 |
|
||||
|
|
||||
|
Home | Product Reviews | 29er Tire | NoTubes.com Crow 29x2 | ||||
|
|
||||
|
||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
Submitted by
Andrew Eckel
a Cross Country Rider
from Westford, MA
Date Reviewed: 4/9/2008 10:29:29 AM |
|
| FavoriteTrail: | Haystack |
| Duration Product Used: | 1 Year |
| Price Paid: | $45 |
| Purchased At: | Stan's |
| Strengths: | Fast, Light, Tight on the rim |
| Weaknesses: | Difficult to install on the rim (as to be expected) |
| Similar Products Tried: | Hutchinson Python 29er, Bontrager Jones, Kenda Klaw, WTB Exiwolf |
| Bike Setup: | Two race-spec'ed XC 29ers on ZTR/Olympic custom wheelsets. |
| Bottom Line: | Great tires for smooth, dry conditions. I've also subjected them to many torturous rock garden rides and the sidewalls are still fine. They are light and fast, corner well and are demons on packed singletrack. Leave them at home if you are planning to ride mud or sand. |
Value Rating: 
Overall Rating:
|
|
|
Submitted by
RacerVA
a Racer
from VA
Date Reviewed: 12/10/2007 5:09:26 PM |
|
| Duration Product Used: | 2 Years |
| Price Paid: | $50 |
| Purchased At: | web |
| Strengths: | Nicely fits on the rim- tight. FAST, low rolling res. |
| Weaknesses: | Expensive. |
| Similar Products Tried: | WTB nano raptor, Maxxis crossmark, maxxis ignitor, and more |
| Bike Setup: | Race ready- light full susp. and hardtail. X.0 and XTR. Own build both bikes. Gary Fisher frames. |
| Bottom Line: | This is your best tire for racing on 29er. Of course good only on hardpack and smooth trails. If used as intended- very good tire. Really bad in mud, but that can be expected. I am running it tubeless and am very happy. Weight around 500g, very fast and smooth. It's overpriced at $50. |
Value Rating: 
Overall Rating:
|
|
|
Submitted by
Whitney Jones
a Racer
from Wooster, Ohio, USA
Date Reviewed: 12/9/2007 4:48:56 PM |
|
| FavoriteTrail: | Vultures Knob |
| Duration Product Used: | 6 months |
| Price Paid: | $30 |
| Purchased At: | LBS |
| Strengths: | -Super Light, -Fast Rolling, -Unexpected... Great grip. -Long lasting |
| Weaknesses: | -Skidding the rear wheel is easy. -I had one sidewall cut maybe 3mm long that Stans did not seal(Only run 30g of sealant) -Reduced cornering traction in dusty or dry sand conditions |
| Similar Products Tried: | Bontrager XR, Maxxis Ignitor, Kenda Nevegal, Irc Notos, Bonterger ACX |
| Bike Setup: | Gary Fisher X-Cal w/reba, Gears, 22.3lbs, Maxxis Ignitor in front, Stans crow in back. |
| Bottom Line: | Great tire for smooth riders/racers. Use your head a 500g semi-slick will not be a good choice for a muddy for loose over hard pack race in most cases. Great rear tire. |
|
Value Rating:
Overall Rating:
|
|
|
Submitted by
Randy
a Cross Country Rider
from the M.V. , CA
Date Reviewed: 8/24/2007 8:39:25 PM |
|
| FavoriteTrail: | browns camp |
| Duration Product Used: | 1 Year |
| Strengths: | Light - fast - do what they were designed to do |
| Similar Products Tried: | several 29ers - all different |
| Bike Setup: | f/s Zinn Mega Bike |
| Bottom Line: | I had to give a review after reading these negative comments. You don't take a knife to a gun fight and you don't mount a semi slick ultra light race tire for mud or ultra endurance rides. As for the sidewall complaints - give me a break - I travel for a living - usually with my bike - have ridden literally all over the U.S. and Canada - and the couple times I've had sidewall cuts (not on Crows) they were ALWAYS "unexpected" and one time I couldn't even see what caused it. Sh#t happens and so does tire damage. If you use these for what they are designed for they are unbeatable for weight and speed. If you want all mountain / all day then put on a set of WTB 2.55 Weirwolves and ride on. |
|
Value Rating:
Overall Rating:
|
|
|
Submitted by
Adam
a Racer
from Vinton,Va,U.S.A
Date Reviewed: 8/14/2007 10:59:22 AM |
|
| FavoriteTrail: | Carvins Cove |
| Duration Product Used: | 3 months |
| Price Paid: | $50 |
| Purchased At: | Bike29 |
| Strengths: | Fast!Fast!Light,low rolling resistance |
| Weaknesses: | It is a race tire so it is not as durable as others |
| Similar Products Tried: | About all 29er tires nothing quite the same |
| Bike Setup: | Salsa Dos Niner Bike29Royale wheelset (sweet!)Sram x9 and shimano xt components,kenda karma front |
| Bottom Line: | I run this tire in the rear and have done 6 races so far and love it.You just have to be aware that it is a race tire but suprisingly it hooks well!I think i already mentioned it is fast! |
|
Value Rating:
Overall Rating:
|
|
|
Submitted by
Weave
a Racer
from York,PA
Date Reviewed: 5/7/2007 1:20:26 PM |
|
| FavoriteTrail: | Anything at Michaux |
| Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month |
| Price Paid: | $42 |
| Purchased At: | Jason's Cycle Works |
| Strengths: | Fast - very fast! Very grippy - feel confident on these immediately, until...... |
| Weaknesses: | Side walls - sliced sidewall on third ride - happened to be a race - was running at 25 psi - stan's man said at my weight (162) could probably run at 20-22 and might have made a difference - I doubt it... |
| Similar Products Tried: | going to Kenda karman 29ers (we'll see) |
| Bike Setup: | Dos Niner - Stan's ZTR355 (awesome light wheels) 1x9 SRAM, Rigid Carbon fork |
| Bottom Line: | great, fast tire but sidewalls are a show stopper |
Value Rating: 
Overall Rating:
|
|
|
Submitted by
Andrew
a Racer
from Austin, TX
Date Reviewed: 4/10/2007 11:25:49 AM |
|
| Duration Product Used: | 3 months |
| Strengths: | Fast rolling, remarkably good traction for such a slick tire |
| Weaknesses: | cuts easily |
| Similar Products Tried: | all. |
| Bike Setup: | Orbea Alma 29er, XTR, karma front, crow rear. |
| Bottom Line: | Fast rolling and remarkably grippy for such a low-profile tread tire. Light, fast grippy - what more could you want? Well, if you race or ride anywhere with rocks, look out. I cut a sidewall on this thing very easily. |
|
Value Rating:
Overall Rating:
|
|
|
Submitted by
Todd
from Colo Spgs, CO, USA
Date Reviewed: 4/5/2007 3:46:22 PM |
|
| FavoriteTrail: | More Fun, Loma, CO |
| Duration Product Used: | 1 Year |
| Price Paid: | $45 |
| Purchased At: | NoTubes.com |
| Strengths: | Very light tire with minimal tread for fast rolling hardpack. |
| Weaknesses: | Weak sidewalls, too expensive. |
| Similar Products Tried: | Bontrager Jones |
| Bike Setup: | Gary Fisher Paragon with XT crankset, Easton seat post, eggbeater pedals. |
| Bottom Line: | I bought these tires thinking they were a perfect match for the Leadville Trail 100. The light weight and minimal tread looked perfect for the mostly fast rolling course with a mix of pavement/hardpack/and some loose stuff. I found out at mile 52 on the way down from the turn around that I had cut the sidewall. The Stan's No Tubes sealant was not able to fill the cut and I had to install a tube. Bottom line is they would probably be fine if a side cut was impossible due to the conditions. Definitely would not race LT100 again on these. |
Value Rating: 
Overall Rating:
|
|
|
Submitted by
Warren
a Racer
from Roanoke, VA
Date Reviewed: 4/3/2007 8:35:43 PM |
|
| FavoriteTrail: | Lots and lots of favorites |
| Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month |
| Price Paid: | $50 |
| Purchased At: | LBS |
| Strengths: | Very low rolling resistance and rotating weight |
| Weaknesses: | HORRIBLE traction in wet conditions and while braking. WEAK sidewall. $$$Fitty Bucks!Per tire!! |
| Similar Products Tried: | Never used anything this bad |
| Bike Setup: | GF Paragon- mostly stock - nothing fancy. |
| Bottom Line: | My first race of the season was on an 8-mile lap course that contained forest roads, soggy singletrack, and a ton of loose and embedded rocks. I had these imitation tires mounted on Bonty Race 29 wheels with Stans rim strip and sealant - about 21 psi. The only section that these tires were of ANY use at all was on the fire road. These were the worst tire choice I've ever made. Traction was non-existant. Three miles into the race a loose rock torn a two inch hole in my sidewall. DNF The only use for these tires in a racing situation would be in a race where ZERO braking was required - like an uphill time trail. |
Value Rating: 
Overall Rating:
|
|
|
Submitted by
Bruce Brown
a Cross Country Rider
from Des Moines
Date Reviewed: 3/4/2007 8:40:15 AM |
|
| Duration Product Used: | 6 months |
| Price Paid: | $45 |
| Purchased At: | NoTubes.com |
| Strengths: | Lightweight race tire with surprising grip. The two I own are both sub 500 grams. Can be used tubed or tubeless. |
| Weaknesses: | Not the best tire when the combination of extreme dry, off camber and steep is mixed together. |
| Similar Products Tried: | Nanoraptors, ACX's, Karma 1.9's, Kenda Small Block 8's |
| Bike Setup: | Dos Niner |
| Bottom Line: | I used these in 4 races last season which including some mud, climbing, sand, leaves and buff singletrack. They were champs for the courses I used them on and I have no complaints. It is surprising how much grip they actually provide in spite of the visual of such low profile knobs. The only course I pre-rode last year where they were not good was at 7 Oaks in Boone, IA. I went down hard a few times as they washed out too often. Obiously, I decided to use another tire for the race. However, they were champs on the other courses I rode. No tire is perfect for all conditions, but these can be the right tool for the right course and conditions. |
|
Value Rating:
Overall Rating:
|
|
|
Submitted by
rich
a Cross Country Rider
from ny
Date Reviewed: 2/19/2007 4:23:42 AM |
|
| Duration Product Used: | 3 months |
| Purchased At: | Bike Junkie |
| Strengths: | light and fast |
| Weaknesses: | limited front tire traction. |
| Similar Products Tried: | Bontrager ACX, Kenda Karma. |
| Bike Setup: | Curtlo 29 softail, Stans 355 rims. |
| Bottom Line: | The tires inflated very easily with a floor pump and 2ozs of fluid and the bead seated just as easy. The tires are very fast, although the lack of side knobs limits cornering traction. A Crow in the rear and a Karma in the front works excellent. |
|
Value Rating:
Overall Rating:
|
|
|
Submitted by
Joel
a Cross Country Rider
from Silver Spring, MD, USA
Date Reviewed: 9/11/2006 1:56:05 PM |
|
| Duration Product Used: | 3 months |
| Price Paid: | $45 |
| Strengths: | light weight, very fast rolling |
| Weaknesses: | flimsy sidewalls, poor mud shedding |
| Similar Products Tried: | this is my first set of 29er tubeless; I've ridden WTB Motoraptors with tubes until now |
| Bike Setup: | Salsa Dos-niner |
| Bottom Line: | First, the sidewalls of these were very porous. It took a lot of Stan's goop to plug up all the pinholes. Then I put a healthy slice in the sidewall of one while riding a very moderate trail. I don't even recall hitting any rocks or anything! Could it have been a blowout? Finally, it's really easy to get the tread all packed up with mud that doesn't come out until you really get them going again. I'm going back to heavier tires with more tread depth - these were a waste of 100 bucks for the pair after shipping. |
|
Value Rating:
Overall Rating:
|
|
|
Submitted by
Javaman Cannon
a Racer
from Fruitport,MI,USA
Date Reviewed: 7/29/2006 8:44:33 AM |
|
| FavoriteTrail: | North Country Trail-Red Bridge |
| Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month |
| Price Paid: | $50 |
| Purchased At: | Notubes.com |
| Strengths: | Very Light,Had to uninflate and reinflate due to not getting bead fully seating first time out using tubeless. I mounted them on a new set of Notubes 29'r ztr wheels.Tip 1- make sure you have complete soapy/water solution on beads and rim.(Seals much better that way)My favorite training loop was way faster, and could actually push one cog higher. Too new to give long term report yet. |
| Weaknesses: | Sealing and seating of bead tricky for a novice to tubeless(like me), but attention to detail overcomes probs. |
| Similar Products Tried: | Bontrager race lite |
| Bike Setup: | GF Paragon, stock |
| Bottom Line: | If you want speed and amazing smoothness...this is the only way to go!!!!Pricey. |
|
Value Rating:
Overall Rating:
|
|