Hockey Club

Good inexpensive tire (2008-09-11)
A good inexpensive tire for riding in the city on paved roads or trails. Rolling resistance is less, as a result of the slick tire, the knobs on either side provide the grip for cornering on non paved paths.

OK tire for a great price, very smooth and quiet (2008-08-31)
The reason I give this tire 5 stars is because of this price. I got two of the tires for about $20, including shipping, which is less than what you pay for one tire at the bike shop. Another reason why I got these was because the tire is wide enough so that I don't have to change my inner tubes. Full slicks would require a different, narrower tube. If you currently have the common 2.1 inch (width) tire and you decide to buy this tire (1.95 inch), you probably won't have to change your tubes either. The first thing I noticed when I took it out of the box was its weight. It is actually pretty heavy, but since I only use this tire to get to school, performance wasn't on the top of my list. The first thing I noticed when I used it was how smooth, vibration-free it was. I have always been using mountain bike knobby tires, so riding these semi-slicks on the road felt extra smooth and quiet. I haven't taken it on the trails yet, and I don't plan to, because it's not made for that. It handles flat gravel and hardpack paths pretty well though. I didn't notice any significant gain in speed when I switched to these tires, probably because it's not a performance tire. So get this tire if you are looking for a cheap upgrade to your mountain bike that travels on mostly road, but get full slicks if you are looking for performance. If you get this tire, don't expect it to make your bike too much faster. But I'm sure you'll love the way your ride will become smoother and quieter if you are swapping out a knobby tire.

pretty good for the week I had them (2008-08-12)
I only had them for a about a week before my bike was stolen, but they rolled a lot smoother than the original tires I had on my mountain bike. Makes for a quieter, smoother ride for city, street riding. I can't comment on their abilities on trails, since I didn't get the opportunity to test them out.

Excellent Cross Tire (2008-08-03)
If you want a tire for crusing the island this is it. Bike paths and hardpack abound you can't go wrong with this one. Makes for a much smoother ride but can handle moderate off road with ease.

Great for roads, but just OK for everything else (2008-08-01)
I'm a big fan of semi-slicks; done right, they can handle all but the worst gnarl, and they roll faster and with less noise too.

Having run through my supply of Kenda Kwicks, and with Kenda not making the Kwick any longer, I gave the Kross a try.

The key to a semi-slick is how the slick section is constructed. The idea is that the "slick" part - and only the "slick" part - contacts hard pavement, and then as the surface gets softer, progressively more of the tire is engaged.

The Kwick did this very well, featuring a variety of low-profile knobs and bars across the "slick" portion that contributed very little in the way of rolling resistance or vibration, but helped handle the transition from hard pack to all-out soft (where the big side lugs engage)

The Kross instead concentrates on road performance. The "road rib" has serrated edges that presumably dig in on intermediate surfaces, but the main part of the contact patch is entirely smooth.

This, in practice, makes for a nice and fast road-going tire, and it does passably well in very soft stuff. But on intermediate surfaces, like most singletrack, this tire is a slithery mess. It locks up under braking, it spins loose on climbs, and it times, it requires Shakira levels of body English to keep the bike under you.

As a road tire, it is very good - I did 160 km on it one weekend with a smooth and secure ride. As a road with a little trail - just fine. But as a singletrack tire... it's just OK. Unlike a full slick, you can get away with some trail use, but be prepared to slither a bit.