Kenda K838 Slick Wire Bead Bicycle Tire, Blackwall, 26-Inch x 1.95-Inch
Our Price: $14.80
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Category: Sports
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Equipment Details
Manufacturer: KendaBrand: Kenda
Release Date: 2009-06-19
Model: 04704N09
Product features:
- Slick MTB/Hybrid road and trail tire; 26 by 1.95 inches
- Patterned after motorcycle tires for low rolling resistance and traction
- Wire beads increase durability
- Directional grooves channel water to the outer tire edge
- Blackwall sides for a lighter weight profile
Sports reviews of Kenda K838 Slick Wire Bead Bicycle Tire, Blackwall, 26-Inch x 1.95-Inch
Customer Review: Sweet tire
Sport shop rating: 5 Stars
I purchased a pair of these tires to use on my MTB for a smoother ride on the city streets than the Kenda K53's I was using.
The K53's were nice tires and offer very little rolling resistance compared with full-on knobbies (and are smoother going straight) but still have good knobs on the sides. But when you are turning they have that knobby growl, so I figured that I'd try the 838's as they had seemed to be highly regarded by some.
The tires are pretty smooth-riding and feel very sticky in the corners unlike the knobby K53's which tended to squirm at higher speed corners with large lean angles. The 838's seem to stick like glue to the tarmac (but not so much on dirt trails -naturally). I put the whole wheel off the bike on the slippery ceramic tile of my condo and could put all my weight against it at angles much greater than 45-degrees and the tire refused to slip or squirm which is a lot more than I can say for the K53's. I was pushing against it like a football tackle sled with all my might and they wouldn't budge. The K53's will slip out when I try this. I haven't tried using the 838's in the wet yet so I don't know how the traction will stand up in the rain. They look like they will do OK with that motorcycle-style tread pattern.
Another good thing about this tire is that I can fill them up to 60-65psi which is about 50% more pressure than you can safely fill the K53. This allows lesser rolling resistance, better road feel, and much more front brakes can be used as front tire impending lockup has much more of a controlled feel than with lower-pressure tires. I can do controllable stoppies with these tires lifting the back wheel right up with my cantelever brakes out front.
One thing about these tires is that while they say they are a 1.9 wide they are a bit wider than that in reality. I've got 26x1.75 rims and if I measure the sidewalls they are exactly 1.9" but the actual tread area is well over 2" and pushing 2.25"
I suppose if you had really narrow rims the tire would squish out and be taller but as it is the 838's have a larger circumference than the K53's had and are HUGE. I'm glad I have a lot of clearance on my old Ross MTB with planet bike MTB fenders because these tires are so large that right now the rubber mold nubs are actually rubbing on the fender. It's a good thing they are small and will wear away soon.
These things are WIDE. I've seen little asian-market 50cc motorcycles that didn't have such wide tires as my bike has now. I think I like it because there is tons of traction available and they ooze confidence when the bike is pitched over in a corner to near crank-scraping lean angles -this bike rides MUCH more aggressively on the tarmac now than it did with the K53's which always seemed to me like the bike was trying to squirm out from under me to the outside of the corner. Going from the K53 to the K838 is like going from Bias to Radial tires on a motorcycle. They are THAT much more grippy and because of the higher rated pressures you don't lose anything with rolling resistance (especially in the corners). And they are smooth as glass going straight or turning.
It's like magic.
I wouldn't put them on a rim narrower than 1.5 though or wider than 2 (max). I'd imagine they would be pinched and pointy on a narrow rim and pulled flat like a low-rider on a 2" -it's just the kind of tire they are with the built-out tread onto the sidewall like a motorcycle tire.
Cons:
You might not have the clearance for these tires even though you can run 2.25's on the K53 or other knobbies.
The picture shown is a gumwall tire but what I got were blackwall tires. Not a big deal to me but others might be disappointed. Be aware of that.
More Kenda K838 Slick Wire Bead Bicycle Tire, Blackwall, 26-Inch x 1.95-Inch sport reviews:
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Description of Kenda K838 Slick Wire Bead Bicycle Tire, Blackwall, 26-Inch x 1.95-Inch
Kenda K838 Slick Wire Bead Bicycle Tire, Blackwall, 26-Inch x 1.95-Inch comes highly respected ?n? ?? always a regular ?h???? amongst many people. Th?? product contains blackwall, wire bead ?n? ???????nt tire.Patterned after motorcycle tires, the Kenda K838 Slick Wire Bead Bicycle tires offer increased speed and reduced rolling resistance for MTB and hybrid bikes--without sacrificing traction. Unlike a typical MTB knobby tire, the K838 Slick provides a smooth and consistent rolling surface that allows the tire to gain and maintain speed on paved and hard packed surfaces. Meanwhile the tire's wider, 1.95-inch profile and directional grooves provide the traction demanded by all terrain riding. The grooves also effectively channel water to the outer edge of the tire so that you can maintain a grip on wet roads, through puddles, and on wet trails. The blackwall sides reduce the overall weight profile of the tire and the wire bead pattern increases the tire's strength and durability. While not meant for serious off road riding, the Kenda K838 is a good choice for riders who want a smooth and fast experience on the road, but who also want to keep their MTB or hybrid trail ready.
Specifications:
- Wheel Size: 26 by 1.95 inches
- Weight: 737 grams
- Maximum recommended PSI: 65 pounds
- Minimum recommended PSI: 40 pounds
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