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Submitted by
Dale
a Cross Country Rider
from DouthatStatePark, VA
Date Reviewed: May 27, 2008 | | Favoriate Trail: | StonyRun-Middle Mountain north | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$29.00 | | Purchased At: | Performance | | Strengths: | Cushy, grippy, strong sidewalls, durable, handle low pressure well, low weight for a 2.4 (get the "RACE" model, NOT Performance's current "SE", a heavier version and don't know about thread count, etc.) I use FRONT AND REAR just fine. I weigh 150+ and often run below 30 w/o problems, 32psi is my target range. Low rolling resistance, excellent center tread gives great wear in spite of moderate amount of paved & gravel road use. (900 miles on 1st set, still PLENTY left, have to study to tell new ones from old, side by side.) I've had no problems whether dry, wet, or whatever conditions. I was a die-hard 2.1 folding Panarace FireXC Pro user for years. Now have 3 brand new ones just waiting for some use, but the Mutanoraptors have taken over.
Oh, and for the guy who said he had trouble w/a "defective" wave in one tire: I thought I had 2 of them like that UNTIL I inflated them much higher and they FINALLY popped fully into place on new Tubeless Ready Mavic CrossTrail rims. I had major waves, didn't see that they weren't fully hooked up yet until I switched to old rim w/same tire and the "wave" was gone. Set it back on the CrossTrails and inflated to 60psi and LOUD pop as they seated correctly. Then I dropped 'em back to about 32psi and they're fine! The good news was that I could install them by hand on the CrossTrail rim but had to fight some using tire levers to get them onto a Mavic 717 rim. | | Weaknesses: | I find none, really. Biggest complaints I've read here are solved by running lower pressure. And you do NOT have to use Stan's to achieve that. | | Similar Products Used: | Panaracer FireXC Pro 2.1 was my standard for years. Only tried these because they are light enough to be comparable. I'm not pushing a 700+ gram tire up the mountains, especially since these are so good, and under 600 grams. | | Bike Setup: | '98 Klein Mantra, in Blastberry Chameleon, the coolest paint job ever, :-) XT drive system, old-style Hayes hydraulics (I have a '99 rear triangle, allowing for discs), '08 Untested RockShox Revelation/(but if it fails to satisfy, I will return to '04 Fox TALAS R, after sending it to be PUSH-ed), CaneCreek CloudNine rear shock (TOO SWEET; it completely upgraded the bike in mind-boggling fashion), Mavic CrossTrails (still too early to pass judgment on these, but seem pretty nice; definitely very cool looking, but I'm wired to function first, so we'll see.) | | Bottom Line: | Excellent all-round tire, IMO. No complaints, only smiles. Sorry they haven't satisfied everyone, but I'll whine if they ever leave the market!! Price might be high at full retail, but you should be able to find at sale price somewhere. Then stock up!! | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Dale
a Cross Country Rider
from DouthatStatePark, VA
Date Reviewed: May 27, 2008 | | Favoriate Trail: | StonyRun-Middle Mountain north | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$29.00 | | Purchased At: | Performance | | Strengths: | Cushy, grippy, strong sidewalls, durable, handle low pressure well, low weight for a 2.4 (get the "RACE" model, NOT Performance's current "SE", a heavier version and don't know about thread count, etc.) I use FRONT AND REAR just fine. I weigh 150+ and often run below 30 w/o problems, 32psi is my target range. Low rolling resistance, excellent center tread gives great wear in spite of moderate amount of paved & gravel road use. (900 miles on 1st set, still PLENTY left, have to study to tell new ones from old, side by side.) I've had no problems whether dry, wet, or whatever conditions. I was a die-hard 2.1 folding Panarace FireXC Pro user for years. Now have 3 brand new ones just waiting for some use, but the Mutanoraptors have taken over.
Oh, and for the guy who said he had trouble w/a "defective" wave in one tire: I thought I had 2 of them like that UNTIL I inflated them much higher and they FINALLY popped fully into place on new Tubeless Ready Mavic CrossTrail rims. I had major waves, didn't see that they weren't fully hooked up yet until I switched to old rim w/same tire and the "wave" was gone. Set it back on the CrossTrails and inflated to 60psi and LOUD pop as they seated correctly. Then I dropped 'em back to about 32psi and they're fine! The good news was that I could install them by hand on the CrossTrail rim but had to fight some using tire levers to get them onto a Mavic 717 rim. | | Weaknesses: | I find none, really. Biggest complaints I've read here are solved by running lower pressure. And you do NOT have to use Stan's to achieve that. | | Similar Products Used: | Panaracer FireXC Pro 2.1 was my standard for years. Only tried these because they are light enough to be comparable. I'm not pushing a 700+ gram tire up the mountains, especially since these are so good, and under 600 grams. | | Bike Setup: | '98 Klein Mantra, in Blastberry Chameleon, the coolest paint job ever, :-) XT drive system, old-style Hayes hydraulics (I have a '99 rear triangle, allowing for discs), '08 Untested RockShox Revelation/(but if it fails to satisfy, I will return to '04 Fox TALAS R, after sending it to be PUSH-ed), CaneCreek CloudNine rear shock (TOO SWEET; it completely upgraded the bike in mind-boggling fashion), Mavic CrossTrails (still too early to pass judgment on these, but seem pretty nice; definitely very cool looking, but I'm wired to function first, so we'll see.) | | Bottom Line: | Excellent all-round tire, IMO. No complaints, only smiles. Sorry they haven't satisfied everyone, but I'll whine if they ever leave the market!! Price might be high at full retail, but you should be able to find at sale price somewhere. Then stock up!! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jason Voelkel
a Cross Country Rider
from Mpls,MN
Date Reviewed: May 23, 2008 | | Favoriate Trail: | Rock Lake-Wisconsin | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$24.00 | | Purchased At: | e-bay | | Strengths: | High Volume, Fast rolling, predictable tire. Actually work OK in spotty mud conditions but full blown rain, not great. Using on front and rear with awesome results. Roll over anything with no problems. | | Weaknesses: | weight- have wire bead version | | Similar Products Used: | hutch python,conti vertical-#2 best tire IMHO, specialized | | Bike Setup: | 5-spot and on RM hardtail | | Bottom Line: | Good all around tire which I highly recommend for dry conditions and rocky sections due to high vol. rollability.
One of the best high vol. tires on the market IMHO. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Zac
a Cross Country Rider
from Tucson, AZ
Date Reviewed: May 21, 2008 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Strengths: | Fast, cushy, grips great in dry conditions, light | | Weaknesses: | Side bite in loose corners | | Similar Products Used: | motoraptors, blue groove/negeval, tioga factory DH, pythons... | | Bike Setup: | Cove Stiffee FR. The tires are spooned onto a pair of Sun Singlewides and have tubes stuffed in them (I am behind the times). | | Bottom Line: | These are a great tire for dry, hard, rocky conditions. I'm running both front and rear. I'm running 35-40 psi (I'm 205 lbs), but need to experiment with some lower pressures. These roll fast, have a ton of cushion (great for hardtail or rigid), are way light (for their size), and grip the desert hardpack and rocks great. The only issue is that I wish they had taller side knobs for better traction in loose corners.
I don't know how they work in the wet. My guess is that they will pack with mud, but I'll have to wait until it actually rains.
These have a pretty narrow tread for a 2.4 (narrower than the Tioga Factory DH 2.3s I had on previously), but the air volume is quite high. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Ken
a Cross Country Rider
from Denver, Co. USA
Date Reviewed: January 7, 2008 | | Favoriate Trail: | Apex | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$24.00 | | Purchased At: | Performance | | Strengths: | Big volume, low weight, roll great. | | Weaknesses: | Hope they keep making them. | | Similar Products Used: | Many | | Bike Setup: | 05 Fisher Cake, tubless Crosslands, Stan's | | Bottom Line: | This is the best all around tire I have ridden in 23 yrs. of Colorado front range mountaian biking. I'm 150 lbs. and run them 18-24 psi. tubeless, aired up very easy with Stan's. Don't let the small knobs scare you, run low presure they're plush, and gripy with low rolling resistance. Have never had flat or sidwall tear riding in very rocky conditions. Can also be aired up higher to 40 psi for the street. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
derek
a
from aztec, nm
Date Reviewed: November 16, 2007 | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Strengths: | good traction, predictable, high volume | | Weaknesses: | non really | | Similar Products Used: | various tires | | Bike Setup: | stumpy expert | | Bottom Line: | Believe it or not, i like it as a rear tire. had in back with an adrenaline in front and was a pretty good combo. blew the adrenaline and had to get something else ( not made any more). went with fast track armadillo in rear and put mutano up front (where it is supposed to belong). horrible set up. I think because of the armadillo ( low volume and lousy traction). going to switch mutano to back and get something else for the front. riding in nm mesa's and colorado mountains, the mutano hooks up well in most conditions and actually gave respectable traction on rocky, technical climbs as well as shuttles. good tire would recomend giving it a try. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Mike Martin
a Cross Country Rider
from Newport Beach, CA
Date Reviewed: November 9, 2007 | | Favoriate Trail: | stairsteps | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$30.00 | | Purchased At: | Performance | | Strengths: | Super light for a 2.4" tire. Grips well in a wide variety of conditions from hard pack to dry and dusty. | | Weaknesses: | Wears out too fast to use as a back tire | | Similar Products Used: | Panaracer XC, Maxis MoFo | | Bike Setup: | Turner 5 spot XT components | | Bottom Line: | Great front tire. usually can find it on sale at a great price. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Secret Marmot
a Weekend Warrior
from San Francisco
Date Reviewed: November 4, 2007 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Strengths: | Fast and predictable grip in dry conditions | | Weaknesses: | Forget about mud or wet roots, or deep loose stuff. Also, use it as a front tire only (duh) | | Similar Products Used: | All WTB tires, Nevegals, etc. | | Bike Setup: | Heckler w/ DHX5.0 + Vanilla | | Bottom Line: | I've been running this as my standard dry conditions front tire for over a year. Works perfect for Bay Area and Tahoe conditions when dry. Fast, and grippy when cornering. When it starts to give, it gives a nice predictable and controllable drift - which is what I want from a front.
For a 2.4, I run about 20-25lbs and never get flats even charging rock gardens at speed. Routinely pick thorns and goatheads out of the rubber after rides, but don't seem to penetrate all the way through to the tube. (I'm 165lbs, your results may vary...)
Also happens to work great on slickrock and hardpack - much better than running something with big knobs to squirm around.
Just spent a few weeks in Moab and Fruita and it performed pretty well, although for that kind of deeper loose stuff one might want to look at a Nevegal or Motoraptor.
For muddy conditions, avoid this tire at all costs. For deep loose stuff, it will be ok but not great.
Am amazed by the reviews which talk about this as a "hybrid" tire. I pass up an awful lot of riders on the downhills using this as my front. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Willem Boom
a Cross Country Rider
from Bend, OR
Date Reviewed: August 9, 2007 | | Favoriate Trail: | North Fork, Mrazek, etc.... | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Purchased At: | WebCyclery | | Strengths: | These tires have been superb in our Bend, OR conditions. I was actually quite surprised with them. Perform well in dry, loose conditions. Excellent on rocks. They are not a true 2.4 more a 2.3. | | Weaknesses: | None so far. However I have not tested them outside of Bend, OR | | Similar Products Used: | Nevegals, Ignitors, Panaracers, WTB MotoRaptors, etc.... | | Bike Setup: | Ventana X5, Fox Float RLC 130 Fork, Fox Float R Rear, Thomson Stem and Post, Chris King Headset, Mavic 721 Disc Wheels, Shimano XT Cranks, XTR Front and Rear Derailleur, XT Brakes Disc, Race Face Carbon Bar... | | Bottom Line: | Buy them if you want a versatile, light tire with more volume. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Tim
a Racer
from Boulder, CO
Date Reviewed: August 1, 2007 | | Favoriate Trail: | anything technical | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$35.00 | | Strengths: | Grips well, nearly indestructable, rolls well (for a fatty) | | Weaknesses: | heavy, but hey it's a 2.4" (800-850g depending on who you believe) | | Similar Products Used: | just 2.1" xc tires, nothing fat | | Bike Setup: | Yeti AS-R w/ 4" travel (btw, why do people list every dang component on their bike??? To impress us? It doesn't matter what seatpost or headset you own when you're writing a tire review.) | | Bottom Line: | Great tire, only drawback is it's weight. Corners well, floats over rocky sections, deforms around rocks/roots really well so you don't lose traction. I have never flatted this tire, despite running low pressures -- normally I use 32-33psi but I'm lazy about pumping it so most of the time it probably has 25-32. I'm light (160lbs) and pick good lines, but I'm really fast and can run these at low pressures on really rocky descents without pinch flatting. I'm going to try a skinnier & lighter tire next time, but if it disappoints I'll come right back to these. Even after 2 years of lots of riding these don't show much wear. I highly recommend for aggressive XC riders and freeriders. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
crappy
a Weekend Warrior
from san francisco, ca
Date Reviewed: July 29, 2007 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Strengths: | it's fast rolling and big | | Weaknesses: | it's way to slippy for dry conditions | | Similar Products Used: | maxxis high roller...grippy but too heavy. | | Bike Setup: | ibis mojo | | Bottom Line: | ok, so i ride aggressive xc, do some drops and whatnot. i had the maxxis high rollers up front which was probably overkill, so i wanted to shed some weight. these are super light, so my climbing definetly improved. if you're going in a straight line uphill they are great. BUT, going down these were super squirley for me (san fran riding). they don't turn well and corner well at all in my opinion. plus the thin sidewall gave me a flat on the first ride. i tried the low pressure suggestions people had and everything, the grip is not good if you're riding big rock gardens. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Steve
a Weekend Warrior
from Lanexa, VA
Date Reviewed: May 17, 2007 | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$35.00 | | Strengths: | Wide, large tire, but very light, mine average at 590 grams. | | Weaknesses: | A slight bit expensive, but no more than other high end tires. | | Similar Products Used: | Kenda, Tioga, Hutchinson | | Bike Setup: | Santa Cruz Blur | | Bottom Line: | If you want a large lightweight tire, this is it. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Troy Williams
a Cross Country Rider
from Scottsdale
Date Reviewed: March 23, 2007 | | Favoriate Trail: | Paradise | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$29.00 | | Purchased At: | Performance | | Strengths: | Great Value, light weight for their volume. | | Weaknesses: | Don't measure anywhere near 2.4, grip could be improved | | Similar Products Used: | Panaracer Dart and Smoke, Bontrager Jones XC | | Bike Setup: | Trance 2 Stock, with Slimed tubes | | Bottom Line: | A great value, I keep buying them although I've recently seen their price go up. They blew away the next closes competitor in availability and price for hard pack and loose terrain. I've had decent durability and will keep buying these as long as the price stays under or near $30. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Irie
a Cross Country Rider
from Sactown
Date Reviewed: March 5, 2007 | | Favoriate Trail: | Diablo | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$40.00 | | Purchased At: | mailorder | | Strengths: | Huge volume, light, holds Stans, fast center knobs. | | Weaknesses: | NOT a rear tire, not a mud tire, and no teleportation feature. | | Similar Products Used: | Last 10 years' specialized, WTBs, and panaracer garbage. | | Bike Setup: | HT | | Bottom Line: | I find it hard to believe the wide range of comments on this tire. Bar none: this is the very best front XC tire made. PERIOD. Unless you weigh 300 lbs, don't run this at 50-60 pounds. Run 45 if you are big, and 32-40 if you are a wee one.
I ride this on slickrock, Sierra granite, sand washes, hardpack, rooty rockgardens and it floats in the soft and sprints through everything else. I'm not huge about the cornering set on a trail like Repack, it will oversteer a touch-predictably.
I am getting some sidewall breakdown after 2 YEARS. That is some stans now finally weeps a bit. It looks thin, but it is stronger than any of the last generation speshs. I BASH this tire on rock gardens and overload it unbelieveably, no sweat.
However, I would not run this tire in the rear and it would be dangerous back there for wet logs. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Mike
a Cross Country Rider
from Mt Pleasant, SC, USA
Date Reviewed: January 16, 2007 | | Favoriate Trail: | Bavington | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Purchased At: | OEM equipment | | Strengths: | Fast rolling, large contact patch. The small knobs make this tire fast while still providing excellent grip in a majority of conditions. Relitively low weight for their size. | | Weaknesses: | The small knobs are not great in mud. | | Bike Setup: | Bianchi SISS, Santa Cruz Heckler | | Bottom Line: | These tires came stock on the Bianchi SISS. The large volume helps to soak up the small bumps you feel while riding a rigid bike. I liked them so much that I bought a set for my Santa Cruz. They grip just as well as the much larger Kendas that I used to ride on the Heckler but they are much lighter and you can feel it. For the size of these tires their low weight and small knobs make them much faster than other 2.4+ size tires. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
keegan
a Cross Country Rider
from sebastopol ca usa
Date Reviewed: November 25, 2006 | | Favoriate Trail: | downieville | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$30.00 | | Purchased At: | price point | | Strengths: | decent cornering on dry hardpack in dDownieville | | Weaknesses: | i use it for off-road so the "mutano" part with a center-bead for road riding doesn't suit me. my fault for not seeing that before i bought it though. great for what it's designed to do. a hybrid tire. | | Similar Products Used: | wierwolf... works much better for Downieville | | Bike Setup: | hardrock comp with upgrades. | | Bottom Line: | good hybrid tire, not a good off-road only tire. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Neeraj
a Weekend Warrior
from Nederland, CO, US
Date Reviewed: September 3, 2006 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$25.00 | | Purchased At: | Performance | | Strengths: | Lightweight, high volume and easy to convert with Stan's.Rolls very smoothly on hard pack trails. | | Weaknesses: | At high PSI(40+) front tends to skitter on loose gravelly trails, almost hydroplanes. Also i notice that these tires are getting ripped up rather fast when i ride aggressively on rocky terrain. | | Similar Products Used: | IRC Mythos(2.1) | | Bike Setup: | Heckler, Manitou black | | Bottom Line: | Living where i do (Front range Rocky Mts CO), i tend to mostly ride dry loose, gravelly/rocky trails. I bought a set of these tires at Performance after a close brush with a full body road rash (courtsey of IRC Mythos). I tried the mutanos with tubes (40-45 psi) and managed to replicate the crash in similar conditions !!(loose dusty gravelly downhill). I was going to get rid of these tires when i decided to use Stans and try to salvage some money. I did a diy kit at home with a used tube and converted my normal rims to tubeless. These tires sealed up within 15 mts with Stans !.I decided to go with the hype and run 30 in front and 32 in the back....that did the trick. Now i can take loose rocky trails at much higher speeds with awesome control, the front digs into turns and i get fair amount of warning before it washes out. The rear provides more than enough traction on climbs. As a bonus running Stans and lower preassures with this high volume tire you get almost 1/2 inch of extra suspension !! I would ONLY recommend this tire for Mtbkers who run lower preassures... at higher preassures(using a tube), this tire is very unpredictable on loose trails since it tends to float on debris, rather than digging in.
Before blaming your tires for bad performance, you might want to make sure that your front/back shock rebound is set right, you almost have to fiddle with rebound based on specific tires to get max traction.
I think most medium-high quality tires would work 30% better if you run them at lower preassures tubeless. The tire is better able to conform to obstacles and its contact patch enlarges giving amazing traction/cornering ability. Of course you end up with higher rolling resistance on paved roads and the tires do tend to get worn out much faster.
I give this tire a rating of 4 since they adapt to tubeless amazingly well. I can't rate them a 5 since with tubes they are pretty useless on terrain that they are supposed to be good at. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Josh Stodola
a Cross Country Rider
from Ellensburg, WA
Date Reviewed: July 13, 2006 | | Favoriate Trail: | Taneum Ridge | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$25.00 | | Strengths: | Super fast rolling, tons of dry grip as well as excellent wet grip. Works well on everything from the road, to dusty, to loose mucky trails | | Weaknesses: | Not very sturdy, easily punctured | | Similar Products Used: | Kenda Blue Groove/Nevegal, Hutchinson Bulldog, Specialized Resolution | | Bike Setup: | '05 Giant Reign 2 | | Bottom Line: | Wow wow and wow. These tires have surpassed my expectations in all areas. I initially bought them just to improve my rolling resistance. I don't really understand the comment below, as I was recommended these tires as a faster rolling alternative to the Nevegals, which they are! Climbing is much less strenuous on trails that used to be impossible for me. I have been very pleasently surprised by the traction of these tires as well, they grip in EVERYTHING! Dry, dusty, loosepack trails are what their supposed to be good at, but they seem to grip better than my Nevegals in wet conditions, and shed mud like the Bulldogs. I'll be the first to say that the tread profile looks nothing like a proper mud tire should, but my experience so far is that it works great! Grip in everything, low rollling resistance, and so far, almost no visible wear, after about 100 miles of riding. I'll be buying another set when the time comes, 5 flamin' chili's all around! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Patrick
a Cross Country Rider
from San Diego, CA
Date Reviewed: April 30, 2006 | | Favoriate Trail: | Fort Ord | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$25.00 | | Purchased At: | Performance Bike | | Strengths: | Excellent grip, light weight for the size, softens up the small bumps quite a bit. | | Weaknesses: | Feels a little squishier if you're used to XC tires...but its more or less the same feeling as reducing the air in your suspension. | | Similar Products Used: | Ritchey ZED Race Millenium 2.1, Kenda Nevegal 1.95, Bontrager Jones AC | | Bike Setup: | Specialized Epic, King/717 disk wheelset, 100mm Fox fork, 30-35 psi in the tires with tubes | | Bottom Line: | It's been an outstanding tire for southern California thus far. The Mutanoraptor probably rolls a little slower than the Nevegal, but I haven't noticed. Its fast on pavement even with low tire pressures...very fast on hard pack. Floats very, very well through the sand and over rock gardens.
Oh yeah, and plenty of grip! The 2.24 is probably a better rear tire since the knobs are more aggressive, but for the weight advantage this one works fine. Terrain in SoCal varies with hard pack, sand, and rocks. Haven't tried it in the wet so I can't comment on what people are saying about it, but I really don't ride wet trails much. Nor do most people in SoCal when you think about it! :)
These tires plus a 5 psi reduction in air pressure in both the shock and fork make my Epic much, much more comfortable over rocky stuff, which is what I was looking for. $50 in new tires is definitely cheaper than $3000 for a Blur LT, anyway! I may try the 2.24 in the rear when this one wears down a bit, but I'll stick with it for a long while, particularly if I can keep getting them at this price. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
joshie
a Cross Country Rider
from oaktown
Date Reviewed: March 20, 2006 | | Favoriate Trail: | to adventure | | Duration Product Used: | Tested or demo'ed only | | Price Paid: |
$27.00 | | Purchased At: | perforated | | Strengths: | largish XC volume, WTB, rolls really well | | Weaknesses: | though predictable, it's a little sketchy on the loose stuff. | | Similar Products Used: | Mutano 2.24 | | Bike Setup: | Marin HT / Mars fork / disc front | | Bottom Line: | I'm using it up front, and this tire will do just fine. It doesn't have the grip & stability that the 2.24 Mutano has, but it's significantly lighter and rolls a little better -- a good trade off in predictable situations.
They're getting cheaper, most likely because of the 29er revolution. If you're sticking with the 26er, might as well stock up. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
ramilcp
a Weekend Warrior
from Whittier, CA
Date Reviewed: February 27, 2006 | | Favoriate Trail: | El Prieto | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$25.00 | | Purchased At: | Then Supergo (R.I.P.) | | Strengths: | Loads of grip, nimble handling, lightweight, fast rolling, high-volume tire. | | Weaknesses: | Thin casing easy to flat, but that could just be me and where I ride. | | Similar Products Used: | IRC Kujo DH, Schwalbe Albert, Panaracer (Dart, Smoke, Fire XC Pro), Specialized S-Works Fast Trak, Bontrager SS, IRC Mythos, Hutchinson Spider Airlight, IRC Trailbear, Performance generic. | | Bike Setup: | IRO Mia! rigid singlespeed with disc brakes. | | Bottom Line: | I ride mostly in dry conditions, but even on damp trails, these tires excel. I have it set up as a front tire with a Schwalbe Light Albert in front. The high volume lets me run it at lower pressures so I can have some cushion. Rocks, roots, hardpack, or leaves, this tire holds it's grip in turns descending, and climbs. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Mike
a
from PA
Date Reviewed: February 19, 2006 | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Strengths: | Tall, high volume tire at a nice weight. Super fast roller. Wear well. Because of their tall, high volume profile you can run very low pressures and not pinchflat. | | Weaknesses: | None (as long as you use them for their intended purpose). | | Similar Products Used: | I been throug more tires than you can shake a stick at. | | Bike Setup: | Used mostly on my SS. | | Bottom Line: | My favorite tire. Not the best in wet Spring conditions, but for anything else these tires are super. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Randall Hale
a Cross Country Rider
from Tacoma, WA
Date Reviewed: September 30, 2005 | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Strengths: | Fat and fast. | | Weaknesses: | Price and performance in wet conditions. | | Similar Products Used: | LOTS. | | Bike Setup: | Hammerhead 100X | | Bottom Line: | Just wrapping up my third 'dry' season with these puppies -- my fifth or sixth set -- and will be running them again next summer. I was skeptical at first but wanted a fat, fast, missile-tread design that wouldn't weigh me down and could handle lower pressures. These tires don't feel at all fat and sluggish; they're stable and super-fast, and can handle 22-25 psi without complaint (or Stan's). Plus, they stick like glue in most situations and drift predictably otherwise. The side walls are a little thin but that's the penalty for the weight savings (there are equal or better tires out there, if you're running the heavier Norcal version). But even with a couple thousand miles on rugged northwest trails, riding aggressively, I've yet to damage a sidewall. My only complaint is that these have to come off for the winter. The semi-continuous centerline doesn't handle wet roots or rocks well. But for a casual rider they still work surprisingly well even in damp conditions. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
sckotty
a Cross Country Rider
from tx
Date Reviewed: September 9, 2005 | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$40.00 | | Purchased At: | Super Go | | Strengths: | well made and awsome grip, works awsome with STANS tire sealant | | Weaknesses: | none found yet | | Bike Setup: | blur | | Bottom Line: | handles awsome in the turns and climbs great. I tried other tires and very few compare | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
brennon
a Cross Country Rider
from Fairbanks, AK
Date Reviewed: July 9, 2005 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$30.00 | | Purchased At: | The Bike Shop | | Strengths: | Cheap large tire | | Weaknesses: | Dont know. | | Similar Products Used: | Nokain Boazabina, IRC TrailBear, | | Bike Setup: | Specialized 2003 Rockhopper | | Bottom Line: | This are an all around good choice for moderate to heavy XC use, I use them on marshy grass, mud, and dirt. They are listed as 2.4", but are a little on the thin side for that, good because my bikes frame dousnt afford too much clearance. unfortutely, not long after I got them, when I only had 1 wheelset, I was using them on pavement a lot and I have noticed the treads become a little softer on the edges. But thats my fault. I do get great grip with them, especially up steep hills. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
pete
a Cross Country Rider
from walnut creek, ca
Date Reviewed: May 23, 2005 | | Favoriate Trail: | Shell Ridge | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$30.00 | | Purchased At: | JensonUSA | | Strengths: | Super fast on the road, hard packed trails and fire roads. They corner superbly, when you drop the psi down to 35 up front and 40psi in the rear they perform adimirably. | | Weaknesses: | They are a little thin on the side walls but otherwise little complaint. | | Similar Products Used: | Kenda Kinetics 2.35 (great tires but way to slow), Michelin Hot S 2.25 tires, WTB Weirwolf 2.5 and Continental Vertical Pro's. | | Bike Setup: | Weyless 67 with a Pike Race fork, Single Track wheels on Hope hubs, XT and Sram drive train, Holzfeller cranks with an E13 rock guard, spv swinger 4way coil 2.75 stroke and 450lb spring, 2.4 mutano raptor tires, thomson front and rear, wtb power v saddle and odi grips along with Avid mechanical 8" discs. | | Bottom Line: | Compared to the ultra slowwwwwwwwwwwwwww Kenda's and Michelin's these tires rock!! Great all mountain tires. Thank you WTB!!
| | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Badinage
a Cross Country Rider
from Fairbanks
Date Reviewed: May 7, 2005 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$30.00 | | Purchased At: |
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