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Anyone have experience with Kenda Kwest tires?

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Anyone have experience with Kenda Kwest tires?

Old 04-21-20, 01:24 AM
  #1  
zachleft
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Anyone have experience with Kenda Kwest tires?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Kenda-KWEST...4383.l4275.c10

Would these be any good for using to commute while giving my bike some color pop? Or probably won't be worth it?
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Old 04-21-20, 03:07 PM
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Originally Posted by zachleft
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Kenda-KWEST...4383.l4275.c10

Would these be any good for using to commute while giving my bike some color pop? Or probably won't be worth it?
Yes.

I checked my notes and I have run Kenda Kwests a couple of times (700x32) on my old road bike, and possibly 700x38 on my newer commuter (edit...yes on the commuter). The Kwests rolled nicely and cornered nicely but the sidewalls were a tad too stiff for my taste. I like really soft, cushy sidewalls. But they were acceptable and nowhere near as stiff as the Continental Touring II's (those were like solid rubber).

I also remember the Kwests lasted a little longer than average tread-wise. I rotate my tires when the rears begin to show wear compared to the fronts. I used to buy them at Performance Cycle, and they were always under $20 each.

Last summer the old road bike needed new tires and I bought some Bontrager TIs at an LBS (I think...the bike is in the shed right now). But the first thing I thought when I felt the tires in my hands was "these things are like those Kenda Kwests I liked". So there you go.

I don't know about puncture resistance. I run tire liners, so any tire I use becomes more puncture resistant.

I would buy Kenda Kwests again for my commuter if I couldn't find something a little more supple, or reasonably priced, which the Kwests definitely are.

(edit...apparently I really liked my first set of Kenda Kwests.)

Last edited by BobbyG; 04-21-20 at 03:13 PM.
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Old 04-21-20, 03:52 PM
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I've used Kenda Kwest before in a 700x38 size and I didn't have any issues with them. They roll good and lasted a long time, only had one flat with them.
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Old 04-22-20, 12:46 AM
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I replaced a pair yesterday, on a flip bike. Apparently, under some parking/storage conditions, the sidewall will rot out long before the tread wears out. Either ride frequently or park out of direct sunlight.
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Old 04-22-20, 07:10 AM
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Originally Posted by dabac
I replaced a pair yesterday, on a flip bike. Apparently, under some parking/storage conditions, the sidewall will rot out long before the tread wears out. Either ride frequently or park out of direct sunlight.
Gum wall or black wall on the sides?
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Old 04-22-20, 12:10 PM
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Good:
- inexpensive
- reliable
- possibly durable

Bad:
- heavy and stiff resulting in mediocre ride

Overall a good value, depending on your needs.

Honestly, most people don't notice the ride of mediocre tires. Only a few of us are picky. I'm one, but I don't mean to discourage you from buying this tire.
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Old 04-22-20, 12:32 PM
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The good news is that they wear like iron. The bad news is that the ride like iron.
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Old 04-22-20, 06:00 PM
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Originally Posted by FiftySix
Gum wall or black wall on the sides?
I’ll bet it was gum wall. Black walls hardly ever rot in the same way the gum wall does. Probably has something to do with the carbon black in the black wall which slows down oxidation.
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Old 04-23-20, 12:53 AM
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Originally Posted by FiftySix
Gum wall or black wall on the sides?

Tan wall
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Old 04-23-20, 09:59 AM
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That's a pretty dark tan. Were those tires' sidewalls lighter colored when they were new?

Edit: I see the bead is much lighter. I missed that the first go round because I thought the bead was a rim. Lol.

Last edited by FiftySix; 04-23-20 at 04:17 PM.
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Old 04-23-20, 10:05 AM
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Originally Posted by caloso
The good news is that they wear like iron. The bad news is that the ride like iron.
I had the Kenda Kwest Commuter version - both the above plus they were as heavy as iron. I enjoyed looking for junk to run over.
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Old 04-24-20, 08:22 AM
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My experience with Kenda Kwest:


The real problem was that I was on tour, in a town in China that had no bike shops (an an odd tyre size). I ended up replacing it with a motorcycle tyre.
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Old 04-26-20, 10:28 PM
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Originally Posted by cyccommute
I’ll bet it was gum wall. Black walls hardly ever rot in the same way the gum wall does. Probably has something to do with the carbon black in the black wall which slows down oxidation.
Back in a past life, I worked for a company that made plastic parts for some fairly high tech applications. The conventional wisdom, as I understood it, was that it takes a relatively small amount of carbon black to make the material quite opaque, and then, it's less susceptible to damage from UV. The plastic would still get "dust" from surface exposure, but would not get brittle all the way through.

It may also be a difference in materials -- the old "gum" was latex, AFAIK whereas the black walls are molded out of the same rubber as the tread, probably synthetic.
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Old 04-28-20, 03:15 AM
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Yes I really like the Kenda Kwest tires and I’ve committed on them for about fifteen years now. But make sure you get the 100psi rated tires though. They last much longer and roll very good. Be come winter time they do get slick around freezing temperatures. Other than that they are great and a good value..

Last edited by tim24k; 05-10-20 at 04:10 AM.
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Old 05-04-20, 09:57 AM
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I had a set in 700x25 and hated them. All of the bad characteristics of a durable tire without the durability. Put about 1000 miles on them and the rear was showing some wear (1/2 maybe) while the front still looked new until a small piece of glass created a huge gash. Tossed them after that. The glass was similar to many pieces of glass that I have run over with other tires with no issue so, for me, there is nothing positive about these tires.
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Old 05-04-20, 02:56 PM
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I had 700x35. I don't keep track of mileage, but can say they lasted longer than average. Did get quite a few flats compared with schwalbe marathon (not plus).
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Old 05-10-20, 08:37 PM
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My wife had a pair of those on her bike once, while they wore pretty good they got flats like crazy because at that price point they have no flat protection belt, they relied on thick rubber to ward off flats. As the tire wore down flats became more and more frequent. Guess who had to fix her flats? So I installed a set of Mr Tuffys, that did slow down the flats but only about 3/4ths of them, which she didn't like because she would have to walk home.

For a few dollars more you would be better off with Panaracer Pasela Protite (PT) tires, they cost nearly the same but the Panaracer has a flat protection belt. I was the first to use the Pasela TG (PT is a newer version), I put those on a touring bike I had and never had a flat, so I put PT's on her bike and she hasn't had a flat yet either. The Pasela tires have a much better ride quality and handling as well, and wears about the same as the Kenda.
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Old 05-11-20, 09:41 AM
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Where I ride I wasn't able to use them. I am very heavy, load my bike heavy, with lots of debris in the road. I had 2 flats on the same day in less than 20 miles.
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Old 05-11-20, 12:46 PM
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I ran Kenda K34's, the white sided 27" x 1 1/4" tire on a Motobecane Grand Jubile that I was given last. That bike should have been a keeper. It looked great, and fit well. The wheels were hand built around good hubs. But the ride was...uninspiring. Really bleh. I attribute that mostly to the tires. I'm sorry that I used them. I sold the bike.

No more Kenda tires. Ever.
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Old 05-11-20, 12:51 PM
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I have a set I purchased originally for a single speed bike and have moved to a city bike I have now. The person I sold the SS to wanted to run small tires and the city bike had HUGE 40 something mudders on it.
I like them well enough. I mean, everything has been said. They are durable, they ride stiff. I tend to agree with the above comment that they will dry rot before showing significant signs of wear.
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