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Submitted by
flyfishagain
a Cross Country Rider
from Calgary
Date Reviewed: July 10, 2008 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$32.00 | | Purchased At: | Cyclepath | | Strengths: | I find these tires to be very smooth and quick rolling. I personally think they are great tires for the hard packed trails. I have also used them on my work commute they have performed great. | | Weaknesses: | Nothing so far. | | Similar Products Used: | Kenda Klaw, Vermin | | Bike Setup: | Giant Trance 1 | | Bottom Line: | These are very quick tire, definitely less agressive than other tires out there. I have had no issues with them in the corners. I have not tried them in mud as everyone says they are not good in those conditions. Highly recommend them as a commuter tire as well, if you do not want to ride slicks. They give you a little extra traction and still let you cruise. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
kiwijames
a Racer
from Lafayette, CA
Date Reviewed: July 10, 2008 | | Favoriate Trail: | Anything in Joaquin Miller Park | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Purchased At: | OEM on Scott Spark | | Strengths: | Fast and great for those sprints on the flats prior to the next climb. The accelerate well. Excellent on the smooth hard pack homogeneous soils it was intended for. Good suspension attributes. Float well over sand pits. | | Weaknesses: | Not that grippy, especially in varied and loose terrain. Not good fun in rock gardens, off camber turns or descents that warrant a little more depth to the traction. | | Similar Products Used: | WTB Velociraptors, Pana XC Fire Pro 127 TPI, Nevegal Tomac | | Bike Setup: | Scott Spark, XT/XTR, Look Quartz, FL100RL, Dt Swiss Nude TC Shock, Dt Swiss X455 w/244hubs, Ritchey WCS bar/stem, Juicy 7 and Joplin. Pana Xc Fire Pro 127 TPI | | Bottom Line: | First off the local terrain is not all hard pack, it constantly changes once you head into a another formation pushed up via tectonics every few miles. I thought they were going to be tits as they were spec'd on my carbon rocket's wheelset. What a disappointment, they slid everywhere on the loose loamy single track and were unsteady in the rock gardens. I used them on the same trails..and just didn't hang with the other tire options/combos I ride on. No issues with flats or anything, just lack of climbing traction and cornering in my area's terrain. I don't foresee any improvement in my opinion once the trails enter Winter conditions. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
biffoz
a Weekend Warrior
from Santa Cruz
Date Reviewed: June 17, 2008 | | Favoriate Trail: | Water Tower | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$50.00 | | Purchased At: | LBS | | Strengths: | Really great DJ tire. It's nice to have such a fast-rolling tire have a little tooth. Versatile: My trail rides have been easier and the faster roll is addictive. I find the front to let go a little early, but most xc tires have the same problem. I've been running a 2.35 Minion F 60a on the front and it's an awesome combination. Depending on the trail, I might run the SB8 on the front. Sick on DJ's; not noisy on ramps and skateparks. Killer tire. | | Weaknesses: | Very thin sidewalls, but they're WAY lighter than Holy Rollers, so that's the trade off. I won't criticize front end grip because that's what you sacrifice for xc roll power. | | Similar Products Used: | Specialized Roll X Pro; Schwalbe Table Top; Holy Rollers; Specialized Enduro 2.4; Minions of all sizes; Blue Groove ST | | Bike Setup: | Transition Bottle Rocket; Giant STP . . . I use the SB8 on both bikes. Bottle Rocket has SB8 rear and Minion 2.35 front; the STP has the SB8 on the front and a Schwalbe Table Top on the rear. | | Bottom Line: | The Small Block 8 is a great tool. On the trail, I'll use it when I want more range. It's maybe the most versatile urban/dj tire out there. It's nice to have the extra grip compared to semi-slicks. Give 'em a try. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Hugh Jass
a
from TO
Date Reviewed: June 3, 2008 | | Favoriate Trail: | The valley | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$34.00 | | Purchased At: | Blueskycycling | | Strengths: | Lightweight, rolls fast, corners great, dual tread compound | | Weaknesses: | none | | Similar Products Used: | holy rollers | | Bike Setup: | Nice | | Bottom Line: | One of the best tires on the market. It rolls so smooth and fast, very light, and can take some corners. Very useful for street and trail riding. I highly recommend this tire | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Charles Molnar
a Weekend Warrior
from Toronto, Canada
Date Reviewed: May 21, 2008 | | Favoriate Trail: | Don Valley | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$65.00 | | Purchased At: | Cycle Solutions | | Strengths: | This is a fast rolling and smooth tire. | | Weaknesses: | Price, but then it's expensive in Canada. | | Similar Products Used: | Goodyear Mountain Dry. | | Bike Setup: | GT Avalanche 1.0 | | Bottom Line: | This is the 26x2.35 tire. I replaced the Kenda Nevegals that came as stock with the bike. The Small Block Eight rolls very fast and also have bite on dry dirt trails, I've never tried on wet surfaces. This is a great, great tire. Definetly buy this try instead of another brand. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Alan Keyes
a
from City
Date Reviewed: May 14, 2008 | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$25.00 | | Purchased At: | eBay | | Strengths: | Low rolling resistance, low weight, good on hard/dry surfaces. | | Weaknesses: | Not good in wet mud. There are better tyres out there for some aspects of off-road riding. | | Similar Products Used: | Kenda Nevegal 2.35 | | Bike Setup: | All-Mountain Giant VT | | Bottom Line: | My review is for the 2.1" wire bead version.
Generally I find these awesome. They really transformed the feel of my ride comparred to 2.35" Kenda Nevegals. They make everything seem much smoother and easier which can make for a more pleasurable ride out. My only regret is that I would opt for the 2.35" versions now instead of 2.1" as I do miss the added volume, for this reason I find I have to be a bit more careful in rocky circumstances to reduce the chance of snake bites and rim damage, which can mean running higher than usual pressures to compensate which makes them less comfortable in the bumps and less grippy on loose surfaces.
I love these tyres for most of the riding I do. There are only very few instances where they're not the best choice, but for the vast majority of the time they perform admirably and the benefits of low rolling-resistance and weight more than make up for the odd shortcoming. This is going to depend precisely on what type of terrain you ride most and how. They're probably not going to suit DH, FR, or mud plugging at all. For most everything else they could be a strong choice. They're a good intermediate tyre between slicks and tractor tyres. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Adam
a Weekend Warrior
from melbourne
Date Reviewed: May 13, 2008 | | Favoriate Trail: | windsor jumps | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Purchased At: | came on 07 norco two50 | | Strengths: | Rolls great
corners well
grippy
strong | | Weaknesses: | none so far | | Similar Products Used: | kenda nevegal | | Bike Setup: | dirtjumping; urban assault | | Bottom Line: | this tire is great for urban riding as it can be pumped to 90psi and can go as low as 30psi. it's grippy on corners and with it's dual compound tires it still rolls great. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Tom Nyland
a Weekend Warrior
from Sydney, Australia
Date Reviewed: January 26, 2008 | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$35.00 | | Purchased At: | jenson USA | | Strengths: | Light Weight. Rolls well off road. Very versatile. | | Weaknesses: | Thin side walls means running tubeless is not an option. Reasonable rolling resistance on the road. | | Similar Products Used: | Maxis Holyrollers, Maxis highrollers. Kenda Nevegal | | Bike Setup: | Giant STP, mostly stock | | Bottom Line: | Well recomended. If you were looking to put them on your DJ rig I would probably think of trying holyrollers first as they roll much better on road and just as well off. The small weight gain is more insignificant then I thought it would be. But if your like me and want to try something different, these are the go. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Curt
a Weekend Warrior
from Midway City
Date Reviewed: January 8, 2008 | | Favoriate Trail: | Porc | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$32.00 | | Purchased At: | Jensen | | Strengths: | Light for it's size(600g) fast roller great hardpack grip, good floatation on flat ground, easy to find. | | Weaknesses: | Poor loose ground traction (they pack up) | | Similar Products Used: | Most 2.3-2.4 | | Bike Setup: | Cannondale 1fg | | Bottom Line: | Works very well in the dry hardpack and slickrock, it's fast and a good tire if you ride to you're trails on the road. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Iwan Kemp
a Racer
from Cape Town, South Africa
Date Reviewed: November 18, 2007 | | Favoriate Trail: | Eden / Delvera Blk Route | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$290.00 | | Purchased At: | Cycle Factory Store | | Strengths: | Fast rolling
Great corner grip
Great rear tire
UST or non UST versions
Fairly light for UST tire | | Weaknesses: | Best suited to rear | | Similar Products Used: | Maxxis, Michelin, Geax, Specialized | | Bike Setup: | Titus MOto Lite II with RS Rev 426, SRAM XO / XTR mix | | Bottom Line: | Great tire that outperforms all other tires I have tried on several bikes. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Bark dog
a Cross Country Rider
from Salem, Oregon USA
Date Reviewed: November 17, 2007 | | Favoriate Trail: | mckenzie | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$45.00 | | Purchased At: | Santiam Bicycle | | Strengths: | (2.35 version!) Great volume/bump absorbsion; very good rolling resistance; surprisingly good traction, even in some medium-wet dirt. | | Weaknesses: | Not a mud tire (duh). Slips quickly over wet roots (double duh). Not free. | | Similar Products Used: | Nevegal 2.35; Adrenaline 2.0; Roll-X 2.0. | | Bike Setup: | '05 Stumpjumper FSR -- and '02 Gary Fisher HKEK converted to singlespeed. (I use the Smallblock on both.) | | Bottom Line: | (I have the 2.35 version.) It's only been about 4 months but I think this tire is outstanding. It has the volume of the Nevegal 2.35, which makes it incredible at smoothing out the bumps if you run it around 30-35psi (I do and I'm 195 lbs now). I was very, very surprised at the grip! The Nevegal 2.35 beats 'em hands down in terms of grip, but the Smallblock still has great braking and cornering even when there's some wetness in the dirt. They are by no means a mud tire (they'll clog and slip) but they're no disaster when the trail turns a little wet (another surprise). That said, I'm using them mostly for summer/dry/dusty trails.
They're not quite as fast rolling as I'd hoped, but close enough (they beat the snot out of the Nevegal 2.35 on that). I'd still use them for racing, although I'm not the a serious competitor at all. Not surprisingly, they spin out quickly on wet roots and make a unique, loud "brrrrrp" when they do.
Get 'em for dry / medium dry conditions, trail riding and maybe some racing. 3 chilis on value only because I paid a lot for 'em. 5 Chilis overall because, well, they do what they're supposed to do: kick butt in everything but mud. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Daryl King
a Cross Country Rider
from Boise, Idaho US
Date Reviewed: November 3, 2007 | | Favoriate Trail: | Santa Ana Mtns SoCal | | Duration Product Used: | Tested or demo'ed only | | Purchased At: | Got for free | | Strengths: | Very low rolling resistance, sticky, super fast going down hill | | Weaknesses: | The same things that probably make them great for XC racers on groomed courses, made them kinda scary on my trail ride today | | Similar Products Used: | Kenda Nevegals, Blue Groove, Maxxis | | Bike Setup: | 5 Spot Trailbike | | Bottom Line: | Long climb today, hardpack, some loos sand over hardpack, and loose rock over hardpack. They seemed to break loose to easy going up over the loose over Hardpack, but I had my suspensions locked out.
Going down, super fast, fastest tires I've ridden, but kinda scary - not enough bite on the front on the loose rock over hardpack. I took it off the front and put the nevegal back on the front. We'll see how it does as a rear tire with a more bitey front.
I've ridden enough to know these would be an exceptional XC race tire and that is soley what my rating is based off of. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Paul
a Cross Country Rider
from Scottsdale, AZ 85255
Date Reviewed: October 22, 2007 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$45.00 | | Purchased At: | bicycle showcase | | Strengths: | fast, grabs on the turns, all terrain tire | | Similar Products Used: | Smokers, | | Bike Setup: | Scott Scale 10 Scram XO w/ standard Scott Tubless tires | | Bottom Line: | Scott tires come now where near these Kenda Small Blocks | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Dan Abel
a Cross Country Rider
from South Korea
Date Reviewed: October 14, 2007 | | Favoriate Trail: | NA | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$35.00 | | Purchased At: | Price Point | | Strengths: | Sticky, Rolls Fast, Climbs Awesome, Corners Great, Takes bumps, roots rocks well, Great on rocks, sand, dry pack and slighly wet surfaces. All around great XC/all mountain tire. Highly Suggest to anyone. | | Weaknesses: | I've heard mud but haven't gotten that chance yet. | | Similar Products Used: | NA | | Bike Setup: | 2006 Specialized Stumpjumper FSR Comp, Stock Shocks 2XFox, I am 210lbs 5ft 8in rider and run the rear at 32 and front at 34. | | Bottom Line: | Great Tire, Fast, Sticky, Fun.....Good on climbing dry loose stuff. A++++++++++++ | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
John
a
from Tucson, AZ
Date Reviewed: October 5, 2007 | | Favoriate Trail: | Bootleg Canyon | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$34.00 | | Purchased At: | Jenson USA | | Strengths: | Very fast rolling, very good grip on most surfaces! You can really maintain momentum with these. It helps a ton with long climbs. | | Weaknesses: | With the short knobs, tire imperfections and wobble are much more noticeable (visibly, as I can't actually feel it).
Very sketchy at too high of a pressure, keep them low. They still roll very fast with low pressure so don't worry about that. | | Similar Products Used: | WTB Velociraptors, WTB Wierwolfs | | Bike Setup: | IronHorse MK3 Sport | | Bottom Line: | I ride almost exclusively on pack and loose-on-pack and rocky terrain, all very dry conditions. I'm running 2.35 front and rear at 30/34 psi (I'm about 230lbs with camelback). They are mounted running ramp-forward front with reverse-rear direction (for climbing traction) and they are absolutely fantastic!
In the photos, the knobs look a lot shorter than they really are. The 2.35 is very plush feeling at the above pressures and makes for very confident cornering and very smooth floating over embedded rocks. They also float over sand pretty well in a straight line. They have loads of traction at higher speeds and even climbing out of the saddle.
My favorite part of this tire is how fast it rolls considering it's grippiness. It feels like a semi-slick but grips like a knobby. I feel like I'm seriously hauling butt on the trail with these with minimal effort. They really accelerate out of dips and slow turns with ease! They make certain death climbs possible for me given the low rolling resistance and ability to maintain momentum!
I've considered a Nevegal on the front, which I still might try. But I'm skeptical as to how much or IF it will help other than make it feel slower.
My only gripe with this tire as that both of them are wobbly. I thought I wasn't mounting them properly but it really is just the tires. I was little pissed at first, but once I got them on the trail I didn't notice it at all so I don't care anymore. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Austin
a Cross Country Rider
from Houston, TX
Date Reviewed: September 24, 2007 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$45.00 | | Purchased At: | LBS | | Strengths: | Very good traction in just about any trail condition you throw at it, low rolling resistance. | | Weaknesses: | none thus far | | Similar Products Used: | Ritchey Zmax | | Bike Setup: | Ti Kish hardtail w/ XTR/XT/CK/Mavic/Thomson/ETC.. | | Bottom Line: | I have only used them for two weeks now, but am more than pleased with what they are capable of. I used the Ritchey Zmax tires for 5years, and had no problems with them, but I do notice an improvement on traction (specifically where I used to get two wheel drifts on the local trails) | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Surestick Malone
a Cross Country Rider
from Montreal, QC, Canada
Date Reviewed: September 24, 2007 | | Favoriate Trail: | Coeurs Vaillants | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$45.00 | | Purchased At: | Martin Swiss | | Strengths: | -Low rolling resistance - I'm using the 2.35s at 30PSI Front/35PSI Rear & they roll noticeably faster than the 2.1 WTB Velociraptors I was using previously and the 1.9 Specialized Team Controls I had on the hardtail.
-Grip these things have grip even on the many roots we have here in the east, they seem to let go fairly progressively too.
-Weight - these aren't heavy tires. This combined w/low rolling resistance means they accelerate well. | | Weaknesses: | They do pack up with mud really easily. That said, they do seem to retain a good portion of their grip even when filled with mud. They are not a mud tire though.
| | Similar Products Used: | WTB Velociraptors
Specialized Team Control | | Bike Setup: | GT iDrive XCR2000. 4" Front & rear. Z3 Bomber front & Pushed Fox Float-R in the rear.
Basically not quite enough travel for All mountain & too heavy to be an XC bike ;-) | | Bottom Line: | I'd buy them again in a heartbeat.
Probably the biggest advantage they have is the fact they roll so fast. This means you can get away with a bigger tire & the advantages that that entails (extra grip from the size & the lower pressure you can run and extra comfort) without paying the price in rolling resistance, or in this case much extra weight.
Just don't use them in the mud. a dry trail with a few muddy holes here & there isn't a problem but otherwise...
I'm giving them 5 chilis overall & 5 for value as the price is competitive w/other higher end tires. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Flip_B
a Cross Country Rider
from UK
Date Reviewed: September 18, 2007 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$30.00 | | Purchased At: | ebay | | Strengths: | Light and low rolling resistance so compared to most tyres they are very very fast. Did I say fast? | | Weaknesses: | Disappointing - don't be taken in by the marketing bull, these are not as grippy as claimed. If the terrain is uniform hardpack/loose topsoil then they seem okay. Throw in any loose objects larger than a peanut and they're all over the shop as the tread can't get purchase.
Additionally the tyres were warped from new (one slightly, the other moderately) - although it didn't affect the function I got sick of peeps telling me that my wheel was buckled... | | Similar Products Used: | Kenda Nevegal, Blue Groove, Panaracer Fire XC, Continental Cross Country, WTB Velociraptor, Panaracer Smoke/Dart, Ritchey Z-Max, few others I can't remember | | Bike Setup: | XTC, Rebas | | Bottom Line: | Fast in a straight line, would consider for race day when you need a little more grip than semi slicks. For trail riding I would not consider these suitable unless you want straight line speed above all else OR you ride in hard baked dirt. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Wayne
a Cross Country Rider
from Guadalupe, California
Date Reviewed: September 13, 2007 | | Duration Product Used: | Tested or demo'ed only | | Price Paid: |
$30.00 | | Purchased At: | Sea Otter | | Strengths: | Not tested | | Weaknesses: | Side wall has buldges that I would not trust riding anywhere on. | | Bottom Line: | I am trying to get a replacement from Kenda but I have to jump through some hoops to get it. I hope the rest of the Kenda riders won't have to do what i am doing. I know that if Mr. John Tomac saw this signature tire of his it would be in the trash. Tire was mounted on a mavic X717 rim with a Kenda blue stipe tube matched for that 2.1 tire. | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Paul
a Cross Country Rider
from Scottish Borders
Date Reviewed: September 10, 2007 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Purchased At: | Wiggle | | Strengths: | Very Fast
Very Light
Better all rounder than you would expect | | Weaknesses: | None | | Bike Setup: | Specialized Stumpjumper FSR Comp | | Bottom Line: | I've used these for most of the British summer, which has been really wet. I know that these are meant to be for dry and dusty condition, but they seem to shed mud surprisingly well. I had to use them for Selkirk Merida which was a mud bath, they held up just fine. Not the best tyre for these condition, but I've ridden worse.
In the dry they are simply superb | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
gregg
a Weekend Warrior
from thousand oaks, ca.
Date Reviewed: August 13, 2007 | | Favoriate Trail: | wildwood park | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$40.00 | | Purchased At: | lbs | | Strengths: | really great traction coupled with very low rolling resistance- the "holy grail" of tire performance. plenty of audible warning before they break loose. | | Weaknesses: | none so far | | Similar Products Used: | motoraptors, kenda nevegals, irc notos, fire xc's, velocirapters, fisher fastrax, ground controls (i've been around awhile) | | Bike Setup: | giant trance x2- which really rocks- can you say "perfect trail bike?" | | Bottom Line: | i'm running the 2.35 version for ultimate float over soft stuff. so far this is the best tire i've ever used. truly incredible grip for a tire with such small knobs. just before you loose traction it sounds like velcro separating-the early warning anti-biff feature. fast on pavement/hardpack, sticky in the soft stuff- what more is there? | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Keith Q
a Cross Country Rider
from Cary, NC
Date Reviewed: July 23, 2007 | | Favoriate Trail: | Lake Crabtree | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$35.00 | | Purchased At: | JensonUSA | | Strengths: | Light weight, fast, good traction | | Weaknesses: | Non-UST version - sidewalls may be too thin for sealant | | Similar Products Used: | Kenda Karma, Panaracer Dart & Smoke, Ritchey Z? | | Bike Setup: | Giant Anthem1 frame, custom build | | Bottom Line: | This is for the 26 x 2.1 non-UST version. I bought these for my first XC race and am very impressed. After doing a lot of reading/inquiring on the forums for a lightweight, fast, grippy tire for XC racing, I initially got a set of Kenda Karmas and found them to really suck on anything w/loose surface. Frustrated, I went back to the drawing board. Based on the reviews below, Kenda Small Block 8's sounded like a great choice, so I bought a set from Jenson. They were supposedly in stock when I ordered, but then I find out they're not and had to wait a couple weeks. Luckily, I still had a couple weeks to try them out before my first race. My initial impressions were very good - light and fast, and they actually grip quite well in the dry/loose surfacy conditions I've been riding in lately. Thanks to the guys who posted below, I finally scored a tire that lives up to the hype. I run super-light tubes in them instead of Stan's sealant, as I found when trying to run Stan's w/o tubes in the non-UST Karmas, there were a lot of pinhole leaks in the sidewalls and read reports of the same (below) with non-UST Small Block 8's. They held up perfectly in my first XC race, got me the win by 3 minutes in Beginner 30+ (I'm 44). Bottom line - these tires rock! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Juanzelli
a Cross Country Rider
from San Francisco, CA
Date Reviewed: July 19, 2007 | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$19.00 | | Purchased At: | Kenda Rider Support | | Strengths: | Light and fast | | Weaknesses: | No good in hydrated soil | | Similar Products Used: | Panaracer Fire XC, Kenda Blue Groove/Nevegal | | Bike Setup: | Singlespeed | | Bottom Line: | I recently moved from Atlanta to San Francisco. These tires didn't hook up well on Georgia trails due to pine straw and loosely-packed dirt. When riding the hard-packed trails of the Bay Area, these tires work quite well for XC-type stuff. If you are going to bomb hills, there are basically no side knobs for cornering at speed so I wouldn't advise this tire. They roll really fast and are really light. I weight 175 and have only one flat due to a thorn. My girlfriend rides them on her RacerX and likes them too. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
R. P.
a Cross Country Rider
from Folsom, CA
Date Reviewed: June 12, 2007 | | Favoriate Trail: | Too many to say | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$46.00 | | Purchased At: | Bycicle Plus | | Strengths: | Great rolling speed, cornering, hard pack performance | | Weaknesses: | Sidewalls, awkward fit, too many flats | | Similar Products Used: | Maxxis High Roller Semi-Slick | | Bike Setup: | Various | | Bottom Line: | This tire is fast and furious. Buy it if you want a fast performing XC tire.
The only problem is that you tend to get too many flats (I've had 7 flats so far and I've only ridden it for around 250 miles). From what I read here, the 200+ guys may have problems with it. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Richard Price
a Cross Country Rider
from Mammoth Lakes, ca, USA
Date Reviewed: June 1, 2007 | | Favoriate Trail: | Yost Meadows | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$30.00 | | Purchased At: | Kenda Booth Fontana NMBS | | Strengths: | Great tread design, fast rolling, and lots of grip. Small but numerous knobs grab lots of ground. Corners great.
Have ridden this tire a lot in Mammoth where we have no dirt, just sand and it works great.
Purchased a tire from the Kenda booth during the NMBS race in Fontana. Lots of the pros were using these tires on the sandy but fast course. They had a promoting going on as they were one of the sponsors of the race. Buy a tire and they would set it up for you. I purchased a 26X 1.95 non tubeless tire, to set up tubeless(stans) for my rear tire. They set up the tire on a stans rim with the compressor and stans goop began spraying out of lots of little holes in the sidewalls. The guy running the kenda booth who set up the tire then said, "All of these small block eights have lots of holes in the sidewalls, and they never set up tubeless." He then said, "Since there is stans goop in the tire we can not warrantee it." Needless to say i was not too happy, as i had just spend over 200$ at the kenda booth. The tire held air for the race but will not hold air for more than 4-5 hours. | | Weaknesses: | Can't set up non tubeless tire tubeless with stans. TO many holes in the sidewalls. Poor productions standards and quality controll standards at Kenda. Poor customer service at the Kedna booth. | | Similar Products Used: | Maxxis Larsen | | Bike Setup: | Scott scale carbon ht, ac hubs, stans rims. Fast race set up. | | Bottom Line: | Great tire tread design. Poor productions standards and quality. Very poor customer service from the Kenda booth at the NMBS races. If they knew that these tires never set up tubeless because of the sidewall problems they should not have offered to set up the tire. Especially if they would not warantee the tire after it was set up with stans goop.
I would definately recommend this tire, but the company is questionable. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
aaron
a Racer
from murfreesboro
Date Reviewed: June 1, 2007 | | Favoriate Trail: | sewanee | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Purchased At: | moab | | Strengths: | almost zero rolling resistance. sturdy in the turns, bites well on hard pack as well as rock. outlast michelins 3 to 1 | | Weaknesses: | if the trail is soupy you shouldn't ride them. but you're not supposed to ride a trail when its wet anyways right? snake creek race?? | | Similar Products Used: | pythons, michelins | | Bike Setup: | 2004 obed litespeed, rockshox sid team world cup, xtr, mavic, ritchey carbon risers, thompson elite stem and post, raceface crank, chris king headset. | | Bottom Line: | hey if you're serious about winning on single track xc then check these out. i noticed a big difference and i actually took first on my first race with these. i swear by them and if you ask anyone in the south east i'm sure they will agree. awesome tire, great tread life, super fast, and sticks in the corners...what more can we ask for? | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jason
a
from Modesto, CA
Date Reviewed: May 10, 2007 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Similar Products Used: | WTB Mutanoraptor 2.4 and WTB Nanoraptor 2.1 | | Bike Setup: | Santa Cruz Bullit with trail riding build | | Bottom Line: | I really like the 2.35 version of this tire. I had problems pinch flatting all 2.1 Kenda models used in the rear...but I'm 230 lbs! So I decided to try the 2.35 and they work great. I mostly use them on hard pack and they have become my permanent XC/trail tires. Super-low rolling resistance! And the 2.35 is light. When things get rough I swap them out for 2.35 Nevegals front and rear...another permanent set-up for me. Highly recommend both models! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
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