I picked up the Kenda Kharismas for two reasons. First, well, I needed new tires. Secondly, they are red. Stupid reason, I know.

The local trail I usually ride on is made up mostly of tight singletrack that gets very sloppy after rain. For all of the great features of these tires, they do not perform very well in the mud. The tread tends to clog with mud and it takes awhile for the mud to completely work itself out. They also lose hold of the trail while ascending a steep, muddy hill.

On the other hand, when the conditions are dry, these tires perform very well. The cornering ability is very good. Several times I would speed up before a particularly tight turn to see just how well they would hold. Each time I would lean harder into the turn to see how much the tires could take. They finally gave out on me after I broke about a 45-degree angle with the ground. I was very impressed. My previous set of tires gave nowhere near the cornering ability that these provided.

Because of the tightness and shortness of the tread, these tires hold speed very well, which helps with roll resistance. However, if you are looking for tires that you can take into wet and muddy conditions, these are not the tires for you. The bottom line – if you need a tire that can hold speed and corner well on the trail, these are great set.