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Submitted by
ronald ngai
a
from burnaby
Date Reviewed: May 20, 2008 | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Strengths: | EXCELLENT MOUNTAIN TIRE...EXCELLENT IN SAND ( BEACH) LOTS OF TRACTION, IN SNOW, ICE AND RAIN...MADE FOR ALL TERRAIN | | Weaknesses: | REAR TIRE DOESNT HAVE MUCH TREAD LIFE.... | | Similar Products Used: | INNNOVA MTB TIRE | | Bike Setup: | " RAZOR MOUNTAIN" (NAME OF BIKE) | | Bottom Line: | EXCELLENT BIKE TIRE.... THE INNOVA MTB TIRE SUCKED COCK.... ONE DAY USE AND TREADS GONE... KLAW IS 10X BETTER, LOTS OF TRACTION, CONTROL AND STABILITY... RECOMEND ANY ONE WHO LOVES TO GO ON ROUGH TRAILS
HOWEVER, THIS TIRE IS ONLY FOR LIGHT OR MEDIUM TRAIL ONLY...OTHERWISE... VERY GOOD.... WENT UP A ICY HIL AND WENT UP FASTER THAN A CAR...IF PPL THINK SAND CAN STOP THIS TIRE...THEY'RE NUTS.. I WENT IN DEEP SAND... BIKED THROUGH IT AS IF IT WAS LIKE DRY PAVEMENT...THOSE WHO PUT LOW RATING FOR THIS TIRE...U AHVENT SEEN THE TIRE IN EXTREME GEAR | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jim Bob
a Weekend Warrior
from Texas
Date Reviewed: March 22, 2008 | | Favoriate Trail: | the one im riding | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$20.00 | | Purchased At: | came on bike (walmart)EVIL!! | | Strengths: | grips great on everything...even ice well as long as you are careful you cant go carving the ice at 30mph of course but still great | | Weaknesses: | came on a crappy bike (mongoose xr200) slow on pavement but its not made to be fast on pavement so it dosent matter to me | | Similar Products Used: | nothin is really as good | | Bike Setup: | mongoose xr200 with upgraded seat and brakes | | Bottom Line: | good on all terrain and i mean ALL TERAIN (that ive been on) would definately recomend it to any one | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Yak Boss I
a Weekend Warrior
from So.Cal
Date Reviewed: January 26, 2008 | | Favoriate Trail: | Which ever one I'm on | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$25.00 | | Purchased At: | Came stock | | Strengths: | Grips really well on almost all surfaces (mud, hardpack, dusty, slick, whatever) They have gotten me through some slick/muddy rock and other techy terrain that others riders with better (i.e. $$$) have failed on. And it's not due to me meager skills) Corners confidently. | | Weaknesses: | A bit heavy for xc, not a great deep sand tire (but what is?) and it does roll a little slow on pavement | | Similar Products Used: | Piranahs, and all manner of tires on my friends bikes | | Bike Setup: | K2 Crush (same as Attack 2.0) with upgraded Shimano LX brakes/shifters, and seat | | Bottom Line: | There are lighter tires out there that might perform better in any specific condition, but the Klaws would be hard to beat as a good overall tire. Very good trail tire that lets you ride confidently. If you're counting grams, look elsewhere. Value rating rating is high as it's a great tire for the money. Overall rating is only 4 because it's not the perfect tire... but close. | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Martinez
a Weekend Warrior
from Central Coast, California
Date Reviewed: December 21, 2007 | | Favoriate Trail: | Various dirt trails | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Purchased At: | Came with bike | | Strengths: | Runs pretty well on pavement. I put these on whenever I go biking with family (paved roads, no crazy stuff of course). | | Weaknesses: | It's a general-use mountain bike tire, can't expect much from it. | | Similar Products Used: | Kenda Dread Tread, Kenda Karma | | Bike Setup: | Diamondback Response Sport 08, Kenda Dread Tread on rear, Kenda Karma up front. | | Bottom Line: | Versatile mountain bike tire, but I wouldn't push the limits. I've tried doing some uphill stuff at around 45psi and skid half ways through (and it was a small hill). I've also done bunny hops and some short /easy downhill and it did fine. I think it's an okay tire. You can't expect much from a $15 tire. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Cody Fischer
a Weekend Warrior
from Murray, KY
Date Reviewed: September 22, 2007 | | Favoriate Trail: | Canal Loop, LBL | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Purchased At: | Came with bike | | Strengths: | Lots of grip! Aggressive tread. Sheds dirt and mud easily. Lots of control. | | Weaknesses: | Wheelset is heavy. Sidewalls flex. Front tire, maybe too much grip, needs to be worn in some. Loud on pavement. | | Bike Setup: | K2 Attack 2.0 | | Bottom Line: | Great tire! Lots of control, never feels unstable. Works very well on hard pack, loose dirt, very stable in turns and switchbacks. The whole wheelset adds a lot of weight to the bike though. The front tire has a lot of tread and seems to add friction on hardpack, I think the tread just needs to be worn down a bit. The sidewalls seem to flex especially in the front. All around good stable tire. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
M K
a Weekend Warrior
from Twin Cities, MN
Date Reviewed: July 15, 2007 | | Favoriate Trail: | The one Im on | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Purchased At: | Walmart | | Strengths: | Great all around tire, perfect for those like me who use one pair for everything, single track or pavement. | | Weaknesses: | Only the bike they were on.
| | Similar Products Used: | ITS Ninja on my current bike. | | Bike Setup: | Was: Walmart Mongoose XR200. Kendas came on it, only thing good on the bike. | | Bottom Line: | My Walmart Mongoose was stolen, replaced with an Iron Horse Maverick. Wish I still had my tires though, these ITS Ninja tires suck. : ( | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
m k
a Weekend Warrior
from Dallas, GA
Date Reviewed: June 28, 2007 | | Favoriate Trail: | Blankets | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$15.00 | | Purchased At: | on bike | | Strengths: | Good grip, durable, stable at right pressure, good climber | | Weaknesses: | not the fastest tire, lots of roll resistance on pavement. | | Bike Setup: | K2 Attack stock, so far. | | Bottom Line: | Great tire for XC. It will take a beating. have had no problems with flats. Not the best for speed though. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
kevin
a Cross Country Rider
from Tolland
Date Reviewed: June 16, 2007 | | Favoriate Trail: | Anything with dirt | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$40.00 | | Purchased At: | local bike shop | | Strengths: | great tire for all conditions...doesn't stop working in anything...great all trail tire. | | Weaknesses: | nothing much or have not found anything yet. | | Similar Products Used: | maxxis ignitor | | Bike Setup: | ironhorse maverick 4.0 | | Bottom Line: | great tire worth the money to pay for...this will work on anything that you can ride across..does well in mud and on wet trails, climbing with this tire is not a problem it does very well. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
kevin
a Cross Country Rider
from Tolland
Date Reviewed: June 16, 2007 | | Favoriate Trail: | Anything with dirt | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$40.00 | | Purchased At: | local bike shop | | Strengths: | great tire for all conditions...doesn't stop working in anything...great all trail tire. | | Weaknesses: | nothing much or have not found anything yet. | | Similar Products Used: | maxxis ignitor | | Bike Setup: | ironhorse maverick 4.0 | | Bottom Line: | great tire worth the money to pay for...this will work on anything that you can ride across..does well in mud and on wet trails, climbing with this tire is not a problem it does very well. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Bob Wentner
a Cross Country Rider
from Calgary,AB, Canada
Date Reviewed: March 12, 2007 | | Favoriate Trail: | any off road trail | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$35.00 | | Purchased At: | EBay | | Strengths: | Great design; holds well on corners, great traction in dirt and mud (we got lots here!), and no flats! | | Weaknesses: | None | | Bike Setup: | Raleigh; had Giant but it sucked! | | Bottom Line: | Great tires for off roading! No problems with pavement like others claim. Super climbing traction, and steering (missed a few trees on trails that I scuffed with Giant). No problem recommending these to anyone who wants an aggressive tread that really 'Klaws' at the dirt and trails! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
AWDfreak
a Weekend Warrior
from Sunnyvale, CA USA
Date Reviewed: February 4, 2007 | | Favoriate Trail: | anywhere off pavement | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Purchased At: | Target (f-ing department store) | | Strengths: | Great anywhere off pavement. It literally "KLAWs" at the dirt. Unbelievable traction on dirt IMO. I gave these tires hell for 30 min, and they have hardly worn away. | | Weaknesses: | A bit noisy on pavement. Twitchy on wet pavement. | | Similar Products Used: | None, I think | | Bike Setup: | These came with a crappy Magna "EXCITOR" 2X Suspension bike (DON'T BUY THIS BIKE) that had the front tire on both front and back. These tires don't deserve to be used on a crappy "Wal-Mart-ish"/department store bike | | Bottom Line: | These tires are perfect for anyone that rides mostly off-road and occasionally on pavement. Just stay away from wet pavement. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
pierre bourgon
a
from cornwall
Date Reviewed: January 5, 2007 | | Favoriate Trail: | any trail | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$1.00 | | Purchased At: | came on bike | | Strengths: | great in all conditions | | Weaknesses: | none | | Similar Products Used: | Tioga Psycho rear, panaracer dart front | | Bike Setup: | department store non suspention (transportation bike) | | Bottom Line: | well, I thought these tires were intended for hardpack because they handles so well on any hard surface but is intended to be used in the mud and looseness and such. the panaracer dart anihilates the front but the rear destroys the the psycho at the rear on hardpack however the psycho does track a little better in the mud. (but if the front is tracking its all good) | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
scott hargrove
a Racer
from alexandria, la
Date Reviewed: October 20, 2006 | | Favoriate Trail: | clear creek in oxford, ms | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$50.00 | | Purchased At: | biketiresdirect.com | | Strengths: | (29er version) they are truly klaws. they grab the dirt like kleets. they roll very well and handle corners better than any other tire i've used. used to have problems w/ flats A LOT. not one flat since i have used these. i have put over 200 hundred off road miles on these in the past few months and not one tire complant. they recommend no less than 40 psi, but one weekend i was at 25 psi in the mud & they were awsome. i normally run 35 psi & that works well. the shed mud very quickly & have incredible knobbys. great price! they slice through sand and hold a good line. | | Weaknesses: | to narrow (2.1) i would love to have this tire in 2.3 | | Similar Products Used: | hutchenson spider, bontrager (crap) jones, kenda kinetics, kenda karhisma. | | Bike Setup: | gary fisher x-caliber 29er | | Bottom Line: | when these go bald, i'm getting another pair. fixing to get a 29er single speed and will be installing "the klaws" on that one too. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Ian
a Weekend Warrior
from Frederick, MD, US
Date Reviewed: August 14, 2006 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Purchased At: | Under the Sun Sports | | Strengths: | Good Tire, rolls well, never pinch-flatted | | Weaknesses: | In heat, you'll lose rubber over just braking. Rear tire wears fast in heat | | Bike Setup: | Had them on a stock Haro V3 | | Bottom Line: | I had these tires for a year. They never pinch flatted, and they rolled well. Their traction wasn't the greatest, but it wasn't the worst, either. Both tires wear fast in high heat. Rear especially. I took these off steps, curbs, and drops, and nothing ever happened. Maybe mine was a good lemon?
If you're using your bike for commuting and the occasional offroad, these tires would be good. They're cheap, but a little heavy.
And to whoever said the tires were loud: you are an idiot. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
bike rider
a Weekend Warrior
from Little Rock, Ar.
Date Reviewed: July 25, 2006 | | Favoriate Trail: | What ever | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$38.00 | | Purchased At: | Local Shop | | Strengths: | Climbing, braking, and cornering traction on hardpack, loose over hardpack. | | Weaknesses: | None that I have noticed yet. | | Similar Products Used: | IRC, WTB and Bontrager | | Bike Setup: | Fisher 293 | | Bottom Line: | This is for the 29 version. The trails I ride are single track, hard pack and during the summer they get a lot of loose gravel and/or loose dirt over the hard pack. There is also trails with a lot of rocks, loose rocks and sharp pointed rock gardens a roots. I had been riding the WTB Moto Raptor but had to slow way down for curves and would spin out on a lot of climbs. There were several times I had to leave the trail and brush into trees or brush because the tires would give out on me. I new I had to get something better or I was going to hurt myself. I went with the Klaws because they have tires made for the front and the rear. I used to ride the 26" WTB Veloci Raptor that has pretty much the same design (front & rear) and really liked them. Since riding these Klaws they really hook up a lot better in the curves and especially on climbs. I have not had any flats yet. I'm 5'10" about 186 lbs. and run 40 lbs. of air. Can't say anything about the mud yet. I'm sure there are better tires out there but for the 29er they are far and few between. I would not have bought these tires if I had listened to some the previous reviews. I'm glad I didin't. Try them. You'll like them. I know nothing is perfect and there is always room for inprovement. That's way I'm giving the 4's | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Harry Thaung
a Weekend Warrior
from pleasanton california
Date Reviewed: July 5, 2006 | | Favoriate Trail: | waterdog | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Purchased At: | came with bike | | Strengths: | rolls well, knobs, good back end grip | | Weaknesses: | noise, grip, thats about it. | | Similar Products Used: | panaracers i guess but they would kick this tires ass. | | Bike Setup: | 06' diamondback coil ex manitou Qrl rear shock, Mz III fork, 34t rear gears, m470 front brakes, bling bling duals in front and super swampers in back. | | Bottom Line: | if your the kinda guy that uses the same rig for communiting to school/work then this is a good tire for you. THe front tire is decent to say the most. It has no grip, actually i should say it has minimal grip. it will grip for a second then let go, either forcing you to take a wider line into a tree or to understeer into the tree. The back tire i really quite fancy, it has very good offroad grip but its only decent on the street. I could climb very loose gravel hills and forde my fair share of mud bogs with easy. but on the street (107 degrees outside) i was able to hold the front brake, pedal and do an extended standing burnout. All in all this is a very decent tire but i would go with the panaracers instead. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Adam
a Weekend Warrior
from PA
Date Reviewed: April 18, 2006 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Purchased At: | came on bike | | Strengths: | These tires are good at being terrible tires. the braking is ok. | | Weaknesses: | Pretty much everything about them. | | Similar Products Used: | my mongoose i bought i ebay. | | Bike Setup: | Haro V3 Continental tires | | Bottom Line: | So basiclly these tires are good at sucking, but you can buy them and waste $30 or whatever they cost. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Tig
a Racer
from Clear Lake, TX
Date Reviewed: January 1, 2006 | | Favoriate Trail: | The one I'm on | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$26.00 | | Purchased At: | Bay Area Bikes, Webster TX | | Strengths: | Climbing, braking, and cornering traction on hardpack, loose over hardpack, soft, and sandy conditions. | | Weaknesses: | A bit heavy and slower than many other 29" tires. | | Similar Products Used: | For 29", only the sucky Bontrager Jones AC. For 26", more than we have space to list, but not every tire available. | | Bike Setup: | Fisher Rig 29" single speed with a few upgrades. | | Bottom Line: | This is for the 29" version of the front and rear specific Klaws only. Once you've ridden 29's, you won't go back to 26's!
These tires hook up better than ANY tire I've ever ridden on. I haven't put them through heavy mud, but so far they've handled moderate clay/mud well without packing up. Specifically, the front tire corners like velcro in all the conditions I listed in the Strengths section. I have yet to feel the tall knobs squirm under hard cornering and braking. Just last week while hitting a very soft corner in a deep lean that would have been a guaranteed crash on any 26" tire or the old 29" Jones AC's, these tires held perfectly. Sure, every tire has its limits, but what I really like about the Klaws is the feedback they give. You can push cornering traction more and more, knowing the tires will let you know you're at the limit BEFORE sliding out.
Rear tire traction is solid while climbing over roots and rocks, and both tire’s braking is excellent in every instance. The only real weakness would be increased rolling resistance that the tall knobs and tread pattern create. Still, I'd rather rail through corners and climbs with great last second braking than go fast on the straights and slow/crash in the corners. I might go with their 29” Karma’s for a fast, dry, hard pack or rocky course that doesn’t have loose corners, like Waco’s Cameron Park. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
guy
a
from blablalba
Date Reviewed: December 3, 2005 | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Strengths: | brakes well | | Weaknesses: | every thing | | Similar Products Used: | tires i have bought for 1 buck have better grip | | Bike Setup: | norco srotm | | Bottom Line: | for people who like and ride in dry areas this are not 4u...
people who like white areas this is not for u....
this product just dosnt work well and is to expincive for what u get.
the cornering sucks...
the only good thing in it that it brakes well...
D O N O T B U Y T H E S E T I R E S | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
bicyclezero
a
from Massachusetts
Date Reviewed: October 14, 2005 | | Favoriate Trail: | Vietnam or the Fells | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Purchased At: | traded for parts | | Strengths: | OK, this is a follow up report on the Kenda Klaw tires I dissed two reviews ago. Kenda e-mailed me and let me know that I should give them a call. There main people were at Interbike. I told them my experience with the sucky tires and they were really cool about it. The sent me a Nevagal and a Blue Groove as replacements because I had no interest what-so-ever in wasting another ride with the Kenda Klaw cuz' they Kinda suck. I had already replaced the tires with other tires which are still on there and I look forward to trying the race winning tires from Kenda. Bottom line, the tires were bad but the company was good. | | Weaknesses: | Pinch Flats | | Bike Setup: | Ellsworth Isis XC bike | | Bottom Line: | Bottom line, the tires were bad but the company was good. I give Kenda Klaws a one flamin' Chili. But Kenda was good enough to comp me some tires gratis. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
marco
a Weekend Warrior
from massachusetts
Date Reviewed: October 8, 2005 | | Favoriate Trail: | anything over 5 miles | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$35.00 | | Purchased At: | wheels n reels | | Strengths: | knobs look sweet, really handles well in dry dirt, traction is overall nice when it gets rough, acceleration is sweet on these things | | Weaknesses: | got a pinch flat at maximum inflation pressure (65 psi) but i guess it was my fault, jumpin up a curb sideways and slammin it down...kinda sketchy in we weather ridin, was goin down a hill pulled the brake and fell on my face...but that was probably my fault 2 | | Similar Products Used: | toys r us | | Bike Setup: | raleigh ram 1.0 | | Bottom Line: | its a real nice tire for the trails,aggresive or just flat singletrack. they completely saved my stupid @$$ after i landed a 4 foot urban jump off center, but i didn't fall! (you probably shoulnd't jump these tires in the first place)
really good tires...i've accidentaly skidded a lot 2 and they haven't worn down
bike sucks...nice tires! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Bicyclezero
a Cross Country Rider
from Massachusetts
Date Reviewed: September 26, 2005 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Purchased At: | Traded for parts | | Strengths: | Nice traction. Front tire nice through corners. No slip on the rear when climbing steep rock faces. | | Weaknesses: | Pinch Flats allot. I don't get flats. I don't. Maybe one in 15 rides. These things can't handle vigorous New England XT riding. The tires didn't fit tightly on the rims. I could put them on easily without tire irons. I got four pinch flats in four rides. | | Similar Products Used: | Just about every tire maker, Michelin, Hutchinzon, Specialized, Maxxis, Continental all have their good and bad. Hutchinson and Michelin are the better so-far for me. | | Bike Setup: | Ellsworth Isis, Sram, XT cassette, Saint Cranks, Marzocchi Atom 100, | | Bottom Line: | If you want pinch flats galore go get em'! I have an e-mail into them to see if they back up their product with something better than lip-service. We'll see. I'll update to let you know. Stay the f away from these tires. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Bruce Brown
a Cross Country Rider
from Des Moines, IA
Date Reviewed: June 20, 2005 | | Favoriate Trail: | Storm Mountain | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$40.00 | | Purchased At: | Speedgoat | | Strengths: | Review is for the Kenda Klaw XT's in the 29"er version.
Great roller. Excellent in the mud and wet. Front and rear tire specific treads. Durable tire that keeps on giving. | | Weaknesses: | None that I have noticed. If I had to nitpick, I would say the volume is on the smallish side of the 2.1 size when compared to other 2.1's in the 29" tire market. | | Similar Products Used: | WTB ExiWolf's, Bontrager XR's, Bontrager ACX's, Big Apple's, IRC Notos XC | | Bike Setup: | Surly Karate Monkey with SRAM X.0 and Gary Fisher Sugar 293 with SRAM X.9 | | Bottom Line: | I do a lot of riding in wet and mud conditions on a multi-use trail that - due to the amount of rainfall and heavy forest - really never dries out. It's a hiking, biking, snowmobile, XC skiing and jogging trail - and the DNR rangers patrol it with 4 wheelers which simply adds to the "challenging" conditions of the surface. For this particular trail, it is essential to have a set of rubber that can shed the mud and handle the traction on the climbs, corners and roots. Although I have had success with the Bonty ACX's on this trail in the wet conditions, the Klaw's just seem to be a notch better in these particular conditions.
I haven't really ridden the Klaws outside of the trail that I purchased them to conquer, so my review is condition specific and performance specific for mud and wet. The 29" Klaws shine in this environment and earn top rating from me for value and overall performance. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
frankv
a Cross Country Rider
from carbondale
Date Reviewed: April 12, 2005 | | Favoriate Trail: | cedar lake | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$30.00 | | Purchased At: | bike show | | Strengths: | handles well, climbs nicely, folding bead is always handy. | | Weaknesses: | too many flats, short life. | | Similar Products Used: | specialized team control, wtb velociraptor | | Bike Setup: | custom hardtail | | Bottom Line: | the kenda klaw xt performs quite nicely when it does perform. unfortunatly i found myself recieving afew more flats than i desired upon switching to the kenda. i bought this tire for use in soft conditions and this is the area in which it shined. when it was new it out climbed most of my previous tires, however after acouple months the center tread became worn from riding on pavement and the like and now it is no better than a road tire. if you want a tire that will perform well for one season go with the kenda but in the future im sticking to something with alittle more balls. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
GlowBoy
a Weekend Warrior
from Portland OR
Date Reviewed: December 30, 2004 | | Favoriate Trail: | Waldo Lake | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$35.00 | | Purchased At: | Speedgoat & River City Bicycles | | Strengths: | 29" version: Works well in all conditions, and has awesome grip, control and shedding in mud. Rolls decently for a full knobby. Tough enough casing for most riding, and thick enough to allow low-pressure riding without pinch flats. Decent weight. | | Weaknesses: | A little smaller in the casing than I'd like, but that's true of most 29" tires. Wears a little fast. | | Similar Products Used: | 29" Nanoraptors, and numerous 26" mud tires including Hutchinson Alligator, Conti Survival ProTection and Geax Blade. | | Bike Setup: | Rigid singlespeed Surly Karate Monkey w/Thudbuster. | | Bottom Line: | This review is for the 29" version. The 26" version's reviews aren't great, but the 29"er edition rocks. If you see a lot of mud, snow or wet roots on your 29" bike, this is THE tire for you. I'm comparing it with the gold standard for mud tires, the 26" Hutchinson Alligator: the Klaw's mud grip is just as good, and it's very nearly as good control-wise, meaning that if it starts to slip you've got a split second to correct your steering or back off the power before it breaks loose, something that is NOT true of other tires like the Survival. Also quite good in snow and on wet roots. Also, as a 29" tire it tracks much straighter and more controllably through deep mud holes and sand pits. On harder surfaces it rolls as well as the Alligator, which is to say much better than most mud tires out there. I'm 170-ish lbs, and run these at 20/25 psi front/rear, and in 600 miles of off-road riding I have yet to have a pinch flat. Downside is they're really only about a 2.0 in casing size, but we're still waiting for fat 29" tires to hit the market -- and it's only slightly smaller than the Nanoraptor and Jones, which are pretty much the fattest choices out there now. Also they wear a little fast for my taste (the rear has lost 1/3 tread after 600 miles of singlespeeding), but still not too bad and a worthwhile tradeoff for the traction benefits. They work well enough in all conditions (rocks, sand, hard dirt, mud, snow) that I run 'em year round. Worth all 3500 pennies. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Gary
a Cross Country Rider
from Irvine
Date Reviewed: March 25, 2004 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Purchased At: | 25.00 each | | Strengths: | fantasitc grip, light weight, good price | | Weaknesses: | I don't know if it's me, but I didn't have a flat in 8 months. But after I installed these tires, I pinch flatted twice in one day, and again a week later. This time I went over the bars. I'm 200 lbs. but ride light. Maybe it's the light weight soft sidewall? | | Bottom Line: | Not for the heavyweight | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Matt Cross
a Weekend Warrior
from newfoundland
Date Reviewed: June 6, 2003 | | Favoriate Trail: | WANKER | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Purchased At: | on the bike | | Strengths: | good tire, front tire good for packed trails, nice grips on tire | | Weaknesses: | back tire wears down easly, i only have the bike a month now and the back tire is almost wore down to flat. | | Similar Products Used: | other kendas like kenda bearclaw, and kenda kendics | | Bike Setup: | 2003 ironhorse patrol, stock but it needs a new derailer,i had to upgrade the back derailer to a shamino deore because i kept bloweing the derailer many times. | | Bottom Line: | overall this bike is wicked and it can take 4 or 5 foot drops very well with a trainy. front shox are the next thing to go or a bash guard | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Worm man
a Cross Country Rider
from Can
Date Reviewed: March 27, 2003 | | Favoriate Trail: | All over the Place | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Purchased At: | Came on Bike | | Strengths: | Front- Grips exelecent, mad design
Back- Good on road manners, its a street tire, that likes to spend a little time off road | | Weaknesses: | Front- Too narrow only 2.1
Back- Trash for off road, slips on everything, cant even grip pavement, cant climb a loose hill without this thing loosing grip and spinning-tho this may have something to do with my super low gear(I can do a burnout with this tire on cement!) | | Similar Products Used: | Other Kenda tires | | Bike Setup: | IronHorse Partol- not really expensive bike but good bang for buck, duel suspension(4 link) alloy everything, Super low gear(wicked) | | Bottom Line: | Front is really good, better than the other cheaper tires i had on previous bikes, back its trash, a am gonna swap it out sometime! I gotta give these tires a 3 because the back one sux, but the front one rox! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Derek
a Cross Country Rider
from Tolland CT
Date Reviewed: September 15, 2002 | | Favoriate Trail: | The Quarry | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Purchased At: | Mountain City Cycle | | Strengths: | Predictable, good for anything | | Weaknesses: | 1.Heavy 2.Heavy 3.Heavy | | Bike Setup: | DiamondBack Topanga Comp | | Bottom Line: | These tires are really good. The front tire is rounded so you have a ton of traction on corners. They front has barely any drift while the back has more than you would ever know what to do with. Lots of control, but not too confidence inspiring. They stick to more or less anything, but are best in dry/hardpack. I do a lot of biking in a quarry where you've got sand, dry dirt, and more sand, with the rocks. But i've never crashed due to a fla |
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$ 30.00
