Kenda Tire Road Test

PRODUCT: Kenda C2C Tinker Juarez 700×23

TEST CONDITIONS: Provence, France, mostly dry, gravel road to excellent pavement

Saturday, July 25, 5:30 p.m., 75 kph descending from the summit of Mt. Ventoux towards Malaucene a guy wearing a backpack flies by me like I’m a rookie.  Aww, hell no.  Some dude with a backpack, no not even a backpack – it’s one of those sacs with two lengths of rope like you get from the publicity caravan and it’s half full and sloshed over to one side of the guys back, anyway this guy is not going to pass me on a descent I’ve done many times.  Stage 20 of the Tour has just finished so the oncoming lane is closed to traffic and the descending car traffic is light and controlled.  I crouch lower, let go of the brakes and glance at the computer as it approaches 100.  A mental checklist: what’s the next turn like, can I overtake that van in the next 500 meters, do I trust my tires? Yes.

Yes I did know the the tires would be fine. After two weeks of working as a cycling guide for VéloSport Vacations, I do trust the tires. I’d put many miles on them over all sorts of provençial roads while leading clients and chasing the tour. Jim Baldesare from the Kenda Pro Cycling Team gave me the tread last month when he was in town for a race. I figured the roads of southern France would be a good test track. The C2C’s are part of Kenda’s Tinker Juarez signature line which also has a mountain tire. The tires are named for the RAAM, in which Tinker finished 3rd some years back. The Kenda website (click here) says they weigh 120 grams, have 120 threads per inch, and have a MSRP of $40 per. The tires themselves look odd. A smooth black center contact strip is sided by a sort of reverse gold waffle pattern. I suppose this is to give one the impression of good grip while corning, but the pattern covers the entire sidewall almost to the braking surface of the rim. The tires have a nice rounded profile and measured to specs at 23mm. The ride of the tires is decent. Not springing or spongy, but not totally hard and dead. After a 1000 miles they show little wear and have no deep cuts. I usually ride them at 120 psi, I weigh 60 kilos, and they are mounted to a pair of Velocity Aerohead rims. I did slide both tires through a high speed corner, but recovered quickly. I did not have the chance to ride them in the rain.

I know the next few k’s like the back of my hand. Long straight downhill. The summit of the Ventoux to my left, the Valley to my right. I let go of both brakes and slide past the backpack wearing kamikaze. I don’t look over. I concentrate on the cars, the road, the fast approaching right turn. I swoop through turn scrubbing off little speed and go back to full aero position. I am flying, no way Mr. Backpack can keep up. Another left followed by a longer not so steep part. It can’t be!! Monsieur Sac is pulling up on my left. He says, in English, “fun downhill, isn’t it?” Then I recognize him. It’s former US Postal Pro rider Marty Jemison. Of course. I’d seen him with his group on the Ventoux earlier that day. We spend the next 20 minutes taking turns at the front screaming down the road until we enter the little village of Malaucene. Backpack and all, Marty can still go very fast on a bike.