Submitted by
Guido
a Racer
from Cape Town Date Reviewed: January 19, 2008
Favorite Trail:
Jonkershoek
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$40.00
Strengths:
Fast , very fast! And confidence inspiring like my Nevegals without the rolling resistance....very good in dry hardpack, semi-rocky, sandy conditions. Easy to seal with Joe's
Weaknesses:
Not so good in mud...but it was to be expected...so they will be my summer tyre of choice.
Similar Products Used:
Nevegals, Maxxis high rollers, Panaracers XC pro
Bike Setup:
Commencal 5.5.1 team
Bottom Line:
Set them up for speed front and traction rear....simply awesome!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Iwan Kemp
a Racer
from Cape Town, South Africa Date Reviewed: November 18, 2007
Favorite Trail:
Eden / Delvera Blk Route
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$290.00
Purchased At:
Cycle Factory Store
Strengths:
Fast rolling? Cheapish
Weaknesses:
No grip, rubbish tread Lost traction in corners and sgl track. Gives away under high speed cornering
Similar Products Used:
Kenda's, Specialized, Maxxis, Michelin,
Bike Setup:
Titus Racer X Carbon
Bottom Line:
Used them in a race today to check them out and they are coming straight off again! I can say with absolute confidence that for me these are absolute rubbish!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Steve
a Cross Country Rider
from New Zealand Date Reviewed: April 22, 2007
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Price Paid:
$50.00
Strengths:
Low rolling resistance - this tyre is superfast!. Grip - the design actually works really well, in that the side knobs are very firm (unlike too many others), so when it is railed at speed they grip amazingly well for such a fast tire - on hardpack (as its designed for).
Weaknesses:
Tread wear is fine, but the casings just dont seem durable enough. I've owned a number of them (coz of strengths) but the casings fail - either the wire shows through inside (causing rubbing punctures), or the tyre 'bulges' if it gets worse, all with just not enough miles for me any more. I havent had a major problem with punctures; I check casings regularly now & replace them before total failure. In NZ they're quite expensive too (I'm average height & weight)
Similar Products Used:
Maxxis wormdrive (scary); Specialised: Rocksters (these did rock!), Roll-X (too slow on hardpack), Fast-traks (even slower, & poor grip at speed on hardpack); Kenda Nevegals (pretty good - but not as quick as these); old Michelin Wildgripper semi-slicks (v similar & great, but also not so durable)
Fast as hell on hardpack - both straight & round corners, but just not durable enough - unless you use them as race only?
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Maarten
a Cross Country Rider
from Leeuwarden Date Reviewed: March 31, 2007
Favorite Trail:
Bergen - Noord-Holland
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$42.00
Purchased At:
Bike2build.nl
Strengths:
- Great cornering; - Good grip in drypack conditions;
Weaknesses:
- The Mezcal is far from being puncture proof; - The tires are quite difficult to fit without wobble;
Similar Products Used:
- Ritchey Speedmax WCS; - IRC Mythos XC;
Bike Setup:
2006 Giant Trance 2, Fox Talas RL, Fox Float R, SRAM X.O, Magura Louise FR, Mavic CrossRide, Shimano XT crankset, etc.
Bottom Line:
When mounting these tires, I had much difficulty with alligning them right. They wobbled far more than other tires. I've spend a *lot* of time trying to resolve this issue, and I've fitted many tires to this date, but that didn't help. Fortunately, after a few hundred kilometers, the wobble was pretty much gone.
On a dry trail this is an excellent tire. It corners exceptionally well for a semi-slick, has quite good grip and makes you go really fast!
Unfortunately I've had *many* punctures using this tire. I experienced this on tracks where I've never had much trouble before, using similar tires. Last summer I totally ruptured my rear Mezcal. Though the conditions were pretty rough, I was still surprised on what happened and how drastic.
On the trail this tire earns 5 Flamin' Chilis. However, due to the poor fit (wobble-issue) and the many ruptures I've had, I only give it 3 Chilis.
For the new season I'm going to try the new WTB Vulpine semi-slick.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Phil
a Weekend Warrior
from Adelaide Australia Date Reviewed: November 17, 2006
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$25.00
Purchased At:
Bernie Jones
Strengths:
Light, rolls fast, grips well in dry hard pack, wears fairly well in XC, good grip in most conditions, havent had too many punctures.
Weaknesses:
Fairly low treads so doesnt bite too well in soft loose, but is actually ok in mud as it sinks down and grips.
Similar Products Used:
Tioga (crap), geax blades(good but more rolling resist), geax sedona, many others
Bike Setup:
Cannondale Jekyll, everything pimped
Bottom Line:
I love this tyre for the dry hard pack I mainly ride. Its fast, predictable and grips well for what I ride...seems to wear well - I get about 8 months from one.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
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