After using the stock tires on my Giant Anthem Mountain bike for over a year and 600 miles it was time to upgrade and change the worn out stock tires. After a little research and talking to fellow riders on the trail I went with the Kenda John Tomac Nevegal folded tire.
First Impression
My first impression out of the box was "Man these tires don't look as aggressive as the picture indicates in the center of the tire." Then after comparing them to my current tires I quickly realized the middle knobby's were more aggressive then I originally thought and the sides knobs were twice the size as my stock tires
Riding Condition Results
In SoCal where I ride most of the conditions are dry, hard packed, sand spots, loose rock, and rock garden areas.
Hard Packed- This is where this tire performs best. It gets great grip going up and down mountains and turning on berms. The biggest advantage I found was the down hill rolling speed this tire provided.
Sand- In light sand and deep sand areas this tire maintained its grip and control. The larger side knobs provide excellent grip in those tricky area at the bottom of a hill where sand likes to collect.
Loose Rock- When going down hill in loose gravel or rock situations this tire maintained its control and grip. The issue is going up hill on loose gravel at slow speeds this tire wanted to throw the rock and cause rear tire to burn out causing loss of momentum.
Rock Garden- In rock garden situations this tire held its line and provided plenty of grip to maintain speed and momentum. The STICK-E compound pays off in rock gardens.
Muddy- After a good rain on my second day of testing these tires, I found they performed OK in muddy situations. I noticed when slow climbing the knobs didn't throw the mud causing a solid mud tire. When going down hill at faster speeds it allowed the mud to clear the knobs which resulted in good tire performance.
Overall
In dry hard packed conditions this tire is perfectly designed for max performance when turning and down hill speed. If your riding conditions are loose gravel or muddy you might want to find a more aggressive knobby tire. [Purchase]
