Panaracer T-Serv Kevlar

Price Paid:  $0.00 at LBS

Favorite Ride:
Marin Headlands Costal Trail

Bike Setup:
Sycip custom, Ultegra/Dura, Mavic Open Pro's,

Summary:
Well, living in Manhattan gives new meaning to the idea of bad roads. Glass and debris are completely normal, potholes are actually the most common road surface and racing taxi cabs down wet cobbles stones while avoiding pedestrians and answering a phone call is normal. In addition one wants to be able hang with roadie friends on the weekend for a 50-60 mile spinner, and on top of all of that, I'm a cross rider. So, snow, mud, rocks - very sharp ones - sand, sun, extreme humid heat, contrasted by cold so dear that it makes your snot freeze and lungs burn, and despite this constant barrage of abuse, I have never had a flat. Maybe luck? I am about to try some more race-oriented tires - I have some tri's coming up - so we'll see. I run these tire (against all manufacture suggestions) at 80 psi off-road and at 110 on. They can stop on a dime, or a wet manhole cover, or for that matter in the snow. When they do give, it’s in a nice controllable way, and they are easy to get back underneath you. Great low rolling resistance and reasonable weight, make them something like one of those sport crossover Porsche things – they go EVERYWHERE fast! Just a note, I have gone through two sets of Mavic Open Pro’s since I bought these, including blowing a spoke straight through the rim on a pothole in the cobblestones (many might actually call it a ditch with sharp edges), changing rims has been the only time I have had to pull the tires off.

Strengths:
Not worrying about your tires - The look on the other riders faces when you hop the curb and take a short-cut through the wilderness at 20mph

Weaknesses:
Not meeting other cyclist when your stuck on the side of the road 50 miles from home with a sidewall blowout!

Similar Products Used:
Conti Grand Tour, lot's of different cross tires, and plenty of road tires from sew-ups to the "high pressure" 18c Panaracer tire-iron-breakers on my Litton in the late 80's

Price Paid:  $32.00 at jensonUSA.com

Favorite Ride:
Among the mountains and forests around Shasta

Bike Setup:
Old steel frame MTB w Shimano hollowtech crankset, 7 speed Regina freewheel, 26 in MTB wheels, 26x1.75 tires

Summary:
I was looking to upgrade from my mountain bike tires to something with better road performance and flat resistance. These have fit the bill marvelously. I can pile on the tire pressure for road performance and still ride through sand or gravel if need be. No bump or hazard seems to bother them at all. My handling on fast downhill curves is much better. I've ridden over ice without losing traction. I wanted sturdy, reliable, and versatile and I got it.

Strengths:
Tough, flat resistant, good road performance, but not helpless on gravel.

Weaknesses:
Slightly sticky road feel

Similar Products Used:
Cheng Shin hybrid road/mountain tires

Price Paid:  $0.00

Bike Setup:
Flyte XLS3 Cyclecross w/ Avid Disc brakes and Bontrager Superstock wheels

Summary:
About a month ago I logged onto roadbikereview looking for a tire that would be a balance between reasonable road performance, be relatively light weight, and rock solid in durability. Unfortunetly I set out this past weekend beginning a 1200k randon event and the tires let me down in an extreme way. By the time I reached the 550k mark I had eleven flats! I found multiple small tire wires, thorns. These flats occuurred on both the front and back tires. These weren't pinch flats my friend. These were punctures from road garbage that went thru the belt into the tire. With friends like these tires there is no reason to even set foot out the door to begin a ride. You'll be soon wishing that you were back home in the comfort and safety of your couch.

Strengths:
They mount to the rims easily. That is it. That is the only good thing I can say about them.

Weaknesses:
They act like a vaccum cleaner sucking up every piece of road debri seemingly allowing each and every piece of garbage to impale themselves into the tire rendering the rider into fits of rage. These tires completely and utterly let me down and did so on a big event for me.

Similar Products Used:
Michelin Pro Race IIs - EXCELLENT! One flat in 3 years I didn't run them since they are too narrow for my set of wheels.
Schwalbe Marathon - Excellent. No flats but heavy and too aggressive of tread for long rides...

Price Paid:  $40.00 at Art's SLO Cyclery

Favorite Ride:
On a day ending in "y"...

Bike Setup:
2001 custom Steelman Signature roadbike, Dura Ace 9sp, Open Pro rims

Summary:
Our local roads were becoming so littered with broken glass and metal debris that life on a roadbike was becoming untenable.
Cuts and flats were deflating my joy.

Then Northern California framebuilder Brent Steelman recommended I try these, a humble "messenger tire" from Panaracer. He said they were very flat resistant yet maintained surprisingly good performance parameters. My experience over two years and several thousand miles supports that claim- T Servs have very good grip and handling, a comfortable ride, and I would actually rate their rolling resistance as excellent. Tread cuts are extremely rare, and flats almost non-existent. Incredible...almost like cheating!

I run the newer-style 700x28 which is sized more like a fat 25, they are 270-280g on the digital scale- just not that much more than flimsy "race" tires.

An outstanding equipment "tip", and not at all out of place on a fast roadbike!

Strengths:
Superb performance in a tire designed to be durable and tough. Tire wear rate is much better than average under my 230 pounds, and I'm not tossing tires with sliced sidewalls anymore.

Weaknesses:
Hard to find, expect to special order as most shop types have no idea what these are. Expect some rolling of eyes, but be patient!

Similar Products Used:
Most everything under the sun, but these are the ones I was waiting for...

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Price Paid:  $0.00

Favorite Ride:
Commute

Bike Setup:
SOMA Double Cross. Shimano 105 kit. Ambrosio Evolution Rims (also bomb-proof!).

Summary:
This review is for the T Serve Kevlar for Messenger. They are 700Cx28.
They may not be incredibly light or fancy, but man are they tough. I have ridden 1800km on them with full panniers on my communte. I have ridden over everything from glass to big freakin potholes to square curbs. Not a problem. I don't worry about my tires at all.

Strengths:
Very tough. Will take a beating. I've run over everyting.

Weaknesses:
Not the lightest around, but with 15 lbs of clothes, gear and lunch in my panniers is doesn't matter much. I just don't want to flat.

Similar Products Used:
None.