Kenda Kontender Tyre

The Kenda Kontender is a road bike tyre that's ideal for winter training rides or indeed as a good reliable commuting tyre. It's not the lightest or sprightliest tyre in the world, but it is sturdy and puncture resistant - which is just what you need at this time of year when the roads are covered in slime and debris.

I've ridden a few hundred miles on a pair of Kontenders, over some shocking roads covered with potholes, grit, glass and flints and these tyres have coped absolutely fine. They've suffered no flats and hardly any cuts thanks to a rubber compound that is pretty tough. The tyres feature Kenda's K-Shield Puncture Resistant Tire Casing which consists of aramid and ceramic particles in a green elastomer underneath the tread. Either I've been lucky or it works.

A harder rubber compound on a tyre usually means less grip, but to be honest I'm not laying my bike on its ear while out on winter training rides, and I haven't experienced any loss of control on slippery corners.

The Kontender is available only in size 700 x 26 which is a tad wider than the 700 x 23 I usually ride, although this extra width does mean I have more rubber in contact with the ground and that helps with the grip. I've even ridden these on cobbles (all part of my training for the Paris-Roubaix Challenge) and the extra 3mm means they're a bit more comfortable too.

With this extra width, and weighing in at 329g, these tyres feel a little sluggish at first, but when pumped up to around 110psi front and 115psi back they spun along just fine (the recommended maximum is 125 psi).

There's no tread on the crown of the tyre, while the shoulders have diagonal and S-shape grooves purportedly to help disperse water and improve traction. There's a school of thought that says such features make no difference because bike tyres don't aquaplane and, unlike mountain bike tyres, they can't dig into the surface. On the other hand, another school of thought says it can't do any harm.

Fitting and removing is easy. The Kontender is a folding tyre, so there's no stiff bead to struggle with, and it sits neatly on the rim with no sloppiness.

The official retail price is a penny under £23, which isn't a bargain, but they appear on some on-line stores for about half that price which makes them very good value.

Kenda make a huge range of tyres for the off-road, touring, expedition and utility bike markets (plus pretty much anything else with wheels, from cars to golf-buggies) and the Kontender may take a bit of searching out. But if you can find a pair, they're well worth fitting to your hack, training or ride to work bike while you get the miles in over winter or on the daily commute.

Verdict

Ideal tyre for winter training - sturdy, comfortable, and rolls along well, which should make it a good commute option too