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Kenda Komodo

MSRP $
Weight 700 grams
# of Reviews 15
Average Rating 3.33/5
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Submitted by jbx tacos a Cross Country Rider from Eagle, Idaho
Date Reviewed: November 17, 2009
Favorite Trail:The secret one
Duration Product Used:6 months
Price Paid: $27.00
Purchased At:Bicycle Mania
Strengths:Not too heavy(claimed under 600g), sheds mud well, great in damp soil, decent volume for a 2.1in, rolls fast
Weaknesses:horrible in loose over hardpack, front washes out on occasion
Similar Products Used:Fire XC, Weirwolf, Velociraptor, Jones AC
Bike Setup:Rigid SS 26er
Bottom Line:I have been using these since early summer and really like them. The tires have good cornering and traction if the soil is moist but when it gets dry and powdery they easily wash out. They are good in deep sand but not so good when there is a little sand over hardpack. Overall they are a good tire but there is definitely better out there.
Value Rating:4Overall Rating:4

Submitted by broadwayline a Cross Country Rider from Caledon, Ontario, Canada
Date Reviewed: June 7, 2009
Duration Product Used:2 Years
Price Paid: $30.00
Purchased At:Norco Nitro
Strengths:Good in mud, deep terrain like freshly groomed trails, damp sinking leaves, stream crossings, tacky surfaces, good rolling resistance on pavement
Weaknesses:heavy, poor on hardpack, does not inspire confidence at all, washes out easily and does not grip overly well in climbs, but is not terrible either
Similar Products Used:many
Bike Setup:2007 Norco Nitro
Bottom Line:This tire is a good 'all around' tire for an average cycler.

I have put around 1100-1200km on these tires over the past 2 seasons and they still have plenty of tread left.

With that said I never had confidence to really drive into corners or lean into them on these tires on hardpack and 90% of the surfaces I ride in Southern Ontario, they are not good on roots, rocks or dry surfaces.

However they do accell in the mud, damp tacky surfaces, anything wet really or 'deep' unfortuniatly this is not what I ride.

They are also quite heavy, but I see they are not that expensive so it is not too bad I guess for their price.

Have since moved onto Hutchinson Air Lights and am VERY impressed with the improvement in handling and weight loss.
Value Rating:4Overall Rating:4

Submitted by IMHO a Weekend Warrior from Fuquay Varina
Date Reviewed: March 16, 2009
Favorite Trail:Bandit Trail
Duration Product Used:Less than 1 month
Price Paid: $19.00
Purchased At:REI
Strengths:Discounted Price, weight, uh, nice looking
Weaknesses:Not high performance. Tires costing less outperform.
Similar Products Used:Kenda Klimax Lite, Michelin Country Mud, Maxxis Larsen TT
Bike Setup:Motobecane Fantom Team, nice!
Bottom Line:Thought this would be an upgrade to my Michelin Country Mud so I switched them out. I was wrong. On a technical trail (some dry areas, some wet areas) with climbs, logs, twists and turns, this tire did not grip as well as the Michelin. If you were just putting through a trail and are not worried about speed then this tire would be just fine. Surely also good if you stick to dry hardpack (maybe with some loose cover, ie leaves, pine needles...), but for fast twists, turns and wet roots and logs I would slow down and approach with caution. Not a bad tire by any stretch, there are just better options.
Value Rating:5Overall Rating:3

Submitted by Interceptor1 a Weekend Warrior from Miami FL USA
Date Reviewed: February 11, 2009
Favorite Trail:Oleta River, Markham Park
Duration Product Used:1 Year
Purchased At:Came stock on bike
Strengths:cheap, good for entry level use
Weaknesses:Prone to flats, not good traction in sand or deep dirt, spins on climbs
Similar Products Used:WTB Velociraptors
Bike Setup:2008 Giant Trance2
Bottom Line:The tires came stock on my bike. They give good traction on average specially on hard pack, but on loose surfaces like deep dirt (like recently plowed fields) it is a little vague when turning, on sand my bike fishtails a lot and moves sideways I have to be careful with the lean angle and steering input or I risk the front end washing out. I tried deep mud and they did pretty good, the spaced blocks provide good self cleaning when spinning, I could always keep the bike moving forward. I've experienced the rear tire slipping on climbs (my suspension is well setup not bobbing, it is the Giant Maestro 4.2). The most irritating with the tires is that they seems too weak in terms of puncture resistant. I run them at 45psi and never had pinch flats, but needle like punctures from splinters and thorns get into the tire way too easy, I had to repair like 4 flats in 4 rides, either front or rear I always got something and the tire is not worn out to say I was running them like slicks. I'll try switching to Nevegals or something else.
Value Rating:3Overall Rating:2

Submitted by Sweeny a Cross Country Rider from Mass
Date Reviewed: January 13, 2009
Favorite Trail:All
Duration Product Used:6 months
Price Paid: $19.00
Purchased At:Local shop
Strengths:Cheapness
Weaknesses:Not as good as tires twice the cost.
Similar Products Used:Tioga, WTB, Huchinson, Michelin
Bottom Line:Good for the money, its generally sold for 25 and for that price you normally get a heap, this tire seems good. Was usin it all last summer wore out a little faster than i wanted, but other then that its decent.

So it all about value for the price with this tire.
Value Rating:4Overall Rating:4

Submitted by aballz a Weekend Warrior from San Francisco, CA
Date Reviewed: December 24, 2008
Duration Product Used:Less than 1 month
Purchased At:performance bike, ca
Strengths:Rolls great on pavement, seems to have good grip on loose dirt. Probably decent for any light dirt trail riding
Weaknesses:Haven't tried climbing yet.
Bike Setup:K2 zed sport
Bottom Line:Great tire so far if you have a mountain bike and ride mostly on paved road. I bought this bike for my dad but since i bought it, i had to test drive it...and break it in a little bit. The bike rolls great on pavement, don't know if it still will if it's more worn in. Seems to grip well on light trails so far.
Value Rating:5Overall Rating:4

Submitted by Swampy a Weekend Warrior from New Zealand
Date Reviewed: December 13, 2008
Duration Product Used:2 Years
Purchased At:Came on bike
Weaknesses:Difficult to centre on rim. Poor puncture resistance, once had three punctures in a month
Bike Setup:Avanti Atomic
Bottom Line:Average tyre shipped with the bike. Poor puncture resistance so not recommended for road use.
Value Rating:2Overall Rating:2

Submitted by Bunkfoss a Weekend Warrior from Flagstaff, AZ, USA
Date Reviewed: September 17, 2008
Duration Product Used:1 Year
Purchased At:Came on Bike
Strengths:The tire works really well on paved surfaces; wet or dry. Hard packed dirt hasn't really given me a problem either.
Weaknesses:Small gravel gives these tires a workout to say the least. When cornering, I can't lean too hard or else the bike falls from under me. Sand also gives the tire troubles. Also, I've noticed now that my riding has primarily been paved trails, the tires are wearing very quickly.
Bike Setup:Haro V4, almost stock
Bottom Line:The tires are a good all-around tire; once your experience increases, you'll definitely want a more dirt oriented tire.
Value Rating:3Overall Rating:3

Submitted by Ride247forLife a Weekend Warrior from Peoria, AZ, USA
Date Reviewed: July 30, 2008
Favorite Trail:Black Canyon
Duration Product Used:1 Year
Purchased At:Came On bike
Strengths:Hook up great on all kinds of terrain
Weaknesses:none
Similar Products Used:Kenda Karma
Bike Setup:Mongoose Tyax Elite stock
Bottom Line:Pretty great tire, hooks up on just about everything i have ridden them on. Never seen them in stores but I would get them again.
Value Rating:4Overall Rating:4

Submitted by Teemu Teräntö a from Turku
Date Reviewed: September 22, 2007
Favorite Trail:Backyard
Duration Product Used:1 Year
Purchased At:Came stock with my bike
Strengths:Works well on all surfaces. lasts long, Cheap. When new dont throw any water.
Weaknesses:They are said that they are bad but they arent.
Bike Setup:Mongoose Tyax Elite. With lightenend parts.
Bottom Line:I got these with my mongoose. i drive all kinds of roads. i get about 10-40km a day and they last long. They grip well on wet,dry,mud and snow also even on ice they grip something ! very good tires if you search for good cheap tires these are for you.
Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

Submitted by Ellis Lloyd a Weekend Warrior from Sam Juam Capistrano
Date Reviewed: September 15, 2007
Favorite Trail:Meadows
Duration Product Used:1 Year
Strengths:Pretty low rolling resistance.
Weaknesses:Does not corner well
Similar Products Used:Mutano Raptor, Maxxis Minion, high roller
Bike Setup:Haro Hardtail
Bottom Line:Bottom line is that I was a new Mtn Biker when I began riding. These tires came on my mtn bike stock, but as my skill improved it became more apparent that these tires were not up to the challenge. I would say they are maybe average all around, but do not excel anywhere enough to brag about. My biggest gripe would be they do not grip well. I wouldn't spemd money on these...
Value Rating:2Overall Rating:2

Submitted by Eran Menashe a Cross Country Rider from Rosh-Haayin, Israel
Date Reviewed: September 12, 2007
Favorite Trail:Horashim, Ramot Menashe
Duration Product Used:1 Year
Purchased At:Came stock on the bike
Strengths:Fast rolling tyre, last long, good on cornering, work well on most types of terrain (wet or dry)
Weaknesses:Small blocks
Similar Products Used:Specialized Resolution 2.2, WTB Wierwolf 2.1, Maxxis ignitor 2.1
Bike Setup:Haro Shift R3 (upgrades - RockShox Recon 351 fork, Avid Juicy 5 front brake)
Bottom Line:I like these tires very much. I used them for over 1400km and blocks are not worn out yet (I guess there is still room for 300km more for rear and more for front). I ride in rocky, sandy and muddy conditions and sometimes on the tarmac and tyres handle all well.
I have tried other tyres but not on my bike and didn't like so much as mine (although it might be the bike setup that influenced my feeling of the tyres).
These tyres are great for XC riders from beginner to experienced.
I use about 45 PSI and never pinched flat.
Value Rating:4Overall Rating:5

Submitted by bernie a Downhiller from Pangasinan and laguna, Philippines
Date Reviewed: April 12, 2007
Favorite Trail:Bolinao Patar Trails and Caliraya
Duration Product Used:3 months
Purchased At:Stock wheel of my bike
Strengths:Sturdy, can handle heavy riders like me, good on cornering even on slippery muds and sands.
Weaknesses:Slow in the tarmac.
Similar Products Used:Michelin, Panaracer Fire
Bike Setup:Haro R3 Shift set up
Bottom Line:This wheel is best installed for the AT bikes, but if you plan to use your bike for commuting, i mean more time on the road than the trails try to look for another.
Value Rating:3Overall Rating:3

Submitted by Jeff a Weekend Warrior from Blue Mountains Sydney Aust.
Date Reviewed: March 17, 2007
Favorite Trail:Yellomundee XC Course
Duration Product Used:3 months
Purchased At:Came on the bike
Strengths:They're not expensive and work reasonably well on most types of terrain.
Weaknesses:Wore out quickly and became totally useless toward the end of their life.
Similar Products Used:WTB Velociraptors.
Bike Setup:Stock Norco hardtail used mostly for general trail riding with the occasional XC race.
Bottom Line:They came on the bike when I purchased it and worked fairly well in most conditions. I ran them at 35psi and never pinch flatted but toward the end became useless because the blocks are so small, they also wore out very quickly in about 300km's. They were ok but not really good enough as your riding ability increases to the next level, I won't buy them in the future but they're fine for a beginner, not bad for a cheaper tyre.
Value Rating:3Overall Rating:2

Submitted by Toby Gorman a Cross Country Rider from Nanaimo
Date Reviewed: February 4, 2007
Favorite Trail:The Abyss backwards
Duration Product Used:Less than 1 month
Price Paid: $30.00
Purchased At:Arrowsmith Cycles
Strengths:Good traction cornering in sloppy conditions,not too bad uphill on slick roots and rocks, rolled nicely on the pavement on the way to the trailhead, easy to set the bead on the rim
Weaknesses:Spun a little easier on uphills than I would like (I had the psi a little higher than normal) and they're heavy. Not sure how they'd hold up after a summer of hard technical riding.
Similar Products Used:None
Bike Setup:At the lower psi range they felt soft and pinch prone, at higher psi they spun easily. I'm sure there is a happy medain in the 45-48 psi range.
Bottom Line:I borrowed these tires off my girlfriend's bike when my trusty Pythons died simulataneously. While overall performance was average, I was impressed how they cornered in the slop. I'd recommend them as a good all arouond tire if you don't want to fork over higher prices for performance tires.
Value Rating:4Overall Rating:3






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