In this article I’m going to give you my top picks for the best Kenda 26 inch mountain bike tires
Kenda is a legendary tire brand from the early days of mountain biking. They’ve been out of the spotlight for a while, giving the opportunity for other big brands like Maxxis and Continental to take center stage in this highly competitive industry.
But with the introduction of some excellent high-quality tires they forced people to take notice. And the tires that command respect you’ll be able to find here. Mainly their Pro lineup with the Regolith, Booster, and Hellkat are prominently featured.
Should you decide to move more into the gravel space and away from rougher trail riding, they also offer a number of great touring and gravel options for 26 inch wheels.
So here they are, the best Kenda 26 inch mountain bike tires.
Kenda 3-Sixty
The Kenda 3-Sixty is a semi-slick tire meant for slopestyle that also comes in a 26 inch version.
The tire comes in a standard black and a creme tread pattern. But the color isn’t just there for looks, but denotes a difference in functionality. The creme version uses a rubber compound that is ideal for dry condition tracks. While the black tread rubber is the perfect solution for wet conditions.
- multiple colors available, fast rolling
- different colors have different characteristics
Kenda Booster Pro
The Kenda Booster Pro is the only 26 inch XC tire on this list that comes in a 2.4 inch width.
It’s unfortunate I don’t have the weight and rolling resistance numbers for that version of the tire.
The knobs are extremely densely packed with 6 in a row, so you know the tire is meant for speed and will lose its grip very fast in wet conditions.
It looks very similar to the Continental Race King RaceSport with its arrowhead like tread pattern, making it ideal for cross country and dirt jumping.
- Durable and lightweight XC and dirt jumping tire
- None
Kenda Hellkat Pro
The only 26 inch option left in Kenda’s lineup for all-round trail, enduro, and downhill purposes.
Unlike other brands like Maxxis, Schwalbe, and Continental, Kenda seems to be moving away from 26 inch tires for their premium lineup. Although an understandable move it’s still a shame. It means that for downhill you’ll have to settle for the Kenda Hellkat over the Kenda Pinner.
Nonetheless the Kenda Hellkat is an impressive offering which propels the brand back among its peers. The Maxxis DHFs and Schwalbe Magic Marys have been at the top of downhill lists for a very long time now, so it’s good to see Kenda taking a shot with this tire that has excellent traction and durability characteristics.
- Solid all-round trail tire
- None
Kenda Kranium
A good companion for on the road, the Kenda Kranium is a great allround alternative if you mean to take your 26 inch bike in the city rather than in the woods.
The 2.1 inch width fits any mountain bike frame, and the tread pattern is fast-rolling enough for both dry and wet conditions.
- Fantastic allround option, affordable
- None
Kenda Kwick Drumlin
The Kenda Kwick Drumlin is a tire designed for the long haul. Its ride-anywhere tread pattern is designed to be used on every type of surface. And the deep channeling structure means it’ll inspire confidence under wet circumstances as well.
It’s a heavy tire for the rider who doesn’t want to worry about flats, rather than to cross the finish line first. The tire comes in the standard K-Shield and K-Shield Plus version, with the latter adding a significant amount of extra puncture protection atop a tire already well equipped to be long lasting.
The Kenda Kwick Drumlin is a perfect tire for standard road use and for commuting purposes. If you want to be able to use your bike all year long without worries, this is the tire for you.
- Great all-round tire, plush ride, durable puncture protection
- None
Kenda Regolith Pro
The Kenda Regolith Pro is similar to Schwalbe’s Nobby Nic, and as such can be used in combination with the Booster Pro as a front tire.
It’s a very solid allround option, if you want to move your bike into the direction of becoming more sure footed on the trail.
Also coming in a 2.40 inch version it means you can have a low tire pressure, grippy combo to get you through the corners. And you have to worry less when the conditions become more wet and muddy.
- Durable all round tire
- None
Specifications Kenda 26 inch mountain bike tires
Name | Size | ETRTO | Weight (gr) | Tread color | Sidewall color | Compound | Puncture protection | Tire bead | TPI | Buy at Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Kenda 3-Sixty | 26×2.25 | 57-559 | 583 | Creme | Black | Single | tlr | |||
Kenda 3-Sixty | 26×2.25 | 57-559 | 598 | Black | Black | Single | tlr | |||
Kenda Booster Pro | 26×2.20 | 57-559 | 554 | Black | Black | Single | tlr | |||
Kenda Booster Pro | 26×2.40 | 61-559 | 618 | Black | Black | Single | tlr | |||
Kenda Regolith Pro | 26×2.40 | 61-559 | 692 | Black | Black | TR | SCT | tlr |
Johan van Seijen
FoundeR Restoration.bike
Johan van Seijen is the founder of restoration.bike. His passion for cycling in general, and restoring older bikes turned into a website to share his knowledge with a broader audience. Starting out on his father’s road bike and riding classics as the Amstel Gold Race and Liege Bastogne Liege he has shifted his attention to trail, XC, and gravel riding since. No matter how much he loves writing about everything related to cycling, nothing beats actually using his ever-expanding bicycle collection.
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