Submitted by
tgmillso
a Cross Country Rider
from Portland, OR, USA
Date Reviewed: February 19, 2011
Strengths: Fantastic traction
Low weight for size/volume
Great price
Weaknesses: ???
Bottom Line:
Lads!!! Do not despair! I have found these again, but under a different brand. They can now be found on the Nashbar website as the "Nashbar Señor Traction MTB Tire" and appear identical to the Terra Trac in the pictures. They are normally priced at $24, but no doubt they will be available at 50% off at some time. Stoked! I was so sad when I found out that Performance were no longer stocking these, so this is the best news I have had all day. These have been amazing tires in the 3 years I have ridden them. Ride great on rocks/roots/lava/gravel, however I am unsure how thorn resistant they are as we don't have a lot of that around here. They are at 2.3, not a 2.1 as advertized, and are significantly taller than a normal 2.1, which seems to limit pinch flats. I am 165lbs and only run these at 25psi on a hardtail and almost never get pinch flats. If you can pick these suckers up for half price, as I did originally, they are a screaming deal.
Submitted by
Marte
a Cross Country Rider
from Loma Linda, CA
Date Reviewed: September 4, 2008
Strengths: Very Cheap (7.99/each). Light. A 2.1 is about a 2.2~2.3. Good for sands.
Weaknesses: They don't manufacture anymore? Very thin, puncture vines (goatheads) easily pierce through. Hard to find the perfect pressure. Weird tread design which could be redesigned to be more efficient and improve traction. Flings little pebbles and mud and dust against the bike and into your eyes! Have not tried in mud but looks like it would be a problem.
Bottom Line:
Was looking for a cheaper version of the Panaracer Fire XC Pro. Well, this one is nearly the same weight compared to the Pannies but less traction and is not as immune to flats. Since I am not heavy, i find that the pressure is good around 35~38 psi (below the recommended 40-60 psi). Lateral grip is substantial to pannies but great compared to many others.
DO NOT USE WITH FORTE TUBES!!!! I accidentally left the trail and ended with a flat from goatheads. 12 holes! All, in all, i had more than 15 punctures per tire in less than 3 months of use. Tried to leave an honest review and rating in performance bike .com but they would not allow it! Stupid people.
Similar Products Used: Panaracer Fire XC Pro, WTB Velociraptors, Kenda Kwickers, Kenda Koyote, CST etc
Bike Setup: Using it on my Trek 4900.
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Submitted by
Jeff
a Weekend Warrior
from easley, SC, USA
Date Reviewed: August 6, 2008
Strengths: Light weight, super traction, fantastic price
Weaknesses: None so far
Bottom Line:
My Bro In Law Dan said they worked great so I tried them. I like them just as much as the Nevegals and they are 1/3 the price. They are lighter and seem to be wearing very well. I would continue to use them even if they cost as much as all the other brands. I use 35 to 40 PSI with great results. It work in a variety of soils, wet or dry.
Similar Products Used: Kenda Nevegal, Fire XC pro, panaracer cinder
Bike Setup: 2007 Access hardtail, 2008 Fox RLC 100 fork, sram shifters and derailers, specialized avatar seat, eggbeaters, truativ crank.
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Submitted by
duanerowe
a Cross Country Rider
from Lakewood, CO
Date Reviewed: June 6, 2008
Strengths: Price! As good as the expensive ones, so far.
Weaknesses: Thin sidewalls? Don't know for sure bout that.
Bottom Line:
After 3 rides, the tire seems good. This tire converts to tubeless OK, using Stan's conversion kit. Stan the Man himself didn't have a comment on how well this tire works with his system, but "thought" it would be OK. So far, so good, but you absolutely have to have an air compressor to convert this to tubeless with Stan's. Just go to the gas station air pupmp with a presta valve adapter, and some quarters. The tire itself rides as well as any other tire I've ridden, so no complaints. Cross country riding with rocky, technical ascents/decents. Given the price, it's a steal.
Submitted by
Alex
a Weekend Warrior
from Downingtown, PA
Date Reviewed: November 19, 2007
Strengths: Roll Quickly
Weaknesses: Maybe prone to pinch flats with lower pressures and thin tubes.
Bottom Line:
Excellent cross country tire with a low rolling resistance and good grip on technical single track. The tire rolls quickly. However, it has thin sidewalls and with thin/light tubes I got a pinch flat on my first ride. Keep the pressure on the higher side and use regular weight tubes and these tires have taken punishment without any problems. The grip is very good overall. They don't grip like WTB Prowlers 2.3, but they hold their own in most conditions. I just went on a wet, leafy, rooty, muddy ride with them and they were OK. In drier conditions they do very well. They are not a downhill tire or a mud tire, but if you want a fast rolling cross country tire with good grip, then these are a good choice. For the price, great tires.
Similar Products Used: Hutchinson Python, Panaracer Smoke classic, Panarace Fire XC, WTB Prowler 2.3
Bike Setup: Giant NRS
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Submitted by
Jesus Davila
a Weekend Warrior
from Powder Springs, Georgia
Date Reviewed: November 16, 2007
Strengths: Size, price, seal, grip. Did I mention price?
Weaknesses: None so far.
Bottom Line:
These tires rock so far. I've had Nevegals on the bike for almost 2 years. The finally started wearing down and I decided to buy a new set of tire. I've been reading up on these and all the reviews are true. These tires are not a standard 2.1. They match the Nevegals in width, volume and almost match the Nevegals traction. I live in the Atlanta, Ga area. Most of you may not know, but North Georgia is in its worst drought in more than 25 years. The trails are constantly maintained by SORBA (deepest Thanks), but are becoming sand traps at every turn. These tires are amazing. The knobs dig in when you need it and roll smooth when you want to hammer. I'm going to try them in South Florida next week to test their performance on wet roots limerock. Stay tuned for an additional posting. I can't say enough about the price. I got these on sale at Performance for $12 each. A steal given that one Nevegal runs around $45. Say it with me boys and girls... Thats almost four times the price, but still at the same level. I'm running them tubeless with Stans and the seal is amazing. The Nevagals would leak from one week to the next. These are rock solid. These tires also weigh much less than the Nevegals. You'll notice the rotational weight difference immediately. Buy them if you want a great tire for a long time and can't seem to get off the fence on the Performance name.
Favorite Trail: Blanket's creek, GA/ Markham Park and Oleta River, South Florida
Duration Product Used: Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$12.00
Purchased At: Performance bike on Ashford/Dunwoody Road
Similar Products Used: Kenda Nevegals 2.1, Panaracer Fire XC 2.1, Panaracer AM 2.3
Bike Setup: 2004 Specialized Enduro, Minute 4, rear Fox revalve by PUSH, Race Face carbon bar and Evolve XC cranks, WTB Race V, Deore disc (7" front/6" rear) SRAM X-7 shifters/rear deraileur, XTR front. Terra Trac 2.1 on XT hubs and Rhynolite XL rims.
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Submitted by
Dave Shanks
a Cross Country Rider
from Highlands Ranch, CO
Date Reviewed: September 10, 2007
Strengths: Holds a line. High volume tire so you can run lower tire pressure, better traction. Low cost. Best tire for the money I have found.
Weaknesses: None so far...
Bottom Line:
After trying everything from Hutchisons to Contis, I tried these Performance tires last fall. What a difference! Feels mcu larger than a 2.1 - more like a 2.25 or 2.3 for other tires. They gave me more control and traction through the turns than anything I had before. Handles rocky, sandy, loamy soil conditions very well. Their high volume allow me to ride at 32 psi at 170 lbs. Great cornering - I don't wash out any more. It also gave me the feel of another 1/2" of travel by running lowere tire pressure. The only other tire that compares is the Specialized Adreneline Pro at twice the price. Buy them - you'll enjoy them...
Just had to let people know about this tire. It does everything well once you get the pressures dialed in. I took off a new set of Kenda Nevegals to put these on, and I am not changing back. The Kendas got great traction, but at low speeds on steep climbs, they pedalled like lead. These Terra Tracks pedal much easier, and match the traction of the Kendas. The Vertical pros may have rolled slightly better, but got a little less traction. These Terra Tracks may not be the best tires available, but they are very near the top. When you factor in the price, buying them is a no brainer. I highly recommend them for any trail rider
Similar Products Used: Panaracer fire, IRC serac, Ritchey Zmax, Hutchinson spider, Kenda nevegal, Conti verticle pro
Bike Setup: Turner Burner
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Submitted by
Johann
a Cross Country Rider
from Salt Lake City, UT
Date Reviewed: July 31, 2007
Strengths: Long lasting with lugs finally wearing after 2 years and several punctures riding road/trails atleast once a week lasting much longer than original Hutchinson PythonS; Very inexpensive comparitively for Kevlar bead with TPI-120; Easy changes;
Weaknesses: Can't say really anything bad about them but haven't used many other tires to compare including original Huthinsons which lasted less than 1 year with way less ridng than current;
Bottom Line:
I have worn out several sets of these tires and have been very satisfied with durability and certainly price compared to other tires; Regarding handling I have ridden numerous trails in SLC/Park City and Moab/Fruita and have not had any problems but haven't used many other tires to compare; Quality XC tire and worth trying;
Similar Products Used: Hutchinson Python; Exiwolf;
Bike Setup: Cannondale 600 Jekyll XT/XTR; Run low-mid 40 PSI for mixed road and mostly very dry trails; Slime tubes( so what for a little extra weight with tubes lasting well over year+ even after pulling thorns out; Front/Back Forte Terra Tracs running reverse tread in the back;
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Submitted by
Eric
a Weekend Warrior
from Edison
Date Reviewed: July 16, 2007
Strengths: Light, fast rolling, great traction, price
Weaknesses: None
Bottom Line:
Bought these a year ago for my Trek when I retired it to city duty and was surprised at the performance of this tire. Rolls fast and gets great traction, street or dirt. Looks much bigger than a 2.1... and outperforms the Velociraptor it replaced. Just purchased another one for my new Moto that came with a Velociraptor. Just can't beat this tire for the money!
Similar Products Used: WTB Velociraptor, Tioga, and others
Bike Setup: 95 Trek 7000 turned into a commuter, Moto 400HT
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Submitted by
Marvin
a Cross Country Rider
from Lakeland, FL, Polk
Date Reviewed: February 7, 2007
Strengths: Light, inexpensive, durable, good traction
Weaknesses: None
Bottom Line:
These tires are simply great in every way. I use the Kevlar beaded model, it's a 2.1 and weighs 560 grams. It's a little wider and has more volume than the comparable Panaracer Fire xc pro 2.1. They have good traction in the Florida sand and mud and roll OK on hardback for a full deeply lugged tire. I run them at 30 psi and rarely flat. They are very easy to mount, they are long lasting and I've never ripped a lug off. They've served me well over 2 years and are 1/2 the price of most other tires.
Submitted by
Richard
a Weekend Warrior
from Pleasanton California USA
Date Reviewed: October 6, 2006
Strengths: Grip, rolling resistence price and quality.
Weaknesses: vibration and noise (but it feels and sounds really cool!)
Bottom Line:
These tires get grip!!! IMO these tires are better performing than the Panaracer fire xc. Primarily because they roll better and they get better grip in all conditions including the pavement. When you riding these on the street you can feel the vibration and hear that aggressive tire hum. If you put price into the equation, well thats your icing on the cake.
Similar Products Used: Panaracer fire xc pro, bling bling duals, swampthings, kenda klaw xt
Bike Setup: Marin Rift Zone manitou minute 1:00 fork, fox rl rear shock, xt derailleur deora shifters and juicy 5's on both ends.
Diamondback Coil ex marzocchi Mz3 fork, Manitou QRL rearshock, 34t rear cassette, Shimano m470 front caliper.
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Submitted by
Tom
a Cross Country Rider
from Littleton
Date Reviewed: August 5, 2006
Strengths: Nice grip on dusty scrabble. Good braking on loose stuff. Runs low pressure well. Very cheap. Very light.
Weaknesses: None so far, I'm guessing there's no way a $15 tire can last too long...
Bottom Line:
I am running this on the front with a low travel fork, simply because I had one lying around for my spouse's bike. Too my utter amazement, I really like the tire.