A classicTread pattern returns!This front-specificTire features optimized knobs for corneringTraction. 660grams 35-65 PSI Combo it up withThe Smoke rearTire and hitTheTrail
Submitted by
kcolbou
a Cross Country Rider
from Chicago
Date Reviewed: April 16, 2011
Strengths: Grip, Cornering
Weaknesses: None
Bottom Line:
Best tire I've used. I always knew what to expect from them. Didn't matter if I was cornering fast in driving rain 20mph or single tracking in the fall on leaves. Always held, if you slid at all it was easy to keep from going into a full slide or loosing it all together. I'll buy them again. I also never had a flat or any other problem. Wore well without loosing grip.
Bike Setup: Performace Chromeoly frame, Shimano STX shifters brakes and cranks, Rock Shox Mag 21 fork.
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Submitted by
kalipay
a Cross Country Rider
from san diego, ca
Date Reviewed: September 9, 2010
Strengths: fast on hardpack and when climbing.
Weaknesses: it will dump you on loose or off cambered turns especially when going downhill. not good on gravel, sand, and silt either.
Bottom Line:
good for commuting on tame trails because of low roll resistance and doesn't wear out too quickly but not recommended for adventurous cross country rides. just use the fire xc pro for both front and rear. they're a little more expensive but handles fast turns better.
Similar Products Used: kenda nevegal, panaracer fire xc pro.
Bike Setup: 09 trance x3.
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Submitted by
Marquism1
a Cross Country Rider
from Costa Mesa, CA
Date Reviewed: July 13, 2010
Strengths: Pretty good tire when new and relatively inexpensive.
Weaknesses: Never great on off-camber stuff, but pretty poor after some wear.
Bottom Line:
I used to like these tires better than I do now. Like some others have noted below, I found traction to fall off quickly after even a little wear. When these are new, they're pretty grippy but as soon as the edges on those sharpish fins of front tire tread get worn they just don't hold very well anymore. At least with the Smoke rear you can flip it around and get a little more wear out of the other edges, but these only go one way for sure. If you don't ride slippy loose over hard or wet or lots of off-camber stuff these are still OK, but there are better tires out there for trickier riding.
Favorite Trail: If I told you, you'd ride there and I can't have that...
Duration Product Used: More than 3 years
Price Paid:
$25.00
Purchased At: Performance
Similar Products Used: Every other tire
Bike Setup: Had these on multiple bikes over the years
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Submitted by
mike jackson
a Cross Country Rider
from texas
Date Reviewed: June 6, 2010
Strengths: worked until they died. and would work with missing lugs on the tire revealing the caseing and still used Duct tape to close the hole in the tire
Weaknesses: I couldn't find any but mud & damp conditions, but this is Texas we don't stay wet, we's a dusty town here in Austin
Bottom Line:
This review may answer the question about the old Dart/ smoke classics. These tires have been around for about I'd say 2o yrs. I rode these tires, back in 91 when I was much more aggressive of a rider(a lot of injuries& broken bones)I took these tires to the easiest trail to the hardest trail(emma long if you're from Austin) around and even out of town. I put those tires through hell, & even rode them with missing lugs torn to the inner casing. the combo gripped hard enogh in the rear that on slight up hill climbes or on really technical trails the front wheel would lift about 6" and the with me over the front tire and a 32+ mph down hill and still gaining speed, I was clocked by the gut be hind me trying to stay with me.In mud,damp they were no good. in dry, I had to hold on because thses tires would throw me out of a corner or off the bike if I wasn't paying attention. The bottom line. Those tired ruled. I could depend on them, beat on them, and havn't found one to date that comes close to what the gave me in return. Now that i've found the in a local bike shop for 24 apiece... They'll be replacing a new set of Kenda Komotos. IMO those tires hooked up & the only tire that runs a close second is the Maxxis Ignighters. Yes I'm still impressed with them 18 yrs. later. I'd buy'em for 50 apiece if that's what they cost. if your having trouble with them hooking up lower the pressure& change some of the was you load the bike in climbs and turns just my 2 cents worth.Also look at how long they've been around vs tires that didn't make it. Now i'm gonna be riddin with Stan's in them, i'll bet they totally rip and hopefully scare me in a good way...... WWWOOOOOOOOOHOOOoo!!!!!
Submitted by
headshot
a Cross Country Rider
from Cape Town South Africa
Date Reviewed: May 21, 2010
Strengths: Light Weight
Name (LoL)
Looks Fast
Weaknesses: Lack of Grip
Lack of Grip
Lack of Grip
Bottom Line:
I found the Dart to be a truly horrible tyre.I have never been one to put much faith in mnfr claims - a tyre is a tyre - and most I have used have worked reasonably well. The Dart was however the only tyre I have taken off a bike because it was so completely useless. I felt unsafe riding with it as a front tyre. It had less cornering grip than anything else I have ever ridden. Maybe the newer versions are better, but the tread pattern looks the same...
Similar Products Used: Host of other brands over 16 years of mountain biking
Bike Setup: At the time a hardtail
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Submitted by
LuckyDog
a Cross Country Rider
from Atlanta, GA
Date Reviewed: March 29, 2010
Strengths: Cheap
Weaknesses: Cheap
Unpredictable
Bottom Line:
With dollars short, I tried to save some money when I needed to put new shoes on my hard tail. Having heard decent reviews about the Smoke-Dart combo I thought I would give it a try. Looking at the big knobs in the store, I knew these would not have the lowest rolling resistance out there but the looked like they would offer decent traction and the overall weight was pretty low so I hoped they would not roll to badly. Unfortunately, the low weight came at the expense of some very thin sidewalls so I spent a lot of time fixing flats until I got some very heavy duty tubes which has pretty much negated any weight savings that I may have had.
Now that I have been able to keep my tires up and running, I'm still less than impressed. These tires are all or nothing when it comes to traction (both the Smoke and the Dart). Both have a very square profile so if you are leaning a turn it is all hold until you push it to the edge then it lets go completely. Other tires that I have run give you a little warning with a nice predictable slide before letting go - not so with these, no warning whatsoever and no chance to regain traction unless you can pull it back to vertical. Same thing in the back while climbing - if you get a little spin these just won't link back up and let you recover even when running very low tire pressure. Unfortunately, I am going to have to run these a little longer but as soon as I can afford to take these off they are gone.
Similar Products Used: Velociraptors, Crossmarks, Wild Grippers, Fires
Bike Setup: Schwinn Homegrown, Full XTR drive train, Avid Single Digit Brakes, Mavic Crossride wheels
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Submitted by
derailin_palin
a Cross Country Rider
from CA
Date Reviewed: May 2, 2009
Strengths: Low rolling resistance, great in hardpack
Weaknesses: Sketchy on dusty or sandy hardpack
Bottom Line:
This is for the 2.1" Dart.
The good: Rolls light and fast.
The bad: It's fairly narrow and sits up high, and the ridged tread point up like a flattop haircut, giving the tire a square profile on the side. This makes for a sketchy feeling in dry, sandy conditions. The more you lean into a turn, the more those vertical knobs deform and squirm out of the way.
I've had this tire for 5 months, riding the same trail day in and out in wet and dry conditions - wet to moist, it does great. But for dry conditions it's too sketchy.
Submitted by
AndrwSwitch
a Cross Country Rider
from Seattle, WA
Date Reviewed: January 18, 2009
Strengths: holds a line really well, low rolling resistance
Weaknesses: it's a little low-volume for a 2.1", can pack with mud, can get a little sketchy off-camber, sits a little funny on wide rims (22mm internal width)
Bottom Line:
This tire was a huge upgrade! It holds a line much better than the Specialized Resolutions that came on the bike, in everything I've thrown at them. They also roll better, though, and that's pretty awesome. I inflate mine to 25 psi (I'm 145 lbs) and haven't pinch-flatted yet. 20 made me nervous. I've had them on concrete, dry hardpack, mud, wet leaves, snow, ice, slimy wet roots, etc.
On concrete, they're a little more comfortable ride than a lot of knobbies. On dry hardpack, they're pretty kickass. Panaracer says that's what they're for. I felt like they might have been a little slower on concrete than the Resolutions, but they grip and roll much better in every off-road circumstance I've had both tires in.
In the mud, you need to be a little careful. I've found that they can pack up and don't shed very well at low speeds. Before you start that muddy descent, make sure you're comfortable with finishing it, because they may not stop you. I've never had a crash because of this, but I can imagine it being more of a problem on a long, sketchy downhill. Snow can pack them up too, although not as much.
They don't have the miraculous ability to grip roots or icy death cookies when approached from the side. I doubt that any tires can do that. They'll lose traction on ice if you push them too hard, but they're surprisingly capable.
I suppose a higher-volume tire would handle drops and really sketchy traction situations better, so this tire is for someone who's also interested in speed. I've had them in all the conditions mentioned above and they've worked well for me, so it's also for someone who doesn't want to swap their tire much.
Similar Products Used: IRC Mythos XC front, Specialized Resolution
Bike Setup: Specialized Hardrock with a Manitou R7 fork and stock wheels, Panaracer Smoke on the back
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Submitted by
pos51
a Cross Country Rider
from Stoke-On-Trent, Staffordshire, UK
Date Reviewed: August 1, 2008
Strengths: Great all round performance.
Weaknesses: None....at all.
Bottom Line:
First used these tyres around 8yrs ago. Took me 6months to track down somewhere in the US to ship me a set as they no longer sell these in England?!?!?
Went to all that trouble because i have never used such a confidence inspiring tyre, ever.
They grip in any condition.
Cant rate these highly enough!!
Bike Setup: Claud Butler Ravana, full disc conversion, Suntour XCM's, SRAM Cassette.
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Submitted by
Bart
a Weekend Warrior
from Florida, U.S.A.
Date Reviewed: January 1, 2008
Strengths: Price, weight, price, fairly decent grip, and price.
Weaknesses: 2.1" width must mean 1.9" to the Japanese 'cause this tire sure ain't nowhere near 2.1".
Bottom Line:
Great tires... for the money. I'm sure there are way better tires out there, but I'm poor and wanna ride so this will have to suffice. I paired it up with the Smoke rear, and although the rear didn't seem to grip as well as the front, it was still a bargain at the end of the day. On one particular drop that has a quick cut-back at the bottom, I would always loose grip and wash out with the old Bontrager Jones tire, but the Dart has seemed to solve the problem. The only real downside is that the stated 2.1" is a joke. It measures 1.9", 1.95" at best, in width. Maybe something got messed up with the whole Metric conversion thing when it came over to America...
Similar Products Used: Crappy stock Bontrager Jones.
Bike Setup: Old Trek Hardtail, Manitou Axel Comp fork, Shimano XT components, Crank Bros pedals, etc.
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Submitted by
Chris Andersen
a Cross Country Rider
from Phoenix, AZ
Date Reviewed: October 29, 2007
Strengths: Price; decent weight; stable; durable.
Weaknesses: Size. Says it's a 2.1... guess again, not even close! According to my measurements, it's a 1.80 or 1.85--very narrow.
Bottom Line:
Decent tires at a great price. Been riding them for 3 months now, and I can see why the Smoke/Dart combo gets such high ratings. I just wish the tire was a true 2.1, b/c they ride a lot rougher than the higher-volume 2.1's that I had on there before--so much so that despite liking their performance, I'm probably still going to replace them with a higher-volume tire. These tires would be great for a hardtail and/or single-speed. I've used Panaracer Fire XC's in the past, and I'd rate the Smoke/Dart combo as better and more durable in AZ conditions.
Similar Products Used: Last tires were Specialized Resolution Pro's (2.1), which were good tires but horrible sidewalls... I was getting sidewall tears in the rocky AZ conditions just about every ride.
Bike Setup: Specialized FSR, '07.
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Submitted by
Matt
a Cross Country Rider
from Pacific, MO
Date Reviewed: July 27, 2007
Strengths: I love this tire up front! It is very responsive and sticks to the loose stuff as well as the packed stuff.
Weaknesses: None.
Bottom Line:
I just put a new one on to replace the same tire. I love this tire. It is very good responsive tire. Plus you can't beat the price!
Bike Setup: Trek Fuel 90, Rock Shox Psylo SL, Fox Float R.
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Submitted by
John
a Weekend Warrior
from Billings MTUSA
Date Reviewed: July 25, 2007
Strengths: Directional Stability? OK on rocks. Pretty good rolling resistance on pavement.
Weaknesses: Poor directional stability in gravel, particularly downhill.
Bottom Line:
After years of using Darts and Smokes on the front I tried the IRC Trail Bear and it has been a great surprize. Comparitively the Dart is not nearly as solid in deep pebbles as the IRC - It's the Trail Bear that really goes where you point it in round gravel.
Similar Products Used: Bontrager Jones, IRC Trail Bear
Bike Setup: Trek Fuel EX 7
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Submitted by
Jason Smith
a Weekend Warrior
from Woodstock, Ga, USA
Date Reviewed: March 15, 2007
Strengths: This tire is simply great. Must be the reason they have been popular for so long. Point it where you want to go and it tracks. Lean it over and it sticks. It just inspires confidence. I put 60 miles on this thing up at Tsali this weekend and it performed wonderfully
Weaknesses: Smaller than stated size
Bottom Line:
Great front tire. Paired with the Smoke, this is a great way to ride. I cant imagine I would change this set up. Buy this tire and you wont be dissapointed
Similar Products Used: Panaracer Fire XC Pro, Hutchinson Python AirLite
Bike Setup: Stock 2006 Giant Anthem 3
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Submitted by
Steven Mancuso
a Weekend Warrior
from Haskell, New Jersey, USA
Date Reviewed: April 14, 2006
Strengths: I have been using the Smoke Dart combo since 1992 and love them. Have tried other tires and always go back to this combo. I even have the newer riders in my bunch using them. I am 175 pounds and ride ruff cross country, all mountain stuff. I took the 2.35's off my 06 Trek Remedy and swapped the smoke/dart combo on. Ruff rock gardens, mudd, even with suspension,, I mean when these tires came out there was like no such thing as suspension,, they are the best tire yet I have used. Will keep on ordering them.
Weaknesses: none,, they do wear but 2 sets of tires for a season,, maybe one set if you ride the last 2 months or so with worn tires,, thats enough time out of a set of tires for me.
