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Average Rating
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2.94/5
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# of Reviews
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185
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MSRP
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$ 40.00
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Weight
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More Products from Hutchinson
Submit a Review
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Description:If your rides take you into messy, unpredictable trails, consider a pair of Hutchinson’s Mosquito Gold ultra light tires. Using a combination of silica and carbon rubber, Hutchinson is able to improve both dry and wet traction by over 7% when compared with non-Gold tires. Well-spaced knobs dig down deep to provide excellent traction, but continue to throw mud when most other tires would bog down. The distinctive side compound ensures your tires stay stuck to the trail, giving your bike confident carving power! 490 grams
Casing TFD 127
2.0 width
Yellow/Black
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Submitted by
Keith Walker
a Cross Country Rider
from Wilmington
Date Reviewed: November 25, 2007 | | Favoriate Trail: | Power Lines Cape Cod | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$40.00 | | Strengths: | Fast as hell. | | Weaknesses: | Not that strong a climber. But you can make up for it by getting a lot of speed in the down hill. Don't ride it on the road it has a soft compound. | | Bike Setup: | Old School. | | Bottom Line: | It grips well in hard stuff. It slides out in soft sand turns but learn to drift. It is very fast and can corner well in hard pack. Doesn't hook up on the logs that well. If you are riding in an area that is primarily flat and hard pack this tire is great because you can make up for the slow boring sections by pedaling fast. You have to have some balls to ride this tire though because you will probably go down. And they will get you going fast enough in moderate conditions that you will have to commit yourself to what ever you are trying to do. You don't need to grip on the roots if you can skip over them. Also you can run them at 80 psi everyone thinks you are a psycho because you fly over the stuff that everyone else with the wider grippier tires gets worn out going over. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
nrdbomber
a Cross Country Rider
from east bay, san francisco, ca
Date Reviewed: September 6, 2006 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Purchased At: | came on cannondale jekyll | | Strengths: | umm...can't come up with anything...oh yeah, they're light. | | Weaknesses: | doesn't hook up anywhere, doesn't inspire confidence, doesn't have enough knobs to be called a mountain bike tire | | Similar Products Used: | panaracer dart and smoke...rollin like it's 1996, various specialized, various tioga, various wtb, various maxxis...etc. | | Bike Setup: | 2000 cannondale jekyll 900sl, everything upgraded properly | | Bottom Line: | the only thing that i can think of to like about these tires is that they are pretty light. i don't understand why hutchinson makes this tire, and i really don't understand why cannondale was putting it on their top of the line all mountain bike in 2000! the knobs are so small and widely spaced, that i thought i had been sold a demo bike with 300 or so miles on it. these are not mountian biking tires, they may be well suited for road use, but i don't ride the bike on the street, so i don't know. please, please, please do not buy these tires. i took mine off after two rides and threw them in the garbage. i would have given them away for free, but i didn't want to do that to some poor soul who might actually want to produce traction enough to ride a trail made of dirt. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
J Rock
a Racer
from Wisconsin
Date Reviewed: June 24, 2006 | | Favoriate Trail: | 9 mile wausau | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$50.00 | | Purchased At: | performance | | Strengths: | rolls way fast and clears mud like you couldn't imagine. Comes in my favorite size the 1.85. | | Weaknesses: | pricey if not on sale and they do wear fast but hey if your racing you're usually changing out tires on a regular basis anyways | | Similar Products Used: | Schwalbe racing ralphs and jimmy lights. Bontrager Jones Mud X. | | Bike Setup: | 2004 Rockhopper comp with Bontrager race lite gxp crank, thomson elite post, rhyno lite rims, avid bb7 disc. answer carbon handle bar. Specialized stem. avid speed dial brake levers xt hubs and cassette, sram pc991 hollow pin chain. | | Bottom Line: | Great all around tire. I was nervous about using them in a mud bath race situation but performed great in the greased atv trail leadout. I love the lack of rolling resistance and would buy another pair if I can find more 1.85's. THIS BY NO MEANS IS THIS A ROOKIE WEEKEND WARRIOR TIRE. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Sam
a Cross Country Rider
from Raleigh, NC
Date Reviewed: January 19, 2006 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$15.00 | | Purchased At: | Performance Bike @ Chapel Hill | | Strengths: | Looks cool, fast on hardpack\gravel | | Weaknesses: | Too narrow for mud or rooted trails. If it's the least bit wet you will have trouble | | Similar Products Used: | WTB slicks, Michelin slicks | | Bike Setup: | Trek 8500, All XT, Psylo, | | Bottom Line: | I bought this tire b\c I needed a replacement for my Michelin slick that blew out and this was really cheap and I figured I couldn't go wrong for $15. Man was I wrong. Stay away from this tire. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Roger
a
from Boise, Idaho, USA
Date Reviewed: November 11, 2005 | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$25.00 | | Strengths: | They have some yellow on the tread and that's a happy color. Oh, and they seem to roll pretty well and are light wt. I got the 1.85's | | Weaknesses: | very poor corning grip with only acceptable climbing grip, they pinch flat very easily, supposedly they wear out fast (I am not going to find out because I took them off the bike after three rides) | | Similar Products Used: | WTB NanoRaptor (love these), WTB Epic Wolf (great tire) and numerous others by specialized, ritchey, panaracer, conti on and on .....back to those original ground controls and farmer johns of the late jurassic period | | Bike Setup: | Ionic Steelhead 853 w/ xtr and SID shock | | Bottom Line: | Got these tires because they where on sale for half off in one of the mail order catalouges (I don't recall which one it was and I won't guess to avoid impuning a company that didn't sell these subpar skins to me)
I tried to like these tires but they wouldn't let me. I got two or three pinch flats in rocky sections that I never had problems with before - the mosquitos I got are 1.85's but they feel much more flimsy than the 0.1 smaller size I was and am again riding - that and they don't roll any better than my epicwolf 1.95's as far as I can tell. They are apt to slip without warning; the nobs are dinky and spaced far apart so pebbles can fit inbetween and lift the tire off the ground. Although they are poor grippers when new, I can only imagine how bad they'd be when worn to any degree - no thanks
Bottom line: expensive tire that has negatives far outwieghing any positives. There is no need to make this many compromises -I guess buy these if they are on sale and you are going to ride them on a hardpack trail that goes straight and has no sharp edges.
| | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Sam
a Weekend Warrior
from Canada
Date Reviewed: June 27, 2005 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Purchased At: | Came with my Rocky Mt Slayer | | Strengths: | Lightweight | | Weaknesses: | Thin and flimsy | | Similar Products Used: | Lots of other tires | | Bike Setup: | Stock slayer | | Bottom Line: | These tires are not for me. If you ride anything rocky they will blow out sidewalls. Having said that, they are a good tire on hard pack and dirt. They are light weight and it is noticeable when climbing and accelerating. A decent tire but a poor choice for the ridnig in the area I live. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Dennis
a Cross Country Rider
from San Francisco
Date Reviewed: April 23, 2005 | | Favoriate Trail: | Serpentine | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Purchased At: | roadragebicycles.com | | Strengths: | Lightweight and super-fast.... great racing tires | | Weaknesses: | the rider | | Similar Products Used: | There are a few tires that I have not tried | | Bike Setup: | Fisher Paragon with lots-o-neat stuff | | Bottom Line: | These tires (Mosquito Gold) are not for the rookie weekend warriors writing a lot of the negative reviews. Giant should have never put mosquitoes on an entry mtn bike. These tires do wear out fast... they are racing tires, what d'ya want? Excellent in hardpack (many Nor Cal race courses) and freakin' fast! I will buy them again and have some velociraptors and fireXCpros on hand for the loose stuff. The only tire combo I've ridden worth the full 5 chili's is the Dart 2.2 with a Velociraptor.. I'll give these 4 chili's all around | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Frank
a Cross Country Rider
from Dallas, TX
Date Reviewed: April 10, 2005 | | Favoriate Trail: | Cameron Park | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Purchased At: | Ebay | | Strengths: | Light weight | | Weaknesses: | way to soft and thin for anything other than typical hard packed flat track. | | Similar Products Used: | panaracer, Continentals, Kenda, IRC | | Bike Setup: | blur, xtr, fox F100 | | Bottom Line: | These tires came on the bike I bought. I took the bike out to the breaks bar h ranch and the tires are now bald! 1 freaking ride! The down hill scree out there ate the tire up. Three flats, no tread, slipping and sliding on every corner and took dirt samples three times and that was before I got to the fun stuff. Worst tires I've ever used. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Rob
a Weekend Warrior
from Tucson, AZ
Date Reviewed: February 12, 2005 | | Favoriate Trail: | Fantasy Island | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Purchased At: | Came stock on my bike | | Strengths: | Light wieght | | Weaknesses: | Low cornering traction | | Similar Products Used: | IRC Piryna Pro's | | Bike Setup: | Jamis Dakar, with float shock, manitou elite fork | | Bottom Line: | no confidence from day one in the corners, these tire suck in thin loose over hard pack conditions.(If you live in the SW don't buy these) They seemed to do a little better in loose soil and Rocky conditions. The knobs on the rear started to breakdown early. They are advertised to do well in mud but mine have seen very little of it so I cannot say. The value rating is based on current price $28. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Gabi
a Weekend Warrior
from Tel Aviv, Israel
Date Reviewed: December 8, 2004 | | Favoriate Trail: | Mt Carmel Singletracks | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Purchased At: | Come with the bike (Giant NRS) | | Strengths: | Light tires (if you care of) | | Weaknesses: | Almost no grip for singletrack. Scaring to use. | | Similar Products Used: | Panaracer Fire XC Pro, WTB Weirwolf | | Bike Setup: | Giant NRS (changed later for an Intense 5.5) | | Bottom Line: | If you ride on hardpack, or if you are a milligram compulsive rider - they are ok. I do not know if they wear fast because I get ride of them as fast as I could, changed for Panaracer's Fire XC Pro Kevlar - make a difference of day and night in grip. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Mike Isbell
a Cross Country Rider
from Mt. View
Date Reviewed: November 27, 2004 | | Favoriate Trail: | any | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$20.00 | | Purchased At: | Veloswap | | Strengths: | Damn Fast Tire!! | | Weaknesses: | Treadwear, Damn Fast!! | | Similar Products Used: | WTB Weirwolf, Velociraptor. | | Bike Setup: | Specialized S-works Stunpjumper Stock | | Bottom Line: | I can roll faster on these Mosquitos, than my 15 year old son, a XC Race'er can pedal his giant iguana with the WTB Weirwolfs. Yeah they wear, but what do you want your tire to do. Ride to grandmas house or bring home a trophy? | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Clint Welden
a
from Austin, TX USA
Date Reviewed: November 27, 2004 | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Purchased At: | Stock on bike | | Strengths: | Good on hardpack, light. | | Weaknesses: | Wore out quickly, knobs break off easily | | Bike Setup: | RM ETSX 30 | | Bottom Line: | Good for specific terrain (hardpack) but not great for anything else. Slippery in turns and they don't shed mud well. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
alister
a Weekend Warrior
from tasmania, Australia
Date Reviewed: October 12, 2004 | | Favoriate Trail: | trevallyn | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Purchased At: | came with bike | | Strengths: | extremely light, grippy on hardpack and also mud | | Weaknesses: | wore out in less than 6 months due to the spacing of the knobs (very far apart). You can actually hear the knobs buzzing and wearing off as you ride. maybe thats why they call them mosquitos... | | Similar Products Used: | IRC trail bear, rocks the pants off the mosquitos, even for the weight - have lasted 1 and a half years.. skids and all. | | Bike Setup: | giant yukon (awsome entry level) | | Bottom Line: | don't buy these unless your a cross country whippet with a "weight weenie" complex. they are only for racing.
full stop. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Michael Muller
a
from Innsburck, Austria
Date Reviewed: September 14, 2004 | | Favoriate Trail: | All over Sweden | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$40.00 | | Purchased At: | The Bicycle Cellar | | Strengths: | Good on hardpack and trailriding | | Weaknesses: | Fastest wear-rate ever. Barely last me the whole year. Suggestion, use them only when you are racing and they suit the terrain. | | Similar Products Used: | Maxxis Hookworm, | | Bike Setup: | Giant Rainier | | Bottom Line: | Pitiful, unless used striclt for occasional races | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Meg Cooke
a Cross Country Rider
from Reno, Nevada, USA
Date Reviewed: April 19, 2004 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Purchased At: | Stock on bike | | Strengths: | fast, light, smooth ride | | Weaknesses: | wear quickly, don't hold well on side hills | | Similar Products Used: | none | | Bike Setup: | Canondale f1000, mostly stock | | Bottom Line: | I am runing the 1.85's on my bike. They are fast and climb surprisingly well, probably because they move so easily, you can really get the momentum going. On really steep climbs, they tend to slip out, as they also do on sidehills, especially with sand over hardpack. They're a blast downhill and amazingly smooth for a narrow tire. I am a lightweight so haven't had any problems with pinch flats even when hitting the downhills at top speed. They are amazingly good over rock, which I hadn't expected. When my first pair of these wore out, I tried the WTB Weirwolf's (2.1) wanting to see how a more agressive tire would work on the Nevada desert terrain. It's true that the weirwolf's will wear better and are better in deep sand, but they aren't nearly as fun to ride. Compared to the mosquitos they are sluggish. Rocks that the mosquito flew over nearly bring the wolf's to a standstill. Climbing is not noticeably improved. Neither is cornering. In fact, the mosquitos corner better. The only advantage I see in the weirwolfs is better hold on sidehills and in really loose conditions. The wolfs are sketchier in rock than the mosquitos and shake you to pieces on steep fast descents. I fell in love with mountain biking on the mosquitos, and if I were stuck with the wolfs for the rest of my riding career, I'd probably quit. The wolfs are not made for the terrain here. The mosquitos seem to be. I haven't yet found anything better than the mosquitos for flying over hardpack with fixed and loose rock. Now if only they would wear better and hold on the sidehills. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Ken Mott
a Weekend Warrior
from Seattle
Date Reviewed: March 18, 2004 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Purchased At: | came on 2003 Rainier | | Strengths: | Light | | Weaknesses: | You cannot ride these on any pavement. Do not last long at all. | | Bike Setup: | 2003 Rainier | | Bottom Line: | These came stock on my bike and now im looking for some new tires. I got probably 25 miles out of them before the center treads were shot.
Get a lot of pinch flats and have them maxed out, granted im a big guy, i still do my darndest to avoid them, but occasionally i get those lovely snake bites.
Looking for a new replacement, anything that will give me longer wear. I took my bike in like 2 weeks after i bought and the guy was like been doing some riding, and i was like not really, 3 or 4 rides thats it. Got an "ohh" in response.
So all in all if you want a long lasting tire look elsewhere, but if you can afford to drop $40 on a rear tire every two weeks go for it. Works fine as a front tire. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
greg d
a Cross Country Rider
from Richmond
Date Reviewed: February 29, 2004 | | Favoriate Trail: | douthat state park | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Strengths: | It was on sale. My mistake | | Weaknesses: | This tire was a real disappointment. The second I rolled off packed trailed my brand new tires would wash out and I would end up taking an earth sample. No siewalls grip to speak of. I am a conservative XC rider and can directly attribute 3 randone wrecks to these tires.
They may be great dry weather race day tire for tight packed torrain, but thats it. They are by no means an everyday, low maintenance, pump it up an go tire. | | Similar Products Used: | IRC MYthos.. several others | | Bike Setup: | Titus Racer X, Atom Racer fork, Cane Creek wheels, Time pedals, King HS, XT | | Bottom Line: | Keep looking. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Bruce
a Racer
from Florida
Date Reviewed: February 26, 2004 | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$25.00 | | Strengths: | Very light & shed wet mud | | Weaknesses: | Wear out after 5 or 6 races
The 1.9 version gives a punishingly hard ride (not enough air volume). | | Bike Setup: | C-dale HT. Full XTR | | Bottom Line: | These are the best RACE tires I have ever used. I have raced in State Championship events in MA, CA & FL...They perform well in a wide range of conditions.
Two seasons ago I started using them in the FL State Championship Series... by the end of that season 50% of the riders in my class had changed to them because worked better.
Note that the 1.95 width is MUCH narrower than the 2.0 and gives a MUCH harder ride. I tried the 1.95s in a race in Gainsville and took first in my division (but the ride was pounding)... I've gone back to the 2.0s, they are a bit heavier, but the smoother ride (larger air volume) more than offsets the weight difference.
These are racing tires... just like high performance car tires - they wear out fast. I have light weight wheelsets with these tires for racing.
I have several other wheel sets with heavier training tires (Mythos IRC) that I use to train on.
If you are a serious racer you probably already have a favorite tire that works for you in your conditions.
But if you are looking to try something new, don't let the negative writeups on these tires keep you from trying them.
Performance/Supergo... periodically have sales on these tires.. when they do I pick up a set of 3 for each race wheelset... that way I can replace the rear wheel when it wears out.
4 chilis for value (they do wear out fast)
5 chilis for performance. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
jack b nimbe
a Cross Country Rider
from alabama
Date Reviewed: December 23, 2003 | | Favoriate Trail: | florencia (guatemala) | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$50.00 | | Purchased At: | bicimania | | Strengths: | good grip at dry and wet surfaces, very good grip at dry asphalt. mud slight weakeness. dirt is the best tire i've used | | Weaknesses: | wear quickly, that's the only weakeness i found | | Similar Products Used: | diamond tires | | Bike Setup: | giant iguana '03 | | Bottom Line: | good all around tires that mix wet and dry traction, with not too big studs nor too small, that help on asphalt and dirt, equally on mud, they help you to get a good overall speed | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jake
a Cross Country Rider
from West Chester, PA, USA
Date Reviewed: November 10, 2003 | | Favoriate Trail: | Westtown School XC running trail | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Purchased At: | West Chester Bicycle Center | | Strengths: | Decent Grip in mud/wet conditions, other than that, not much else. The first time I used them It was muddy so... | | Weaknesses: | These baby's wear very quickly. A little too quickly, they also have little grip on drier surfaces. Very prone to puncture by thorns etc... | | Similar Products Used: | Lots of tires | | Bike Setup: | Giant Iguana disc, Specialized saddle, Specialized Team Master/Ground control tires, Rockwerks pedals | | Bottom Line: | These tires are OK... if they come with your bike, get rid of them at the first oppertunity (when they start to wear). You'll notice a definate decrease in traction.
My back tire went first, all the tread went flat. Then my front got decimated by a thorn bush while riging through a field, even w/ a thorn resistant tube in it. Big gap in the tread. Got the specialized tires, and they work much better for where I ride (Eastern PA) | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Anton Fomenko
a Cross Country Rider
from Waterdown, Ontario, Canada
Date Reviewed: October 10, 2003 | | Favoriate Trail: | Waterdown Trails | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Purchased At: | It came with my Giant | | Strengths: | None that I could think of... | | Weaknesses: | It wears down VERY VERY EXTREMELY FAST!!! Replace them with something better with bigger treads | | Similar Products Used: | I just bought a JEAX tire but haven't ridden it yet | | Bike Setup: | Giant Rainier 2003 | | Bottom Line: | If they come with your bike, then I guess just use them till they wear down (3-4 months) and then buy something better (Jeax, Michelin, etc..)
If youre buying tires separately DONT GET THESE | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Nate
a Weekend Warrior
from Atlanta, GA
Date Reviewed: October 3, 2003 | | Favoriate Trail: | Blankets creek | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Purchased At: | Cycleworks | | Strengths: | Light-weight, low rolling resistance, Shed mud like crazy | | Weaknesses: | Nubs wear down extremely fast, Slides around corners, especially in sand or gravel. Slides on a few roots and almost all rock. | | Similar Products Used: | none | | Bike Setup: | Jamis Dakar Sport, Stock plus shimano clipless pedals | | Bottom Line: | A good all around tire, especially for riding slightly muddy trails. Dangerous on sand and dust.
A good price for a light-weight tire, but you will have to replace them very soon - so you probably won't save much money. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
harkins mike
a Weekend Warrior
from yuma, az
Date Reviewed: October 1, 2003 | | Favoriate Trail: | Tsali NC | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$40.00 | | Purchased At: | Mr. B's | | Strengths: | hard packed dirt | | Weaknesses: | loose dirt, weak knobbies, knobbies tear up easy | | Bike Setup: | Giant Iguana | | Bottom Line: | not worth the money to lose | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
john Bragdon
a Cross Country Rider
from Toronto, On, Canada
Date Reviewed: September 29, 2003 | | Favoriate Trail: | coffee run/Hardwood hills | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$50.00 | | Purchased At: | Skiis and Bikes | | Strengths: | Looks cool, light, and low rolling resistance | | Weaknesses: | can you say front end washout | | Similar Products Used: | panaracer smoke | | Bike Setup: | Rocky mt fusion....used and abused. Not going to waste my time with description.....Deore stuff and RST fork. | | Bottom Line: | I would like to rave about this tire, however I am sitting here at work with a left thumb swollen like a baboons red a** resulting from a slowwwww right hand corner washout. Yeah, yeah....it was not from lack o skill........the tire failed me and if I didn't pay ~ 100 bucks for them they'd be off the rims in no time flat.
I'll report back when I get some more time on them. Trails trialed were Dagmar, ON. Nice change of pace from Albion and Hardwood. Good ups and downs. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Bill McMillan
a Cross Country Rider
from BC
Date Reviewed: September 26, 2003 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$50.00 | | Strengths: | Air light model review.
great traction on rocky surfaces, light weight. climbs pretty well when its new. | | Weaknesses: | knobs are fairly shallow - not good on super loose deep stuff.
durablility: the first few rides were awesome, and then the rear was finished. Literally 3-4 rides. The centre knobs were worn down, and half of the side knobs had torn away from the casing, exposing the threads. Front tire still looks fresh | | Similar Products Used: | all kinds (but mostly heavier) | | Bike Setup: | titanium hardtail, marathon sl fork, 160lb rider, disk front, v brake rear | | Bottom Line: | Don't go this light - its not worth it. There is something wrong with the design or manufacture when half of the knobs are ripping from the casing
| | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Mark Lasch
a Cross Country Rider
from Friendswood TX
Date Reviewed: September 23, 2003 | | Favoriate Trail: | Rocky Hill Ranch | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$39.00 | | Purchased At: | Webster | | Strengths: | This is a fantastic tire if you know why you are buying it. This tire is used for low rolling resistance, light weight, and good traction in a lot of different conditions. | | Weaknesses: | This tire is not the one for you if you are looking for a tire that will last a long, long time, or if you like to ride a lot on the road, or if you are not willing to accept that an extreemly light tire is going to be made of materials that are light and will wear quickly. This is a tire that you can use to race or for a MTB weekend, or short duration trips...it is not the tire to put on your bike and forget it. You will be disappointed if you use this as your every day tire. | | Similar Products Used: | Allegator Gold, IRC Mythos K... | | Bike Setup: | Cannondale SV 900, XT, XTR, & Race Face | | Bottom Line: | This is a fantastic tire if you buy it and use it for the right reasons...Know why you want it (because you want a very light, low rolling resistance, good hook up tire for a special event)and use it for those puroposes...don't put it on your bike for your every day ride...you will only get about 100-150 mls. of good use. But its a fantastic 100 mls.! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Empanada
a Weekend Warrior
from SoCal
Date Reviewed: September 16, 2003 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Strengths: | NONE whatsoever | | Weaknesses: | EVERYTHING, and that's being kind. | | Similar Products Used: | I have never used a tire that has been simmilarly this bad. | | Bike Setup: | Aggressive XC dualie. | | Bottom Line: | Craptastic. That's the best way to describe this tire. They came stock on my bike. I used to ride 2.4 tires and thought that I should be opened minded to the 2.0 size and smaller knobs. So I gave it a try and must say that they are terrible tires.
Where should I start?
The knobs wear quickly. After my fist ride, a noticeable amount of knobs had begun to break off and wear to the amount that it would take other tires (i.e. Panaracer Fire XC) about 6 months to wear.
These tires are prone to pinch flatting, so check tire pressure levels before every ride and max them out. Anything below the max rating may result in a pinch flat.
Lack of traction. Unless you ride on just hardpack fireroads, these tires have bad traction. I ride here in Socal where it's dry and trails have many loose gravel sections. There tire performed terribly in such conditions. On dry hard fireroads they are good I must admit.
Poor cornering. I washed out on several ocassions with these pupsters on section that my Motoraptors or Fire XC handled confidently.
Thin thickness of overall tire led to 3 punctures on one ride.
Avoid these tires like the plague.
I know they come stock on many bikes. Do yourselfs a favor and change them out right away to avoid on trail unhappiness.
Don't throw them into the trash though, just take them to your local recycling center and don't make the environment pay for a bad tire design.
These tires deserve a 0 rating, but that option isn't available, so I am grudgingly give this an undeserved 1. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Ben
a Weekend Warrior
from Wisconsin
Date Reviewed: September 13, 2003 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Strengths: | None that i have found yet | | Weaknesses: | Hardpack, knobby design doesn't hold dry dirt turns at all. Im looking for a thrill while biking, but losing it in the turns isn't what im looking for. On really rough terrain, they are OK, but when i need to ride a few miles on roads to get to the closest trail, the sound and rough ride tend to get annoying. I heard that these tires wear out quickly, I believe it. The soft rubber really seems like it will go fast. Maybe they will so I can get some more capable tires. | | Similar Products Used: | WTB | | Bike Setup: | Came on 2003 Giant Iguana Disc. | | Bottom Line: | If you buy a bike with them on it like I did, you really have no choice, but if you are looking for some replacements, you could find better. I sugges WTB tires, they seem more durable and hug the hardpack better. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Craig
a Weekend Warrior
from Mississauga
Date Reviewed: August 31, 2003 | | Favoriate Trail: | Hardwood Hills | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Purchased At: | LBS came with the bike | | Strengths: | hmmm I am still waiting, but now that they are off the bike, I guess I will never really know. | | Weaknesses: | You'd think the open tread design would clear mud well, but instead, they tended to cake up and behave like muddy slicks. Result:poor in the mud. As expected with a knobby tire, they did not roll too smooth on hard pack or paved trails. Result:poor on hardpack. Because the compound is soft, hard surfaces (paved trails)tended to wear them out at a very fast pace. Result:short life. In dry semi loose dirt they were ok, but I felt very uneasy in tight corners. To get reasonable traction, I had to deflate them significantly. Result: Poor cornering performance. | | Bike Setup: | Jamis Dakar, Avid CPS disks, Deore LX front and rear | | Bottom Line: | A knobby tire that only works average in specific conditions, and wears very fast. If you're looking for new tires, you may want to skip these. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Johnathan
a Cross Country Rider
from Knoxville, TN
Date Reviewed: August 18, 2003 | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$20.00 | | Purchased At: | Price Point | |
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