Kenda Nevegal X-Pro 27.5 x 2.35in tyres

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nevegal
The Nevegal is named after a now-defunct Italian UCI World Cup downhill venue in northern Italy. The course there involved everything from grassy meadows to rocky, rooty, dank forests. The original tyres were aimed at being a good all-round tyre for this multitude of unpredictable terrains. The new X-Pro version features a tweaked, shallower tread and a claimed 10% reduction in weight.

The 2.35in tyres feature a directional tread, with central knobs chamfered for quick rolling, and made of a harder compound than the softer shoulders. Sipes (cuts in the tread blocks) allow them to deform under cornering and braking to add traction. Solid shoulder knobs are angled to dig in on cornering and are aided by hollow side knobs that add support in corners. The whole tyre has a much more rounded shape than the previous version and the tread extends quite far down the sidewalls. This should allow extreme lean angles, but also has the benefit of keeping a knobbly profile to the tyre if you’re running it on the new generation of wide and super-wide rims (which I was).

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The tyre presents a cheerfully round profile on a wide rim, with lots of tread on offer at all angles. There was more trail and road buzz than I was expecting from the chamfered tread, but this did translate to increased grip off road. I ran them tubeless, but after a couple of pinch-flats (on wide, hookless rims) I stuck tubes back in as I found the sidewalls too thin to inspire confidence. Traction was great, though the tyres do love to slide (albeit predictably) a little too much for my tastes.

Overall: Big, knobby, all-round tyres, if a little fragile of sidewall. Better on the back wheel than the front.

 

Review Info

Brand: Kenda
Product: Nevegal X-Pro 27.5 x 2.35in tyres
From: Moore Large, todayscyclist.co.uk
Price: £39.99
Tested: by Chipps for Three months.
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Mark Alker

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What Mark doesn’t know about social media isn’t worth knowing and his ability to balance “The Stack” is bested only by his agility on a snowboard. Graphs are what gets his engine revving, at least they would if his car wasn’t electric, and data is what you’ll find him poring over in the office. Mark enjoys good whisky, sci-fi and the latest Apple gadget, he is also the best boss in the world (Yes, he is paying me to write this).

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Comments (0)

    pinch flats on tubeless and fragile side walls – think I’ll pass

    I must admit to being confused about tubeless pinch flat when I read the mag. Exactly what was getting pinched? The actual tyre?
    I’ve just put the 26″ versions on my hardtail and so far so good, though I did go for the UST version as they’re generally tougher (at least that’s what I’ve found with the Schwalbe tyres…)

    My favourite 26″ tyre – can’t comment on the fashion-victim 650 version – along with the Panaracer Rampage 2.35s. I do nearly all my riding in the Lakes and both sets work great on mud, fire-road and rock/slate. Nuff said.

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