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Home | Product Reviews | 29er Tire | Panaracer Rampage 29 | ||||
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Submitted by
Julius
a Cross Country Rider
from San Diego, CA, USA
Date Reviewed: 4/4/2008 3:41:19 PM |
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| FavoriteTrail: | Noble Canyon, CA |
| Duration Product Used: | 6 months |
| Price Paid: | $24 |
| Purchased At: | Full Cycles |
| Strengths: | Volume, traction, durability, tread life, cheap |
| Weaknesses: | Heavy, rolling resistance |
| Bike Setup: | Soma Juice 1x9 w/ Flow 29er 36h |
| Bottom Line: | These tires are awesome for the price. I've thrashed them on rocks, grass, roots, mud, and ruts and they still keep on ticking. What's even more amazing is the tread life, I've ridden at least 4 days a week the last 4 months and the tire still looks like new. The only downside is they are bit heavy so you probably shouldn't race with them but definitely perfect for tech XC/AM. I have mine on Flows and it adds so much more traction on corners. I plan on going tubeless soon so fascinated how Rampage holds up. |
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Submitted by
Rain Man
a Cross Country Rider
from Australia
Date Reviewed: 1/16/2008 2:49:49 PM |
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| FavoriteTrail: | Local |
| Duration Product Used: | 1 Year |
| Price Paid: | $30 |
| Purchased At: | LBS |
| Strengths: | Updated Review on these tires.... Incredible grip, they hold on in corners like they have claws! Cheap, last a long time in the dirt. Reasonably light, can be used for any style of riding from XC to light AM. |
| Weaknesses: | None that I have found so far. |
| Similar Products Tried: | Lots of different brands of 29'er tires. |
| Bike Setup: | RIP 9 AM. SS One Niner. |
| Bottom Line: | These tires, which I first tested over a year ago, have proven themselves to be 100% reliable for me in all types of riding from XC to AM. I ran them on Alex TD17's and also on American Classic rims. I set them up with tubes and ran them that way for a few months, then switched them over to tubeless using Stans on Stans Flow rims. I have never ever had one fail on me, through many hundreds of trail rides. No sidewall cuts, and I abuse them through plenty of rocks. I tested these tires alongside the Kenda Nevegal's, and whilst the Nevegals are a very good tire, the Panaracer Rampage just shades them for overall performance in all conditions. They have plenty of volume, they roll well on the dirt, and their grip in corners is absolutely amazing! I really can't fault this tire. Lately, I have been thrashing them on my AM RIP 9, jumping off stuff, riding flat out over rocks and roots, crunching them into logs and steps, giving them a really hard time, and I do that to them almost every day of the week. No problems at all. As a matter of fact, they let you go scary fast on a bike like the RIP 9. If you mount these tires on the Stans Arch or Flow rims and run them tubeless like I am doing, I am sure that you will be as happy as I am with them. The traction and grip is outstanding in all conditions. They wear very well, but if you ride to the trail head like I mostly do, expect the centre knobs to go down faster. In my opinion, these are the best 29'er tires currently available. They have stood the test of time and abuse that I have put them through, and come out the end with flying colours! I recommend these tires highly. Rainman. |
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Submitted by
Will T Smith
a Cross Country Rider
from Valparaiso, IN
Date Reviewed: 1/5/2008 8:40:19 AM |
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| FavoriteTrail: | www.outbacktrail.org |
| Duration Product Used: | 6 months |
| Price Paid: | $30 |
| Purchased At: | Zim's Bike Shop |
| Strengths: | Excellent traction |
| Weaknesses: | Perhaps a bit slow for smooth hardpack. A price of $30 is good for a high quality tire. |
| Similar Products Tried: | Exiwolf |
| Bike Setup: | Karate Monkey XT/X9 level setup on Rhynolite rims. |
| Bottom Line: | I'm not Shiggy and I don't have the luxury of having tried a lot of 29er tires. Tires are too expensive to just "try". I heard good things about this tire so I ordered some. Unfortunately, I messed up the order and got only one. So I was running a Rampage on the front and an Exiwolf on the back. What immediately happened was a LOT of fishtailing through turns. The Rampage would grab while the exi on the rear would keep sliding. When I finally got another Exi for the rear, I noticed a bit more rolling resistance but I could finally carve corners really hard. In general when there isn't a lot of money to spend on tires, I would prefer "all purpose" varieties. This is a great grabber and a faster roller than the Cinders I was using on the 26er. They may not be perfect for any any environment but I doubt they're WRONG for any. These should come standard on 29ers as far as I'm concerned. |
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Submitted by
Aaron
a Cross Country Rider
from Folsom, CA, USA
Date Reviewed: 11/24/2007 9:04:48 PM |
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| FavoriteTrail: | South Yuba |
| Duration Product Used: | 3 months |
| Price Paid: | $35 |
| Purchased At: | RT Bikes |
| Strengths: | Great grip |
| Weaknesses: | Weight, size, rolling resistance |
| Bike Setup: | Niner MCR9 w/ Shimano XT shifters and derailleur, Raceface Evolve crank, Raceface Dues stem and seatpost |
| Bottom Line: | Too big, too heavy, roll too slow for the type of riding I like to do. I rolled these things through several abrupt v ditches, and they bottomed out against the rim. The huge size also made them too squirmy for me in the corners. They also rolled very slow. I'm sticking with Maxxis Ignitors. Don't get these if you like to ride fast XC. |
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Submitted by
Dave
a Weekend Warrior
from Rolla, MO, USA
Date Reviewed: 11/7/2007 7:01:42 PM |
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| Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month |
| Price Paid: | $27 |
| Purchased At: | JensonUSA |
| Strengths: | Tread is directional and can be used as a front tire or a rear tire depending on which direction installed. Beefy, no more whimpy thorn bush flats. Great tread pattern. |
| Weaknesses: | A little on the heavy side, but not bad. |
| Bike Setup: | 2007 Gary Fisher Rig, stock everything but these bad boys. |
| Bottom Line: | I got these tires after i blew out the stock Bontrager Jones XR sidewalls that the bike came with. I went with these tires because of their steller ratings, and boy am I glad I did. These suckers STICK in the corners, your can really lean over with these. They roll fast, break well and are as sure footed as a Sherpa. You can roll on low pressure as well, which is a plus if you're riding ridgid. Awesome tire. I recommend. Cheap too. |
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Submitted by
Art
a Cross Country Rider
from Bend, OR
Date Reviewed: 10/2/2007 7:47:37 PM |
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| FavoriteTrail: | Hidden lakes |
| Duration Product Used: | 6 months |
| Price Paid: | $35 |
| Strengths: | Great cornering, best I've tried. Lasts a long time. |
| Weaknesses: | 800grams but worth it |
| Similar Products Tried: | Exiwolf, Ignitor, Bontrager, Resolution |
| Bike Setup: | As a front tire on a Rip 9 with Duc32, Ignitor as rear tire |
| Bottom Line: | Exceptional cornering traction, somehow better than my Schwalbe Big Betty 2.4 x 26" tire. I can lean way over and rail corners. Also if it does push I won't go down. Resolution was good too but not in the same league. |
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Submitted by
Ken
a Weekend Warrior
from Yucaipa, CA
Date Reviewed: 8/29/2007 2:34:55 PM |
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| Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month |
| Price Paid: | $29 |
| Purchased At: | Jenson USA |
| Strengths: | Great traction and control. Proven reliability from Panaracer. |
| Weaknesses: | none |
| Similar Products Tried: | Panaracer Fire XC Pro (26") and WTB Exiwolf (29") |
| Bike Setup: | Redline Monocog 29er |
| Bottom Line: | Much better traction and control around corners than WTB Exiwolf. I've used Panaracer Fire XC Pro on my other bike and these are very similar in feel/performance. For $29 this was a great deal on a great 29er tire. |
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Submitted by
William Dippel
a Cross Country Rider
from Reno, Nv. USA
Date Reviewed: 8/9/2007 3:20:18 PM |
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| FavoriteTrail: | Peavine/Evans/Tahoe |
| Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month |
| Purchased At: | Poision Spider/Moab |
| Strengths: | Great grip, good rolling. Bike 10 miles to work a couple days a week, 5 on dirt/single track, 5 on pavement. These things handle all of my rock/mud/pavement needs and never complain. Squishy options on pressure makes them fun to tune. |
| Weaknesses: | Have not ridden them that long, but they seem flawless so far. |
| Similar Products Tried: | Kenda Navagals on my 26" |
| Bike Setup: | Niner Rip9 XTR everywhere except Formula Bianco brakes. Flow rims, Chris king head/hubs, Thompson stem/seat tube. |
| Bottom Line: | Seem to roll great on everything dirty, and don't slow me down on pavement. My Kenda's might have gripped a little better in some dirt, but they both grab like goats and dont let you slide around. |
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Submitted by
Adam Brill
a Weekend Warrior
from Arlington
Date Reviewed: 7/31/2007 9:35:00 PM |
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| FavoriteTrail: | Pirahna Pit |
| Duration Product Used: | 3 months |
| Price Paid: | $60 |
| Purchased At: | Speedgoat |
| Strengths: | Great low volume tire, especially for clydesdales! Sticks to everything including pavement. Works great in all conditions on rocky stuff just air down it rides exceptionally smoothly. Climbs everything I can handle - tires are rarely the weakest link - that would be me usually. |
| Weaknesses: | knobs can get scuffed off fairly easily if you lock them up on pavement. Not as good a low volume tire as a Exiwolf which can run around with maybe 10 psi in them. |
| Similar Products Tried: | WTB Exiwolf |
| Bike Setup: | Avid BB7 185 disc brake w/ Speed Dial lever; WTB Race V saddle; Profile Racing MTB Race 3-piece cranks w/ 33T, titanium sprocket, FSA Pig DH Pro headset, Funn FatBoy Slim riser bar, Race Face Good N Evil grips, Phil Wood SS Hubs w/ Salsa Delgado Cross rims, Thomson X4 stem, Panaracer Rampage tires w/ WTB tubes |
| Bottom Line: | Buy them - they rock on everything except pavement. |
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Submitted by
Random Drivel
from marin, CA
Date Reviewed: 5/11/2007 8:42:00 PM |
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| FavoriteTrail: | Hitler |
| Duration Product Used: | 3 months |
| Purchased At: | 31. |
| Strengths: | Grippy. Side knobs don't flex much. High volume, cushy tire. Manly knobs. Easy to seat on rim. |
| Weaknesses: | Weight, all 800g. Weightweenies need not apply. |
| Similar Products Tried: | Kenda Nevergos, Ignitors, Weirwolfs. |
| Bike Setup: | Inbred 1 x 9 |
| Bottom Line: | Great handling, high volume, cush tire. Buy if you are running rigid, singlespeed, or just want a high volume tire that will take some abuse and allow you to push your limits. Not as much traction as my Nevegals but pretty close. |
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Submitted by
pinkheadedbug
a Cross Country Rider
from canada
Date Reviewed: 5/10/2007 9:22:05 PM |
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| Duration Product Used: | 3 months |
| Purchased At: | pricepoint.com |
| Strengths: | traction, ride |
| Weaknesses: | slow, rumbly on tarmac |
| Similar Products Tried: | irc mythos, kenda nevegal, maxxis high roller |
| Bike Setup: | Niner SIR9 w/ Reba |
| Bottom Line: | Go. Buy. Them. Now. The Nevegals are a bit stickier, but much slower. The Rampages give you traction where you don't deserve any, without the speed penalty. Brilliant tires which encourage you to pop every hit, blast through the rough stuff, and take the corners fast. Lovely things. Get them. Fantastic value from Pricepoint. |
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Submitted by
Anthony
from Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada
Date Reviewed: 1/29/2007 11:17:41 AM |
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| Duration Product Used: | 3 months |
| Similar Products Tried: | WTB Exiwolf, Maxxis Ignitor |
| Bike Setup: | Rigid Karate Monkey, Velocity Dyad/LX wheels |
| Bottom Line: | I'm no expert racer, but for me this is the best 29er tire out there. It's big, knobby and just feels and looks great on the bike. I ride half the year on snow and get great traction and handling. I'm 250+ and put a lot of weight on my tires and so far it seems to be holding up well. |
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Submitted by
Rain man
a Cross Country Rider
from AU
Date Reviewed: 12/20/2006 5:48:24 PM |
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| FavoriteTrail: | Local |
| Duration Product Used: | 3 months |
| Price Paid: | $40 |
| Purchased At: | Bike29 |
| Strengths: | Supple casing..nice soft feeling tire with good big knobs. Hangs on well in corners. |
| Weaknesses: | Seems to wear fairly quickly. |
| Similar Products Tried: | Everything available. |
| Bike Setup: | One Niner and SIR 9. |
| Bottom Line: | The Rampage was the first big tire available to 29'er riders that had decent volume and grip. The side knobs hang on really well in the bends when pushed hard, and the tire rolls well in the dirt. A little slow on the hard surfaces, but nothing to complain about. It's when you push this tire hard that you begin to appreciate the big step forward that Panaracer has made for 29'er riders everywhere. It has exceptional grip and traction off road and with it's nice supple casing it just floats over stuff really well. Abrasions from rocks don't seem to worry it, and the tire is good under 99% of conditions that I tried it in. Overall, I was and am pleased with this tire. It does everything nicely. The side knobs are beefy and hang on like fluff on a blanket in the sketchy conditions. The centre knobs wear fairly quickly on sealed surfaces, but that's the price you pay for riding to the trailheads. The rubber feels soft and makes for a comfortable ride at low 20-25psi pressures. Bottom line? The first of the big volume big knob tires on the market for 29'ers that gets the job done. In my opinion, second in outright grip to only the Kenda Nevegal, this is a fantastic tire. R. |
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Submitted by
GlowBoy
a Cross Country Rider
from Portland OR
Date Reviewed: 12/20/2006 5:17:05 PM |
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| FavoriteTrail: | Lost in oregon |
| Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month |
| Price Paid: | $37 |
| Purchased At: | lacemine29.com |
| Strengths: | Fantastic cornering and braking grip in loose, dry conditions. Fantastic climbing grip in the "rear" dirtion, still very good in the "front" direction, and rolls amazingly fast for a full knobby in that direction. Awesome volume (for a 29"er), with a very durable casing that can take (for me) big hits. A new level of cush vs. what has previously been available in 29". |
| Weaknesses: | Won't marry me. |
| Similar Products Tried: | Bontrager XR, Bontrager ACX, Kenda Karma 1.9, Kenda Klaw, Kenda Khan, Maxxis Ignitor, Panaracer Rampage, Schwalbe Black Jack 1.9, WTB ExiWolf, WTB Nanoraptor, and too many smaller 700c tires to count. |
| Bike Setup: | - Surly Karate Monkey, currently 3sp hub commuter. - Vulture custom 29" SS EBB hardtail. - Lenz Sport Leviathan 29"x3" full suspension. |
| Bottom Line: | Here's what I wrote a few weeks ago after getting some good rides in on the Rampages: "Haven't tested them back to back with other tires, but they held their own on Friday's 24 mile Waldo Lake ride with moderate roots and rocks in wet, often snowy (at first crunchy, gradually changing to slick and slushy) conditions. No complaints. Although wet, this ride did NOT involve particularly sticky or slippery mud, so I'll have to reserve judgment on this tire's performance in "real" NW mud conditions. "And they excelled in the rocky, dry, dusty terrain of Trail 99/Peterson Ridge on Saturday. They are beefy enough to bash into the loose rocks on this trail without worrying about flats, and grippy enough that you don't have to worry as much about losing control when those rocks roll around on you. As with many central Oregon trails, there's also plenty of deep sand to launch you off into the bushes if you should happen to stray off the track. This ride was a downhill shuttle with 4000' (net 3000' plus additional 1000' climbed) of total descending. On the Rampage, I could get away with a lot more speed through this trail's corners than I could with other tires like the Klaw, Ignitor or even ExiWolf. "There were at least four times on this ride where I got off into the soft stuff and thought I might be in trouble. In each case the Rampage dug in and pulled me back onto the trail. No other tire I have ridden could have yanked me out of the sand pits this way: the Klaw and Ignitor simply wouldn't have been controllable in deep sand at these speeds, and in 2 of the 4 cases (both of which had me starting to unclip in preparation for a crash) I was sideways enough that the Exi would have washed out, without question. Buy it if: you want a big, cushy, grippy tire that can take a beating and isn't a chore to roll. That means YOU. OK, there are 3 other worthy tires in this size class, all introduced the same time as the Rampage. I've only ridden the Rampage, but reports are that the Nevegal has marginally more grip (at the expense of rolling resistance), the Specialized Resolution rolls slightly faste (at the expense of volume and possibly climbing traction), and the WeirWolf LT has more volume and better rolling resistance (at the expense of traction, since its knobs are much shorter). All 4 of these seem like good tires, and the best choice will depend on your mix of riding style and conditions. The Rampage should work pretty well for almost everyone though. |
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Submitted by
joe
a Cross Country Rider
from Staunton,VA ..U.S.A.
Date Reviewed: 12/20/2006 4:45:27 PM |
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| FavoriteTrail: | Dowels Draft |
| Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month |
| Price Paid: | $36 |
| Purchased At: | Path Bike shop |
| Strengths: | Large volume, tread pattern, rolls pretty good for a full knobby |
| Weaknesses: | None |
| Similar Products Tried: | Wtb EXI'S |
| Bike Setup: | MONOCOG 29,DELGADO DISC WHEELS,AVID DISC'S,KING HEADSET |
| Bottom Line: | The bottom line is these tires are what I like in a tire. They do alot of things well. |
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Submitted by
Bill
a Cross Country Rider
from Chico
Date Reviewed: 12/20/2006 1:47:40 PM |
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| FavoriteTrail: | Guardian |
| Duration Product Used: | 3 months |
| Price Paid: | $40 |
| Purchased At: | Bike Barn |
| Strengths: | Great grip and compliance. True mountain tire. Traction, traction, traction and carving, carving, carving. Very firm knobs in an excellent pattern. |
| Weaknesses: | Hard to get. Heavy. Hard to get. Noisy on tarmac. Hard to get. |
| Similar Products Tried: | Kenda Nevegal, Specialized Resolution, WTB Exiwolf |
| Bike Setup: | Fisher Sugar 292 with Tora fork. Riser bars. |
| Bottom Line: | Best 29er tire yet. Yeilds speed and confidence on rough lava-cap local trails and on sweet Tahoe granite. Firm knobs hook up like glue, and yet the ride is smooth and sweet. Did pinch on first ride and others have reported this. None since I've stuck to recommended PSI. Goes on the rim nicely and stays there -- top construction. Nevegal quite similar, Resolution knobs softer and less aggressive hook-up. Have heard 29er riders say this is the best carving tire on the market, period. 29er or 26. Wouldn't disagree. Not lightest race tire. |
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Submitted by
Wadester
a Cross Country Rider
from LC NM USA
Date Reviewed: 12/20/2006 11:54:38 AM |
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| FavoriteTrail: | Nadas |
| Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month |
| Price Paid: | $30 |
| Purchased At: | LBS |
| Strengths: | High volume, good width, good tread, durability seems good. |
| Weaknesses: | Hard to get (at start of production) |
| Similar Products Tried: | WTB Motoraptor, Specialized FastTrak |
| Bike Setup: | RIP9, Lefty Max with Ignitor |
| Bottom Line: | A really good tire. Sticks like glue, floats like a butterfly. |
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