Kenda Kriterium

Price Paid:  $0.00

Summary:
These tyre came with my new hybrid and while they handle reasonably well, they are puncture magnets. I seen to spend more time fixing punctures than actually riding the thing. Not great when my local shop sells replacement tubes at 10 Euros.
Just ordered some Armadillos, so we'll see what they are like.

Strengths:
Handling not bad

Weaknesses:
Sieve like air retention

Price Paid:  $29.00 at JensonUSA

Favorite Ride:
Alpine Dam, Marin County, CA

Bike Setup:
Dura Ace/Ultegra mix on a Giant TCR, FSA K Force Light cranks, Quattro SL road pedals.

Summary:
I bought a set of Kenda Kriterium tires based on the reviews listed here. Having ridden on them a few months, I can say that while I don't disagree with the other reviews I definitely think they didn't give me a full picture of the tires.

As the other reviewers mentioned, these tires are stiff and tough. I'm not worried about getting flats out in the middle of nowhere and don't have many fears about rolling them off the wheel in high speed hard turns.

However, that stiffness comes at a price. The second I put these on my bike I felt immediately slower. It felt like my rim was rubbing against a brake somewhere; I just didn't have the same jump and acceleration as I did on my previous Vitorrias. Basically the stiffness of the tire increases rolling resistance. For an explanation from an expert, see Howard Zinn's take on this kind of situation here: http://velonews.com/article/85518/technical-qa-with-lennard-zinn---fight-flats-lose-speed

Now, if you're commuting or just a recreational rider I think these tires would be fine. They're inexpensive, durable, and can be ridden in wet conditions. If you're looking to keep up with a hard-charging group of Cat 3/2/1's you'll want to look elsewhere. I'm actually going to keep these on for training over the winter simply because they make me work harder. By the time spring comes around and I switch out to something more supple, I'll feel like I'm floating along my Cat 4 races.

Strengths:
Durable, okay in wet weather, relatively inexpensive.

Weaknesses:
Increased rolling resistance compared with other tires means you'll have to work harder for the same outcome.

Similar Products Used:
Vitorria Rubinos (not slicks), Continental Ultras, Continental Ultra Gatorskins, Continental Grand Prix 4 Season, a host of others.

Price Paid:  $24.00 at online

Favorite Ride:
Anything around Santa Fe

Bike Setup:
fetish illustre, full sram force. Reynold alta race & fulcrum racing 7 wheels.

Summary:
I can't believe there's only one other review for this great tire. I started road biking 2 years ago on panaracer stradius pro tires. I thought they were great tires, until the flats started showing up after just a couple months of riding. Fortunately they were cheap, so I just replaced every 3 months (~1250 miles). I ordered a new bike in January and it came with the Kriterium tires. I decided to see how they performed and how long they would last. Long story short, they perform just as good as the Panaracer but are MUCH more sturdy. It took almost 1000 miles just to wear down the center "new tire" rib. It's been several months now and maybe 1500 miles and they haven't let me down. The tread still looks great and I expect to get at least a couple more months out of them.

Can't go wrong with $24/ea also.

Strengths:
Good grip, quite tough for the weight

Weaknesses:
While light, there are lighter clinchers out there. A bit harder to mount than my old panaracers.

Similar Products Used:
panaracer stradius pro

Price Paid:  $21.00 at Jensen USA

Favorite Ride:
The Big Loop

Bike Setup:
Felt F3 - stock except for Reynolds wheels

Summary:
Great tire. Lightweight and durable. You can't beat it especially for the price. I just sold the bike that had them on it and I'll buy a new set to replace the Vittoria Rubino Pro Slicks that came on my new bike.

Strengths:
weight; durability

Weaknesses:
A little hard to mount on the wheel, but that could be the wheel not the tire

Similar Products Used:
Panaracer Stradius Pro; Maxxis Fuse; Bontrager Race X Lite; Vittoria Rubino Pro Slick