PRODUCT
REVIEW TIRES
By Scott Osinchuk
CLASH
OF THE
TIRES!
W
e’ve all heard it in shops before…”how many
grams is this seat post and can I get titanium water
bottle bolts to make my bike lighter?”
Every mountain bike racer is looking for an edge, but have you ever
thought about the only part of your $6000 wonder bike that actually touches
the dirt? I’m talking about the tires! Where the rubber meets the trail could be the
MOST important decision you make on race day. The trend to wider, higher volume
tires has seen some new choices available from both Kenda and Schwalbe.
Before we look at these tires, let’s look for some clues to help you determine if you need to
replace your tires. A good mountain bike racer will inspect their tires every time they wash
their bike (you DO wash your bike, don’t you?). Place your bike on a work stand and slowly SCHWALBE Racing Ralph
spin the wheel. Inspect the tires for cuts, tears and missing knobs. Now, take a look at the tread. (www.schwalbetires.com)
Are the knobs worn? Do they look rounded? What you want to see are nice sharp edges to give Low weight, low rolling resistance
you maximum traction. A tire DOES NOT have to be 100% worn out before you replace it. and better grip.
Two great choices for race tires are the Kenda Karma and the Schwalbe Racing Ralph. Both tires “SHARKSTOOTH” U-Blocks
come in multiple widths and a UST version if you like to run tubeless (and your increase grip more aggressively,
rims are set up for it). These tires share the same idea that low tread especially in corners.
blocks and a higher volume casing make for a FAST tire. 127 TPI sidewall with EVO
So, let’s get ready to rumble and see what these triple compound.
tires are made of… $102.95 Folding $118.95 UST
In the RED corner is the Kenda Karma.
These tires are easy to mount on any standard
rim and make your bike look great. On our
initial test ride, the Karma’s did everything
well. Low rolling resistance and good grip
in the corners allows a rider to really test
the limits of physics. Overall, a great
choice for hard-packed courses and racers
on a budget (these tires are really well-
priced!) Bigger racers and courses with
lots of rocks and roots will have you
looking for more tire.
In the BLUE corner is the Schwalbe
Racing Ralph. These tires mounted up on a
UST rim easily and held the recommended
PSI well. The super-cool NASCAR sidewall KENDA Karma
graphics look FAST and make even the slowest of us (www.kendausa.com)
at least look like a pro! On the test ride, the Racing DTC Compound has Kenda’s L3R Pro
Ralph’s are easy to get up to speed and have the lowest rolling (hard) compound in the center of the
resistance of any full knobby tire we have tried. These tires are tread for speed and long life.
quick. Don’t worry about roots as the triple-density compound grips Kenda’s Stick-E rubber on the transition
it and sticks it. Put the tire where you want it and hang on. The only and cornering knobs provides better
drawback to the Racing Ralph is that they are NOT recession friendly. At grip in turns.
over $100 a tire you gotta pay to play. WC Small square knobs accentuate this tread
pattern for fast XC rides and races.
Scott Osinchuk is the Pedalhead front guy and one-time Elite racer. $57.95 Folding $59.95 UST
2 6 WESTERN CYCLIST | SUMMER 2009
Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40