User submitted reviews
Review by AnthP
I purchased these tires to replace a set of much older amends Kwicks that were on a 1999 Cannondale T700 touring bicycle I restored. I have found them to be exceptionally comfortable on all the kinds of terrain. A cyclocross tire of this diameter should be comfortable on, and they�re a great value for what you get.
Review by Mike the biker
I have ridden about 20 miles of hard scrabblesand roads in SW Florida on these tires so far, and about 60 miles of roadsidewalk surface. They do exceptionally well on the unpaved roads, that have some ruts and rounded pebbles that can jar a rider to no end. These tires, when maintained around 60 psi, show remarkable ability to smooth out the ride, despite their somewhat narrow width. They are true 30 mm, as advertised, which was important on my Specialized Sirrus elite carbon framed bike, because wider tires will not fit. Great tire all around especially for the low price. Not super fast on hard roads, but light in weight and a superior compromise for tires that are aggressive in sand and cinder.
Review by Anonymous
I put these on my old Bianchi Eros to ride gravel rail trails and rougher bike paths. They barely fit but worked out great. You can't go any larger.
Review by MarkoBiker
Wanted a tire I could use on my cannondale sl 500 road bike to ride gravel roads. This one works ,but rubbed the brake bracket on the seat stays ,for a while until it wore down a little.Tire works good on the gravel roads ,but next time I will try to find a smaller size.
Review by Anonymous
Granted these tires were used primarily on pavement ( because of winter encountering patches/sections of snow/ice). Used on a cyclocross bike.
They were great on the flats and descending and actually pretty stable through 1-2 inches snow.
Where they were awful was ascending any degree of hills on pavement. It was like a sea anchor pulling you backwards. It must be the tread pattern? Very frustrating. I ride year round in Colorado and feel I'm tuned in to our conditions.
Bottom line: light, fine on certain conditions, but not going uphill unless you like to grind.
Perhaps better for what they were designed for Cyclocross?
Review by Mike
I am mostly a road rider, but log significant miles on improved trails. I have purchased at least a half-dozen pair of these tires. When I first purchased these tires I was seeking a detuned cross tire to suit my style of splitting a ride partly on the trail and partly on the road. Most cross tires tend to drag on the road, even the 30 mm's. These are the narrowest 30 mm tire that I have found. The tread pattern offers grip when leaning but little tread interference when upright. They ride on the road with little drag but also provide enough bite for rail trail or other improved trail applications. I was hooked on these and recommend them for others with similar riding styles.
They have a low tpi but feel supple. Not the longest lasting and with some rims can be difficult to mount. however with traditional box style rims like Open Pros, they are a breeze.
They were discontinued a few years ago, but i have yet to see a drop in their availability. Perhaps Kenda reintroduced them even though they have introduced a couple of better made tires to fill the same niche. I see the list price has increased, but they generally can be found for about 20 dollars.
Review by Anonymous
I use this tire for racing cyclocross on a road bike conversion. The tire is true to size (30mm). It rolls really well and corners well. I have had some slipping in sand, but that is to be expected with a thinner tire. This is one of the few 30 mm cyclocross tires and is great for dry race conditions.
Review by Anonymous
Lightweight and folding. Rear has no tread left after &8776,700 miles. Main complaint is that they vary greatly in bead size. Some are almost impossible to mount without breaking tools. Good luck fixing a flat in the field
Review by Anonymous
Light weight quick response good traction. Just what I needed for my gravel bike build.
Review by LoneRider
I use this on crushed stone rail trails, hard-packed dirt roads, dry short grass or small stone surfaces. The width and weight are accurate at 30mm and 320 grams. At 177 pounds, I usually run them at 6570 psi frontrear for crushed stone and hard packed dirt, but have gone as low as 5560 for golf-ball sized stones and occasional loose dirt.
Review by dalewoo
50 mile gravel grind with NO flats! These tires gripped well and really took a beating over 50 miles of various gravel roads. Superb value for the price. Cannot be beat.
Review by SlappySchultz
Nice light tire with great traction and cornering. Super tight to get on the rims
Review by the zumer
good round tire, has good handling in gravel and dirt, fits good on my rims, price is right
Review by ND jBikes
Put These Tires on my daily commuter. 500 miles and no flats yet, tread has held up well. not bad on packed dirt and gravel either. excellent value!!!
Review by Anonymous
Easy to mount. Tires fit on Bianchi Eros road bike. Great all around tire for year round commuting on street and rec path.
Review by Radler
Have these on two cross bikes, one in Nevada for loose dirt and one in the Bavarian Forest where many forest paths are pine needles and gravel. I have several years experience with these and am a repeat buyer. On the hard, they do not slow you down as many other tires do.
Review by Anonymous
The Kenda K879 Kwick cyclocross tire is a very good tire for the money. I have found this tire to handle well in all conditions. I am running this tire on my Bianchi Zurigo and it works very well on gravel, dirt, grass, hard packed trail, etc. A very good all around tire.
Review by iowaz
Have used multiple sets of this tire on three cyclocross bikes for training on rough roads and general solo riding. One tire in about three dozen had a sidewall defect and split under too high pressure. Run them smooth, with usually only one flat on the rear per set, due to a tiny piece of chert. Work just fine for all but soft, deep conditions. My choice for an affordable and very functional all-round tire for all surface solo riding.
Review by icemonkey
Ive been using these for about 500 miles, on and off road. Overall for the price they are terrific
The positives
They stick very well on hardpack and blacktop without too much stiction - a great balance
They hold together well on gravel for such a thin tire
Terrific on snow and ice
Comparatively resistant to pinch flats
Price
Light
The drawbacks
They wear quickly - what do you expect from a sticky tire
not so good in mud
Its important to remember that they are cross tires, not road tires, not commuting tires. Ive commuted all winter in the snow on these and love them for that, Ive ridden a bunch of singletrack and even a few mtb race courses on them and they stick very well in corners. But remember your contact patch on such a thin tire is limited, so they can skid out on loose surfaces easily if you overload them. They are a sticky tire so even at 80 - 100psi they can hold a corner at terrifying speed on blacktop - but all this requires a compromise and thats quickish wear. If your on the road expect quick wear, mixedoffroadcross they should be good for years.
Review by Minuteman Biker
Stock tires on my cross bike. Light, easy rolling, and get a bite when climbing on dirt. The rear shows wear in the center fairly quickly, but has not flatted and still has the knobs on the sides. Great value tires.