Kenda tire dissatisfaction
08-26-21, 07:11 AM
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Kenda tire dissatisfaction
These tires are 1.5 years old with minimal use…. A friend came
to me with a bad wobble and I discovered holes in the base of the rubber… white marks are the light coming through
Contacted Kenda who really only cared if the were under 1 year and if I had proof of purchase….. really not concerned with the issue
Has Anyone ever seen these type of slit/ holes in the base rubber …. The tread is like new and the bike was stored in a garage.
08-26-21, 07:33 AM
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No info on where they were ridden, or what was also stored in the garage (pool chemicals?), as this could be key, also, from where you located, suspect inside the garage is quite hot? .
No info on the model either, suspect they are OEM tires.
Just replace and move on, no point in worrying about something you can't fix.
No info on the model either, suspect they are OEM tires.
Just replace and move on, no point in worrying about something you can't fix.
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08-26-21, 07:55 AM
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The "rubber" used in bike tires does not last forever and even just existing it is aging and turning brittle (we call this "dry rot"). We don't know how old these tires are and I'm including the time they sat in various shipping or warehousing situations. We see this kind of degradation often enough. Yes chemicals can speed this up as does exposure to UV (sunlight). Keeping the tires at riding pressure also speeds up the process.
Kenda has every right to ask for proof of purchase and to limit their warranty (if any is actually made public somehow) as they see fits their business model and liability exposure. Most of the bike component companies distribute their product via wholesellers then retail outlets (either on line or LBS). They choose this model partly to not have to support costumer service departments.
I would suggest going back to the retail source (on line or the LBS) and asking them for their view. Most LBS these days have customer sales records that could be the proof of purchase needed. The local retailer also has the greater obligation to take care of their customers as their customer base is FAR smaller then that of on line sellers. So where did your friend buy these tires? Shops do what are called "customer consideration" offers all the time when they know their supplier or the manufacturer won't back them up. It's one of the costs of being a brick and mortar shop. Please don't expect the shop to willingly give away their $ but asking them to share the cost is reasonable. Andy
Kenda has every right to ask for proof of purchase and to limit their warranty (if any is actually made public somehow) as they see fits their business model and liability exposure. Most of the bike component companies distribute their product via wholesellers then retail outlets (either on line or LBS). They choose this model partly to not have to support costumer service departments.
I would suggest going back to the retail source (on line or the LBS) and asking them for their view. Most LBS these days have customer sales records that could be the proof of purchase needed. The local retailer also has the greater obligation to take care of their customers as their customer base is FAR smaller then that of on line sellers. So where did your friend buy these tires? Shops do what are called "customer consideration" offers all the time when they know their supplier or the manufacturer won't back them up. It's one of the costs of being a brick and mortar shop. Please don't expect the shop to willingly give away their $ but asking them to share the cost is reasonable. Andy
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08-26-21, 09:19 AM
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Those are Kenda K830 tires. Generally the reviews are good. But like everything, there are some bad ones too. Looks like a cheap OEM tire.
Sometimes it is not just mileage, road conditions, temperature, environment, rider weight play a big role how well a tire holds up. I’ve blown through a set of tires and the same tires on my wife’s bike look almost new, and this is about the same mileage.
The sidewalls on Vittoria Zaffiro tires would crack no matter if they were mounted or just hanging in the garage. I wasn’t happy, but they were cheap. Vittoria Rubino Pros have no such problems in the same environment.
As has been suggested, find a different tire on move from those.
John
Sometimes it is not just mileage, road conditions, temperature, environment, rider weight play a big role how well a tire holds up. I’ve blown through a set of tires and the same tires on my wife’s bike look almost new, and this is about the same mileage.
The sidewalls on Vittoria Zaffiro tires would crack no matter if they were mounted or just hanging in the garage. I wasn’t happy, but they were cheap. Vittoria Rubino Pros have no such problems in the same environment.
As has been suggested, find a different tire on move from those.
John
08-26-21, 10:59 AM
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It was used minimally…. 1.5 years old…..
yes not a high end tire….. but what my complaint was Kenda’s non caring attitude
Louisiana garage
thanks all
yes not a high end tire….. but what my complaint was Kenda’s non caring attitude
Louisiana garage
thanks all
08-26-21, 12:13 PM
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It’s not just Kenda.
No tire mfg will care that a minimally used cheap tire lasted 6 months past warranty. They might be polite about it, but that is the extent of things.
John
No tire mfg will care that a minimally used cheap tire lasted 6 months past warranty. They might be polite about it, but that is the extent of things.
John
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08-26-21, 01:50 PM
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08-26-21, 04:56 PM
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"Tell 'im, Ray."
"Kenda sucks."
"Kenda sucks."
08-26-21, 06:15 PM
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However, I have also had good results with Zaffiro Pros. I have a pair of them (700-32) on my Surly Midnight Special rain bike that were transferred from its predecessor so they have about 1800 miles and are three years old at this point. So far, no sidewall cracks or any other signs of distress. The bike is stored indoors so that helps.
08-26-21, 06:30 PM
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They weren’t the Zaffiro Pros, just the cheap wire bead Zaffiros.
Back when I was spending most of my time surfing with our boys and less time on the bike.
John
Back when I was spending most of my time surfing with our boys and less time on the bike.
John
