General Cycling Discussion - Kenda Kwest issues?

I've had Kenda Kwests(26x1.5",65psi) on three bikes so far with no issues. But recently I've seen a couple problems pop up at my bike clinic.

The first was a man who brought his bike back after I had gone over it and inflated the tires to the proper level. The rear tire had come off the rim. I was sure I hadn't overinflated it,and when I checked the tube it was fine(had not burst). The tire went back on very easily,but I didn't think anything of it. He insisted he hadn't hit a pothole or jumped a curb,so I put everything back together and reinflated it to a little under max and he rode it away with everything seeming normal. The next was a lady whose tires were both flat. She said that months earlier she had just been walking her bike and the front tire just popped off(she had taken it to a shop to get it fixed). Both tires had crooked valve stems,so I decided to remove the tires and ensure the tubes weren't kinked. The tires were so 'loose' on the rims,that I was able to put three fingers between the tire and rim with the tire still on the bead. In fact,I was able to remove the schrader valve from the rim by just lifting the tire off the bead. I advised her that her tires should fit better than that and she agreed to not ride the bike until she purchased replacements. In both cases the tires were 700x38,85psi Kwests.

I asked about this on a local blog,and was told by a friend who works in a shop that he has seen this problem with these tires several times. Can anyone here confirm that they've seen Kwests come off the rims? Both bikes at my clinic were lower-end models,so I could maybe see a cheap wheel not holding the bead on a high pressure tire,but these were only 85psi,and no way you should be able to see through a gap between the tire and rim when the tire is on the bead.

Sorry, I can't help you here. I really like these tires. I have 2 sets of the Kwest Hi-Pressure (100psi) 26 x 1.5" tires on one of my MTB's and my wife's MTB. We use them as our "path bikes". We haven't had any issues since June. The tires are of average "tightness" on the rim for me. Not so much as low air on them. I check air pressure every other ride and a squeeze check the rest of the time. I usually put in a couple pounds every other week or so. We put about 50-60 miles per week on them now. Maybe I'm just lucky.

Look at the rims. Some rims are bigger than others.

If you can fit the tyre on without Levers easily- then I would try another wheel of a Good make and see if it is still loose.

And it is not only No-Name rims that have this problem. I have had rims that it is impossible to fit a tyre to and in the same make- I can pull the tyre off without levers and with some air still in the tube.

Another problem with "Cheap" rims is that some have "No" lip to locate the bead of the tyre onto the rim.

Look at the rims. Some rims are bigger than others.

If you can fit the tyre on without Levers easily- then I would try another wheel of a Good make and see if it is still loose.

And it is not only No-Name rims that have this problem. I have had rims that it is impossible to fit a tyre to and in the same make- I can pull the tyre off without levers and with some air still in the tube.

Another problem with "Cheap" rims is that some have "No" lip to locate the bead of the tyre onto the rim.
I agree ive got the 100psi kwests and they fit very differently on my two bikes, they really dont seem to like my actual MTB rims that are a little wider, my commuter which has narrower rims they work perfectly

Look at the rims. Some rims are bigger than others...Another problem with "Cheap" rims is that some have "No" lip to locate the bead of the tyre onto the rim.

Good advice. I have one set of wheels that's VERY touchy about what stays on and what blows off. I finally put them on my singlespeed with 700x41 tires I run at 65psi, and so far no problems. But they won't hold my Rivendell Ruffy Tuffys at 95 (the RT's work fine on other wheels). I've also had one wheel years ago, I forget what brand, that must have been very slightly oversize. Tires went onto the (seemingly identical) front wheel with no problem, but mounting on the rear was a constant hassle.
Those rims with a lip are called "hook bead" rims, and i think most modern rims do have hooked beads. On older bikes, you sometimes find wheels without them. Google it and you can find a picture that shows you how to tell.
I've never bought Kenda tires, but they used to be pretty low-end compared to, say, Michelin or Panaracer. Not sure if that's still the case, though.

Ok,maybe I just wasn't clear.

First off,this issue occured on two different sets of rims(two different bikes),both of which were only about a year old. Second,the tires could be lifted up off the bead. IOW,the tire seemed to be larger in diameter than the rim. It has nothing to do with how the bead was seating,because it didn't seat at all until the tires were aired up.

I have run 2 sets of 26x1.5's (100PSI) on different bikes in my stable, never had an issue with any of them coming off the rim. They are not hard to remove, though, I can usually get them off without levers after I fully deflate the tube.

Ok,maybe I just wasn't clear.

First off,this issue occured on two different sets of rims(two different bikes),both of which were only about a year old. Second,the tires could be lifted up off the bead. IOW,the tire seemed to be larger in diameter than the rim. It has nothing to do with how the bead was seating,because it didn't seat at all until the tires were aired up.

I don't remember the details on this, but in the back of my mind I recall that there used to be two different wheel sizes marked "26," and they weren't interchangeable. I'm really vague on this, but I think Schwinn used one and everybody else in the world used the other; something like that. That could be your problem. Sorry I don't remember specifics. A good old-time bike shop might be able to help.

These were both 700c;the bikes were only a year old.

I had that issue with a set of slick foldable vittorios 26x1.25 on a friend's MTB. She had a new quality rear wheel where there was no issue, but the tires would easily unseat on the front rim which was OEM(Ross bike). If I am VERY careful about inflating them while being sure they are seated they are okay, but there is no room for error with that rim/tire combination. I had to keep reseating them as I slowly pumped up the tire. Only after it was about 60psi out of 80psi did they stay put.

If it is possible to mount the tires and inflate without having a blowout then the tires are the right size.

Sometimes single-wall rims fit tires so loosely that, once deflated, you can remove the tire just by holding the wheel up and shaking it. This is not a flaw... just a rim that you need to be a little extra careful with when mounting tires. But if it is impossible to mount and inflate a tire then there is some other problem.

The lady in your story sounds like she rides with too little pressure in her tires, and was probably walking her bike when the tire fell off becasue there was no air in the tires. Otherwise the tire would not 'fall off,' it would have 'blown off.' This is what would have happened to the man if he had not fixed it soon - the tube would have pushed more and more of the tire off the rim until *BANG!*

Notice this comment from Slowandsteady about the same tire on a good quality rim compared to an inexpensive one on a friend's Ross:


She had a new quality rear wheel where there was no issue, but the tires would easily unseat on the front rim which was OEM(Ross bike).

These were both 700c;the bikes were only a year old.
Wait i thought you said 26", also i believe kwests (at least mine) are for a 575 rim which is why they dont like going on my MTB rims as They are not 575's. On my commuter i run WTB's DX23 they are supposed to be 575's i only need a tire lever to install them i can get them off with just my fingers though, so long story short not all 26" tires are the same dia when it comes to the bead. And not all 26" rims are the same dia.