Joeyinvancouver

My son wore through his original tires (narrow kenda small block 8s -- 507 size) on his 2012 Jake 24. I have, since the spring, looked everywhere, gone to my LBS and contacted KONA warranty. I am being told that the tires are no longer made and when repeatedly pressed KONA sent a pair of 1.5" slicks (similar to the ones I had to put on the bike in the spring).

The cross season has started and my son's $1000 cross bike is useless. This must be true for all the other 2012 Jakes out there. Have others had the same problem? Was KONA as unresponsive?

I'm at wit's end -- does anyone know of 507 x tires or whether this bike can be retrofitted to take 520 wheels?

As I expected to pass the bike down to at least one family member and/or sell it when my son out grows it, I am also out a fair amount of coin.

Thanks for any assistance,
Joey

PS here is the link to the original bike


KONAWORLD

AK404

24" tires? Lots to be found online - a quick Google search cropped up quite a few.

Andy_K 

I saw an article on CX Magazine's site that claimed Kenda was making 24 inch Happy Mediums for some cross bike and planned to sell them aftermarket. You could try calling a shop like Bike Tires Direct that specializes in tires and see if they could hook you up.

RoadTire 

REI stores here in Mpls area have Kenda K831 24 x 1.95 in stock. You shouldn't have too much to worry about. Maybe pick up a spare set or 2 and sell the bike as soon as your son outgrows it.[h=2]"24-inch mountain bike tire - Ideal for the entry level junior mountain biker"[/h]

AK404

BTW, just a thought: when I worked for Trek, we made sure to point out that the (limited) lifetime warranty on bike did not extend to tires (among other miscellaneous parts like cables, housing, and bar grips). Trek was mostly responsible for the frame, fork, and component set.

Thus, I believe that the OP is barking up the wrong tree: Kona is possibly under no obligation to replace worn tires on his son's bike, thus making the procurement of said tires the responsibility of the owner. Given that Google has turned up numerous responses to "24-inch bicycle tire," this may not be as much a problem as the original poster has initially believed.

That, and 24" tires are found on a lot of kids' bikes. You just need to make sure the ERTO numbers match up.

Zas

To some of these replies: you might be confused by the sizes. 520 tires are way easier to find than 507. I was facing this same problem except I wanted 507 slicks and it took a long time to find some. I don't think they are compatible with 520.

Joeyinvancouver

Given Kona's approach I suspect you are correct. But in replying to some of the other kind folk I wanted to be clear that cross tires (as opposed to slicks or too wide mountain bike tires) are not available. Even the slicks are crazy wide for a road bike. I doubt whether anyone would be OK with an adults cross bike being sold that didn't have replacement tires under 2" wide available!

Joeyinvancouver

Did you find something less than 1.5"? I'd love to find a 507 in a reasonable size. Thanks for any leads.

Joeyinvancouver

The problem seems to be in the many different 24" sizes (see above).....

Andy_K 

I think your best bet is to look at 24" CX bikes in this year's model and see what tires they are using. The 2015 Kona Jake 24 comes with 24x1.25" Maxxis Locusts. The 2015 Felt F24x comes with 24x1.125" Kenda Happy Mediums. I don't see any online retailers selling either of these tires and I don't know what the ETRTO size of either one is, but maybe if you call Kenda or Maxxis they can help you out.

If all else fails, you can probably use 507 wheels with the bike you have. Obviously that wouldn't be what you'd like, but if, for instance, the Maxxis tires I mention above are 507 and not 520, you might be able to talk your local Kona dealer into giving you a price break on the wheels that this year's model uses. It seems likely that either the Maxxis or Kendas above are 520.

AK404

*shrug* All you have to do is Google it up. Hit the shopping tab on the results, and off you go.

Triaxtremec

did the google shop route and it appears Kenda and Schwable carry 507 24" x 1.xx Tires ranging from $20+

headloss 

Replace, certainly not... be able to give a list of available tires that are out there in order to help keep their bike on the road and not get negative PR online... they could have helped the OP and themselves out. The tire is more difficult to find than you imply and I think the company could do more to be helpful to their customers.

AK404

If the OP was looking for support for some weird proprietary part like a Cervelo seatpost or a Lefty headshock, then yes, Kona should have lent a hand. But a list of available tires?

We live in an age of Google and online shopping: information is at our fingertips, if we only know how to look for it. Even if Kenda no longer produces the Kenda Small Block 8 24x1.125 (the tires that came listed with the 2012 Jake 24), somebody out there has to be making tires in that size, and if they're not, then the only question I would be asking Kona is "tire clearance: what's the available range of 24" tires that this bike can safely accommodate?" As someone on this very board once informed me, a ruler works wonders for this, as does a politely-worded question to the company.

A quick look at the detailed specs of the bike reveals that the rims are Alex Ace 20s. Alex ACE20 24x1.5 - 24x2.125 rim dimensions | Freespoke

A quick Google search reveals that the rim can fit 24" tires with a 1.5 to 2.125 width. (Note: tire on the bike is listed as smaller than minimum for the listed rim. Typographical error, and if so, whose?) However, a quick Google search of "bicycle tire 507mm" shows that the range moves from 24x1.125 to 24x2.125 - sheldonbrown.com is at the top of the list, so no surprise there. It also reveals that 507s are used on full-sized cruiser BMX bikes, dirt jump bikes, and various kids' bikes; thus, the mark for 24" tires is a lively one, and the OP is not doomed to a lifetime of tireless bikes.

So to answer the OP's original questions:

There are a numerous 507mm tires out there. All you need to find out is the range of widths the bike can properly fit.

The bike can probably be fitted for 520mm wheels. However, 520mm tires (which are marked with a fraction) will not properly fit on a 507mm rim (which are marked with a decimal).

Interestingly enough, while looking up articles on 507mm tires, I came across this article - part 3 in a series of some fellow who was undergoing something along the lines of what the OP has posted about.

Pt. 3 Building a kid?s bike that doesn?t suck: Tires | Car Free Days

Those tires weren't available, but "Schwalbe 507mm" turned up...

24 Inch (507mm)

Unicycle and wheelchair tires - not exactly the bmx and kids' bikes we were expecting, but if it works, it works. However, note the width: all are wider than 24x1.5. Now all OP has to do is send an email to Kona about tire clearances.

headloss 

A quick google search and I couldn't find a 24x1.25 inch cross tire. Hell, a 30 minute google search and I couldn't find one in stock anywhere either. Perhaps find a replacement tire and post a link for the OP before implying that no one is looking hard enough?

The OP seems to be correct, a replacement isn't available online.

SlowJoeCrow

Can you find a source for the Odyssey tires Redline uses on their 24" bike, or ask Redline customer service for a tire source?

AK404

Well, I never said I found a cross tire. I just looked for a tire that would fit. It's a cross bike, after all: versatility is its strength. But what the hell, let me take a look around.

The key isn't to expect results right away: some of the best results come from forums because posters ask questions, then get links as answers...links you'd never be able to find otherwise.

https://www.schwalbetires.com/node/3319
https://www.schwalbetires.com/node/3435

https://www.biketiresdirect.com/search?kw2=507
https://www.wiggle.co.uk/continental-...re-16-24-inch/

You can enter some options here:
https://www.csttires.com/int/bike/standard/

https://www.wiggle.co.uk/cycle/tyres/24-507-wheel-size/

Wiggle only had two hits. Let's try some other UK places, because Islabikes is a thing over there.

https://www.winstanleysbikes.co.uk/ca.../24_Inch_Tyres

https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/tyres-24-...gecurrency=usd
Oh hey, look! Kenda Small Block 8! Jackpot? I dunno, but they're the tires the OP is looking for, even if they're across the pond.

headloss 

Good luck, I tried and I failed. I'm not sure that you read the OP carefully enough before you responded.

The OP is looking for cross tires, he already has a pair of slicks that fit... courtesy of Kona, none the less. So, they did their best to make it right. I don't think the point of this thread was to lambast the Kona brand but an honest cry for help, to find the tire in question. My personal suggestion would be to call every Kona dealer in the country until the OP finds one with something in stock.

To recap, the problem is:
1. Kona didn't future proof, apparently their stock pile was it. Now the bike is useless as a cross bike (which doesn't make sense since the tire is available on this year's model of the same bike). They sold a product that doesn't have a replacement available. Granted, some of this is on the customer and it is an example of "tough luck." Same happened to me with some Shimano hub-cones that aren't available for a rebuild.

2. the OP comes here looking for help, and your advice is basically "go google it." I'm not sure if you realize how you came across?
But anyways, this situation is a challenge. I managed to find some slicks. I also managed to find some mountain bike tires. After an hour of searching, the best I could find were 24x1.75" tires which is about 55mm across (I doubt that they'll fit). I can't find any cross tires that are 24" and 1.25" across.

I hope you have better luck than I did.

AK404

Wait, one second...

Universal Cycles -- Kenda Small Block 8 Tire - Steel Bead

24x1.95, but same tires listed on the detailed description of the OP's son's bike, sold by a US company. Weird...why would they make them wider?

Oh yeah,

Tyres | Chain Reaction Cycles

Again, not exactly cross tires, but if the bike can fit them...

headloss 

That's the big question mark for me. I found four or five aggressive off-road tires in 24" IF a 1.75" wide tire will fit between the chainstays.

What I'm not understanding is where Kona is currently getting tires from?
So, the 2012 model used the Kenda Small Block 8 which apparently is no longer made (and for all I know, Kona may have also been surprised when Kenda turned around and said they stopped making them).

So, the 2015 model is listed as using Maxxis Locust 24x1.25" but those are no where to be found. Kona has to be getting them from somewhere if they are stock on the 2015 Kona Jake-24... maybe they just haven't been release yet?
If I were the OP, I'd probably drop Maxxis a line too and see if they know what's up.

AK404

The idea was to lambast Kona for something they don't have any control over. Otherwise, he wouldn't have implied that the company ripped him off when his son's bike's tires were no longer usable. The very first priority was making sure that bike was usable, and that's what I did when searching for tires: get the bike on a set of usable tires, then start worrying about specifics. If specifics can't be met, then OP at least has a useable bicycle with a steady supply of replacement tires.



Honestly, I came across as a bit pissed because the first priority would be to get a working bicycle (which he got, so the bike isn't entirely useless), and all that required was a google search for "bicycle tire etrto 507." That's it. You get a list of tires, call up Kona or get a ruler, find out what the bike can fit. The OP's post suggests that the only thing he has done is go to his LBS or Konaworld for assistance, then pinned the blame on Kona's lousy customer service when it was Kenda who stopped making 24x1.125 tires. (Maybe. More on that in a bit.)

Cyclocross tires are not listed under anything other the usual road bike sizes. Seriously: I couldn't find any cyclocross tires marked as such in anything other than ETRTO 622 or 571. Apparently, only adults participate in cyclocross while kids just run their bikes around like kids. Oh wait, that's what cyclcross is...nevermind then. Any tire than can fit on a kid's bike is potentially a CX tire, I guess.

When it comes to kid's bikes, they're usually listed as a variant of MTB or BMX tires in order to keep things simple for the parents and ordering bike shops...if they're classified at all. It's telling that road bike-esque slick tires in 507 are rare while treaded tires are fairly common. Also, a lot of cross tires were borrowed from MTB tires (low pressure, off-road tread patterns, stuff like that) so this makes sense. Parents are probably more worried about getting the bike back in working order than any specific tread patterns, but there you go. Still stupid, but something interesting popped up.

Discovered that ETRTO 507 specifically restricts 24" 507 tires to widths between 1.5 to 3" (40-507 to 75-507 on the tire), at least according to the numerous bicycle tire sizing info pages I've visited. ETRTO information may be more specific, and if I was so inclined, I could visit my local library, but my guess (and fervent hope) is that the 24x1.125 sizing on the Konaworld website is a dumbarsed typo.

It likely is, because aside from the Kona website, I can't find any references whatsoever to a 24x1.125 cross tire anywhere under the 507 category, and anyone who would make such a tire for the mass market would have to register that size. However, there are no references on any sizing chart that 1.125 is width on any size tire. I would appreciate the OP double-checking ETRTO designation on the tire on the bike to make sure of this: the first possibility is that it's a typo on the website, and the second is that we're actually looking at a 520.

Joeyinvancouver

As far as I can tell Kona has changed from a 507 to a 520 wheel size. It appears they (KONA) are in a tiff with kenda, and have no back stock, and now have gone to another manufacturer and wheel size. The change is enough that my sons bike cannot be retrofitted with the 520 size. I figure that this bike is doomed as a cross bike but can be used as a road bike with the rather fat but reasonably fast 1.5 slicks now available (Kenda or Schwalbe Kojak).

I just wouldn't believe that in another industry you could get away with such shoddy support. Imagine selling a jeep that when the tires wore out (in two years nonetheless) all that were available were some sort of low resistance radials meant for another sort of vehicle altogether.

AK404

Now that is interesting: 24x1.25" isn't even a tire size. It's not ETRTO, and there's no sign of a 24x1 1/4" under 520. And the Locust is no longer listed on the Maxxis website, though I can find links to reviews of the tire dating back to 2011.

Where the hell are these tires coming from?

AK404

Stop overreacting: not being to find the exact model of tire that originally came with the bike, that's not Kona's fault. If it was, there would be no ETRTO 507 tires available, period, but there are a couple of tires that are cross-capable (though not cross-specialized, though I suspect there are no cross-specialized tires for kids' bikes, period) for your bicycle because there are more tire manufacturers than just Kenda. Hell, check this review for the 29er version of those tires out:

Kenda Small Block 8 29 29er Tire Reviews - Mtbr.com

Or Kenda's own listing of its product:

https://www.kendatire.com/en/bicycle/...ock-eight-pro/

Even the tires that came with the bike weren't dedicated cross tires, but then again, they didn't have to be. They're MTB tires meant to be used on trails; just find a set of tires that fit your criteria and you'll be fine. Judging from the lists you've gotten, there are a ton of better choices.

Thus, you can probably start using kids' MTB tires on that Kona. Your choices won't be as huge - no Clement PDX, for example - but your kid's still got a cross bike.

Joeyinvancouver

While I appreciate your intensity and research, the bike came with 507 in that size (Kenda made them and stopped) and well I have the remaining tire in the garage. It seems 1.75 treaded tires may be available especially from Europe. But hey, see my comment below -- I'm not certain who might be to blame but really would anyone accept this in an adults bike (or a car, motorcycle etc.). If you could only get 2" tires for your cross bike would you not be a bit miffed?