Epic Racing around the World

 Tires. Where do you ride? When do you ride? What’s your riding all about?

You don’t wear the same shoes for every activity and tires are no different.

Setting off on this test here in Portland I was fortunate enough to have a fairly wide sample of soils to shred. I’m a cross country rider who goes out and rides cross country trails. Dirt. Mud. Leaves. Pavement. Roots. Gravel. Rocks. Basically everything you’d find between points A and B, with point A being my house and point B being the back side of the furthest trail I have access to.

I’m going to cover my three favorite riding and racing tires - each has their place and their use.

We’ll start out with the all-around tire, Kenda Karma 2.0. 470grams at race weight and with sidewall protection. Fast. Light. Predictable handling in the widest range on conditions - dust, rocks, roots, hard pack, and mud. This is the privateer’s tire of choice. One tire. Many conditions.

Leaving for a race or ride? Not sure what its going to be like out there? Put two of these on the bike and throw a spare one in your bag, just in case. Done deal. Your dirt might look something like this:

Or maybe like this?

Users of this tire scream “I want one tire that does it all.” This is the tire of the racer and rider who’s changing at their car, with a towel, wearing flip flops on the podium while smacking on a banana, and often forgot to clean the mud and dust out of their ears before taking the winner’s envelope..and the prize money’s already spent before it was earned.

That’s cred.

Next up in the line of specificity in tire selection is the Kenda Small Block Eight 2.0. 520 grams at race weight. It durable. Screaming fast. Handles dry and fast conditions like a road tire and doesn’t mind mixing it up a bit when the soild soil gets a little damp and chewy…this is my personal choice when dry rocks litter the course. Armour plated casing and tread is never a bad thing.

The Small Block 8 is the versatile racer’s choice. You’re pretty sure its going to dry, this bike trail is going to be about speed but you’re not afraid to play your better-than-average handling skills card on the DH, and this trail or race course isn’t raw or covered in leaf litter. The dirt is ridden. Often…and more than likely, people are going to be yelling at (or with) you while you’re using these tires. Heckling is free of charge.

Users of this tire know the guys and girls they’re racing against. This isn’t your first time through the feed zone and sizing up the chances of hitting the podium were already calculated before the car was loaded. Users of the Small Block Eight bring a fresh jersey and a cap for the awards ceremony, and the wise racer keeps an old towel in the car that’s used to wipe off his or her racing shoes so they’re nice and presentable on stage.

Details.

We’re narrowing down things to ultra specific conditions and bike setups, which brings us to my favorite racing tire, the Kenda Kozmik Lite II. Built for speed. Its one of the most durable, fastest rolling, best handling and highest volume racing tires I’ve used. A true 2.0″ hoop, its a lean 450grams but without the pitfalls of many built for speed tires - meaning the center tread is thick enough to allow you to ride with confidence on rough terrain, it corners well enough for the user to forget its almost a slick, and most importantly…users can still use their brakes. Aggressively. Better braking makes you a faster rider.

This isn’t a riding tire, this is racing a tire. Who’s using these?

Its the competitor who’s done their home work…there are two athletes you’re watching at this event. They know your fitness and you know theirs. In fact, your handler already has a cool, damp, and fresh towel ready for you at the finish line and your podium sneakers unlaced for the awards presentation. This is the racer’s tire when the conditions are Formula One style - fast, groomed, dry, and demanding pure speed, with a hint of twists and bumps thrown in out on the course. It isn’t afraid to be leaned over or braked hard. I’d suggest leaving it at home should things get a little damp out there, but your handler would have already swapped your wheel set on the start line if that were the case…so you won’t even have to take your eyes off the top step of the podium.

The beauty of having different tires for different situations is understanding how and why to use them. How and Why=When.

Aside from years of experience, how does one figure this out? Think about what opinion leaders are using in your area. Is the course about momentum? Braking? Does traction limit you or would you rather be more efficient? In general terms, the faster a course the smaller the tread blocks needed are. The same goes for the more dry the conditions, the smaller and stiffer the knobs should be. When things slow down and get soft, traction, and knobs, begin to make a larger difference in how the bike handles and stretching out what you and the bike are capable of.

Perspective on your riding style, conditions, strengths, weaknesses, other competitors’ skill sets, tactile feel for the bike, and real data will help you make the right choice for you each ride when determining what pair of sneakers you want between the dirt and your wheels.

Just remember to tell your handler what PSI you’d like to have the tires inflated to.

For more information check out Kenda Tires.