KendaK161 KrossCyclo Tire(Return to Product Page)

If you are looking at this tire, you know it is difficult to find a decent 27 tire for older bikes on gravel roads. I recently bought an old touring bike - circa 1988 Nishiki Riviera GT. I live in the country and have ample dirt roads to ride. Would prefer it to be a little wider but it is more than adequate. As you would expect, it is a little slow on pavement but suits me fine for a 10 mile each way commute on pavement and bike paths. The price from Bike Tires Direct was awesome.

Only one beef the lovely, creamy, Doo-Gas, faux-French-hand-made, UCI-Worlds-in-Belgium, cottony, Yurpeen-look 'cross tyre pictured here is a lie. I bought some Schwalbe 27 x 1 14 tires for a vintage steel restoration here and they look just like the image above, sans the knobbly, C tread thingies. But when you get your Kendas, be prepared for 70s, college-dorm-level ten-speed lookin' tires. Side walls are actually a brownish-orange, with that very old-school rubbery look. Aesthetics aside, these are KILLER tires for the price point. After a year of mud, sweat and gears, I still love my K161s. Will buy again, fer shur!

I bought 2 sets on sale and they are a bargain. Fit great, comfortable and grips well. On pavement definitely not super fast but I'm not a fast rider or plan to be. My terrain is mostly pavement but not 100%. Sometimes will be on singletrack dirt or crushed gravel on the same ride and these work very well.

Hard to find 27x1 3/8 inches Bach tire with higher profile tread. Perfect for my road bike to 'sort of a Mt bike' conversion.

I wanted an off road tire last fall for a Rail Trail Cancer benefit ride and I wanted to use my Dad's old 3 speed Ross as a tribute to him as we lost him to Cancer in 09 . I was very happy with the tires performance and have actually been riding the bike quite a bit for quick hops around town and they are holding up well . They are slightly bigger than the old 1 14 tires that came off . They were a little tricky to get the bead uniformly seated around the rim but I think it's the old chrome wheels more than the tires . I'm going to get another set for my old Miyata back road tourer.

had tires for 5 months now put over 100 miles on em rode thur snow and ice and held its grip will buy again

Bought a pair of these to convert my old 27 road bike to a gravel bike. These tires ride great and handle the dirt and gravel roads in my area with ease. They were easy to mount and I'm running approximately 45 psi in them which gives me a great ride, no pinch flats and plenty of traction. I highly recommend to anyone wanting to convert a cross or gravel bike and you can't beat the price.

This tire is cheap enough that I don't have to worry about road usage to get to the fire roads. Once on the trails the tread pattern is knobby enough that I rarely had my backend slide out on tougher sections. Great tire for the price.

Great budget tires for any vintage bike restoration. It's easy to install, and the 70psi max provides a soft ride. These stay on straight side rims at 70psi no problem. In light snow or dirt these tires bite while smoother tires skid.

Cons After 500 miles of mostly pavement riding, my rear has about 13 of tread left. The gum sidewalls also crack easily when exposed to the sun. Being a basic tire it doesn't have puncture protection, so I'd recommend a tire liner andor thorn resistant tube. Gum sidewalls can also be uneven around the tire.

Overall wonderful tire for the price. They're perfect for commutes that have a section of dirt, or for winter commuting. Tread life is not a major issue thanks to the tire's low price.

I've used these on my cross bike during the off season for two years now. They're great for general trail riding and can handle a decent amount of pavement without wearing down. The pattern is a classic and the width is a happy medium all of which gives good purchase on most non paved surfaces. Even if you do wear them out riding to the trail head, the price is such that they can be replaced without too much pain. Most tires branded for cyclocross are race oriented with folding beads and soft compounds and are just too expensive to train on, or use for mixed terrain commutes. Now, the Kendas are kind of heavy, but spinning them all summer will just make you faster in the fall.

Bottom line is...

Pros inexpensive, durable, decent off-road

Cons heavy

Perfect for mixed terrain commuting, cyclocross training rides, gravel path bicycles

Bought these tires for winter riding in Chicago and they fit perfectly on old steel 27 wheels (1.25 width) Great tires for the price except that you may get a defective one. I bought 2 and one of them is NOT round. In other words, there is a low side on the wheel when properly inflated so every time your ride, there's an annoying and repetitive bump. Definitely a manufacturing error. The one that is round works great and the tread is very grippy. Rides very well in snow.

I was thinking of returning the wheel but at the price it wasn't worth going through all the trouble. Plus, I wasn't sure I'd get another good tire or bad. So, I live with the bump in my tire until I change them out in the spring.

At close to 130 miles of daily commute the tires are showing normal ware. I have now ridden through the winter with them on and have been very happy with the grip. The trade off is that you gain a little rolling resistance from your true road tires. I have a lot more turning confidence riding on wet and snowy days. All and all a great deal and no complaints about the install either. Make sure you follow the instructions and take some time to get them setting on the rims right.

Awesome tire for cyclocross and regular commuting in adverse weather.

Could be a little wider. Went on easily and provide a relitively quiet and comfortable ride.

I have two cyclocross bikes, one for more serious riding and one for short excursions around town. Using my around town bike, I bike throughout the winter and sometimes encounter icy winter patches. The tires I use on both bikes are Kenda Kwick Cyclocross. The Kwick is a relatively inexpensive, low thread count, light weight, narrow, minimal tread tire. It is perfect for multi-use despite its austere construction since it is narrow and unaggressive enough to be comfortable and efficient on the road, but has enough cross characteristics to do well off road. Despite its minimalist tpi, it feels good and compliant.

I bike throughout the winter and sometimes encounter icy winter patches. The Kwick is too narrow and slick to be really safe in those conditions. So for my around town bike, I wanted an inexpensive wider more tread tire. I bought these tires on sale. They mounted well. It was the first time I have bought a wire bead tire in my memory. After mounting the tire, I could tell the feel wasn't the same as the tires which I normally ride on. Maybe the bead, maybe the tread and construction. Even though this is true, they work and aren't horrible for slower riding. At an inexpensive price, they are worth it if you aren't wedded to a quality ride.

Use for pavement acceptable

they r on the bike love them live in Arizona and sometimes run over thorns dont hurt tne tires although I have thorn proof tubes which helps

I needed new tires for my 30 year old Motobacane bicycle. After an internet search I found that Biketiresdirect.com offered the best 1 1/4 X 27" product and price. I purchased two tires, two tubes and two rubber liners. They installed easily and have given me excellent performance.

I don't know what the problem was - they did not fit but the rim size is the same as the tire?

Put on an old road bike to ride the local bike bath, which is crushed stone. They work great. plenty of grip and they are durable enough to take the bumps of riding the trail.