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Submitted by
Ben Niceknownya
a Weekend Warrior
from Grand Junction, CO
Date Reviewed: November 19, 2009 | | Favorite Trail: | Gunny | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Purchased At: | kenda | | Strengths: | Big knobs (who doesn't like those?), decent corner grip, good braking grip, sheds mud quite well | | Weaknesses: | Rolling resistance (go figure), tire isn't as predictable in corners as others I've tried | | Similar Products Used: | Maxxis, Kenda, Continental, etc. | | Bike Setup: | SC Blur LT2 | | Bottom Line: | I'd recommend it, but I'd only run it in the front in GJ because of the rolling resistance. In the east I'd think about using it in the rear, but no necessary here. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
larbike
a Cross Country Rider
from San Antonio, TX USA
Date Reviewed: October 21, 2009 | | Favorite Trail: | OP schnabel | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$35.00 | | Purchased At: | Blue sky cycling | | Strengths: | Good traction in dry conditions, rocks, loose dirt. | | Weaknesses: | Slippery when wet | | Similar Products Used: | Kenda nevegal, Maxxis Larsen, | | Bike Setup: | Fezzari Nebo Peak | | Bottom Line: | I bought the 2.1 DTC versions of these tires. So far traction has been good in most conditions. I would rate the traction as about equal to the Nevegals with somewhat less rolling resistance. I was caught in a rainstorm while riding and did notice quite a bit of slip over wet roots especially on the front tire. I wonder if the stick-e versions do the same? Overall, I am satisfied with these tires | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
tvan
a Weekend Warrior
from W.Orange NJ USA
Date Reviewed: August 28, 2009 | | Favorite Trail: | Fugawe | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$40.00 | | Purchased At: | ebay | | Strengths: | Rolls fast, great traction | | Weaknesses: | Thin ass sidewalls!!! no protection | | Bike Setup: | 08 Nomad, Fox Van 36RC2, Stans ZTR Flow/XTR | | Bottom Line: | Just went to convert my Excavators to tubless and noticed a half inch slash in the sidewall of my rear tire. No surprise considering the trails I ride but it still pisses me off. I really like these tires, they hook up nice and handle very predictably. They can be a bit squirmy on rockfaces but I guess most large knob tires are. I just changed the front to tubeless using just stans yellow tape and sealant on my ZTRFlow rims. Easy setup, will see how it works. Need to find a good rear tire with sidewall protection!! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
mike_d_1583
a Cross Country Rider
from cincinnati,ohio
Date Reviewed: August 26, 2009 | | Favorite Trail: | anything dangerous | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$68.00 | | Purchased At: | online | | Strengths: | Awesome grip! Works on everything I could throw at it. | | Weaknesses: | Don't see any | | Similar Products Used: | Panaracer Fire Xc | | Bike Setup: | 09' Hardrock. nothing stock | | Bottom Line: | 2.35 DTC
So, took this tire out on a nice first ride. About 40 miles of easy to extremely hard. There were loose rocks, gravel, hardpack, some boulders, tight switchbacks. Traction was excellent on all of it. On the corners I noticed it will lead you into the best line. Compared to the Panaracers, these are the real deal. Their not much heavier, I might use them at my next race. Haven't had a chance to run them in wet or muddy but I think they would do good.
I found I can run 29-30psi for the best traction. 2.35 DTC I weigh 175 and the bike 31.
Great value too. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
HiZ
a Racer
from Oshkosh WI
Date Reviewed: August 17, 2009 | | Favorite Trail: | Twisted Spoke | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$38.00 | | Purchased At: | Schwag | | Strengths: | Great traction, all terrain tire
Sand, Mud, Clay, Grass, Bog, PineNeedles, Hard pack, Shale Rock, Loose Gravel, Sand, Sand, and Sand!!! | | Weaknesses: | A bit of drag, but you get traction | | Similar Products Used: | Botrager Jones, Nevegal, Small block 8 | | Bike Setup: | Teocali | | Bottom Line: | Great tire, not a speed demon but when you need to get thru the crap and stay on track, climbing, downhill, corners, etc
These will hold you where you want to go! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
relic
a Weekend Warrior
from ontario
Date Reviewed: July 11, 2009 | | Favorite Trail: | like them all | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$55.00 | | Strengths: | rolls very well,sticks well,decent weight,trying lower pressures than usual(around 35psi)and they are holding up great and stick like crazy . | | Weaknesses: | none so far | | Similar Products Used: | nevegals,blue grooves | | Bike Setup: | 08 Devinci Hectik,the seat is stock,changed just about everything else. | | Bottom Line: | very good tires,I recommend them.If you like nevegals try these,same grip but rolls noticeably faster.Mine are 2.35 front and rear,dtc folding.thinking about going tubeless,I think these would be amazing around 30psi or less. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
zach.scofield
a Weekend Warrior
from plattsburgh, NY, usa
Date Reviewed: June 26, 2009 | | Favorite Trail: | anywhere | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$39.00 | | Purchased At: | Mountain Riders | | Strengths: | Grip, cornering and straight line stability. | | Weaknesses: | haven't found any so far. | | Similar Products Used: | Kenda Telonix 2.4, 2.4 mtn kings, Panaracer Fire FR. | | Bike Setup: | 05 Trance | | Bottom Line: | Was running a 2.4 Telonix in the rear and decided to try out the excavator. Immediately I notice a lack of rolling resistance. I gained 2 gears back over the Telonix. Barely lost any traction, if any at all. The rounder profile of the Excavator helps get the rear of the bike leaned over much better allowing for better trail ridability. The tire will slide on muddy off camber sections but it is nicely controlled. A complete upgrade for my bike. So I have now found a winning tire combo for almost any trail condition you could imagine. I will be sticking w/ this set-up from now on. @.35 dtc on rear w/ a 2.4 dtc telonix up front. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
runjhike
a Weekend Warrior
from Charlottesville, VA
Date Reviewed: June 13, 2009 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$50.00 | | Purchased At: | Amazon | | Strengths: | This thing sticks like stink to a skunk on wet terrain | | Weaknesses: | Thin sidewalls | | Similar Products Used: | Kenda Nevegal UST, Bonty ACX & Jones XR, Panaracer XC Pro | | Bike Setup: | Trek Remedy 9 | | Bottom Line: | This tire has got to be the best tire I've ever used - hands down! I just put them on in a tubeless configuration using Stans. I'm using a 2.35 on the front and a 2.1 on the rear. They have extremely thin sidewalls and took between 3 & 4 oz of Stans before they sealed up. I just took them out after a hard rain here in the rocky, clay, rooted terrain of central VA and they were performing wonderfully. About 30 minutes into my ride, it started storming and I rode for another 30 minutes in the rain. They just seemed to stick to everything - climbing cornering and pretty decent braking. I'm simply amazed at the traction, especially cornering. These are fast rolling tires. I've had the Nevegal USTs on for months and they just made the bike feel so sluggish. I felt like I was twice as fast today. I'm thinking about putting a 2.35 on the rear now. I can't wait to see how they do in the dry. I hope they work well there too, that way they can be my all around tire. Again, these things are the freaking bomb! I do worry about cutting my sidewalls on the rocks, but we'll see. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
GP@Borneo
a Weekend Warrior
from Indonesia
Date Reviewed: April 27, 2009 | | Favorite Trail: | all of 'em | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$30.00 | | Strengths: | I'm still on my first set of these, ~1500kms later, front and rear.~40% of that distance on black top, concrete or busted up pavers, the rest on predominantly hard clay, sand and mud trail.
| | Weaknesses: | None found yet. I'm ~110kgs all loaded up and generally run at least 30 psi. On the odd occaision I've lowered pressure <30psi one the trail, the side walls have looked noticably more 'strained' than other tires I've used. If you are big and like running low pressures you might want to do some more research. | | Similar Products Used: | Panaracer Trailblazer and TrailRakers. Kenda BlueGrooves and Maxxis Ignitors. | | Bike Setup: | XL Turner Flux [non DW], Fox Talus, XT with Mavic 717 up front and DT Swiss 4.2s on the back. | | Bottom Line: | The DTC has far exceeded my expectations for longevity.
They grip like a monkey to the last banana in a tree and provide excellent predictable control under most, arguably all conditions. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
oey
a Weekend Warrior
from NY
Date Reviewed: April 7, 2009 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$40.00 | | Purchased At: | Nashbar | | Strengths: | Exccellent traction in the NE, rolls pretty good for the type tire, and its like riding on rails | | Weaknesses: | price maybe... | | Similar Products Used: | nevegal, weirwolf | | Bike Setup: | stock Trance X2 | | Bottom Line: | Overall it is an awesome tire. It rolls very well for such an aggressive tire, much better than the nevegal in the rear. I still use the nevegal up front which is also an awesome tire. This tire digs in on the techincal climbs which is exactly what I was looking for. If your trails are smoother look else where but if there are rock gardens ans logs check the excavators out. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
eric whiteside
a Cross Country Rider
from Osan South Korea
Date Reviewed: March 28, 2009 | | Favorite Trail: | If I'm riding it, it's a favorite | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$30.00 | | Purchased At: | Price Point | | Strengths: | Traction...lots o' traction, corners incredibly well, fast for a full knobby | | Weaknesses: | Bad in soft mud...but then again, so are most tires | | Similar Products Used: | Panaracer Fire XC, Panaracer Cinder, WTB Velociraptor | | Bike Setup: | 04 C-dale Jekyll | | Bottom Line: | Well, I loved my Fires and I swore by my Cinders but I can finally say that I found a tire that I like better and this is it. It does everything that those tires did but better. It's lighter than my Cinders, it rolls faster than my Fires, it climbs and brakes well and it corners better than anything I've ever ridden...even when I occasionally overcook the corner...just lean a little harder and these tires will correct and won't let you down.
I've seen reviews here saying that they roll slow but I have to disagree. For a full knobby tire these things roll super fast. The only MTB tire that I've ever ridden faster than this has been a semi-slick...which means that you are sacrificing traction for speed. I'm not comfortable with that trade off. What good is going fast if your handling and control sucks??
This tire is fast, relatively light (not XC light), and has great traction and cornering ability. If you need an aggressive trail riding tire that will perform, this is your tire.
I got mine on sale so I have to give a high value rating as well as overall rating. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
LowLow
a Weekend Warrior
from Glendale, CA
Date Reviewed: February 11, 2009 | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Strengths: | Corners superbly, relatively lightweight, rolls well given how knobby it is. | | Weaknesses: | If it could do all of the above and roll faster, it would be better, but there will always be a trade off. | | Similar Products Used: | Kenda Nevegals, Maxxis Minions, Kenda Kintetics, etc. | | Bottom Line: | I use this for my front tire along with some Nevegals in the back. I got the Excavators to help with cornering and it has dones its job very well. It has a lot of bite and is predictable if the rider provides the same input. It is lightweight and rolls well given what the product is intended for (i.e., not pure XC) and it handles varied terrain very well. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
smithrider
a Weekend Warrior
from Highlands Ranch, Colorado
Date Reviewed: August 21, 2008 | | Favorite Trail: | Porcupine Rim and Mountain Lion | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$36.00 | | Purchased At: | N/A | | Strengths: | Grip, Grip and Grip. Also good weight for width of tire and size of lugs. | | Weaknesses: | Not the fastest rolling tire. I would put it on par with the Nevagal. | | Similar Products Used: | Nevagal, Blue Groove, Minion, Rampage, High Roller, El Moco, Timberwolf, Wierwolf among many others | | Bike Setup: | Intense 6.6 with two step Lyrik | | Bottom Line: | Great front tire and good rear tire. On the front, it has loads of grip for breaking, cornering and off camber stuff. I ride on rocky, hardpack, lose over hardpack and sand so I need a versitile tire and this performes well in most conditions. It also has a consistent grip when leaning into a turn. There isn't a big transition spot as you wait for it to grip when you transfer to the outside knobs. Also, you don't have to lean it as far as the Nevagal to reach the side nobs which I see as a positive. Best all around front tire I have ridden. Only the Minion rails corners slightly better but doesn't perform as well in all of the other categories.
Not as excited about it as a rear but its not bad. I prefer something with a bit less rolling resistance on my rear tire. Not unusual rolling resistance though for the the amount of grip it has.
| | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
rxavier
a Weekend Warrior
from Portland, Oregon
Date Reviewed: July 19, 2008 | | Favorite Trail: | all | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$36.00 | | Purchased At: | Universal Cycles | | Strengths: | Less rolling resistance than Nevegal, good cornering | | Weaknesses: | none so far | | Similar Products Used: | Nevegals for past several years | | Bike Setup: | Turner 5 Spot & Blur XC | | Bottom Line: | Been using nevegals for a while now...this tire has considerably less rolling resistance. More of a rounded tire than Nevegal but corners as well if not better. Haven't used it in the muck yet but its a great tire on dry loose, rocky, root infested singletrack. Hooks up on climbs well. Been running it at pretty low pressure without any issues. Looks like I found a new favorite. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
gop427
a Downhiller
from Lancaster, PA, USA
Date Reviewed: July 5, 2008 | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$40.00 | | Purchased At: | LBS | | Strengths: | Predictability! Digs when asked to, and corners superbly. Excellent braking characteristics. | | Weaknesses: | Whish they had a 2.1 2ply DH wire bead option. Not enough tire options IMO. | | Similar Products Used: | Too many to list | | Bike Setup: | Rear tire on my FS playbike, and rear tire on my HT playbike. | | Bottom Line: | I specifically ordered the this tire cause it looked like it was what I was after. I have only used the tire as a rear tire. I am very happy with it, just wish they had more tire choices. I am not flatting with it, I like a skinnier tire in the rear and for DH races it would be nice to have a 2.1-ish 2ply DH excavator. Buy the this TIRE! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
JR
a Cross Country Rider
from Philippines
Date Reviewed: April 9, 2008 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$26.00 | | Purchased At: | Bike Hub | | Strengths: | - Lots of GRIP and Traction on pavement and off-road
- DTC Version - Rubber quality is good and durable. Will surely last long.
- Fast Rolling
| | Weaknesses: | - NONE!!! | | Bike Setup: | KHS Alite 1000 HT / Shimano Deore DCL Group / Suntour XCR Fork / Mavic 223 Rims / Shimano M520 SPD / Kenda ExCavator 2.1 DTC | | Bottom Line: | I got the 2.1 DTC Folding version
On-Road
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- Fast Rolling indeed
- Lots of GRIP and Traction!
- Great cornering capabilities (You can lean well without worrying of falling off)
Off-road Trail
--------------------------------------------
- Dry Grass = I just mow them down!
- Single Track = It was dry, lots of holes, small rocks and loose sand. Still grips very well. I tried leaning on turns and do sudden braking and skiding and I'm still stuck to my line. The bike goes to where I want it to go
- Hardpack = NO complaints! Lots of grip as advertised
- Loose sand (Quarry area) = This area had lots of loose sand. I went swerving, I did skids also. I leaned during the swerving. I did not experience the rear spinning out
- Loose rocks (Small) = Experienced the usual "toink" sound of the rocks as they fly away when you go through the rocks fast, but no loss of traction
- Uphill = GRABS like hell. The uphill went for 10meters I think at 45degrees of loose sand.
- Downhill = Well the area had a few short DH sections of loose sand. Though I'm no DH expert, I can bomb down with confidence.
| | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Ted
a Weekend Warrior
from Victoria, B.C. Canada
Date Reviewed: March 30, 2008 | | Favorite Trail: | Mind Bender | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$55.00 | | Purchased At: | Straight Up Cycles, Victoria | | Strengths: | Cornering,Very grippy in the wet,roots and rocks,mud is not an issue either.This is the 2.35 folding. | | Weaknesses: | I know it is a new tire ,but it would be nice to see a 2.5 folding version,with a Stick E compound. | | Similar Products Used: | Kenda Blue Groove, Kenda Nevagal,Maxiss Minions | | Bike Setup: | Intense 6.6...XO, XTR, Avid, Answer bars,Speedplay platforms, Spinergy Cyclone Enduro rims, Thompson, Chris King head set,Lyric fork, Fox DHX 5.0 AIR....32 pounds | | Bottom Line: | A very, very good tire for wet ,cornering,wet roots and rocks,sheds mud very well.It being a folding tire, with not a thick sidewall does not seem to make a difference in punctures,I have had 2 flats with it only because I had the pressure too low. I am doing 2-7 foot drops and trannie drops with no flex or give in the tire. Highly recommend this tire, for me it is better and more versatile than the Nevagal. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
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