Kenda Nevegal on Tom’s Thumb from MTBikeAZ
I’d say at least half if not more of the bikes I demo at Interbike are stock with Nevegals. I’ve always liked them on the demo bikes but never owned a pair for my own steed where I feel completely comfortable with bike geometry and can really feel just the tires against my riding style.
Last September the Kenda crew Interbike set me up with a pair of 2.1 Tubeless John Tomac Series. I finally had the chance to put one on the front of the Fuel EX9 and have gotten nearly 200 miles in on it. My first impressions were really good, based on Interbike demos, but now that I have felt their performance on my own bike I can say I am a big fan.
I raved about the Captain Control, and never thought I’d put another tire on the front…until now. The Nevegals perform just as sweet as the Captain. Cornering in all conditions is predictable and controllable. These tires are not the dual tread compound (DTC), but they are still soft, and I happen to really like the grippiness of a soft compound over the speed and durability of a harder compound. Since my riding style favors traction over speed, these tires are perfect for me and my Arizona trails.
There are a lot of Nevegal fans on the MTBR Forum. Every time someone asks for a tire suggestion for the rugged desert conditions, Nevegals are always on the list of recommendations by several riders.
My only beef with the tire is the warranty. It’s VOID if any sealant is used. Not very customer friendly (unlike Specialized unconditional tire warranty). I asked Kenda what was up with their policy and the rep said that a lot of riders have the same beef, but use sealant anyway and 99 percent have no problems. (My experience falls in the 99 percent category…200 miles later with Stan’s I’ve never had an issue, even running 25 lbs up front.) He also hinted that Kenda is working on a sealant compatible UST tire. When we’ll see it? Who know’s.
I’ll post updates as I ride the tire longer to show how many desert miles I can put on it before she goes the way of all the trail.
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