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Kenda Kwest

Average Rating 4.05/5
# of Reviews 20
MSRP $ 20.00
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Description:A "ride-anywhere" tire for "ride-everywhere" commuters! Smooth center tread rolls fast and smooth, the side treads provide traction on dirt trails, and the water channels improve wet-weather traction.
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Jenson USA



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BikePartsUSA.com


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    Submitted by Oliver Klose a Cross Country Rider from Bergen, Hordaland, Norway
    Date Reviewed: December 3, 2007
    Duration Product Used:3 months
    Price Paid: $40.00
    Purchased At:dynamicbicycles.com
    Strengths:good road connection
    Weaknesses:came with imperfection that causes bumpy ride, flat after just 300km - a disaster for a "puncture resistant tire"
    Similar Products Used:schwalbe marathon, schwalbe marathon plus
    Bottom Line:i cannot recommend these tires. i have had two different types of puncture resistant tires of the "schwalbe" brand and i have never had a flat - up to 16-18000km for a set! i am a commuter riding 80-150km/week and this was embarrassing. even worse that one tire already came with an imperfection.
    Value Rating:2Overall Rating:1

    Submitted by Andrew a Cross Country Rider from Orange, CT
    Date Reviewed: November 21, 2007
    Favoriate Trail:West Rock
    Duration Product Used:Less than 1 month
    Purchased At:local shop
    Strengths:rolls smooth and fast, looks cool on my mtb
    Weaknesses:a bit heavy for something that thin
    Similar Products Used:none
    Bike Setup:07 Spec epic expert, shimano LX-XTR for everything
    Bottom Line:i just started working at a bike shop and i had to ride my bike the 16miles back home (dont have my liscence yet). when i told my boss, he was like, "dude, you need some road tires on that thing". so he gave me a set of kenda kwest tires and tubes for free (they retail for $20 each). on my way home, i felt every bump and crack on the road. it was cool, i really felt connected to the road. the steering was a bit more responsive and the grips was pretty good. i was expecting to skid when i hit the brakes really hard (i have hydros), but those treads stuck to the ground.
    on the flip side, they are heavy. i have the 26x1.5" which weighs about 585g. i hade kenda nevagal 1.95 on before and they weighed around 535g. despite this extra weight, they still feel faster and more responsive. i train on road a lot using my mtb, so these will help me go faster. my average speed on flats is around 18mph, but with these tires i was holding 23mph steady for a a while. great stuff for $20, or in my case, free.lol
    i gave em 4 stars because they arent real road tires, but they do provide good performance to people who dont want to spend $100 for a set of tires.
    Value Rating:5Overall Rating:4

    Submitted by MIKE a from SACRAMENTO, CA USA
    Date Reviewed: November 11, 2007
    Duration Product Used:1 Year
    Price Paid: $22.00
    Purchased At:MIKE'S BIKES
    Strengths:The best overall street tire that I have ever had on a bike. The tire grips the road well while riding straight, very little resistance while on pavement. Tread on the side help grip in the corners at all speeds. I commute to work six miles each way weather permitting. Ninty five percent of my riding is on pavement. Great wearing tire after 2k miles shows very little wear if any. Rubber compund is very hard. No flats yet. The tire is fair for riding in wet conditions if you are careful.
    Weaknesses:Tire is not all that great for dirt trail riding. Tends to slip and lose traction in sand or gravel covered pavement.
    Bike Setup:Vison Recumbent 20 in front and 26 inch rear tires both Kwest High Pressure (100psi). Motobecane with 26 in front and rear tires both Kwest.
    Bottom Line:One of the best tires available for street and paved trail riding available. Great recumbent or commuter tire.
    Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

    Submitted by David a from Victoria, BC
    Date Reviewed: September 15, 2007
    Duration Product Used:3 months
    Strengths:Great all around tire. Performs well on road and gravel trails.
    Weaknesses:I've had this tire for about 2 months (came with my new hybrid bike) and I have had 6 flats already. I am currently looking for a tire that can withstand everyday use for my commute to work.
    Similar Products Used:None...this tire came with my new hybrid bike. I own a road and mountain bike with very different tires equiped.
    Bike Setup:Brodie Energy stock
    Bottom Line:This tire seems to get excellent reviews from everybody, but one review at the time of writing this. If you are concerned with having a tire that resist flats, then I would advise finding a tire with more reinforcement.
    Value Rating:3Overall Rating:3

    Submitted by Dave a Weekend Warrior from Youngstown Ohio
    Date Reviewed: August 27, 2007
    Favoriate Trail:Mill Creek meto
    Duration Product Used:Less than 1 month
    Price Paid: $15.00
    Purchased At:Glenwood Cycle
    Strengths:Smooth riding, silent and good traction if you have to go through limited gravel or grass.
    Weaknesses:None yet
    Bike Setup:1990 Schwinn Mirada mtb
    Bottom Line:Recently got my old bike out of the basement and thought about selling it, the old original tires were dry rotted and did not hold air. The bike shop suggested kenda kwest as a better "road tire". This tire transformed my old mirada into a very nice ridable bike . . . had I know this was all I had to do to make it so good, would not have bought a recumant bike a year earlier.
    Value Rating:4Overall Rating:4

    Submitted by Ken a from Irvington, N.Y. USA
    Date Reviewed: July 25, 2006
    Favoriate Trail:North county-New York
    Duration Product Used:1 Year
    Price Paid: $26.00
    Purchased At:Hostel shoppe
    Strengths:14 months and 2773 miles and no flats on either tire on my heavy recumbent. Excellent wet weather tire. These are the original tires on the bike. I have bought the same kwest replacements to have as a backup.
    Weaknesses:A little dicey on gravel. They tend to skid on dirt also.
    Similar Products Used:none other
    Bike Setup:26 inch 1.50 on rear and 20 inch 1.50 100 psi kwests on front on a Bigha recumbent.
    Bottom Line:Very durable and strong tire. I should get 4000 miles on these before I put the replacements on.
    Value Rating:5Overall Rating:4

    Submitted by Deutchlander a Cross Country Rider from Owatonna Minnesota
    Date Reviewed: July 9, 2006
    Duration Product Used:Less than 1 month
    Price Paid: $14.00
    Purchased At:JensonUsa
    Strengths:100 psi 60 tpi casing, water channels, low noise, knurled tread on edges makes a cool dzzzzzzzzzz noise when spinning through deep mud.
    Weaknesses:having to fork over more money to get smaller tubes. Not a problem of the product, I'm just a CHEAP A$$.
    Similar Products Used:Hard wire bead and race compound knobbies.
    Bike Setup:Hardtail
    Bottom Line:seriously not a mud tire.... Dzzzzzzzzzzz
    Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

    Submitted by Orange P7 a Racer from UK
    Date Reviewed: June 23, 2006
    Favoriate Trail:The pavement
    Duration Product Used:1 Year
    Price Paid: $30.00
    Purchased At:eBay, £20 for 2 delivered
    Strengths:Light'ish
    Fast
    Grip
    Weaknesses:None for the price
    Bike Setup:Orange P7, Mavic XC717 rims with XT hubs, Hardtail
    Bottom Line:Roll really well, quite light, grip is good also. Haven't had a flat yet *touch wood*. They are so good for the money that I am looking for another set on eBay. Don't hesitate to buy these if you want a fast MTB slick for the road/pavement/mild XC.
    Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

    Submitted by James Jordan a Weekend Warrior from Lee County FL
    Date Reviewed: March 27, 2006
    Duration Product Used:6 months
    Purchased At:Chuck's Bikes
    Strengths:High pressure (mine I top @ 70psi), able to sipe water, and ame size as your knobbies, give or take.
    Weaknesses:Logo could be more like my Nevegals. Looks kinda of like a box of Corn Flakes...
    Similar Products Used:worn out knobbies... if you wanna buy some more contact me 2....
    Bike Setup:2005 Ironhorse Warrior HT, as much FSA that fits with my e.thirteen products, and a 130mm Marzocchi Drop Off fork. Full Metal Jacket cabling (smooth as a babies melted butter), and Stick-E Nevegals in 2.1 F&R.
    Bottom Line:I was surprised after putting these on the bike my friend sent from his shop in VT. I figured to ride the roads I'd be needing a set of road wheels and the high pressure tires that fit, but these are more than adequate! If you look to give the road bikes fits it can be done (!), but mind that you are carving up a big pocket of air. I imagine that these would work for the street thrasher crowd; all I can do is ride nose-wheelies across the traffic islands when space permits. They stick like poop in a wild bears fur.
    Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

    Submitted by Justen Anderson a Weekend Warrior from Alamogordo, NM USA
    Date Reviewed: February 11, 2006
    Favoriate Trail:Colorado's Great Divide
    Duration Product Used:6 months
    Price Paid: $30.00
    Purchased At:Ebay
    Strengths:Fast, light, quiet. A good all-around tire for commuters that may leave the pavement from time to time.
    Weaknesses:None so far.
    Similar Products Used:Just knobbies, these are my first slicks.
    Bike Setup:Hardtail...often with a toddler riding on a rack-mounted seat.
    Bottom Line:These are my first pair of slicks, but they are a lot of fun. I do tote around my 2 year old daughter on them quite a bit and have never had any difficulties out of the tires. They inspire the expected level of confidence in hard-packed dirt, just don't push it around turns or you'll be toast.
    Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

    Submitted by Gabriel a Weekend Warrior from Toa Alta, P.R.
    Date Reviewed: January 17, 2006
    Duration Product Used:6 months
    Price Paid: $14.00
    Purchased At:La Amiga del Ciclista
    Strengths:Strong and ligther than my old all purpose knobbies, fast.
    Weaknesses:poor braking on gravel and wet roads.
    Bike Setup:Mongoose EFX fitted with a Satori stem riser, Bell Comfort seat. Bike is used for commuting more than anything else.
    Bottom Line:I will try to be as neutral as possible. The tires are good and very resistant to punctures when inflated to the 100 p.s.i spec. The bike rides like butter on the road and incredibly strong on dirt roads. BUT, it is the braking capacity and handling that have changed my mind about these otherwise great tires: Last saturday jan 5, 2006 I got chased by two dogs near an intersection. As was about to enter the intersection, two cars approached from left and righ, so I had to stop. the rear tire was stepping on a little gravel, so when I hit the levers, it continued sliding forward so I hit the front lever and the tire locked...flip over! I broke my elbow so bad I needed surgery an can not ride for year. This would have never happen to me if I were using the all purpose knobbies, as I faced similar situations with them. They gave me a very solid ride for an almost mindless trip. With the Kendas I realize now that I had to be more mindfull of road conditions or I could fall at any moment. So here is my veredict: Buy them if you are a very experienced rider or are going to use them for neighborhood/grocery type of ride. As for me, I will go back to knobbies, when I am able to ride again.
    Value Rating:3Overall Rating:2

    Submitted by will a from chicago,il
    Date Reviewed: May 4, 2005
    Favoriate Trail:kettle moraine
    Duration Product Used:Less than 1 month
    Price Paid: $15.00
    Purchased At:discount bicycle tires.com
    Strengths:solid ride low rolling resistence so much fun in turns and corners
    Weaknesses:haven't tested them long enough
    Similar Products Used:knobies, no other slicks tried yet
    Bike Setup:Trek mountain frame turned commuter
    Bottom Line:these tires are incredible value for anyone with a mountain bike looking to get better tires for commuting or any other on road application,they make dodging cabs a blast. they ride fine through the fine gravel trails and rip along paved paths. IF YOUR RIDING ON THE ROAD DITCH YOUR KNOBBIES AND PICK THESE UP!!
    Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

    Submitted by Bruce Ficklin Sr. a Cross Country Rider from Chandler, AZ, USA
    Date Reviewed: October 18, 2004
    Duration Product Used:Less than 1 month
    Price Paid: $21.00
    Strengths:Excellent rolling resistance, lighter than knobbies, handles well on & off pavement, responsive. I wanted to get a single track ride in before sun set so I didn't take the time to change to my knobbies and was pleasantly surprized how well the tires responded in the dirt. They handled well in everything but loose climbs. Sure they don't hook up like knobbies but I feel they will improve your skills once you put your knobbies back on. Great training Aid in the dirt.
    Weaknesses:None.
    Similar Products Used:Michelin Wild Gripper S.
    Bike Setup:Hard-tail w/ full XTR.
    Bottom Line:For the price you can't go wrong. I purchased the tires for hard pack training and occasional commuting but will now use the tires on my favorite trails, so you might have to walk some of the ascents but they are so much fun in the dirt.
    Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

    Submitted by Romualds a Cross Country Rider from Riga,Latvia, Europe
    Date Reviewed: July 7, 2004
    Duration Product Used:3 months
    Price Paid: $10.00
    Strengths:durability, longlasting performance, price
    Weaknesses:heavy
    Similar Products Used:not yet, only some semislicks...
    Bike Setup:American Eagle, SRAM 9.0, RST fork, bike weight around 24 lbs
    Bottom Line:I average over 100 miles a week commuting over 20 miles a day to and from work plus doing some training for a cross country. I haven't had a flat for these months of use. These tires roll wery well. Even on weekend I did a cross country training of about 50 miles without exchange of wheels,tires to XC ones, and these tires even in muddy conditions never let me down.If you're looking for an all around commuting, all-purpose road (and not only asphalt) tire for your bike, you will not go wrong with these, for this price.
    Value Rating:5Overall Rating:4

    Submitted by seeker a Cross Country Rider from sc
    Date Reviewed: June 26, 2004
    Duration Product Used:More than 3 years
    Price Paid: $12.00
    Strengths:Nine thousand (9,000) miles without a single flat between the pair. The tread area is pretty thick and resists flats that would probably occur on 1.25" tires and would definitely on smaller tires.
    Weaknesses:You're stuck with them for a long time since there's simply no good reason to replace them.
    Similar Products Used:ritchey, irc, performance, hutchinson
    Bike Setup:hardtail commuter. 170lb rider.
    Bottom Line:Followup review a year later.

    Kenda Kwest 26x1.50 are an excellent tire for pavement use in wet and dry conditions. This review is for the 65psi version, not the 100psi recumbent version (570 vs 630 g nominal).

    Rear tire wears a wide flat area in center of tread after 6-8K miles, front will still look good. Rotate for another 4-6K miles. Sidewalls will develop little bulging areas before the tread actually wears down to undesirable thickness.
    Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

    Submitted by Andrew a Weekend Warrior from Fullerton
    Date Reviewed: March 22, 2004
    Duration Product Used:Less than 1 month
    Price Paid: $20.00
    Purchased At:Buena Park Bicycles
    Strengths:Smooth Rolling large enough to absorb bumps
    Good Stopping
    semi soft compound = Good Concrete gripping = great traction = awseome cornering.
    turns a mtb to a comfort bike/road bike.
    Weaknesses:have'nt experience on wet roads.
    Similar Products Used:none
    Bike Setup:04' Trek 820 hard tail.
    Bottom Line:Great Tires for the price. cant ask for more.
    Value Rating:5Overall Rating:4

    Submitted by Rob a from Philadelphia, PA
    Date Reviewed: October 23, 2003
    Duration Product Used:6 months
    Purchased At:Stock on bike
    Strengths:Decent ride
    Weaknesses:Garbage - must be made of recycled chewing gum. Picked up every single thing on the road - dull screws, invisible glass slivers, sharp pebbles... everything.
    Similar Products Used:Continental Top-Touring 2000 (bulletproof)
    Avocet Cross II (Nice ride, medicre flat protection)
    Bike Setup:Marin San Rafael hybrid commuter
    Bottom Line:These are cheap and I guess you get what you pay for. No deal is worth the hassle of these crumby tires. Any shop or manufacturer should be embarassed to equip a bike with them. I got a flat a week, sometimes two for about six months before I bought the ContinentalTop Touring (double the price of new Kendas and then some) in desperation. I've been riding on them for several months and I haven't gotten a single flat, so I guess it wasn't my fault. In fact, I started to get low on air because I had gotten out of the habit of topping them off thatnks to all the flats.
    Value Rating:1Overall Rating:1

    Submitted by Seeker a from SC USA
    Date Reviewed: March 16, 2003
    Duration Product Used:1 Year
    Price Paid: $12.00
    Strengths:1. Grips well in wet and dry.
    2. Enough volume to cushion out bumps, noticably more comfortable than smaller tires.
    3. Gives you plenty of time to respond to sudden flats in a safe manner.
    4. Great life - I have over 3000 miles on a rear with ~ 70% of tread remaining, so a rear tire will probably go 5000 miles safely on pavement.
    5. Relatively inexpensive - 12 to 17 dollars.
    Weaknesses:A little heavy (~600g) but still decent for their size. Only come in wire bead, no kevlar version.
    Similar Products Used:many
    Bike Setup:hardtail setup for fitness/distance training.
    Bottom Line:A great choice for riding MTB on pavement and good dirt roads. Wonderful value in bicycle components.

    I bought extras in case they quit making them. But these suckers last so long that I may have a 5 year supply now.

    Hesitant to post this since I want to keep their prices down.

    I will continue to look to Kenda for all my cycling tire needs (geez i should get comp'd for this glowing review).
    Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

    Submitted by Billy a Cross Country Rider from Adelaide, Australia
    Date Reviewed: April 28, 2002
    Favoriate Trail:Adelaide Hills
    Duration Product Used:3 months
    Price Paid: $30.00
    Purchased At:Bike Shop
    Strengths:Turns a MTB into a road bike
    Rolls Well
    Corners
    Stops
    Weaknesses:None yet
    Similar Products Used:none, these are my first slicks, got tireed of wearing out expensive Michelins riding to and from work
    Bike Setup:Trek Trail
    Bottom Line:Buy these and save some coin. They roll well making riding on bitumen a breeze. It only takes 10 minutes to change tires over when I go for a ride on dirt. These work ok in the local park on gravel when taking the dogs for a run
    Value Rating:3Overall Rating:5

    Submitted by Neeek a Weekend Warrior from London
    Date Reviewed: April 12, 2002
    Favoriate Trail:Dunno
    Duration Product Used:Less than 1 month
    Price Paid: $12.00
    Purchased At:LBS
    Strengths:It's a slick.
    It's cheap.
    It's black.
    It's fairly light.
    Weaknesses:It's not superlight.
    Er....
    Similar Products Used:Speccy FatBoys, Tioga City Slickers, Panaracer slicks (still got them, Gerard?)
    Bike Setup:Cove Stiffee, all done up...
    Bottom Line:They are slicks. They work better on road that knobbies. They are dirt cheap. What more do you want?!?
    Value Rating:5Overall Rating:4






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