With a long-established brand like Kenda, you can chart the recent history of Cycling. The company started business 60 years ago, making bicycle tires, and was there at the birth of mountain biking. Old school mountain bikers will recall Kenda’s Legend series, made in conjunction with iconic names such as John Tomac and Tinker Juarez.
An early hit in Kenda’s mountain bike line was the famous Nevegal tire, named after the ski resort in the Italian Dolomites made world famous among mountain bikers for hosting downhill World Cup events.
These days the biggest trend in tires is for gravel bikes where, as other riding surfaces, there is demand for several different tread patterns, compounds and case materials.
As in the early decades of mountain biking, many companies are still experimenting. On a gravel ride you can encounter road, hardpack, crushed gravel, so you’re looking for a tire that can perform well in all those different conditions.
Kenda seems to have hit a sweet spot with its Alluvium, a fast-rolling gravel offering, available in 35, 40 and 45mm widths in the 700C diameter, and 45mm in 650B. Reportedly surprisingly grippy for a fast-rolling tire, Alluviums feature the pro-level R3C rubber compound, with Kenda’s GCT puncture-resistant casing. They are optimized for tubeless use but can run tubes too.
Kenda’s top selling MTB tire these days is the Booster, which is available across the size range, including 26”. “Everyone thinks it’s dead, but a lot of people still have that wheel size,” says Boissy.
All Kenda tires now are certified for ebike use. This certification looks primarily at speed and load ratings based on the higher material stress factors that come with an ebike. Kenda makes a line of cargo bike tires for even heavier loads.