Seba Posted January 9, 2019 Share Posted January 9, 2019 My original Kenda worn out so much that I thought about replacing it. But I wanted to try something new that could do better on a more difficult surface and still be good for asphalt. Unfortunately, as you probably all know well, there are very few 18" tyres. If they are already there, tyre width is closer to 2" than 2.5". After a long search I was able to find a Fiction Troop tyre with an interesting tread and a size of 18x2.3. It was the widest tyre I could find. And today I finally had the opportunity to mount it. Removing the old tyre and fitting a new one was no problem. However, I must mention that there is a colossal difference between the two tyres. Compared to the original tyre, the new one gives the impression of being delicate and easy to damage. But I have to admit that I had the same impression when I replaced the KS-16 tyre from the original Kenda to Schwalbe Mad Mike. No issues until now and I don't baby this tyre. Holes, bumps and curbs are all mine! The picture shows the difference between an old, worn tyre (after about 5000 km) and a new one. As tire replacement is part of a major inspection of my KS-18L, I will only be able to share my opinions and experiences with you in a few days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seba Posted January 29, 2019 Author Share Posted January 29, 2019 I've made today first 9 km with this tire and I have slightly mixed, but in general positive feelings. Tire, in general, is very quiet. It works unexpectedly well on snow - on a 5 cm layer I get almost the same traction like on Schwalbe Mad Mike that is much more noisy. I didn't expected such good results, I thought that this tire will be somewhere between Mad Mike and factory semi-slick Kenda or Chao Yang. So I'm surprised. But there must be grain of salt and this is the precision of tracking. I found this tire to be somewhat tricky in terms of direction tracking. It has problem with keeping the desired direction, especially when riding on paving stones. In other situations when I wanted to turn, it tried to keep straight direction and I had to use my knees. Generally nothing you can't control, but I got used to much better tracking of original tire. Maybe the problem lies in rather high pressure - I pumped it to 3,5 bar. I'll try with lower pressure and check if it helped. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seba Posted January 31, 2019 Author Share Posted January 31, 2019 I reduced the tyre pressure to 2 atm and that is it! Now the wheel rides smoothly and stable. Tire is quiet, traction is very good. I rode today at about 30 kph on concrete, snow and old ice covered by snow - of course with adequate caution. However not even one slip or something - I've felt like skiing. I'm still very impressed with wonderful grip on snow and even on ice. I thought earlier that nothing would beat Schwalbe Mad Mike. Fiction Troop was supposed to be something in the middle between Schwalbe and factory tire, but it turns out not worse than Schwalbe in terms of grip, but much better when it comes to precision and smoothness. However, there is still one great unknown: the tire's longevity and durability. I'm afraid that prolonged low-pressure driving may damage the tire carcass and even cause the tire to blow out. Welll.. I'll ride, I'll see Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cbgti Posted February 12, 2019 Share Posted February 12, 2019 And what about the confort? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean eRide.ie Community Posted February 18, 2019 Share Posted February 18, 2019 Definitely getting this one whenever mine wears out. It seems like quite a popular BMX tire, as they also have it for sale in a shop in Ireland. I suppose the reduced diameter helps a bit with range and acceleration, but not sure if the extra threads have the opposite effect. It definitely looks grippier, which would be great for me as sometimes I need to go over grass. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seba Posted February 18, 2019 Author Share Posted February 18, 2019 On 2/12/2019 at 9:53 PM, cbgti said: And what about the confort? It's similar in comfort to the original tire, and it depends on inflation pressure. For me 2.5 bar works best. 45 minutes ago, Jean Dublin said: I suppose the reduced diameter helps a bit with range and acceleration, but not sure if the extra threads have the opposite effect. It definitely looks grippier, which would be great for me as sometimes I need to go over grass. I don't think there is any noticeable difference in acceleration or deceleration. There's certainly more grip on every surface. I've more than 400 kms on the counter on this tyre and there are no problems so far. When I'll pass 1000 kms, I'll write an exhaustive review. I am still curious about the strength of the carcass and whether it won't fail. This is why I inspect the tire after every ride for signs of wear or carcass break. So far, so good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean eRide.ie Community Posted February 18, 2019 Share Posted February 18, 2019 6 hours ago, Seba said: For me 2.5 bar works best. Yes, sounds right, 2.5 bar (36 PSI) also works best for me. (30 PSI when it was colder, wet with a bit of ice on roads) This graph from eWheels is quite accurate on what seems to be the best pressure. Source: https://www.ewheels.com/guide-tires-appropriate-pressures-electric-unicycle/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean eRide.ie Community Posted February 18, 2019 Share Posted February 18, 2019 To be honest, when it comes to tire wear, the old tire doesn't seem to be very different than mine with just 1700km (as per app). The middle thread still is a bit elevated from the rest, but may go soon, besides that, it's similar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.