I’ve read every review I could find, but I still need help deciding.
What I like in a tire pattern is something that has a little more center line, I prefer the Stout over the Navegal because it seems like the DH tires that have the center knobbie in a more regular pattern will go “whump, whump, whump” as they roll along.
I plan to use my 29er for light muni and XC. My fav muni tires are the Intense DH 26 x 2.5 and 24 x 3.
In the picture it appears that the the Kodiak centerline knobbies are closer together that the Dissent so maybe it would be smoother riding, whereas the Dissent edge knobbies seem closer together together so maybe it would carve cleaner.
Also, in terms of sidewall strength, how does it compare to a true two ply tire like a GaZZ, Intense, Duro, Arrow, etc…
It seems to me that these tires have more similarities than differences. I chose the Kodiak based on the rounder profile and because I found one for a decent price. Both tires have two ply casings but the sidewalls of my Kodiak felt a little less stiff than the walls on my 24x3 Duro.
Hey David, how does it ride compared to the Duro?
Can you run low pressures, like 12-14psi?
Is it a true 2.5" tire?
What rim do you run?
Is it substantially thicker in the sidewall thana Navegal or Stout?
Does it seem to have more of centerline in terms of smooth riding or is it a typical DH ride, goes whump, whump, whump.
The Kodiak is a true 2.5". I’ve actually never ridden my 24x3 Duro (I immediately replaced it with a 24x3 Berm Master) so can’t compare the ride. Riding the same trails that I ride with the 24" is doable but still more challenging for me with the bigger wheel. It can also be more fun to fly through some of the easier sections on the 29er.
I have the 38mm XC rim and usually run the Kodiak around 16-17 PSI because I also ride it on pavement and below 15 PSI turns on pavement get squirrelly. I’d expect you could go a bit lower with the wider 47mm rim. I can’t compare the sidewall to a Nevegal/Stout but there is a huge difference from the 2.3 Big Apple. The ride is very smooth even on pavement.
Thanks David, I went ahead and bought a Kodiak, mostly because it seemed like the Dissent might ride a bit roughter on flat terrain.
I got the 29er for higher speeds on mixed terrain, but I still do light muni. The stock stout was either too squishy at low psi or too hard at high psi, so I needed a better tire.
I found the Navegal was not much better, have a Schwalbe Racing Ralph 2.4 that I got with the uni, but it was new so I didn’t want to mess it up. I already know that the thin sidewall is not going to be enough support for my weight.
Kodiak arrives in a few days, review to follow
I’m suprised more folks have not picked up a Kodiak or Dissent, are there really that many folks riding muni on 29ers?
Yes, I for one. I’ve been following the discussion on these new tires the past few months, and finally may be able to afford a new wheel. I currently only have the Nimbus 29er with the single-wall rim and a 2.1 Nanoraptor. This past summer especially, its limitations have become very apparent…feeling rim, difficult handling especially at lower PSI, and sometimes just bad grip. That being said, it’s a great all-purpose tire, and I will likely keep it on that wheel for general riding.
I’ve almost got enough money to get a new wheel with the KH 47mm rim and was trying to decide between the Dissent and Kodiak for a tire. Thanks for your input.
Well for one thing the extra weight of tire is very noticeable. Once you get going it makes things nice and stable but you feel it when starting and stopping. For me, the extra weight is well worth the extra confidence the tire gives me on trails.
I’m still waiting on the tire, but I can tell you that after riding a Stout on the 42mm rim and now on the 47mm rim, the additional spread is noticeable, though it can only do so much.
Like most MTB tires, a single wall is not sturdy enough for muni unless you are relaly light or run high pressures. At my weight, it’s either two ply sidewalls or a hard ride.
I’ll do a proper review next weekend after I’ve had the chance to put it to the test
Well, I went ahead and bought the Kodiak, and what can I say, it’s awful!
The center tread is raised, kinda like a ridge, so th euni doesn’t want to run straight, instead it prefers to leanleft or right. What this means is it makes the uni steer into the hill on off angle single track, which ain’t real helpful for me. I spent an hour trying to keep the dang thing from riding into the hill, was oh so glad to get off, at one point I was so tired I felt like walking, seriously.
So I went home and installed a Racing Ralph 2.4 Evo and couldn’t be happier. I’m running 16-18psi and love it to death. A great tire, should have started with it, but I was afraid the sidewall was too thin. How wrong I was…
