Kenda Small Blocks

Norm

Mayor McCheese
Team MTBNJ Halter's
Yeah I put these on for the Jungle Habitat pre-ride and race. Loved them. If it's wet you probably won't want to run them but otherwise they were solid. Not sure they would so so well in the loose spots at CR, for instance. But where you ride primarily I think you'd like them.
 

walter

Fourth Party
The tread is really, really tight looking. I dont see them shedding mud all that well. Like you said, looks like a good, dry tire. Your thoughts on these compared to the Pythons.
 

Norm

Mayor McCheese
Team MTBNJ Halter's
Really hard to say as the Pythons are UST, so I run them 10+ PSI lower. So not a real fair comparison.
 

ArmyOfNone

Well-Known Member
I dunno if id dig the python up front. I have managed through a few muddy six mile rides and really have had no issues. I think J was runnin it up front and was pretty quick to change it. I think youll find the same thing with the SB8
 

walter

Fourth Party
I dunno if id dig the python up front. I have managed through a few muddy six mile rides and really have had no issues. I think J was runnin it up front and was pretty quick to change it. I think youll find the same thing with the SB8

I rode the Pythons at MD with Jake, front and back. It was kind of wet out and I was absolutely disgusted with them. Maybe I will try another set up.
 

ArmyOfNone

Well-Known Member
Ya i have always been a fan of something w/ a bigger tread, bigger volume up front. Something small and tight on the rear wheel (wow i had to really thing about what i said there). As things start to firm up i think youll like that.
 

Norm

Mayor McCheese
Team MTBNJ Halter's
I have nothing but good things to say about the Pythons. I try not to ride when it's wet and haven't yet with them. But they've been a great tire. I had mroe traction on them than just about anything I ran all year with the possible exception of the Resolutions.

FWIW I think this is a bad time of year to assess tires as every tire kicks ass once it freezes up IME.
 

walter

Fourth Party
I remember a few years ago, while riding my 1fg at Clayton with Pythons on it, thinking to myself "these things really hook up", maybe I shall try again. I am running out of room for tires in my shed.
 

stb222

Love Drunk
Jerk Squad
I remember a few years ago, while riding my 1fg at Clayton with Pythons on it, thinking to myself "these things really hook up", maybe I shall try again. I am running out of room for tires in my shed.


Places like Clayton is probably what pythons were designed for. Any place with mud or rock is not....
 

Norm

Mayor McCheese
Team MTBNJ Halter's
I remember a few years ago, while riding my 1fg at Clayton with Pythons on it, thinking to myself "these things really hook up", maybe I shall try again. I am running out of room for tires in my shed.

The only time in the last 5 years I've cleaned "puke hill" in Round Valley was on the Pythons.

Places like Clayton is probably what pythons were designed for. Any place with mud or rock is not....

Mud I can't see them doing well at all. Loose baby head-type rocks I would also agree. But at the Ringwood race they were perfectly fine. The bigger/dry rocks they're good. Slick rocks with greasy moss/etc probably bad.
 

BiknBen

Well-Known Member
All this talk about Pythons has sucked me into the conversation. I rode Pythons exclusively for years. I found the big volume tire and semi-slick tread to be a great combo. The tread kept the weight down while the volume allowed you to run lower pressure and hook-up better in most conditions. My only con is that they were not as durable as other tires. The sidewalls were suspetable to tears because there are no wide knobs to protect them.

I would recommend that tire for all but the sloppiest of muddy conditions. Frankly, at that point, most tires are going to perform poorly anyway.
 

MixMastaMM

Team Bulldog Rider
I picked up a pair of the UST small blocks at Mt. Snow this year. I ran them a few times on dry hard pack (Blue Mountain this year) and a sandy course (Woods Hollow). They worked well on the hard pack and sandy stuff. I have also run the UST Pythons. I think the UST Pythons have a bit more range of conditions where they will work. The bigger and more open lugs seem to grab loose rocks and loamy soil better. Over all, both tires worked well in the dry conditions they were designed for. I will probably buy pythons for my next try weather tire because they worked better in loose stuff. Just my $.02
 

Steve Vai

Endurance Guy: Tolerates most of us.
I've been running the 2.1's all season long...Every race this year, every trail ride, even did the 24 hours of Allumuchy with them!! I feel they even hook up better than the Nevegals...I run them between 40-50psi depending where I am...They are GREAT tires...As for Chimmney Rock and Round Valley, run them a little hard and learn how to be SMOOOOOTH!!
 

Brian Snyder

JORBA "Roaming Gnome"
JORBA.ORG
SM. Block 8's

I'm just now trying the small block 8 2.3's on my rigid SS (26") at Allaire and Hartshorne&Huber. I got them at Pedros and was too lazy to take off the WTB allterranisour 1.9's until now, Both tires roll very well, and shed mud a little better than I would have thought.Then again I try not to ride when things get too sloppy. When things froze up they really hauled ass.....(well, as well as I can haul my fat arse around) So far so good, I will know more when I get more time on them.
 

NJ Jess

Active Member
Great for,...

Stewart and other dry fast places, but at the starting line of the NORBA Nationals at Mt Snow; I saw them on my competitors bike. "you running small blocks in this mud," I asked "yes, I run them everywhere" she replied. (Dang, she's good,...I thought) Bang! Up the hill and she was out of site,....until I caught up to her in the mud. She was trying to pedal, but the tire became slick. I got off my bike, picked it up, walked a bit, then road away to hear the drummers play. Kenda Nevegals and the love for DownHills is the only reason I won.
 

KenS

JORBA: Director
JORBA.ORG
werd
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