XC riders looking for a versatile tire for the fall riding season, listen up! I recently tested two of the five sets of XC tires from Intense Tire Systems (ITS) in a variety of conditions and I’m finally ready to share the results. I chose the System 4 and System 5 tires for my tests but you’ll want to choose the System series that’s best for your local terrain and trail conditions.

System 4 and System 5 tires are great for those will experience a wide range of weather and also for those of us who pack a few extra pounds. Both tires are 26 x 2.25″ and have the same single-ply casing with long lasting and grippy C3 rubber compound. These tires are true 2.25-inch wide tires which means they are higher volume compared to other brands (meaning fewer pinch flats for heavier riders). Both the System 4 and 5 tires can be had for about $45 a piece.

The System 4 (left) is an all-conditions tire designed to do equally as well on soft surface as well as hard pack. The ramped and chevron tread patterns work together to keep your wheel where you want it to be. The System 5 (right) is designed for softer terrain with its mud-shedding, wide-spaced tread pattern.

I found that both sets of Intense tires mounted easily and seated nicely in the rim with a satisfying pop. As always I recommend adding a bit of talcum powder to the inside of the tire before placing the tube to reduce friction within the tire and to increase performance. After inflating both sets to 40psi, I was pumped and ready to go! (get it? )

First up: the System 4 tires. I decided to try these guys just after a good rainfall at a local trail that has a great mix of terrain, small climbs, and a few low spots. That day the trail had it all: freshly dried hardpack, wet spots, and even a little mud. On hardpack the System 4 did well and I couldn’t help but compare the performance to the Kenda Small Block 8s. System 4 offers great control on hardpack and rolls smoothly with little energy needed to get them moving. Leaning into corners there was very little squirm and they tracked well, allowing me to change lines at will without fear of loosing traction.

The large volume of this tire really opens up terrain possibilities beyond smooth hardpack. Riding over rough obstacles like rocks and logs felt quite comfortable, especially compared to other 2.00-range XC tires I’ve used in the past. With a smaller-width XC tire I would normally run the risk of pinching a flat, but with these I am glad to say did not have a problem. For that reason, this is a good tire to consider if you find yourself pushing the clydesdale line.

In very loose, wet terrain the System 4s did manage to clog a bit but luckily I had another set of tires in my quiver: the System 5s!

Changing over to the System 5 tires and hitting the same trails on the same day really gave me a good perspective on the differences between these two sets. The System 5 tire ran with a bit more vibration, but didn’t show it when the terrain turned soft. Just like the System 4, the System 5 ran with decent efficiency and didn’t suck up too much energy to get things rolling. The System 5 tread felt stable - not overly soft - and did great job at preventing wheel spin during climbs. However, when the terrain got extra muddy, the System 5s still clogged a little and slipped at times. On the descents these tires offered a ton of control and showed great stopping power.

With the aggressive tread pattern you might think these tires would squirm in corners but I always felt comfortable leaning into the soft stuff. Now on dry, hard surfaces you might not want to lean into these as much; instead, keep the bike more perpendicular to the ground for better traction. Like the System 4 tires, the added air volume was great for trudging through gnarlier trails that might normally serve up pinched tubes.

The System 5 is another great tire, especially for this time of year when the trails are a bit on the softer side and logs and rocks can be slippery and wet. Of course if the trails are really wet it’s usually best to stay off them - lets conserve the trails for everyone!

My overall impressions: System 4

8 out of 10 for climbing
8 out of 10 for rolling and efficiency
7 out of 10 for loose conditions
8 out of 10 for hardpack
8 out of 10 cornering

System 4 Specs from ITS:

Usage: Cross Country
Conditions: Soft - Intermediate - Hardpack
Size: 2.25
Compound LSG C3compound
Weight: 650 grams

My overall impressions: System 5

7 out of 10 for climbing
7  out of 10 for rolling and efficiency
9 out of 10 for loose conditions
7 out of 10 for hardpack
8 out of 10 for cornering

System 5 Specs from ITS:

Usage: Cross Country
Conditions: Soft - Intermediate
Size: 2.25
Compound LSG C3compound
Weight: 550 grams

These are certainly two good tires from ITS - choose the best ones for your terrain and riding conditions!

Cheers.

At Interbike on Wednesday I just had to check out THE and ITS. If you remember a while back I wrote a few articles on the ITS tires as well as THE’s INK helmet. At the show I talked to Pete Dylewski and Toby Henderson, both super nice guys, and they walked me through the entire line up of whats new and exciting. I have to say there is going to be some super cool looking stuff coming from THE this year. With 10 new helmet graphics and revamped gear and armor offerings, the 2010 line up is going to be something to watch for.

Introducing the INK2, now in carbon and the CELTIC in composite.

Here are the TIKI and the BIOTIC, both in carbon.

These are only 4 of the 10 helmets and the other six are just as nice.  The armor also is worth taking a peek at - check out the full knee and arm protectors below. They even have pads for the little ones in the family.

For those of you who need even more protection, THE offers full upper armor; here is the new Storm upper body armor.

THE even offers MTB saddles.

ITS has revamped the entire line with new graphics and tweaked tire compounds. In 2010 ITS tires will be all black instead of the familiar grey and black. ITS also simplified things a bit by color coding the hot patch on the side of the tire: red for XC, blue for AM, green for FR and gold for DH. This new color system will help riders choose the right series of tires at a glance.

For XC, ITS still offers System 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5. For AM, FR, and DH you have the Edge, Invader (formally DH), 909, Intruder, Zero and Spike.

Check out more cool stuff from THE and ITS at vsiproducts.com.

ITS - or as most people know them, Intense Tire System - recently debuted new tire updates for 2010. The 2010 Edge EXDX comes in two flavors once again - a 1-ply for all-mountain riding and a 2-ply for DH /FR. I got a chance to test the 26″ x 2.35″, single ply version ($50 MSRP) which tips the scale at about 935 grams. These tires are trail-rated for dry to soft surfaces and have a ramped and siped center tread with U-shaped side knobs.

Mounting these tires with a single tire iron on a set of Mavic Crossmax SX rims was a snap. I decided to run these tires with heavy-duty tubes and talcum powder since ITS doesn’t recommend using sealant. Filling the tires up to about 38psi front and 42 psi rear, I was off to the trails at Kelso where the conditions were mixed with both dry hard pack as well as softer sections with some mud spots.

The first bit of my ride I took some time to get used to the profile of the tire. On the ITS Edge, the tread is wider than the side wall which tends to give this tire sort of a “square” profile. This produced small amounts of squirm in flat corners, though in banked turns on berms they offered decent grip and a solid feel.

On rocky and gnarly trails with tons of roots, the Edge found its sweet spot, giving me a good sense of control. At 40psi these tires performed well but I found at lower pressures the tires started to squirm a bit too much.

Climbing and descending with the Edge was a pleasure and I found the tread design was optimal for these conditions. Starting to climb the tread got a firm hold in a variety of terrain conditions - rocks, hardpack, loam, branches and even sand. I found the tires to be just as versatile on the decent as well.

In terms of stopping power the ITS Edge comes out on top. If you’ve ever broken a bone or two on the trail you know how important stopping traction can be. Of course it’s up to you to hit the brakes but fortunately these tires won’t let you down.

All that traction can have its drawbacks: I found small serations on the knobs over just a short period of time. This may indicate a shorter tire life but more testing is needed to confirm.

All in all this is a good tire for those of us who have a long travel bike. If your terrain includes a variety of conditions this may be a good choice for you. And if you’re into climbing without slipping, this tire has your name on it!

My overall impressions:

7 out of 10 for climbing
7 out of 10 for rolling and efficiency
8 out of 10 for loose condidtion
7 out of 10 for hardpack
9 out of 10 for stopping in a straight line

Specs from ITS:

Size: 26″ x 2.35
Weight: 985 grams
Durometer: 55/60D Dual compound
Construction: 1 Ply 72 TPI Aramid Bead