Submitted by
Ballast
a Weekend Warrior
from Brisbane Australia Date Reviewed: June 8, 2009
Favorite Trail:
Bunya State Forest
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Price Paid:
$45.00
Purchased At:
Caboolture
Strengths:
Low rolling resitance. Puncture resistance. Durability. Very good value for money.
Weaknesses:
Heavier than most others.
Similar Products Used:
Specialised hemispheres.
Bike Setup:
GT avalanche. Commuter.
Bottom Line:
Just clicked over 4000km commuting on these, mostly on bike paths. Plenty of glass on these and I have had only one flat. This was due to a piece of wire through the gap in the tread, just bad luck really. Tyres still going strong, though some signs of cracking in the side walls, I still have no intention of replacing these any time soon. If and when I do it will be with another set. Awesome for there intended use, commuting on hard surfaces. Do yourself a favour, get a set and forget about flats.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
ibjoe
a Cross Country Rider
from Denver, CO. USA Date Reviewed: August 27, 2008
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$23.00
Purchased At:
online
Strengths:
tough, smooth & quiet with low rolling resistance, did i say tough?...
Weaknesses:
can't be sent back into the past, sorry Wilbur and Orville...
Similar Products Used:
WTB Velociraptors, slicks, cheap O's...
Bike Setup:
trek 6000
Bottom Line:
if you "really" ride your bike in an urban environment, you may need these...
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
mike
a Weekend Warrior
from huntington,ny,america Date Reviewed: December 14, 2007
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$45.00
Purchased At:
frenchies bycicles
Strengths:
incredible street tire, alright in dirt, good for light trails
Weaknesses:
not very good in sand or snow(i do ocasionally ride in snow)or wet weather
Similar Products Used:
none
Bike Setup:
currently im riding a fuji discovery I(i cant afford a better bike yet)and i only have the evolution tire in the front and it handles VERY WELL. though i may not have and urban bike, this tire makes a very good urban tire
Bottom Line:
very good urban, light trail,and dirt jump tire for me.i love this tire and would eventually like to purchahse another one for my back wheel(i currently only have it on the front).
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Dorian
a Weekend Warrior
from Seattle Date Reviewed: September 24, 2007
Duration Product Used:
More than 3 years
Price Paid:
$25.00
Purchased At:
online
Strengths:
Toughness, longevity, traction
Weaknesses:
Weight
Similar Products Used:
WTB Velociraptors, Bontrager Jones (both knobbies)
Bike Setup:
Gary Fisher Piranha
Bottom Line:
What can I say? These tires outlasted my bike! See my previous review when I had been riding them 6 months. That was four years ago! Two weeks ago did my first Sprint Triathlon, guess which tires were on my bike? Yep, my original Evolutions!
Bought my new bike, was going to run it with the Bontragers until I felt like changing the tires. First trip out, lost BOTH Bontragers to *small* pieces of metal penetrating the tires. In 4 years of riding the Evolutions, (no, I don't avoid glass, ever) I have had ZERO flat tires. Somewhat satisfying passing someone changing the tire on a $2500 road bike ten minutes after starting the biking leg!
I am by no means an everyday rider, but these have in excess of 300 hard miles on them. No odometer until recently, but I'm up around 150 miles on the new bike, which I've had for only 6 months. They still look great,lots of "tread" no signs of dry rotting, and I'm using the original innertubes. The old bike sat with these tires on it for over one year in a non-climate controlled shed. Pumped them up, took off.
The only downside is really their weight. I am certain flat resistance is why they weigh as much as they do. According to my calculations, they are almost 2 pounds. By contrast, the Geax Street Runner is almost 1/2 pound lighter in the 1.6" width. (step down to the 1.25" and you cut the tire weight almost in half, to 1lb) The Street Runners are getting good reviews for flat resistance, and since I have two bikes, I will compare these tires back to back. The Evolutions have set the bar extremely high, I hope the Street Runners don't let me down!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
THOMAS
a Weekend Warrior
from ILLINOIS Date Reviewed: July 3, 2007
Favorite Trail:
LAKE FRONT IN CHICAGO
Duration Product Used:
More than 3 years
Price Paid:
$25.00
Purchased At:
JOHNNY SPROCKETS
Strengths:
TOUGH AS NAILS...SMOOTH ROLLING...A NICE MIX BETWEEN SLICKS AND TRAIL TIRES...GREAT ALL AROUND TIRE...LOOKS LIKE A MOUTAIN BIKE...GOOD IN THE RAIN UNLIKE SLICKS
Weaknesses:
ONLY THE LTTLE EXTRA WEIGHT THEY HAVE...BUT THEY PUT THE ADDED WEIGHT TO GOOD USE ...HAVE YET TO GET A FLAT...AND THEY ARE MUCH FASTER THAN LIGHTER TRAIL TIRES 0N THE PAVEMENT.
Similar Products Used:
SLICKS...TRAIL TIRES
Bike Setup:
GIANT XTC SE2 ...FULL LX SHIMANO...24.5 LBS
Bottom Line:
THESE ARE ONE OF THE HIGHEST RATED TIRES OUT THERE...THEY LOOK GREAT ...PERFORM GREAT....IF YOU WANT A GOOD ALL AROUND TIRE GET THESE TIRES....IF YOU ARE ONLY A TRAIL RIDER OR RACER THESE AREN'T YOUR TIRES....FOR THE OTHER 95 PERCENT OF PEOPLE WHO OWN MOUTAIN BIKES THESE ARE PROBABLY ONE OF THE BEST TIRES YOU CAN BUY.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
paul
a Weekend Warrior
from Adelaide, Australia Date Reviewed: May 1, 2007
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$37.00
Purchased At:
Bernie Jones
Strengths:
smooth & quiet with low rolling resistance
Weaknesses:
??
Similar Products Used:
full 1.50 wide slick
Bike Setup:
teocali comp
Bottom Line:
The missus was complaining that her MB was hard to peddle. Went for a spin and noticed nothing out of the ordinary other than the typical issues with full on off road tyres.
Put a set of Evolutions on and problem fixed.
Put a set on my MB (was alternating between knobbys and slicks) as I was sick of changing tyres, most of my riding to date is on road or made tracks and the slicks just weren't cutting it when things got loose.
So far I’ve done about 100km and am suitably impressed. They work remarkably well off road in a variety of surfaces. Some semi-serious off road riding today started me thinking that unless you were in real loose or muddy conditions, these tyres are all you want. Their versatility is excellent.
Other than the sheen coming off the tyre though use, you can see no wear at all. The mould centre rib and dimples are totally unmarked. Expect long life from the tyre and this is reinforced by the comments of others.
One question I have, after having just studied the tread pattern, is are they semi-directional. The majority of the grooves in the side tread are angled in one direction. Mounting the tyre in a particular direction would make the tyre tread self cleaning (like a tractor tyre in mud). Has anyone else noticed this aspect or agree.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Fil
a Weekend Warrior
from Adelaide Australia Date Reviewed: November 17, 2006
Duration Product Used:
More than 3 years
Price Paid:
$25.00
Purchased At:
Bernie Jones
Strengths:
After 3Yrs use I would have to say durability! Grip(on hard), roll well, smooth, quiet, deep tread, value!
Weaknesses:
Still a bit heavy but given life...? Mine do have cracks at the base of each tread block... they havent actually caused an issue yet but its in the back of your mine when hammering around the bitumen road.
Similar Products Used:
knobbleys
Bike Setup:
Steel Hardtail commuter and family day bike with kids seat a lot of the time (read plenty of load!).
Bottom Line:
This is a 3year follow up to my review below... I still am on those original tyres!!! Although I dont do huge k's on this bike they show very little wear and still perform as great as when I first got them. There are cracks at the tread base but they have been on a while now...perhaps just "molding to the road" creases ;-) Go fine on hard pack dirt paths etc, and dry or wet roads, obviously not for loose or off road. Fantastic value when they perform so well and last so long! Go get em!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Bruce Squires
a Weekend Warrior
from Joshua Tree, Ca USA Date Reviewed: October 15, 2006
Favorite Trail:
all of them
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$17.00
Purchased At:
bicycletires.com
Strengths:
No flats! Tread wear, low maintenance
Weaknesses:
Heavy
Similar Products Used:
None
Bike Setup:
Klein Pulse Comp, various upgraded components, modified to use as a touring bike
Bottom Line:
I can't ride off-road yet, my surgeon hasn't cleared me. (Still recovering from my 3rd motocross injury.) I have put over 3400 miles on these tires, with only one flat, at 3300+ miles. The tread is finally worn down on the back, but the front is still going strong. The inner tubes have the same mileage on them. Most of my miles were training with panniers on them to get ready for a tour. I took a 600 mile tour in Utah and Arizona with the tires already having over 2800 miles on them. I rarely even checked or inflated the tires. Awesome!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Cappy
a Cross Country Rider
from Darwin, Australia Date Reviewed: August 3, 2006
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Price Paid:
$39.00
Purchased At:
Rebel Sport
Strengths:
Low rolling resistance, cornering grip on road, amount of rubber you get, and the amount of wear you get from the tyre
Weaknesses:
Dirt, sand
Bike Setup:
GT IDXC 2.0, Shimano Deore LX dual control hydros, fox float, Rock Shox Duke SL
Bottom Line:
Just wanna reinforce what others have said in this review - u get great value for money in the longevity department, and it's a decent performer on road/concrete. Its true what others have said about rolling resistance - nice and quiet, lets you sneak up on pedestrians and overtake those guys on road bikes trying to look like Lance Armstrong. I do about 40% of my riding on dirt and sand, and thats where these guys let me down - which is fair because they were not meant for it anyway! If you are not a professional racer, and like something that is targetted towards road, paved cycle ways and footpaths - these are awesome. I ride over glass (there are lots of broken bottles on footpaths here) without many concerns (but I also have liners too). Get em - they'll keep you biking, and the money I have saved on these guys, I have put into knobbys for times when I do have to get serious on dirt.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Michael
a Weekend Warrior
from Bribie Island QLD Aust. Date Reviewed: July 4, 2006
Favorite Trail:
Glassy mtns
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Price Paid:
$35.00
Purchased At:
Caboolture
Strengths:
Thick rubber, durable, good in most conditions, excellent hybrid tyre.
Weaknesses:
Thin side walls? Slippery when wet on broken surface tracks.
Similar Products Used:
cheapies...
Bike Setup:
2005 Giant Iguana
Bottom Line:
I have to agree with majority of other reviews about this tyre. Except, i have had to replace 3 within 2 years.. Is this isolated case or just me? 2 incidints involved glass going through the tread. The other was a stick that flicked into the side wall at high speed. With 60psi and a stick on the side wall, the tyre just tore open like a knife had cut through butter... But.. i have replaced them all because i find them to be really suitable for my style of riding, ie. comuting to work (22km return trip), footpaths, limited offroad on gravel and dirt etc. I flog them a bit too (skids and jumps) and im surprised how resistant they are to wearing!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Graham Rios
a Weekend Warrior
from San Jose Date Reviewed: June 21, 2006
Favorite Trail:
Wilder Ranch
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Price Paid:
$20.00
Purchased At:
bicycletires.com
Strengths:
Tough as nails, literally (I'll get to that). Low rolling resistance, fast fast fast.
Weaknesses:
I guess its a bit heavy, but it couldn't be what it is without a little weight.
Similar Products Used:
IRC Mythos XC, Geax Blade
Bike Setup:
Marin Rocky Ridge, all X.0, Mavic Crossmax.
Bottom Line:
Flats simply do not exist on this tire. One ride, out of the blue there was this cyclical sound from my tires, whump whump whump. I stop, look down, and find a good sized nail lodged into my tire, I think time to hoof it home. I pull it out, nothing, as if it didn't happen. I hate flats with a vengeance, I hate wondering if I'm stranded 20 miles from home, and I hate patch kits and removing tubes. If you are like me, you need these. Plus they have super low rolling resistance and seem a lot faster than my other tires.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
paul
a Racer
from sydney australia Date Reviewed: September 8, 2005
Favorite Trail:
all
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$22.00
Purchased At:
abc bikes fairfield heights
Strengths:
very long lasting, puncture proof, easy rolling,
Weaknesses:
heavy but well worth the weight
Similar Products Used:
slicks, semi slicks and knobbies all types
Bike Setup:
hard tail 27 speed disc brakes
Bottom Line:
a tyre that looks good, lasts forever, handles great and a smooth ride due to the thick rubber, no need to worry about punctures with these babies on your bike. if you want it all trust me and purchase these tyres you wont regret it. also these tyres are cheap and will outlast just about any tyre on the market today.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Richard
a Weekend Warrior
from Adelaide, Australia Date Reviewed: September 6, 2005
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$25.00
Strengths:
Completely indestructable, cheap
Weaknesses:
Heavy, but I hardly consider it a weakness
Similar Products Used:
Bontrager
Bike Setup:
Trek 4500, modded existing parts
Bottom Line:
I mostly commute with this bike, and these tyres are great.
Like all the other reviews if you do mostly sealed surfaces and some offroad you will be in heaven with these tyres.
They only have difficulty on loose surfaces.
Bottom line, if you are not going absolutely sick on crazy offroad trails, these tyres are for you.
I have never had such confidence in a tyre before.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Noel
a Weekend Warrior
from Sydney Date Reviewed: September 3, 2005
Favorite Trail:
Anywhere I can take my bike
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$35.00
Purchased At:
Rebel Sports
Strengths:
Plenty of rubber = strength. Rolling resistance.
Weaknesses:
None found yet
Similar Products Used:
Tioga City slickers, Maxxis Overdrive, a couple of cheap generic tyres
Bike Setup:
17" Felt frame, Crank Bros Egg Beaters, Deore stuff, Alex double walls and a collection of other bits that make the bike go.
Bottom Line:
Got sick of getting flats on my commute to work so started looking for a new tyre. Bought the Maxxis Overdive which I put on one bike and, on the same day at a different store, bought the GEAX for my other bike. So far these tyres have been great. The tread is so thick I am more confident in riding over the usual bumps and broken roads on my way to work without worrying about flats. Despite the thickness and appearance the tyre rolls smoothly. What I like about the Evolutions is that they are reliable and seem impenetrable and they look way more cool on a MTB than 1 inch clicks; yet the rolling resistance is negligible. I'm now waiting for the tyres on my other bike to wear so I can replace them with GEAXs.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Terry
a Weekend Warrior
from Adelaide, Australia Date Reviewed: August 21, 2005
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$25.00
Purchased At:
Cycle Worx
Strengths:
Excellent traction on the road, very low rolling resistance, traction is great in the wet too, much better than expected traction on softer surfaces too!
Weaknesses:
These tires seem to throw water up in my face if I'm riding in the rain, they also threw a nice fresh dog turd up in my face too. Heavy.
Bottom Line:
I bought myself a pair of these tyres a little over a week ago. My bike came with Hutchinson Scorpion tires, but I wore away most of the rubber on the road so quickly that I went and bought some of these. The guy at the store told me that these were good, but I wasn't sure if he was just trying to make a sale, but I figured that I could take them back if the reviews on mtbr.com were not favourable.
What I got from these tires was more than I had expected - on the road these things are great! The rubber holds the road very well, and they corner really well. We've had a week of pouring rain here, and I took these things out and tried my best to find fault with them, but haven't yet. Even in the middle of a puddle, traction is great.
The central ridge means that you get very little rolling resistance, which is a welcome change from the scorpions. Running a set of these on my bike makes it so quiet that pedestrains don't hear me until I sound my 'bell' (Read: Compressed air horn).
As far as offroad goes, i've tried these on some wet grass, and on hardpack. The performance on the wet grass wasn't brilliant, but I wasn't expecting it to be either. Once you lock the rear wheel on wet grass, these things slide like they are on greased ice, but then again, they are semi-slicks. The performance on hardpack was quite good though, with good lateral traction. As long as the tires have something to 'bite into' the traction isnt bad, and contrary to what I was expecting, the grooves didn't get clogged with dirt when riding through some of the softer stuff.
These tires have a LOT of rubber on them - they look like they'll last a lifetime. This does make them a little heavy however, and I notice the difference in acceleration everytime I go to sprint, though it's not too major.
These tires are great if you intend to ride mostly street, and a little offroad, or if you're like me, and want to use these for city stuff, then switch tires to hit the trails. The weight issue isn't too much of a problem.
I give these tires 5 chilis for value, cause' they'll last forever, and 5 overall too. Excellent tires, am very happy with them!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Tom Leonard
a Weekend Warrior
from Lafayette, IN, USA Date Reviewed: August 11, 2005
Favorite Trail:
2 NW Greenbelt, and France Park
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$20.00
Purchased At:
Hodson Bay, Co.
Strengths:
Excellent all around tire with Kevlar core. Good traction on dirt, gravel, mud, pavement, grass, etc. Practically bulletproof
Weaknesses:
A little heavy is all at 800 grams
Similar Products Used:
Kenda, Wolf, Bontrager
Bike Setup:
Royce Union frame, Alex wheels, profile racing crankset, hard tail and rigid fork. Cheapie but a goodie!(Unusual for a "Muffy" class bike!
Bottom Line:
I have gotten a new tire brand to be loyal to! As long as they offer equivalent quality, I'll stay with them!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Gil
a Cross Country Rider
from Union City, NJ USA Date Reviewed: July 7, 2005
Favorite Trail:
Urban assault
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$17.00
Purchased At:
bicycletires.com
Strengths:
These tires are by far underrated, awesome on pavement not designed for offroad action but suffice. They roll lovely and fast, indestructible and impenetrable. These geaxies will last for ever.....
Weaknesses:
None.
Similar Products Used:
Tioga slicks, Maxxis slicks and kenda slicks.
Bike Setup:
Giant NRS with bombshell wheelset.
Bottom Line:
Geax tire are the best tire manufacture they do their homework. Bottom line is that these tire are fast, big, strong , durable and verisatile. For those do who tear up the streets, stairs and walls and do some short trails these are the only tires you'll ever need. Buy them and when ever in the market for a specific tire look Geax products first...
I'll like to take a minute to give REC. dept. of Hudson County in NJ some props for finally building skate and bmx parks. These concrete jungle we live in also need play pens.....
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Mike
a
from Vic, AUS Date Reviewed: April 26, 2005
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$20.00
Purchased At:
Local Bike Shop
Strengths:
Puncture and rolling resitance, longevity (over 300kms travelled on 75% tarmac and still has new tire hairs!)...
Weaknesses:
Weight, limited off-road capability
Similar Products Used:
Stockies
Bike Setup:
2005 GT Avalanche 3.0 DISC - stock prev tyres fitted on Kent Trial Machine (Target cheapo)
Bottom Line:
Great at about 75% road and 15% trail.. not good in rutted tracks, sand, etc... Weight is double that of most standard tyres but have so much life and strength in them.. I been happy with them, although unsure how they compare with a skinnier slick on flat road.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
nerdag
a Cross Country Rider
from Sydney, NSW, Australia Date Reviewed: March 17, 2005
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$23.00
Strengths:
Excellent on pavement, hardpack, and believe it or not gravel. Really smooth ride. Lots of rubber
Weaknesses:
It's heavy at approx. 850g. Cornering isn't great in loose terrain (duh!). Loses traction in thick grass (duh!).
Similar Products Used:
First time I've purchased a full slick, so none.
Bike Setup:
Kona Cinder Cone, mostly stock with some mods.
Bottom Line:
Since I started uni, I've not had as much time to ride on trails, and found that I've been doing a lot of street riding to keep up the fitness. Occasionally, I still hit the fire trail. The GEAX sounded like the perfect solution to saving my knobbies more demanding trails.
Stacks of rubber for lots of grip and longevity (it's lasted twice as long as the last knobby I had, and still has plenty of life in it). The chunky "knobs" on the side give it a lot more control in turns than your average slick(except of course, in loose gravel). It also struggles in thick grass (esp. up hills), but is fine as long as the grooves can bite into the ground. A little less predictable in the dirt (well, what do you expect from a slick?)
In short: If you do a lot of street or hardpack, then this tyre is great for both front and rear. If you do trails that are mostly hardpack, then run the GEAX on the back and a knobby on the front. For a tyre marketed as a road tyre, it's surprisingly good off-road - probably as good as any semi-slick out there.
Five chillis for value - it will last for ages. Five chillies overall - it does what it's advertised to do excellently, and does what it's not expected to do quite well as well.
Just don't convince yourself that it's a knobby masquerading as a slick, and you'll love it.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Don
a Racer
from Melbourne, FL USA Date Reviewed: May 26, 2004
Favorite Trail:
If I can ride it, it doesn't matter
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$22.00
Purchased At:
Local bike shop
Strengths:
Great traction and very durable, have yet to get a flat. Works well for me when I get adventurous and hit a hardpack or canal trail.
Weaknesses:
None, just don't pretend it is something that it is not (trail tire)
Similar Products Used:
none
Bike Setup:
Hardtail MTB used for all out trail rides to Triathlon Fat-tire division racing.
Bottom Line:
Very good tire for the price. Works great on pavement and hardpack. I've used these tires since Feb when I started training for and doing triathlons (fat-tire). When pumped up they have low rolling resistance. No problems taking them off-road for hardpack trails with the wide grooves and tread blocks they have. If you are street only then a pure road slick might be better.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Link
a Weekend Warrior
from Toorak Date Reviewed: May 22, 2004
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$26.00
Purchased At:
LBS
Strengths:
Fast rolling, quiet, looks like a tractor tire...
Weaknesses:
None yet
Similar Products Used:
Lots of other tires
Bike Setup:
02 NRS Air, Psylo SL, Azonic PDW bars, V8's...
Bottom Line:
I was sick of wareing out my $$$ UST tires on the road (80% of my riding) so I got a set of these, wow, what a great road tire, I have only used it for a few dirt miles (hardpack)and it worked well there too.
Try this tire if you ride lots of road, you will love it.
+ it looks great!
Did I say cheep too...
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Seamus Murphy
a Cross Country Rider
from Chicopee Ma. USA Date Reviewed: April 25, 2004
Favorite Trail:
pavement for this tire
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$24.00
Purchased At:
bicycletires.com
Strengths:
No sweat over flats! Very nice ride and excellent traction. These tires are so thick, nothing seems to penetrate. I've checked the tires after a ride and pulled out glass shards that were deep into the tire, but no affect on the ride and no flat. Great for commuter bikers!
Weaknesses:
The tires are heavy. The first few rides, it seems like a lot of tire to push around. I didn't notice it after a few weeks.
Bike Setup:
2003 Giant Sedona LX. Racks, panniers, trunk, lights, and all that other heavy stuff that's a must for commuting.
Bottom Line:
I had so many blow-outs with the Kenda's that came with the bike, Slime tubes too, ugh. There is always glass on the roads where I live and the Evo's don't even notice. It's worry free riding. I've tried these tires on trails, and they don't belong there, but for pavement riding, they're tops. The weight may take a few rides to adjust to, but it's not a big issue.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Tim Jones
a Cross Country Rider
from Melbourne, Australia Date Reviewed: November 24, 2003
Favorite Trail:
Studly Park unmarked
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$22.00
Purchased At:
Ashburton Cycles (LBS)
Strengths:
Puncture resistant, good on roads, good off-road
Weaknesses:
Spins on steep gravel inclines (center line spins)
Similar Products Used:
Stock tires with Yukon 2004 - these were crap!
Bike Setup:
Yukon 2004 hardtail, Vetta sadle, rat tail
Bottom Line:
Great tires - very happy with them. Ride well, can get good speed on sealed and off-road. Grip well.
I commute to work each day and venture off sealed bike paths onto offroad travel - about 20km on paved, 10km on offroad.
Great for anyone who wants to be able to move freely between paved and rough travel. Perfect for me.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Dorian
a Weekend Warrior
from Seattle WA Date Reviewed: July 24, 2003
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$25.00
Purchased At:
online
Strengths:
Value, performance, other reviews positive
Weaknesses:
availability
Similar Products Used:
WTB Velociraptors
Bike Setup:
Diamondback WCF 2.0
Bottom Line:
Great tire. Very happy with it. Realized I was doing a lot more street riding since I moved closer to the store, post office, etc., and got sick and tired of hearing the WTB's while riding...reminded me of a jacked up big tired truck that never sees off-road...a poser so to speak. I also knew that the aggressive tread was worthless on the street, and making it harder to motivate the bike.
Has some problems on grass, loose gravel, and climbing dirt hills, but thats to be expected from a mostly street tire. Even still, as long as you are reasonable about what you ask the tire to do (cross a flat grass field or travel a hardpacked gravel or dirt road vs. downhilling a summer ski slope) it is very capable.
In closing, if you are like me, and do most of your riding on the street, these tires are awesome, and a nice improvement over tires designed for off-road use.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Fil
a Weekend Warrior
from Adelaide, Australia Date Reviewed: March 13, 2003
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$24.00
Purchased At:
LBS
Strengths:
Low rolling resistance, puncture resistant, what wear?, quiet, absorbs vibration
Weaknesses:
weighty but not bad, like all road tires not good on loose...der
Similar Products Used:
mtb tires
Bottom Line:
A great tire for their purpose, long lasting and smooth. Go get them!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Thomas Zappala
a
from Fullerton Date Reviewed: October 28, 2002
Favorite Trail:
Streets of Downtown
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$20.00
Purchased At:
LBS
Strengths:
Very smooth! Like buttah!! Quiet! Quick Accels....due to non existent resistance! Very affordable too!
Weaknesses:
none so far! love 'em
Similar Products Used:
n/a
Bike Setup:
2003 Giant Iguana Disc upgraded XT drivetrain.
Bottom Line:
Replaced the stock Hutchinson Mosquito cuz i do mostly commuting and only a bit of trails around town. I was REALLY taken by how much less resistence these tires have, really felt it with the first ride. Haven't tried them on the trail yet, but the tread looks promising...as do other peoples experiences. Highly recommended if you need an EXCELLENT hybrid.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
robert
a Racer
from melbourne australia Date Reviewed: June 14, 2002
(MTB ridgid)ritchey ni ti frame & accesories, aegris carbon rigid fork, xtr all round, mavic crossride wheelset (road) aegis victory frame, campagnolo record group set, bora time trial wheel front, gibli disk rear (track) colnago custom 1000m sprint frame, dura ace groupset, bora timetrial front wheel, gibli rear disk wheel
Bottom Line:
I dont own a car all ive done for the past 15 years is ride a bike and ride it hard (approx 40,000km/annum). Working as a seasonal bicycle courier, i find that these are the only mtb slicks i can truely trust for several reasons. firstly, rubber. Its the only tire available with so much rubber(enough to make 20 road racing tires,lol)that absorbs a ridiculous amount of road shock, ie coarse bitumin. When riding over the normal conditions you find on city roads ie, bitumin ruts, pot holes, tram tracks etc, the evolution absorbs the shock like no other tire ive come across. Even when your a 85kg track sprinter and your carrying 15 kg of groceries in your back pack, they are undoubtedly the the most comfortable bicycle tires i have ridin in the past 15 years of harcore riding and elite level racing. the major drawback with all that rubber is that the tire feels a little squishy when negotiating a hairpin corners at ie 50km/h. How squishy ? Well when the tires on the wheel and fully inflated, you can dig your thumb into the tread and with a fair bit of force move the tire approx 3mm horizonaly and vertically (ummm its all comfort, lol). The gum walls obviouly contribute to the cornering feel. Secondly, they are probably the most puncture resistant tire, simply because of all that rubber and as a bicycle courier that provides a great deal of peace of mind, one less thing to worry about. the width of the tire provides a large foot print which i found asssists in braking (large contact area, assits when cornering at high speed over irrgulaties,ie ruts, small potholes, grates etc, it feels confident, smooth and relaxed. it doesnt bounce around and shake the steering system like thiner mtb sticks or road tires. Finally the tire width handles tram tracks with ease (yes we have trams in australia, gravel surfaced bicycle trails and grass covered nature strips all without loosing foot at 40km/h. the rubber compound holds its own against any other mtb slick ive come across (i think that riding skills has alot to do with that), although inexperienced riders should probably go for a tire with more grip like a ritchey and once they improve their skills they should be able to take tcorners at the same speed on a geax evolution. One of the major drawbacks i think most recreational or enthusiasts will find is the weight. These tires alone nearly weight the same as the new campagnolo disk wheels ive just added to the road collection and i love it, for a couple of reasons. Firstly like a disk wheel once you get the momentum into the eveolution tires you can spin along and they keep the momentum going, maintaiing speed and secondly a little extra weight on the MTB makes you work a little harder but that doent matter. The disadvantages of the weight (monentum)is that it take a more effort to stop when compared to say a ritchey moby and ive found that you really need to lean into the apex (monentum) when compared to a michilin wildgripper city. so its a comprimise. The biggest drawback would have to be the gum walls and most experienced cyclists know what that is. The bottom line is that every time i walk past my mtb and look at the tires i think of catapillar tracks on a sherman tank, bullet proof, reliable and built for a purpose.
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Submitted by
Don
a Weekend Warrior
from Anaheim,CA Date Reviewed: May 3, 2002
Favorite Trail:
Whiting Ranch
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$20.00
Purchased At:
LBS
Strengths:
Quiet,no flats, low rolling resistance, good combo street-dirt tire
Weaknesses:
Weight (800+ grams), not good for extreme hill climbs or sandy pavement.
Similar Products Used:
Stock tires were Mythos SXC pure awesome dirt tires
Bike Setup:
KHS Alite 2000 , Easton EA70 risers , stem riser , Post Modern Bracer suspension post , Geax Evolution clinchers ,Performance Body Geometry grips
Bottom Line:
These tires are an excellent compromise between road and dirt. There was a noticable decrease in rolling resistance over the Mythos SXC. It really shows that GEAX does thier homework on tire design. I do 60% of my riding on the trails/ and 40% on the roads of southern CA and these tires have a surprising amount of traction due to the deep tread design . I have had zero flats in 700 miles , but I'm also running the ultra heavy Wrench Force tubes. I highly recommend these tires !!
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Submitted by
Martin Budd
a
from Sydney NSW Australia Date Reviewed: January 17, 2002
Favorite Trail:
Twisty singletrack deep in the forest
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$20.00
Purchased At:
A Sydney bike shop
Strengths:
A great touring tire for mixed road conditions. Very versatile: they roll really smoothly and buzz-free on-road, yet they still hook up well while turning on gravel and dirt. Very resistant to punctures because of their thick smooth centre strip.
Weaknesses:
Heavy - 800g each, but then that's because they need a lot of rubber to provide those strengths, so..... it's a worthy trade-off.
Similar Products Used:
All the other ones I own! IRC Mythos XC Slick 2.1, Bontrager Revolt SS and ST 1.95, Tioga City Slickers 1.95 and 1.25, Ritchey Tom Slick 1.5, Ritchey Crossbite 1.5, Specialized Fat Boy 1.25
I used the GEAX Evolution for a 6 day self-supported road tour that involved a lot of dirt roads. As you can see, I've used a lot of slicks! The fact is you need different slicks for different purposes. Skinny and smooth (therefore light) for road-only use, wider with some knobs (therefore a bit heavier) for mixed (asphalt/tarmac)road and dirt. Any tire that tries to do both road and dirt will involve compromises. Eg, The Bontrager Revolts buzz on the road and puncture easily. The IRC Mythos XC Slick is really great except it buzzes on the road too. What I like about the GEAX Evolution is that it actually does both well - it rolls completely smoothly on the asphalt/tarmac road, AND it holds well on the dirt roads AND it resists punctures simply because it's got so much rubber between it and the road. So, I think it's a great tire. The weightiness is worth the benefits. It's even relatively cheap. And if I had to, I would even take it onto serious singletrack (eg, roadside trail discovery) without fear of the trail killing me. You shold buy this tire if you are doing a lot of riding that involves both smooth asphalt/tarmac roads AND dirt roads. I haven't had it long, but it certainly looks like it'll last a long long time!
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