Submitted by
Brian
a Cross Country Rider
from Virginia Beach, VA
Date Reviewed: March 9, 2007
Strengths: Light weight, outstanding fore/aft traction(rear Tire), great mud-shedding, good roller for being an agressive tread
Weaknesses: relatively small air volume for a 1.9 (smaller outside diameter, shorter side walls)resulting in a firmer ride at a given air pressure
Bottom Line:
A perfect rear tire for the type of riding i do. it doesn't slow you down on dry hardpack, and it tears through mud, very hard to break it loose even on soft/wet/muddy uphills, gripps roots surprisingly well, no problems on rocks. I like to be able to lock up the rear tire and slide it laterally around some types of turns and this tire allows me to do that with a lot of control, especially for a tire with so much fore/aft grip. For the weight weenies out there, these tires (ust pro 1.9) claim 595-650g depending on your source, mine weighed in at 660g. In hindsight i might choose the 2.1" in hopes of a better ride and larger tire diameter, but i'm not complaining, it'sno big deal.
These tires last a very long time. I like to commute on my race bike, so I can ride immediately after work. These are the longest lasting tires I've ever had, period. With Stan's sealant I have not flatted once, knock on wood.
This tire comes in a 1.95, but feels like you're riding a downhill tire when cornering. Sidewalls are very thick. An earlier reviewer claims that this tire has poor rolling resistance, I disagree. Traction is great on many different types of terrain (hard pack, mud, and rock are equally handled).
Downside = These things are heavy, very heavy 775 grams. Thats as much as a 2.4.
Similar Products Used: Hutchinsons (used all of them they are good), Michelin (used many of them and they all suck very bad), Kenda Karisma Nevagal(are great but wear out quickly)
Bike Setup: Stan's ZRT Olympic Discs on a S-works
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Andy Clemmow
a Racer
from Umhlanga Rocks, South Africa
Date Reviewed: January 10, 2004
Strengths: Great traction in almost any conditions. Sheds mud well, Corners well, especially in loose or marginal terain
Weaknesses: Slightly heavy and slow rolling.
Bottom Line:
Changed to these from Hutchinson Pythons, because the Hutchies wouldn't hook up on dusty hard pack trails. Brilliant grip, no squirm, and precise feel. You know exactly where the limit is with these tyres. They hook up especially well on greasy, clay based or loose forest trails and give great confidence to the rider. The downside? They are very sloooow rolling, in comparison to the Hutchies and not the lightest out there. Use 'em if you ride technical or loose trails or if you are not worried about the last tiny bit of speed, Race on the Hutchies.
Bike Setup: Custom KHS Alite 4000. Full XTR, Cross Max, Chris King, 02 Marzocchi Z2 fork, Atac carbons, Mix of USE, Ritchie WCS and Tioga
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Kevin Laevers
a Cross Country Rider
from Tienen, Brabant, Belgium
Date Reviewed: October 19, 2003
Strengths: Endless traction, great mudd shedding and handling. The tire gives a lot of confidence & feedback to the rider.
Weaknesses: Price, 53$!!! Also, it looks like the tire has a very soft compound, which makes me curious about the durability.
Bottom Line:
This tire gives good feedback to the rider, makes the bike handle really good and gives endless traction :0))
I like the comfort of a wider tire - 26x2.1 - but at this moment the UST version is only available in 26x1.9. Surprisingly, the ride was still pretty comfortable due to the hight of the tire (compared to the height of Schwalbe's Skinny Jimmy's).
