If you want speed and control for XC conditions, look no further. Ramped center knobs with square-edged backsides combine low roll with great climbing attributes. The open tread design and spiky knobs excel in loose conditions and provide the confidence to ride where others walk.
Submitted by
muttonmark
a Cross Country Rider
from Midland, MI, USA
Date Reviewed: June 15, 2011
Strengths: Sheds mud; Tracks well in corners; great in wet/snow, leaf covered cold singletrack;Bites into climbs...
Weaknesses: Wears fast, 3 months and looking for replacements. They don't make 1.95 any longer. Not the lightest tire.
Bottom Line:
Comparing this tire to my worn out IRC's(Just didn't have the teeth left to 'em anymore) or my Nevegal 2.10's(Felt as though I was constantly pedalling in sand), this seemed as though it was sent to me from high above. The rolling resistance was minimal compared to the Nevegal. This tire throws mud with no discretion. It handled well in wet/sloppy Michigan Spring singletrack. Held a great line in the corners, and rarely slips in the climbs. I have been running 1.95 in the Rear with Maxxis Ignitor 2.10 on front and has been a heck of a combination. Unfortunately this tire has worn faster than I had thought it would, and now I can't find a 1.95!!! I may have to go to a Maxxis ADvantage. 3 chili for Value because of the Wear...
Submitted by
dirtdiva
a Cross Country Rider
from SoCal
Date Reviewed: August 25, 2006
Strengths: Weight, handling, grip, durability
Weaknesses: Need a compressor to seal with the bead when using Stan's.
Bottom Line:
I'm on my second pair and have no complaints, whatsoever. I used my first pair for about four months. I only changed it because the center knobs were getting worn and I've had a plug in it for about two months. I figured it was not a good idea to ride the Downieville XC race with a plug in the tire. It probably would have held up, but I didn't want to push my luck during the most brutal XC race that I've done.
The tire is light and narrow, but handles surprisingly well. My buddy and I train on the same dry/sandy over hardpack/rocky terrain in SoCal and I haven't lost it on a turn yet. Almost did once, but got it back on track quickly. On the other hand, my buddy, with the grippy Kendas, has lost it a few times. As small as the knobs are, they even surprised me on climbing up the loose, rocky stuff with the sand pits thrown in. As dry as it is now (late August), The small knobs bite as long as you keep a consistent fast cadence. Same thing climbing over rocks. I also used it for the super muddy Sea Otter race this year and proved to be surefooted. They didn't build up mud like to others I've seen. I was able to roll through all the stuff with the exception of one mud pit that was almost a foot deep.
They're surprisingly grippy, but not like the Ignitors. Then again, the Ignitors only lasted two months before the knobs were gone. If I don't have to plug this one, I can probably get 6-8 months on this tire. BTW,I ride about 10-14 hours a week, but I am on the light side.
Bike Setup: magellan polaris with xt, ritchey components, and with nokon cables
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Submitted by
Tom
a Cross Country Rider
from San Jose, CA
Date Reviewed: April 15, 2005
Strengths: Light weight, grippy, low rolling resistance
Weaknesses: None
Bottom Line:
I've been thrilled with these tires for all-around XC riding. I expected tradeoffs between weight and performance, but it hasn't been much of a trade. Great on hardpack, you can feel the low resistance right away. I've been really surprised how well they work in the mud; we've had triple rainfall this year in CA, and I rode these tires all winter. I don't know yet how well they work in the loose stuff, will find out by late summer. I rank these ahead of the Pythons, definitely better than Mythos. With thin tubes, they are lighter than almost any tubeless alternative.
Strengths: excellent in sand; confidence and ability inspiring in XC to all-mt. riding
Weaknesses: none so far
Bottom Line:
2.1 in front w/1.95 in rear. these tires are surprising long-lasting for the weight. I've even used them on severe granite runs on Jeep trails in Tahoe, XC to all-mt. condition riding and racing, and they are holding up. The place they stand out most for me is in the sand. no float, no digging; just pure, straight tracking. I'm light (115lbs), so I run these at 22psi w/no problems. Very worth while tire to check out for your pleasure, training or racing mtb tire needs.
Bike Setup: Cannondale Jekyll; also used on a Kona Pahoehoe
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Submitted by
Tony
a Cross Country Rider
from Saginaw,Tx,USA
Date Reviewed: December 18, 2004
Strengths: Light, durable. These tires accelerate and corner excellent. So far I have not used them on anything but hardpacked trails. These tires were meant to XC tires, and they do the job great. They have a great profile that makes them look a little bigger than they are.
Weaknesses: None
Bottom Line:
They are great tires for XC ridding. They are fairly light and seem very durable. I usualy run a bigger tire for the rough stuff but so far these have worked great. If you are on flat hardpacked trails these are excellent tires. I have not had any problems keeping control at speed.
Bike Setup: I run them on my XC full suspension and they work great
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Submitted by
dean
a Cross Country Rider
from central ,ohio
Date Reviewed: December 9, 2004
Strengths: Excellent for hardpack fast single track conditions.Thats what I bought them for.Corner well.I ride these with Stan's NoTubes and have had no problems with breaking a bead over logs ,rocks, you name it.They accelerate fast.
Weaknesses: No good in muddy or spring conditions when trails are soft.They do not clean at all.Good in wet conditions if trails are still firm. Not the fastest braking tire.
Bottom Line:
For fast hardpack conditions they are perfect.Fast rollers that help you keep speed on short technical sections and short climbs, excellent on long climbs.
Similar Products Used: Specialized team master + control,Michelin comp s,Panaracers
Bike Setup: 97 GT LTS3 mavic221 rims with NoTubes,XTR rd,X9 fd,Ritchey crank,XT shifters,Easton ea50 stem + bars,99 Z1 BAM fork,Cane Creek AD5 rear shock,Time Atac carbon pedals,Avid Single Digit 7 brakes.I run around 32psi.
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Submitted by
Stephen Salins
a Cross Country Rider
from Littleton
Date Reviewed: October 5, 2004
Strengths: Excellent traction in dry and wet conditions. This is a cross country mtn bike tire!
Weaknesses: Rolling resistence is slightly increased, but the traction is worth it.
Bottom Line:
This tire all around has been the type of tire I have been looking for. It is light at 460 grams while it provides excellent traction in totally dry conditions, moist conditions, and rocky conditions. Nashbar is selling them at less that $40 per pair!
Similar Products Used: Kenda Klimax Lite, Hutchison Python Airlites
Bike Setup: Motobecane Team Fantom with XTR
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Submitted by
francis
a Cross Country Rider
from bacolod, philippines
Date Reviewed: August 29, 2004
Strengths: fast rolling,light, dependable in any condition: wet and muddy, dry/hard pack, loose and rocky trails,
Weaknesses: wears out fast, slips in moss and
Bottom Line:
I'm only using this as rear tire. its a must have, no non sense all conditions xc tire. i have recommended this tire to 3 of my bike buddies and they are enjoying biking the trails of negros with this tire.
Bike Setup: santa cruz superlight w/ 5th element air, marzocchi marathon s, dt swiss wheels, chris king rasta head set, max-m low rise bar, thomson stem and post,sram, xtr,xt, front tire:irc serac
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Submitted by
Haze
a Cross Country Rider
from Wisconsin
Date Reviewed: July 22, 2004
Strengths: Great handling and low rolling resistance make this tire lightening fast!!
Weaknesses: None yet.
Bottom Line:
The first time I put these on and used them, I couldn't believe how fast they were! I use the rear tire in a reversed rotation to provide better traction and the front as normal to provides great tracking and speed. Also, make sure to run only at about 40 - 45 psi, otherwise you may sacrifice traction and handling.
If you are looking for a light, great handling, fast tire, then look no further. I have used this tire on mostly dry singletrack with rocks, roots and hardpack and it's handled very well. I bought it to race with and it definitely fits the bill. Obviously, when you buy a tire built mainly for light weight and speed you have to sacrifice other qualities a mud or traction-type tire will provide. That is why I keep my Klein Deathgrips because they handle better in the wet stuff.
Similar Products Used: WTB Velociraptor, Klein Deathgrip
Bike Setup: 2003 Klein Attitude
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Submitted by
beer istasty
a Cross Country Rider
from Columbia, SC
Date Reviewed: February 1, 2004
Strengths: Great grip on the trail, lightweight(claimed 465g) for a 1.95, fast rolling
Weaknesses: None
Bottom Line:
This tire is awesome. It rides better than my old Mythos tires and rolls faster too. What really impressed me was that I used it in the rear with the Mythos up front for about a week(after using the EpicWolf in front for a few weeks). My front end has never felt as prone to washouts as it did then. Then my NanoRaptors came in and pushed the EpicWolf up front again, putting me in lightweight tire heaven. The EpicWolfs also shed mud decently. This is an overall great tire; light, fast rolling, and meaty enough for varied conditions.
