Reviews of Kenda K40-HP Street Wire Bead Bicycle Tire, Gumwall, 26-Inch x

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A pair of (37-590) Kenda K40 "gumwalls" was used to refresh an older Free Spirit bike. Tires mounted reasonably well considering the condition of 30-year-old rims, but make sure the bead is in fact seated evenly before inflating to recommended pressure. A small rib should be visible just above the rim edge, and will help you judge if tire is in place.

My friend is a very happy camper now, and so am I for being able to help out.

Overall, these tires are good enough for the price, mount, look and roll very nicely. The 26 x 1-3/8" was very hard to find locally, and thank you Amazon for keeping the stock.

* Note: One-star reviews for these elsewhere on Amazon are not all deserved. These are *NOT* MTB-sized 26" tires despite a "26" appearing in the size read specs carefully.

** Tires came in two large flat packages, but could have easily fit in one. This means the wire beads were not bent even a slightest bit (vs. if two were packed in the same box). Amazon could have easily saved on shipping, but didn't this time, which is a nice touch!

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I ride a bike that was sort of retro when I bought it in 1973 at the height of the ten-speed craze. It is a hub 3 speed. Tires for it are not common any more. I bought this tire because it has a higher max rated pressure, like 80 pounds, so I could put 65 pounds in them like the original Raleigh tires had when I got the bike.

I began riding it again regularly, like 6 hours a week, when it is above 40 degrees, about 4 years ago, so the tires do get quite a lot of use. I had the exact tire as this one just previously. It looked just slightly worn when it gave out after 7 months. The same thing happened to me with a different, lower pressure, Kenda tire after a year and a half of use. What happens is the cord in the tire rips and the tube starts to squeeze out. I didn't over-inflate the tires.

Nothing happened immediately before the event. I hopped on the bike to get back home from where I was. Everything seemed normal for about five minutes. Then a noise like something was stuck on the tire started, and got noisier fast. I got off to take a look. The hole in the tire expanded, and the surrounding area bulged, as I watched. I recognized this as what happened to the previous tire. I let out most of the air in the tube so it wouldn't blow up and walked about two hours home.

The tire was hardly worn, so it wore well. 7 months of use is alright with me for the price. But I never had a problem like this with tires before. Before this, they wore out and I switched tires.

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Added July 29, 2011

This June, the same type of tire failure occurred on the front tire, where the other two were on the back, so this is at around 2 1/2 years of use. The tread is not very worn. The front still had the low pressure K-40 (versus this high pressure K40-HP). Since all the weight is on the back, I was able to lower the front pressure to 30 pounds, enough to keep the tire from looking flat, but so the tube and tire liner wouldn't bulge through, and I could ride the bike home. It is just hard to ride that way.

Since no one else has this type of failure, I'm thinking of what could be different. Maybe it is the anti-puncture tire liners I use wearing the cord from the inside by rubbing friction. They are are lot tougher than rubber tube.

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Like another reviewer mentioned, each tire came in its own box. In my case at least, the boxes were a little too small.

During mounting I noticed a few spots where the side wall had an inconsistent thickness. I inspected the other and found the same thing, assuming this was normal I mounted them and inflated. Everything went ok with the first one, the bead seated nicely and I set it aside. While mounting the second I heard a loud pop, the 1st one had busted right through the sidewall. I continued with the second. After inflating to 70psi (I was too afraid to go to the recommended 90) I saw waves forming in the sidewall.

I would not recommend these tires at all, it seems the quality control leaves something to be desired.

Honest reviews on Kenda K40-HP Street Wire Bead Bicycle Tire, Gumwall, 26-Inch x

This 26 fractional tire does not fit a modern 26 mountain bike, the description should state exactly which size tire rim it should fit

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I put these tires on an old singlespeed conversion and they look great. The wheels were originally mounted with 26 1 1/4 knobby tires. These are slightly thinner and more appropriate for mild road use. I ride my bike about 10 miles a week on clean, smooth roads.

The gum walls look very retro and unusual. They definitely improved the look of my bike enormously.

The tread is pretty mild and they roll easily on paved roads. I haven't had any trouble with the occasional small puddle or patch of dirt and leaves.

I would not use these in an area where glass, thorns, or potholes are an issue. These don't look like they could handle serious riding and would most likely pop a tube if they were ridden in hard situations. Don't expect to go jumping off sweet ramps with these.

They installed very easily and I think I'll get several hundred miles out of them. I recommend these to someone looking for a cheap way to get a bike rolling for mild to moderate use. If you are a serious rider or ride in adverse conditions, spend a little extra and get a decent brand name tire.