Defiance

For the "Truing of rims" day, I removed the tires and tubes off my rims. I got some new tires for free that were a benefit over my old ones but now I see why the guy that I got them from didn't want them. The front ones "beads" or whatever you pry over the rim to get them off seem to fall a little short. It was a pain in the ass to get them off.

What's better, is that when I got the rims trued and trying to get it back on, it pinched the tube and all hope is lost for getting my front tire working again.

So I'm going to try and talk my parents into "sponsering" some new tires and a tube tomorrow. Normally I would stick fly under the radar and just save up the money but I can't stick off my bike for that long It's addicting...

I know I haven't said the tires names until this point. I wanted a work up and a climatic ending. *Drum Roll Please* Kenda Klaw XT! <- YOU SUCK! (edit: Not kenda, just this type of tire )

Anywho, this also inspires a little bit of irony. Earlier today I gleefully accepted a package full of a number of things.

Truing stand
NWD 6 "unchained" dvd
5050 X pedals
3 spare innertubes
and some misc tools (tire levers, spoke wrench)

Well, I open up the package and OH NOES! No innertubes. I think it's an omen that I shouldn't have played with my wheels.

Anyways, atleast the rims are trued and I got to play with the 5050s before all this happened. I love them hehe...

To aid discussion, what are some other bad or in this case, ironic experiences with your wheels/tires?

(For those who think this is a dumb thread, atleast I'm not asking what the best new tires would be.)

blue_neon

My Kenda's are the best tyres i've ever run in my life...

Defiance

Which ones?

blue_neon

Kenda Nevegals of course!

<salesperson voice>

With a perfect width (2.1"), they have awesome traction on corners, allowing you to maintain speed. They are not too heavy, and the DTC compound makes them fast rolling for the grip they produce. I can run 5 - 10 more PSI in these tyres because they have so much all round traction, which allows me to roll faster! So dont hesitate, see these tyres and much much more, in a Kenda Store near you!

</salesperson's voice>

Defiance

Cool. I've heard that kenda in general makes good tires, so I was suprised these were such crap. I'll edit my post and make it more specific.

chis51hd

...a pity we can't add audio to our posts...

One lbs here has the 1.95 Nevegals with stick-e compound. If you've tried those, are they as good as the 2.1's? I think they're the right size for me, since I also ride on-road sometimes.

blue_neon

Havn't tried the Stick-E compound sorry .

The 2.1" are actually larger then claimed, so the 1.95" may be close to an actuall size of 2.0". With the stick-e you will benifit very much riding over rough terrain, rocks etc!

Check these reviews:

https://www.mtbr.com/reviews/Tire/product_124051.shtml

chis51hd

Thanks! Are your 2.1's okay on the road? I'm asking coz I also have Maxxis Larsen TT 2.0's and the knobs are pretty noisy on pavement (especially the front).

blue_neon

Yep my Nevegals are quite, how you say, 'grippy' () on the road! You can here 'em roar....not the best trye for road riding!

catatonic

heh, I use Klaw XTs as my "intermediate" tire, for when I am doing a mix of on-road and off-road riding. I save my good tires for pure trail use...I'm not wasting a good tire on pavement.

Oh, and you need three tire levers, of the square tip variety to get them off.

jm01

how old are your Nevegals?...I just replaced my Kenda Karma Pro Stickees with Nevegals and had an indredible time trying to get them on the rims...its like they were .25" too small

it finally took two of us at the LBS to pry them on from both sides, and now I'm concerned that I'll not be able to get them off if I have a problem on the trails

BTW...The Karma Pro beats the Nevegal in every category...rolls smoother, corners better, grips better on the climbs

no more nevegals for me when these wear out

ed 

My Kenda Nevegal Stick-E 2.35's are the best tires I've ever had. I may go with the 2.1's next time, but I'm just not sure I want to go any smaller on my trailbike.

Well, my first question is why did you remove your tires and tubes just to true up your rims. Not necessary.

I think you need ot pay closer attention when installing tires and you won't pinch your tubes. It's not the tire's fault. My riding buddy had a new set of Klaw's and he has had no problems. I even fixed a flat for him w/o tire levers.

What kind of rims are you running? I have tires that go right on and off my rims w/o levers, but when I try to put them on my Rhyno Lites, I have to use levers b/c they're tighter. More lip to the rim to help stop the tire from rolling off the wheel.

So...maybe you should have sat and thought a little harder before naming this thread something that you contradicted in your post. It's not a dumb thread, I agree. Just a dumb name that doesn't accurately describe your thread. (you said it yourself)

Chone

Yeah, sometimes removing a tire has to do with the rim too, for example, removing my Specialized Resolution 2.0 out of my DS2+XC is hell but removing them out of my Alex DM-18 rims is a piece of cake.

Just be sure to get tire levers... in case of emergency in the trail you can use your skewers, pump lever, screwdrivers and everything else you can get your hands on.

Peek the Geek

For what it's worth, my Kenda Klaw XTs are super-easy to get on and off. No need for tire levers. Heck, I hardly need to apply any muscle power to them.

My new Kenda Cortez and Blue Groove were a beyatch to get onto my ZTR rims, though.

gm1230126

Until you learn to use tire levers correctly I suggest you let a shop do it for you. You should have been riding back in the day when Keith Bontrager cut down and rerolled the Mavic MA2 700C rims into 26" size. You think your Kenda's were beading and seating tight on your rims? You ain't seen nothin. There are rim/tire combos that have seated tightly over the years but the important thing is to learn to use your tools correctly so you don't pinch the tube. I've always run snugger fitting tires but have always loved the tires I've run. I don't think it's fair to knock Kenda. They do make good products. Stop and think about it. Would they be able to stay in business long with neos running arond and pinching their tubes nd bad-mouthing them all over the globe on the www? I hardly doubt it. Oh and just in case you didn't realize it, Kenda is a MAJOR player in bicycle rubber and you'ld be surprised at some of the major names they mold and package for.

ed 

Well, in his defense he edited his orig. post and bashed the Kenda Klaw and not Kenda as a whole. Either way though, it's not the tire's fault.

It's okay...it's a rookie mistake that we all make probably more than once before we learn to be more careful. Just be sure where the fault lies.

Defiance

Calm down. Why are there people that take everything so personally?

The only reason I can think of is if you personally designed said tires, and I'm offending you. In that case, sorry, but I had a bad experience with your design, although I doubt the need for said apology is likely.

Good and bad experiences come with every product someone makes.

I've heard great things about Kenda so I rewrote a part of the post so I only meant these tires. I know kenda makes great products, but based on my experiences this one isn't one of them.

I know a guy that works for ATi and quite a few people have problems with the cards and bash ATi in his face. What does he do? He doesn't get mad or flip out at the person bashing the company, he helps them solve the problems and ZOMG! everything works out.

I wish people would learn from his example. GM, that wasn't a message directly to you. I drifted off to vent about a problem I've seen alot of in the past week or so, don't get the misconception I was ranting at you.

On a lighter note, I went down and picked up a Panaracer Smoke/Dart Classic combo and so far it's working marvelously. Easy to get on, easy to get off, working great. Good grip on dirt and they don't work too bad on the road either so I'm happy.

And even better, my rims havent blown into pieces so I guess I didn't screw up too bad truing em

BoSoxYacht

I had set of these wheels on my Mountaingoat Whiskeytown Racer (Mavic MA40's I think) . Those were strong rims, but they sure sucked when you flatted in a race.

blue_neon

RE person who asked about Stick-E's.

I do XC with these, so the stick-e's are not always the 'best' option! Choose Stick-E or non Stick-e for your riding style!

SamHouston

haha, If I were your friend at ATI I'd tell anyone who bothered me about who I did what for to **** themselves

But really on topic, pinch flats are entirely avoidable, just gotta seat right. A tight bead isn't such a bad thing, I've noticed an unscientific, entirely my own experience corollary between sidewall strength and ease of removal, replace. I'd value a strong sidewall and the know-how to get the tire on & off over ease of use, loose bead.

Flak

Try running DS-2 rims and a set of 2.3 contis.

Tighter than hell.

apclassic9

My son is a Kenda sponsored rider (10 free tire sets!!) and uses stick-e, nevegal, klaws, kharisma, etc... depending upon what kind of terrain & weather conditions he has to deal with. He used to spend all kinds of time changing his tires, but a little instuction and practice has gone a long way - the kid can change a tube in under 3 minutes during a race... Okay, so he has some access to very experienced (and Pro) riders, and can pick thier brains and learn about technique AND mechanics, but whn he started he was a total loss - not even strong enough to pick his 1st mtb up!

Def - ask some experienced riders to demonstrate tire changing techniques, and quick tube changes, and then practice!

dminor 

Ahhh . . . try wrestling wire-bead 2.5 DH tires onto a 'no-trough' rim like a Mammoth. There's your forearm/wrist/grip workout. Glad I still have my motorcycle tire irons.

ed 

Crass, dude.

Flak

Common enough expression, sorry it upsets you.