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Submitted by
pa mtnbkr
a Cross Country Rider
from harrisburg, Pa, USA Date Reviewed: November 7, 2006 | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$35.00 | | Strengths: | Totally versatile tire as it works as a cushion if you run a ridgid fork. I did that from 1977 thru 2003 exclusively. By altering the Air pressure it works in all conditions and even on macadam. I still have two wcs versions in 2.35 from 1985 and use them regularly as front tires. | | Weaknesses: | If used as drive tire they do wear quickly, especially in the red grippy rubber. | | Similar Products Used: | Most tires from 1977 through now. Especially Specialized tires and WTB's | | Bike Setup: | 2001 Litespeed pisgah singlespeed with Skareb air/oil frt shock - only weighs 19 lbs. Use Specialzed 1.7 drive tires that are totally efficient. Right now a front Extreme master that is also a great drive tire. It handles off cambers and speed turning exceptionally well as well as straight lines and climbing. | | Bottom Line: | Of course it does matter how hard you use any tire as to it's lifespan, but 20 years of service and still half life is hard to kick at. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
BadToad
a Weekend Warrior
from Lancashire England Date Reviewed: April 6, 2005 | | Favorite Trail: | Borrowdale Bash Lake District | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$10.00 | | Purchased At: | Merlin Cycles | | Strengths: | Light weight foldable aggresively knobbled tyre with very predictable handling. Highly resistant to pinch flats if inflated correctly. Ideal for those winter rides with excellent mud plugging ability and equally suitable on loose rocky or dusty surfaces. Works well as a front tyre when rotated in the opposite direction. | | Weaknesses: | Only criticism is it tends to clog up only in the worst muddy conditions and wears fast. | | Similar Products Used: | Panaracer Fire XC, IRC Mythos, Tioga factory XC | | Bike Setup: | Marin Mount Vision 2004, Fox Talas RL 2005. | | Bottom Line: | They are that good that I bought the entire remainding stock from the shop which equated to 7 tyres for £50 and previously bought 2 for £19. Hope I can get some more soon!! | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
vincenzo
a Cross Country Rider
from salerno italy Date Reviewed: April 11, 2002 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Strengths: | Monster grip on the most difficult terrain(but never tested it in really muddy conditions) | | Weaknesses: | The WCS and SC(severe condition)types wear quickly due to the soft compound-the HD version lasts longer.The WCS was very costly,too-but i purchased the last piece in the shop,so i'll give it a 5 for the price-anyway other versions aren't expensive. | | Similar Products Used: | SPECIALIZED dirt control/dirt master comp,stock on the bike,almost useless-GEAX hook/warp(good)-KENDA bear claw(excellent for the price) | | Bike Setup: | FSR XC comp disc 2000,MARZOCCHI mxr coil,MRP X-link,RITCHEY riserbars,SHIMANO 545 pedals-(HAYES hydraulic stock) | | Bottom Line: | This tire hooks up on every kind of loose,rocky terrain-the climbing ability is amazing,it holds traction where other tyres spin hopelessly and you really can hear the knobs "bite" the ground-it's a very aggressive tread pattern,works great on loose gravel as well as trough tricky rocky sections.The braking perfomance is enormous,too:you can easily control the bike's speed on the trickiest descents and stop it where you want- anyway i think this is due to the HAYES,also.I definitely love this tyre,i believe it is a perfect match as a rear tyre on a fs bike and i'd strongly encourage RITCHEY to produce this tyre again,maybe in a 2.25/2.3 enduro-oriented version. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Martin
a Cross Country Rider
from Wagga Wagga, NSW, Australia Date Reviewed: March 21, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | Livingstone Forest | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$35.00 | | Purchased At: | Wagga Cycle Centre | | Strengths: | Amazing Grip. Whether its no slip traction in climbs or no skid reliabilty under brakes or confidence inspiring railing on turns, this tyre just holds the ground. Low rolling restistance. | | Weaknesses: | Crap in mud. Holds the mud firmly in the treads and won't let go. Turns its self into a big fat wide slick and slides all over the place. The soft compound that makes this such a cool gripy tyre means that the treads wear down a bit too quickly (about 1200km on rough rocky terrain = 4-5 months)
| | Similar Products Used: | Michelin Wildgrippers, Tioga Factory DH, Ritchey Alpha Bites, Velocirapators | | Bike Setup: | Giant NRS, Marzocchi Z4, LX drive train | | Bottom Line: | A monster tyre. Fast, grippy, light, predictable, the best tyre I've had on the back of my bike. I was running it with an Alpha bite on the front but this setup let me down. The Alpha-Bite washes way too easily, reducing the advantages of the Omega.(I've got a Tioga Factory DH on the front now and it rocks). I'm not using the Omega-Bite at the moment because A)in Australian dollars its a very expensive tyre considering its short life expectancy B) I'm trying other tyres on the back to see if I can find something better. So far nothing. At the moment I'm running a velociraptor, which just doesn't come anywhere near the performance of the Omega -Bite. I ride on tracks with very loose rocky steep climbs and fast windy descents. The climate here is generally dry. If I lived in a wet area with soft soils that turned easily to mud maybe I wouldn't be so glowing about this tyre. An expensive tyre but worth every cent in terms of performance. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Derek
a Cross Country Rider
from Springfield,SC Date Reviewed: August 8, 2001 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$24.00 | | Purchased At: | Supergo.com | | Strengths: | Super fast. Great grip in turns | | Weaknesses: | NON | | Similar Products Used: | Bontrager Crap | | Bike Setup: | Trek 8000 | | Bottom Line: | Great tire. I only use them off-road so I don't see much wear yet. I bought these as a pair from Supergo.com. Front and rear. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Micha Schmidt
a Cross Country Rider
from Bückeburg, Germany Date Reviewed: June 24, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | secret..... | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$10.00 | | Purchased At: | h&s bike-discount, bonn | | Strengths: | traction, cornering ability, good clearance, aggressive design, great rear-tire! | | Weaknesses: | not available anymore.......mayby 1.9-size (no good damping, but who cares...) | | Similar Products Used: | WTB veloc., Onza rip/rail, panaracers...... | | Bike Setup: | GT bravado le with RS judy c and compl. XT-drivetrain, syncros-cockpit/rims | | Bottom Line: | tom´s "old-school-sneakers" are true tires, shows no weakness. traction, traction, traction....... | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Chef Shrieber
a Racer
from Hertelia, Israel Date Reviewed: June 8, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | Fast ones... | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Purchased At: | came on the bika | | Strengths: | Sticks to the ground, quick as hell, the green kind looks exactly like a Michelin... | | Weaknesses: | Wears out veeeerrrrryyyy fast, not the strongest rubber in the world... | | Similar Products Used: | IRC Mythos. | | Bike Setup: | Bianchi RCX 399. | | Bottom Line: | A great tire for the Ideal cross-country rider. Goes well on any track. If you like how the Michelin tire looks, but you’re not a racer, this one will do the trick. It's very recommended to put the rear tire backwards for best traction. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
John
a Racer
from Marietta, Ga Date Reviewed: November 14, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | Peaks trail Colorado | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$20.00 | | Purchased At: | My store | | Strengths: | This is the WCS by the way. number one, and most importantly, the grip at high air pressure. pump this guy up, and ride without worry. no pinch flats and no bouncing around. grip is the best out of any tire I have ridden so far. weighs very little, looks great, and rides even better. tread pattern is uncomparable! | | Weaknesses: | Very few, but like everything, there is a weakness. price is a biggy at most stores, try to find a mail order. also, i have had a few unusually puncture flats, but its safe to say that the metal pipe that was randomly stuck in the ground would have punctured any tire. | | Similar Products Used: | bontrager Jones, WTB velociraptors (worst tire on the market), WTB nanoraptors, Michilens, and numerous simi- slicks | | Bike Setup: | Trek 8000 frame with xtr front/back deralieurs, brakes, shifters/levers, mavic wheels, white brothers xc3 fork, and a ball saving seat! oh yeah, and atacs | | Bottom Line: | buy them! | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Merost
a Cross Country Rider
from Sierra Vista, AZ Date Reviewed: July 19, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | Brown Canyon | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Strengths: | VERY noticable improvement in traction. I fell in love. I was first somewhat skepticle since they look like borderline slicks, but they hook up like fly paper. Very efficient (low rolling resistance) tire! | | Weaknesses: | Not the best in muddy/soupy conditions, but I live in AZ so who cares. They will wear out faster, but that is the tradeoff the the low rolling resistance and awesome traction. | | Similar Products Used: | Specialized, Continential | | Bike Setup: | Specialized FSR XC | | Bottom Line: | Awesome tire if you want great traction and don't need your tires to last forever and don't live in very wet climate. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Ed Miles
a
from New Braunfels, Texas, USA Date Reviewed: July 14, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | Government Canyon | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Strengths: | sticks to the ground like glue... traction. | | Weaknesses: | the wcs version wears quickly, but it's worth it to have this kind of grip. less effective when wet. | | Similar Products Used: | ritchey megabite, tioga psycho | | Bike Setup: | 1993 bridgestone mb-1, 1999 marzocchi atom bomb, xt top mount shifters, xtr front/rear derailleurs | | Bottom Line: | this tire totally changed the way i climb. it's a pleasure to do when you can trust that your rear wheel is not going to slip. the only time this happens is on wet or smooth large rocks. the tread is simply wicked. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
CoolMAN
a Weekend Warrior
from Argentina Date Reviewed: April 17, 2000 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Strengths: | Excellent Gray finishing. I bought them at $11 each, I guess i did a good deal. | | Weaknesses: | There should be a 2.1 or a 2' tire for the rear one.
| | Bike Setup: | GT Talera 95' "upgraded" hehehe :) | | Bottom Line: | This tire has undoubtely nothing to do in front of the original cheng shin tires that my byke comes with. The only little problem and the one that takes one start out, is that i feel a little inestable on wet pavement conditions.
| Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
michael blackford
a Racer
from 54 greene 636 rd Date Reviewed: March 25, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | arkansas trails | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Strengths: | Easy to get on, Excellent acceleration and clean out | | Weaknesses: | Omega tends to wear fast | | Bike Setup: | f-800 cannondale racer | | Bottom Line: | These tires rule!! Im on my second pair, the alpha front doesnt wear as fast as the omega! But these tire hook up in the most extreme conditions, except leaves is the only thing that tends to break loose on! I love em and will buy more! If you like fast without much effort buy these. PS buy the good ones, with carbon fiberand kevlar! they seem to work better. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Paul R.
a Racer
from Manch, NH Date Reviewed: December 22, 1999 | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Strengths: | Light, look good, 1.9's are great for many New England race courses | | Weaknesses: | 1.9 a little narrow for long XC rides. | | Similar Products Used: | 2.1 WSC Z-max 1.9 WSC z-max Bontrager Revolts SS | | Bike Setup: | Aegis Brutus w/ '97 SX Ti. | | Bottom Line: | These tires are great for most New England XC race courses were I decide to not use slicks. 1.9 rolls fast and handles quiker than a fatter tire. But when it comes to long off season rides I do prefer to put on some bigger meat. I have had the 1.9's for 2 season of racing and they are still in great shape. I don't know what people are talking about when they say that there tires were gone after shorts periods of time. Maybe they should be riding on the pavement and skidding so much (just jumping to conclusions). I am giving the 1.9 4 flamming poops because the are a little harsh in really rocky rooty section on long rides. | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Ole Dossing
a Weekend Warrior
from Copenhagen Date Reviewed: July 28, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: | signle track | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Strengths: | Too ealy to say, however, it appears very strong | | Weaknesses: | none | | Similar Products Used: | Wild gripper L, wild gripper S and many others | | Bike Setup: | Giant MCM, hard tail with Maniteau SX Ti (98) | | Bottom Line: | The improvement in climbing ability achieved with this tire is dramatic. Rolling resistance is low and cornering is perfect. The best tire ever tried. | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
jodeola
a Cross-Country Rider
from TX Date Reviewed: April 29, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: | Porcupine Ridge | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Strengths: | good traction (at first) Good and soft 4 grip | | Weaknesses: | The little arrow shaped lugs tore up within the first week. It is just too pointy | | Similar Products Used: | Lots | | Bike Setup: | hardtail, Judy XC front susp. | | Bottom Line: | Don't try riding up staircases on these till you've worn the lugs down a bit. They are pretty good climber though (unless they rip on ya) | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Staff
a cross-country rider
from mass Date Reviewed: February 25, 1999 | | Bottom Line: |
This tire performs well but it is to soft. After 3 months of riding I noticed that the knobs were starting to tear and after 4 months it had cracks strait through to the tube. Had to dump it. I have road the prancer smoke earlier which did not perform as well but lasted 2-3 seasons. I have to give these tires what there all in all worth ........ If you want some wear out of your tires try something else | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
shezla
a weekend warrior
from england cheshire Date Reviewed: January 4, 1999 | | Bottom Line: |
this tire absolutely rocks I got it on an alu team muddy fox and it climbs like a beauty it doesnt drag badly on tarmac and it only stats arseing up when the mud gets really s***y it top. | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
jon wallace
a cross-country rider
from state college pa Date Reviewed: December 6, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
just a follow-up to the review below. This is still a good tire, has about 300 miles on it with some wear showing. Still grips well, brakes well, and turns well. I wanted a little more volume in the back, though, so I ended up putting the team master back on. A nice eastern racing tire, though, with a meaty front. | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
pooh man
a cross-country rider
from hotter than hell, texas Date Reviewed: August 20, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
The rear tire is terrible. The knobs started to PEEL off after one month of riding. I do ride four times a week, but that is ridiculous. The front seems to be fine; it hasn't worn like the rear. I replaced the rear with a Continental Cross Country and there is a very noticable difference. Durability is terrible, but I must admit when I actually had tread it was great. If you have the money to buy them every two to three months, this is your tire. If you are like me and paying every cent to THE MAN for tuition, look elsewhere. | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
J Wallace
a cross-country rider
from State College PA Date Reviewed: June 16, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I've had the HDK tire for about 5 rides now, since I just got it from the Ritchey booth at Norba National #2. I like it a lot, it's replacing a Spec. Team Master Armadillo wire bead, and the weight difference is very noticeable. Every new tire feels good until it wears some, though. I like that this is a very narrow tire, but has very tall tread blocks. I pumped it to 55 psi(I weigh 145), and still saw a little flex on the road. I like tires like this, though, because they soak up little bumps, but won't pinch flat. Traction is great for the width, and rolling resistance is pretty good. I'm withholding final judgement until I get a bunch more rides in, but this seems like a winner. | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Michael
a weekend warrior
from Medford, MA Date Reviewed: May 5, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
Well I just put this tried this tire on my rear for the first time today and I thought I would pass along my first impressions. So far so good. I had Zmax on both my front and rear and I was unhappy with the climbing so I wanted a good rear specific tire. For $24 this kicked ass. There is alot of loose gravel where I ride and it accelerated nicley through it where it used to slow me down a bit. On the hills it came into its own. Granted it is early season and I am starting to get my legs back but I noticed it took alot less effort to climb up hills and I found my fonr wheel leaving the ground when I would bear down on a climb. It cornered nicely and was ok in Mud. I can not comment on the wear yet but if Supergo still has them at $14 I will order a few. Even if they wear twice as fast as other tires it is a a tire I would pay $28 based on perfomance alone. Give it a try, you will be glad you did. One word of caution, I am close to 300 lbs and I like to put 5 or 10 pounds over the recommened psi but when I reached just 5psi over ther was a deafening pop. It was great at 60 psi and did not sag under my Hugh Jass. | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Greg
a cross-country rider
from Bellingham, WA Date Reviewed: January 27, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
Like some, I have this tire has worn prematurely. For starters, it came on the rear of my Voodoo from the factory. After 2 weeks of riding, I was amazed to notice that the tire had lost chunks of tread. Yes, chunks! I took it to the shop, and they hadn't seen anything like it, so I guess it must just be a flaw. Meanwhile, I had put the Mad Max (front specific) tire on my rear. If you can, I highly suggest this tire. It, the mad max, climbs great and supplies ample traction, and after 6 months of riding, the darn thing still is hangin in there. So, if you like traction, forget the Omega Max, and put a Mad Max on the rear. | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Drevil
a cross-country rider
from Date Reviewed: November 20, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
I have been using these tires on and off for the last 3 years and I think they are worth the money. I like to climb a lot in singletracky situations and these tires seem to be made for just that. I usually use them only when I race because I think that it's weakness is that it wears down very quicky, as all Ritchey WCS tires I have used. | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
anders
a downhiller
from sweden Date Reviewed: November 6, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
good rolling resistance and climbing but very bad cornering ability.These tires is realy bad in corners but are good in accelerate and climbing. | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
chris g.
a weekend warrior
from s.f., ca. Date Reviewed: October 29, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
i finally did decide to get the omegabite, after running a speedmax in the rear with an alfabite up front. like others who have reviewed this, i found that this tire can climb...slippage was minimal and only in really loose stuff on hell-like inclines...i took a look at the speedmax i used on back and found that the wear was quite bad...the omega's definitely make a difference, and rolling resistance is really good...but not as good as a speedmax of course...overall i am very happy with this tire... | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
RJ
a weekend warrior
from Austin TX Date Reviewed: July 26, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
Very grippy tire, the only down side is that mine seem to be wearing quicker than I expected. Other than that highly recommended. I run this on the rear with Aplha-Bite up front, all in all a pretty decent set-up. Excellent for climbing. | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
SIm
a racer
from Tannersville, NY Date Reviewed: July 12, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
Excellent climbing tire, good cornering and perfect 2.1 sizes. Run the Alpha bite in front and switch the Omega for a speed max on the rear for hardpack courses. These three tires cover all conditions very well. Watch out for the second generation of speed max's, bigger sides knobs and a larger diamond center tread. Very cool. | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
edder
a weekend warrior
from singapore Date Reviewed: May 24, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
used it to replace my maxxis.... the difference in climbing is between heaven and earth.... those steep climbs that i couldn't have ever done had become tolerable.... anyway it has a lower rolling resistance than a velociraptor and climbing is about the same, go for the omegabite.... u still can get it for $14 at supergo... :) | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Christian A. The Dirty Demon
a cross-country rider
from Sweden Date Reviewed: April 15, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
Omega....WOW! I just love this tire. If it's: dry, muddy, rainy, down, up..it takes you there...always! You know, when you are going up that hill or cliff, and you are really close too the top, you stands in your pedals and the frontwheel is lifting and the last thing you want, is the backtire to start spinning !?. This tire bites in the ground and takes you UP! Then you can stop and look at your friends when their walking.(he,he). AND don't forget the mud or thE MUD! It's go throw there too!Buy it....I am ....again! | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Roberto Galdini
a cross-country rider
from Monza, Italy Date Reviewed: March 28, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
It has best traction of all the tires I have ever tested. The best tire for fun riding and downhill, light but a little bit resistant to rolling. Works fine on the snow, too. | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Alvin Fu
a cross-country rider
from northboro,MA Date Reviewed: March 10, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
This is a great tire. The best rear tire ever ridden. The weight is great. Traction is phenominal!!!!!! On hills, I watch my fellow mountain bikers spin out, while I cruise up those hills!!!!! | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
J. Hillenbrand
a cross-country rider
from Villa Park, IL Date Reviewed: January 29, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
One of the greatest things I ever bought for my bike. I felt like I could climb a frozen waterfall with it. (Please see my Alfa Bite Review for further info) I thought it wore well considering the WCS series has a stickier (and thus quicker wearing compound). It does take some getting used to like any new tire but once you know its limits, it is easy to ride up to (and pass) them. They are difficult to find in Chicago's bike shops so ordering is almost manditory. | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
John R.
a cross-country rider
from Maryland Date Reviewed: January 24, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
This tire is incredibly grabby when new and the performance is good overall. I've found however that I really only get one year's use out of them (Is that good/bad I don't know--I ride several hours most weekends). I'm on my second pair, and after 'bout a year on this one the sidewalls are looking scalely, pitted, and otherwise losing rubber along the seams of the carcass stitching. I'll probably get another omega, but only use it for races, and see if another tire lasts longer for my regular Sunday morning rides. Overall, I'd really give this a 3.5 star, but its overall good performance on the trail doesn't warrant a 3. | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jeff Gittleson
a weekend warrior
from Phoenix,Az Date Reviewed: June 14, 1996 | | Bottom Line: |
This is a great all around tire. It's downfalls are loose sand or gravel on top of hardpack, and mud. All other terrain is handled greatly with this tire. Climbing performance is very good, accept that after a month of wear, climbing performance does decrease noticeably, but it still climbs fairly well. Cornering is very good and is consistent even with wear. Cornering traction is very good but not awesome. I like this because it allows controllable brake slide around tight corners without slide and grab, slide and grab ... I've run this tire in the Santa Cruz mountains and in the desert of Phoenix and it performs well in both. It is wide enough to float over sand without digging in. However, I have had this tire for several months and is getting time to replace, so climbing traction isn't the greatest. The tire is light in a kevlar version and is reasonably priced, if that matters. Also, this tire can and does handle high speed downhilling, it may not be the highest traction tire, but it is controllable in a slide, which is every bit as important as all out traction. | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Nanci Pass
a cross-country rider
from San Jose, CA Date Reviewed: June 7, 1996 | | Bottom Line: |
These are great tires they grip really well in just about any conditions on dirt, and don't drag to much when you have to ride on the pavement to get to the dirt. They're also relatively light (at least the Kevlar version that I use) and last through a lot of miles and abuse.
| Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
A.D. Mullins
a downhiller
from Provo Ut. Date Reviewed: May 22, 1996 | | Bottom Line: |
I have had the tire for about one year and I am very impressed. The tire works well at speed as well as it climbs and it stops on a dime. I have the kevlar version in a 2.1
| Overall Rating: |
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