Test: The tire manufacturer Kenda has been a constant on the tire market for many decades - while the tires from the Taiwanese manufacturer are well known, especially in the motorcycle and quad sector, the tires in the bicycle sector are more of a marginal phenomenon. With the Kenda Klondike Skinny, we looked at one of the numerous studded tires from the portfolio.
The profile
Well, at the beginning it should be said that the Kenda Klondike Skinny is advertised by the manufacturer as a cyclocross tire, which should also cut a fine figure as a commuter or road tire. 100 spikes are spread over the rather narrow tire. The scales stop at 760g - a very good value for a studded tire. When looking at the profile, two things immediately catch our eye: Firstly, the aggressive center lugs and the high tread depth. That should provide a good grip, especially in snow and mud. However, the placement of the spikes triggers skepticism: While they are on the edge on most other spiked tires, the metal rivets on the Kenda are more in the middle area. What does that mean for the characteristics of the tire? We should find out quickly in the practical test.
The practice – asphalt
Kenda recommends a pressure of between 3,5 and 6 bar for the Klondike Skinny. In the first attempt, we pump up to approx. 5 bar and jump on the bike in wintry road conditions. At first glance, the volume is loud, even for a spiked tire - but we are used to it As a driver, you quickly get used to the uniform hum of the metal rivets on the asphalt. The next thing we notice is the relatively high rolling resistance, even though we are running with quite a lot of pressure in the tires. This may also be due to the arrangement of the spikes, which still lie flat on the road even at maximum pressure.
The practice – ice cream
It doesn't take long before we come across an icy stretch of bike path - this is where the spikes can show what they can do. If you ride in a straight line across the ice surface, the spikes dig into the ground and the bike rides safely over the slippery sheet of ice as if on rails. The brake grip is also outstanding and a courageous grip on the brake lever brings us to a standstill in record time without much slipping. But now we come back to the arrangement of the spikes: This has a very decisive disadvantage - namely the cornering grip. If you lean even slightly into the turn on ice, the Kenda Klondike Skinny tends to break out quite suddenly as the spikes grab into the void. So caution is advised here.
The practice – snow
In the snow and mud, the kendas are in top form. The aggressive profile really eats into the soft ground and really convinces all along the line. Whether straight ahead or in a curve, whether accelerating or decelerating: the Klondike Skinny is a lot of fun in the snow.
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