Bike Perfect Verdict
Fast and light e-MTB-rated trail tire with decent slash-and-stab protection but watch for pinch flats and prepare to drift rather than stick.
Pros
- +
Light for an e-MTB tire
- +
Fast-rolling
- +
Puncture proof
- +
Hard-wearing
Cons
- -
Numb feel
- -
Pinch prone
- -
Drifter, not a sticker
Why trust BikePerfect Our cycling experts have decades of testing experience. We\'ll always share our unbiased opinions on bikes and gear. Find out more about how we test.
Kenda’s Nevegal tread pattern has been around for nearly 30 years, but this latest version is completely overhauled for faster rolling and tougher enduro and e-MTB performance. If you want easy speed more than extra stick and are happy running higher pressures it’s a cost-effective way to perk up your powered ride.
Design and performance
The Nevegal tread is still very recognizable but it’s downsized, ramped and spaced out further for an easier roll and less growl on hardpack surfaces. Shoulder knobs are relatively small but two out of three get an extra linked satellite knob on the which reduces the gap to a similar 2-1 sequence of center pairs. The rubber is a relatively hard dual compound that increases rolling speed and means it’s taken an age to show any signs of wear even after months of use on our old Levo ‘if anyone needs to borrow an E-bike’ test rig. It’s also impressively light (our samples were 30g lighter than even Kenda's claim) although it blows up more like a 2.3in even on 30mm internal rims.
The ATC (Advanced Trail Casing) adds lightly reinforced sidewalls and under tread K-Armor and it’s shrugged off slashes and pointy punctures well. The EMC casing is also certified ECE-R75 for E-bike use even if you’re on an S-class Pedelec and the gridded exterior shows no signs of stress marks after months of assisted climbing either. Lower sidewall/bead protection is lacking though so beware of running pressures low as you’re risking pinch flats if you do.
The carcass composition and relatively hard rubber mean tire feel is also wooden and uncommunicative when you’re looking for subtle traction to save your neck. The shallow tread tends to slide early and extensively rather than biting as well, but once you’re expecting to drift they’re predictable enough. The hard rubber does make dialing back the drama levels a wise move in wet conditions, but at least they clear relatively quickly if you make it through the muck. Don’t expect any extra damping smoothness if you’re dropping onto hard surfaces or battering across rocks either, but if that’s what you’re after check out the exceptionally grippy and ‘stuck down’ Kenda Pinner.
Verdict
Kenda’s Nevegal 2 Pro EMC are light for an E-bike rated tire as well as being fast-rolling which makes them most suitable for long-distance/high speed, power-assisted XC/Trail missions. Hard-wearing compound adds value to the already reasonable price too, but look elsewhere in the Kenda range if you want seriously sticky grip, low-pressure survivability and a damped downhill feel.
Tech Specs: Kenda Nevegal 2 Pro EMC
- Price: $55 / £50
- Weight: 920g (29x2.4in)
- Sizes: 29 x 2.2, 2.4 and 2.6in / 27.5 x 2.4 and 2.6in
