reif

Has anyone got any experience of these Schwalbe Kojak tires and do you think that they are suitable for touring?



I have previously toured with a road bike but my previous experiences with 28mm (actually 26mm) Gatorskins weren't that comfortable, although they were fast rolling.

I am now planning to use my cyclocross bike for future tours and I now have the opportunity to install some larger tires. These 35mm Kojaks certainly seem appealing for fast touring because of their slick tread and low weight(330g). At the moment I am planning a two week long tour and I'm going to ride mostly on paved roads. I will be bringing about 8-10kg of gear with me.

Do you think these would work or should I pay a little extra and get Marathon Supremes instead as quite many people seem to do?

Enthusiast

I have not used this tire, but I have used the Panaracer Ribmo 700x32, which spec-wise seems nearly identical. It has been my favorite tire over thousands of miles of moderately loaded on-road touring. I personally feel that more heavily treaded tires like the Marathon Supreme are not the best choice for tours that stick mostly to paved roads.

rperks

I have been running the Panaracer Jack Brown, a 33.3 mm tire designed by Rivendell for over a year now. This tire is very close in design and purpose to the Kojak, but with a traditional tan skinwall. The jack Brown comes in two different tread thicknesses. I have used my jack browns on everything from new pavement to singletrack, loaded and with 50 lbs of produce coming home from the farmers market 12 mile away most sundays, and they have been doing great. As long as you are not plannig to crush bottles with them the lighter ones have been holding up fine. I hit the scales at 220 and run them at 60/70 front/rear and it is like riding on fast pillows compared to me 27mm tires. That being said when I wear out the two sets I have I am likely to get a set of the Kojaks just so I have a personal basis of comparison.


Good Week by rperks1, on Flickr

VT_Speed_TR

Rperks,

I'm interested in your stem setup on the Riv. It looks like there are spacers above the headset, much like a treadless setup, yet the stem is a treaded system stem.
Would you provide some details into your setup,

Thanx's

531phile 

Nothing special about that headset setup. The threaded part of the fork was just cut long hence the need for spacers. Threaded forks are traditionally cut really short.

rperks

exactly as 531phile said, Rivendell has a tendancy to leave them long in their mission to get bars up higher. They really only take up skack between the lock nut and top nut. It also leaces open the possibility of putting on a headset with a higher or lower stack height. Once you cut the fork for a low stack you can never make it longer again.

John Nelson

Yes, I think they would work. They are listed by Schwalbe in the Touring/City class, and they have a weight limit of 100 kg (vs 130 kg for the Marathon Dupreme). But they're less than half the cost of the Dupreme and only 2/3 the weight. They do, however, rate somewhat lower in all categories except speed (i.e., grip, protection and durability). But yes, I think they would work.

dncook

I ride Kojaks on my Bruce Gordon touring frame, which I mostly use now for commuting in New York City. The Kojaks are surprisingly tough--I've had two compression flats but it was during a time when my floor pump was broken and I wasn't re-filling the tubes regularly enough. Otherwise, they take the pot holes and rough roads of NYC quite well and they're really comfortable.

Also worth noting, I bought my Kojaks at the Rivendell shop in Walnut Creek CA, which is where I lived prioir to moving to NY.

Wouldn't recommend them for touring off the tarmac nor would I say they are appropriate for fully loaded touring for extended periods. And they can be a bit slick in the rain.

djb

mr perks, this low shot of the front wheel/handlebar bag/shore is a dandy. Succinct capture of the feeling of a bike ride.
I like the other one in your set with a sun highlight/flare in top frame.

Doohickie

I'm commuting on Schwalbe Marathon Supremes in 35 width right now. Just changed from 25 mm Marathon Pluses. I was pretty amazed that, while the ride is a lot smoother, I haven't lost, if any, speed.

vik 

I'm headed out the door tonight on a light tour with similar tires. I think it's a smart move and the speed benefits will more than pay for the possibility you might have to fix a flat.

djb

I would like to check these out at a store sometime to see first hadn how they feel, weigh, etc. I have riden on 28s for years and wouldl like to see how these compare to the semi slick 28s of various brands that I have used in the past (and toured on as well)
I personally prefer slicks, lighter tires to completely bombproof tanks that weigh a lot--granted, my touring is in "bike store" friendly areas, and I ride my bikes 90% unloaded on everyday city riding, commuting, lightly loaded day trips etc. All in all I like a more lively tire, and given that kevlar 28s have been very good to me puncture wise in the past, I see a 32 or 35 slick that is still lightish and with puncture resistant matierial an interesting option for me. (the roads here in Mtl are really crap, so a 32 or 35 would be a bit more forgiving for the billions of potholes etc etc etc that our dear city presents to us cyclists. I actually choose routes that are longer because they avoid the really crappy streets that mean you have to go slower not to beat the crap outta your bike and yourself....

vik 

I just came back from a tour that I mistakenly thought was going to be paved. Turns out it was a combo of 30% pavement about 70% being split between rocky dirt, smooth dirt and gravel. It poured rain on day 2 so I rode all of this on 40mm lightweight slicks at moderate pressure. I thought I might have issues, but I had no traction problems even braking on steep downhills and no flats. My partner was riding Conti touring tires and got a flat.

djb

ya, I have run slick 26x 1.5s on my mtn bike for years, and they are pretty good on dirt etc. Rainy day 2 doesnt sound fun, what sort of temps in C were you in? Here in Mtl we are having days of 3, 4, 5 in the upcoming days, not bad if not raining.

as for the flat your partner had, hope he/she wasnt too pissed off at you for the 70% dirt et all...hope it didnt happen when in the rain.

off topic, but I have driven a car in Victoria a few times and the drivers are really pokey old gits arent they? Do you find the older drivers are worse than in traffic in general in Vancouver for being dangerous around bikes? not seeing them etc? Just curious.

vik 

Not sure what the temps were exactly between 5 - 9 deg C. Luckily the flat happened yesterday when it was dry.

While I am biking I don't really notice any issues with drivers here. There are lots of bike paths or bike lanes and so many cyclists that cars are paying attention much better than anywhere else I've lived. In my truck most of the time the driving is fine, but the old folks do occasionally do random things. They also ignore honks and such so you have to be ready to take evasive maneuvers if someone starts reversing into you.

djb

chuckle on the reversing thing....(us in 25, 35, 45 years? hope to hell not)

vik 

Fingers crossed, but I am likely to that crazy old guy on a bike when I get older. Just need to train a couple cats to ride on my shoulders.