaknesses: None.
Bottom Line:
They stick to pavement and rock and roots like glue, and are MUCH better than the others I've used for off-road use. I'm especially impressed by two things. First is the amazing grip on pavement, and second is how well they work off-road. I have them on a single speed bike, and the combo makes for the ultimate simple and effective transportation. The most significant part of this review is that I have/had the Specialized, Conti, Kenda and Ritchey competition to this product and have spent enough time to really know how much better these tires are.
