These days it seems like everyone has a little bit of a “weight-weenie” in them. It’s a far cry from the mid 90s when it seemed that all that mattered was strength (at least in the freestyle world), weight be damned.
For me, as long as things aren’t taken too far–like obsessively drilling out parts or sacrificing durability for a few grams–I’m all for saving weight wherever you can. When looking to save weight, conventional wisdom says that reducing rotating weight is most important as it makes the most impact on performance…think wheels, tires, cranks, etc.
This stuff has been on my mind lately because I’ve seen a few cruiser builds recently with foldable KHE Mac 2s on them.
From what I’ve read about them they do make a big difference weight-wise: shaving a minimum of 200 grams per tire (in some cases a lot more) making a noticeable impact on how a bike rides. The tread is supposed to be nice too for park and other freestyle applications.
The downsides?
Cost for one. These babies are pricey. Depending on where you buy, they can be double the price of a regular tire.
Another is durability. Some reviews suggest that these tires are more prone to punctures and the sidewalls don’t hold up. Other reviews say these concerns are overblown (pardon the pun) and that they hold up just fine as long as they are inflated to the recommend PSI.
Are they worth it?
I’m undecided.
But I would love to hear from anyone that has used these tires before. Are they worth the price?
