posted Jan 23, 2013 by syd

Riding my new Santa Cruz Nomad Carbon on stock tires left me with a desire for a tire with less rolling resistance and better cornering and climbing capabilities. When I had the chance to review a new tire from Kenda, the Slant Six came immediately to...
read full article  7 comments  

posted Dec 5, 2012 by jeff

Choosing a mountain bike tire is all about tradeoffs: More traction means greater rolling resistance. Stickier rubber isn't as durable. Hardpack tires get bogged down in wet conditions. If it were even possible to find a "happy medium," would anyone want to ride it? Kenda thinks...
read full article  6 comments  

posted Oct 31, 2012 by jeff

Ask any rider which tire comes to mind when you mention the Kenda name and they'll probably name the Nevegal or Small Block Eight--or both. So what would happen if you could combine these two favorites into a single, super tire? Would the sum be greater...
read full article  7 comments  

posted Dec 23, 2011 by mtbgreg1

Specs The WTB Nano Race 29er 2.1" tire features an Aramid bead, DNA rubber, and a lightweight casing. The Aramid bead and lightweight casing definitely help drop weight, and at only 560 grams this tire is light and fast and definitely intended for use as an XC...
read full article  3 comments  

posted Nov 14, 2011 by dgaddis

Imagine my surprise when when a local bike shop employee sent me an e-mail informing me their Specialized sales rep had left a pair of new Specialized 29er tires for me to review. Sweet! I went to pick them up and was stoked to see the...
read full article  10 comments  

posted Sep 30, 2011 by mudhunny

Qubec is famous in the mountain bike world for hosting the challenging UCI World Cup Downhill race at Mont Sainte Anne, a ski resort just 40km - about a 30 minute drive - from Qubec City. I had just one afternoon to spend at Mont Sainte...
read full article  7 comments  

posted Sep 29, 2011 by syd

Nearly all of my MTB wheelsets are UST so I've been searching for good downhill tires I can run tubeless. Recently the good folks at Schwalbe sent over Big Betty and Muddy Mary tires to put to the test. In the past I've had great results...
read full article  6 comments  

posted Jun 28, 2011 by syd

I've been running ITS (Intense) tires for a while now and this season I'm rockin' the ITS Invaders on my DH rig. The Invader was originally simply called the DH tire, and for good reason too. At 1300 grams and a full 2.5 inches wide these...
read full article  2 comments  

posted May 23, 2011 by dgaddis

A little while ago I posted an article on Tubeless MTB tires. In it, I briefly mentioned a DIY method for going tubeless: the 'ghetto' method. As it turns out, there are two different ghetto methods people seem to be using. One involves using a tube...
read full article  14 comments  

posted May 5, 2011 by maddslacker

Here in the Rocky Mountains we don't really have mud to deal with and serious roots exist only on some specific, high altitude trails. Most of our trails are rocky, sandy, hardpack, or all of the above. Almost any brand name mountain bike tire suited to...
read full article  14 comments  

posted Apr 29, 2011 by mtbgreg1

The WTB Bronson 2.3" AM tires are ready for action in a variety of terrain. Weighing in at 810 grams, these tires feature a large number of relatively small, low-profile knobs along the center of the tire with prominent knobs along the edges for aggressive cornering....
read full article  6 comments  

posted Apr 25, 2011 by maddslacker

For the last five years I've been riding WTB Velociraptor tires on my mountain bike because they're inexpensive and have the traction and durability of a tractor tire. Unfortunately they also have the weight and rolling resistance of a tractor tire. After riding in my first...
read full article  5 comments  

posted Apr 6, 2011 by dgaddis

We get a lot of questions about tubeless mountain bike tires here on Singletracks, so I thought it was time to put together a tubeless guide. I'm not going to get into specific brands and components, but instead give you an overview of the various systems...
read full article  24 comments  

posted Jan 27, 2011 by dgaddis

I've been on the lookout for a new rear tire for my single speed for a while now. For the last 2+ years I've been running Kenda's Small Block 8s (aka SB8) on both my older, full suspension 26" bike and my newer, rigid SS 29er....
read full article  3 comments  

posted Jan 12, 2011 by Bob_the_Builder

The Dissent 2.5 mountain bike tire from WTB is a beefy DH/FR-specific tire that's built tough to withstand the gnarliest conditions. The 2010 model I tested features wider tread block spacing than previous generations in an effort to improve performance in moist, wet, and loose conditions...
read full article  1 comments  

posted Dec 15, 2010 by jeff

When it comes to mountain bike tires, there are a ton of choices out there (there are nearly 300 different models listed on singletracks alone). But how to decide which tires are best? Luckily slapping new skins on your wheels is an easy upgrade - just...
read full article  3 comments  

posted Jul 16, 2010 by syd

Over the past few years Schwalbe has been gaining momentum, producing some great mountain bike tires like the Nobby Nic. I recently had a chance to test the 2010 Fat Albert 26 x 2.40 Evo Snakeskin Triple Nano (one of 7 Fat Albert flavors) and at...
read full article  0 comments  

posted Jul 6, 2010 by jeff

The 2010 Nobby Nic mountain bike tire from Schwalbe offers big performance gains over previous versions which is impressive given this tire's venerable and award-winning history. Through several evolutionary changes, engineers were able to improve rolling resistance 15% while slashing 30g from the weight - and...
read full article  4 comments  

posted Jun 9, 2010 by soezgg

The Wolverine 29 is a relatively new addition to WTBs big tire lineup. Marketed as an all conditions XC race tire, the Wolverine is meant to handle just about anything you come across on the trail. Based on that assumption, it seems like a good option...
read full article  1 comments  

posted Jun 4, 2010 by RunandBike0519

Do you like to go fast on your bike? Of course you do - me too. The low rolling resistance Excavator tire from Kenda is a sure fire hit for those who race XC and are looking to maintain decent traction in the looser stuff. At first...
read full article  2 comments  

posted Jun 1, 2010 by syd

At this point in the season you've probably hit the trails half a dozen of times and might be realizing that your rubber isn't as good as you remembered it. Well, if you're an AM or technical XC rider, I have two tires for you -...
read full article  5 comments  

posted Apr 15, 2010 by syd

If you're into running the slopes with your DH / FR bike or want a bullet proof tire for you AM bike, check out the 909 and the Intruder from Intense Tyre Systems. These are two tires with one purpose, each built for slightly different trail...
read full article  0 comments  

posted Mar 22, 2010 by syd

Intense Tires has gone and done it again, improving an already stellar design with the MK2 (previously known as the Micro Knobby). The MK2 sports all the great virtues of the Micro Knobby tire and cranks things up a notch. For starters, the new MK2 is designed...
read full article  2 comments  

posted Feb 1, 2010 by jeff

In mountain biking there are very few "classic" designs that haven't been torn to shreds over the years as tech advances to produce bigger and better MTB components. Sometimes, though, designers and engineers hit upon a design so effective that it withstands the test of time...
read full article  5 comments  

posted Jan 19, 2010 by syd

Here is an exciting new tire for those of you who are inspired by going really fast on your XC bike. The Maxxis Aspen 26x2.25 (also available in 26x2.10) is new to the Maxxis XC tire line-up and is a high volume, fast rolling tire that...
read full article  2 comments  

posted Dec 9, 2009 by syd

If a picture is worth a thousand words, what does this one tell you? Clearly there must be guide wires holding this rider up. Actually there are just two forces at play here: centrifugal force pushing the rider outward and a counter-reactive force being applied by...
read full article  2 comments  

posted Nov 25, 2009 by jeff

I've been riding my 29er for almost a year now and one of the things that was frustrating initially was the lack of component variety available. It was kinda like being a Mac guy in a PC world but thankfully it's getting easier every day to...
read full article  3 comments  

posted Oct 26, 2009 by syd

I'm sure many of you already read my review of the Maxxis Ardents - if you havent what are you waiting for? OK, now that we're all up to speed, I have another great set of tires from Maxxis that are perfect for those who dont...
read full article  1 comments  

posted Oct 9, 2009 by syd

Maxxis is a name in MTB tires that needs no introduction. The company has been around for over 40 years producing high quality tires for almost everything that rolls, especially mountain bikes. This time around I tested the Maxxis Ardent 2.4 (MSRP about $50) which is...
read full article  5 comments  

posted Oct 2, 2009 by syd

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...
read full article  0 comments  

posted Sep 14, 2009 by syd

The next tire in the WTB series that I'll be testing is the ground-ripping Stout 2.3. This tire is meant for nasty, gnarly terrain! With its wide offset spacing center tread pattern and aggressive corner knobs, this tire performs best on loose trail surfaces. The Stout...
read full article  4 comments  

posted Sep 9, 2009 by syd

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...
read full article  2 comments  

posted Aug 28, 2009 by syd

If you're in the hunt for a great All Mountain bike tire at a decent price, look no further than the Prowler MX from WTB ($50 MSRP). Aggressive, talon-like knobs will help you navigate the trail like a jungle cat so you can catch even the...
read full article  6 comments  

posted Aug 3, 2009 by syd

This review is for those who spend all their time pointing their bikes down hill; for those who live for the double diamond; and for anyone who is confident at the sight of mega gnarly rock strewn terrain. Yeah, that's right, this is for the crazy...
read full article  3 comments  

posted Jul 21, 2009 by syd

Faster than a speeding bullet, able to leap over rocks and tree branches, and more powerful than your two legs can handle! Kenda's stable of tires are famous for superhero-like performance and the Small Block Eight tires (MSRP $47.99) are no exception. These tires are super...
read full article  5 comments  

posted Mar 10, 2009 by syd

The cold, wet winter days in Ontario could not keep me from testing out the Intense Micro Knobby tires. The intended use for these tires are for riding trails, skate parks, cross country trails, soft dirt hard packed dirt or on the street. I found the...
read full article  0 comments  

posted Jan 29, 2009 by trek7k

After recently discovering that my semi-slick tires were hopelessly full of dry rot (see photo - not for the squeamish!) I started looking around for a good set of mountain bike tires with low rolling resistance. Luckily I found the Tinker Juarez Signature Series "Dred Tread"...
read full article  4 comments  

posted Jan 23, 2009 by 2leftfeet

The El Moco MTB tire from Kenda looks like the offspring of a dirty 3-way composed of a WTB Weirwolf, a Michelin Mud Cyclocross Tire and the venerable Panaracer Smoke. The El Moco incorporates Kenda's DTC (Dual Tread Compound) technology and the folding 26x2.1 XC racing...
read full article  0 comments