Tested: "Very Good" For Regolith & Karma 2

July 18, 2024 / Bicycle News

In their June 2024 edition, German MOUNTAINBIKE magazine tested tour and trail tires for 130-140mm travel bikes. An ideal MTB touring tire should be reasonably light and fast-rolling while still providing confidence-inspiring grip. For this test, editors chose the Regolith SCT (front) and Karma 2 SCT (rear). SCT offers additional sidewall protection.

After being put through their paces both on the test stand and on the trail, both the Regolith and Karma 2 received a “very good” and performed very well on the trail. The Karma 2 was even the second lightest tire in the test, while the slightly beefier Regolith landed in the middle of the field.

Our recommendation: Run the Regolith front and rear for even more all-round grip, or the Karma 2 front and rear for a faster ride.

 

Kenda‘s Regolith scores lower in the lab puncture protection test, but it handles rolling resistance and the pinch flat test very well. Off-road, it hugs the ground well and treats you to very solid traction.
Kenda‘s Karma 2 is responsible for the rear traction in our test. It does a serious job, but it could be more predictable when braking. It‘s not a top performer when it comes to puncture protection, but it‘s very light. Can also be used on the front for fast tours.