Maxxis Xephyr

Price Paid:  $9.00 at Jenson

Favorite Ride:
on my bike

Bike Setup:
Trek 2300, Rolf Vector Pro's, 3T bars and stem, Speedplay X3's

Summary:
I couldn't pass up the Xephyr's on closeout from Jenson for $9. Even if they only lasted 3 months, I figured I'd be getting my monies worth. I have been pleasantly surprised that they have lasted over a year.

I built up a set of heavy duty training wheels and these were just the ticket. Not the most supple or fastest tire out there, but plenty durable and feel fine. I'm 225lbs, so I'm hard on tires and these have more than given me my monies worth.

I'm officially a Maxxis fan.

Strengths:
Inexpensive. Durable. Rarely if ever flatted on these tires. Only started to wear down when I used them on the trainer. I could tell a marked difference when I switched back to my "good wheels" with the Vittoria Rubino Pro's, and not in a good way.

Weaknesses:
Kind of heavy, a little slow rolling.

Similar Products Used:
Maxxis Detonator, Conti GP3000, Vittoria Rubino Pro (stay away from these dogs)

Price Paid:  $9.00 at Cambria Bike Outfitt

Favorite Ride:
Anywhere

Bike Setup:
Trek 5200. Ultegra. Cosmos wheels.

Summary:
One caveat to all the griping that follows: I weigh 185 and lighter riders may have none of the following problems.
I bought these as inexpensive training tires. The straight line ride is nice and cushy (even at 130PSI), but this comes at a cost - the sidewalls are very soft. This leads to a few problems: 1)the tire collapses almost to the rim when you hit potholes, 2)Not only the hard center rubber, but also the soft red outer rubber are in contact with the pavement at anything less than maximum tire pressure (makes for a very slow rolling tire), 3)Cornering feel changes radically depending on how hard you're turning - if your turn changes radius (steepens), the sudden feeling of the collapsing sidewall is really spooky, especially at high speeds. As soon as my replacement Continentals show up, these guys are going into storage - I'll use them on my trainer this winter.

Strengths:
Cheap. Nice sticky shoulders.

Weaknesses:
Soft sidewalls. May not be an issue for lighter riders - I may just be too heavy for these tires.

Similar Products Used:
Continental, Specialized, Panaracer, Performance.

Price Paid:  $10.00 at PricePoint.com

Favorite Ride:
Any ride with an incline

Bike Setup:
Felt F65, 105, factory CXP21 rims.

Summary:
Riding about 30 miles a day on flat land results in about one flat tire every two weeks. After patching tubes, booting tires and replacing both, I decided to try a very inexpensive tire. PricePoint.com offered two tires for $20 and 10 Tubes for $20. $40 is less than the cost of just one Conti GP3000. It was a no brainer, if this $40 combo pack last 1,000 miles I will be further ahead than a more expensive shodding that might last 1,500 miles.

So far the Maxxis tires have about 600 flat free miles on them. One tire does have a cut on the sidewall after picking up road debris. The threads underneath are intact. I am more than pleased with the durability.

When it rains in my neck of the woods it pours. Two to three inch an hour rainfalls are common. Other tires used in these conditions have been squirelly. Not the Maxxis. It grips even in four inch deep puddles. This tire is a great wet weather choice.

The sacrifice is speed and feel. The Maxxis does not roll as fast nor does it provide the lively feedback of a higher TPI tire. But, it does hold 130psi.

Strengths:
Very inexpensive, duraple, great grip

Weaknesses:
Low TPI. A 60 TPI tire will never feel like 220 TPI tire. If you want a fast rolling tire look elsewhere.

Similar Products Used:
Conti GP3000
Vittoria Tecno Pro

Price Paid:  $0.00 at came with the bike

Favorite Ride:
Parc du Gatineau

Bike Setup:
2001 Schwinn Fastback, mostly stock.

Summary:
Very nice ride compared to the cheaper Continentals i was using before. Nice roll and cornering. Only problem is no kevlar to prevent flats.

Strengths:
soft rubber grips well. good high psi rating.

Weaknesses:
soft rubber doesn't protect against anything.

Similar Products Used:
Continental Sport 3000, Kenda cheap stuff

Price Paid:  $0.00 at came stock on my bik

Favorite Ride:
Lowes Motor Speedway Time Trials

Bike Setup:
Motobecane Le Champion 2002 model. Ultegra 18 speed, specialized comp. saddle. and look P357 pedals.

Summary:
I have about 1100 miles on a set of these tires, and so far I've had no problems. Treadwear seems to be good, and I hope to get at least 2500 miles from this first set. 130 max psi rating, corner good and traction in rain seems okay. If they last, I'll buy another set.

Strengths:
Only time will tell

Weaknesses:
none so far