The Pinner Pro is Kenda’s all-new dry condition gravity tire. Developed with Aaron Gwin, the Pinner was designed for World Cup tracks like Leogang and Lenzerheide and to hold its own against the fiercest competitors. The Pinner Pro shines with excellent cornering predictability and particularly high puncture protection. The Pinner Pro comes in 29″ x 2.4″ and 27.5″ x 2.4″ sizes, and is available with their heavy-duty Gravity AGC casing for $84.95 or Trail ready ATC casing for $79.95, making it a superb choice for Gravity/Enduro racers and All Moutain riders alike.
Highlights
- Excellent predictability – A consistent contact patch when the bike is leaned over creates a super predictable feel – no sudden wash-outs!
- Optimized for hard pack – The tread pattern is designed to work best on hardpack, rocky/rooty, and loose over hard conditions.
- Best-in-class puncture protection – 40% higher puncture protection than the current market-leading tire.
- AGC or ATC – Available with AGC or ATC casing for the product launch.
- Tubeless-ready
First Impressions (on an Ibis Ripmo 29er)
The Pinner Pro is a fast turning mountain bike tire that accelerates like a banshee and corners like it’s on rails. It’s on the skinny side for a 2.4-inch wide tire, so it’s not a floating king, but it more than makes up for its slim volume with quickness, predictability, and toughness. I’ve been riding the milder ATC trail casing version of the Pinner Pro, and it has been quite durable, even when being tossed into nasty rocks, roots, and deep gravel, and it hasn’t suffered any tears or sidewall punctures.
It has a distinctly round profile, with the outer knobs barely sticking out over the casing. The ATC 29er versions weighed in at 985 and 984 grams, which is pretty respectable, while the beefier gravity oriented AGC came in at a heavy 1292 and 1312 grams. The ATC has a finer 120 tpi (threads per inch) flexible casing, and the AGC has a coarser but stouter 60 tpi casing. The ATC casing offered some suppleness over the terrain, which provided a nice feel in the handlebars and useful conformability.
The firm center tread provided secure and stable steering, while the soft shoulders helped connect things up when the tires were tilted over for cornering. The L-shaped shoulder lugs had inside reward facing cutouts, while the center lineup features an alternating set of separated mildly ramped dual knobs, one set being slightly wider than the other. The square-faced and tall knobs all work together for excellent braking and traction, clearing out mud and debris, and biting nicely into most conditions. I didn’t get a chance for any in-depth rides on the gravity AGC casing model as yet.
Casings
ATC (ATC)
The Lighter Way – Tire construction optimized for aggressive cross country or trail riding, the Advanced Trail Casing (ATC) is lighter and more supple than either of Kenda’s gravity solutions. Using sheets of Kenda’s SCT fabric across the tire sidewalls and a sub-tread belt of K-Armor under the tread blocks. The K-Armor fabric has a tighter weave, resulting in the use of less rubber during the construction process, yielding a lighter tire and a casing that is supple enough to allow the knobs to flex and form under load, yet still protects from pinch flats, punctures, and cuts.
AGC (AGC)
The Most Advanced Gravity Solution – The Advanced Gravity Casing (AGC) is Kenda’s latest innovation for gravity orientated riders. Utilizing strips of Kenda Vector Shield (KVS), a lightweight woven aramid material, positioned under the tread area and along the sidewalls to protect the tire from cuts and punctures. The KVS material offers nearly three times more cut resistance than standard protective materials. A 20 mm apex along the bead prevents pinch flats and burping. Our lightest and strongest gravity casing up to date.
Compound
This tire features a similar compound design found in other Kenda gravity tires. The Pinner uses a dual-layer setup, with a firmer rubber serving as the base and supporting the knobs, and a soft compound laid on top to maximize grip. The ATC version is a dual tread construction: soft shoulder, firmer center tread.
| Type | Part # | Size | ETRTO | Compound | Reinforcement | TLR | TPI | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PRO | 214455 | 29 x 2.4 | 61-622 | Dual | ATC | Yes | 120 TPI | 997g +/- 50g |
| PRO | 214453 | 29 x 2.4 | 61-622 | Dual Layer | AGC | Yes | 60 TPI | 1297g +/- 65g |
| PRO | 214461 | 27.5 x 2.4 | 61-584 | Dual | ATC | Yes | 120 TPI | 923g +/- 46g |
| PRO | 214459 | 27.5 x 2.4 | 61-584 | Dual Layer | AGC | Yes | 60 TPI | 1178g +/- 46g |
Q&A With Tony Yandek, Project Engineer
The Pinner is the new tire in Kenda’s gravity line-up – what were the goals for this project?
TY: While our athletes really loved the Hellkat, they felt that a tire specifically made for dry hardpack tracks would yield a benefit in racing. So we got to work – we wanted a tire for hard and loose over hard conditions, with a premium on rolling resistance, ultimate cornering/braking traction, and predictability.
How did you achieve them?
TY: First, we look at the most important competitors. What are they doing well? And what could we improve on? Then it’s time to design the tread pattern. In this case, we had two slightly varied patterns that we brought for the field tests. From this step onward, we benefited from Aaron Gwin’s longtime experience in racing. We tested three times with Aaron at three different locations in Southern California to ensure we hit a myriad of conditions, and that the tire would perform as we intended it to.
Aaron Gwin said he loved the Pinner’s predictability. What makes the handling so predictable?
TY: The predictability is mostly an attribute from the tread pattern, where we created a nice consistent contact patch throughout the lean angle. Also, Aaron’s alteration to the tread pattern proved to increase the predictability during field evaluations; this alteration was to move the shoulder knobs more in-line with the center knobs, as opposed to being perfectly staggered.
With the Hellkat, Kenda has a great all-round gravity tire. When would you choose the Pinner over the Hellkat?
TY: The Hellkat really shines in loose conditions. While its tread pattern is made to penetrate the ground, the Pinner is made to be stable, confident, and planted over hardpack, rocks, and roots. The Pinner is a much quicker tire as well, so if there’s no need to penetrate the soil, you should pick up the Pinner.
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