Author Topic: Geax AKA quick review  (Read 465 times)

bushwacka

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Geax AKA quick review
« on: June 22, 2012, 12:50:27 pm »
I confirmed Geax Fanboi now, Maxxis will still get some of my money but for the most part I am sticking with what may be cheaper and better Geax.

Tire in Review

Geax 2.2 AKA TNT(tubes no tubes) casing.

Bike - Anthem X29er

Rider - technically competent rider, who is faster up and down than most.
5'11
165lb

I have one of these mounted tubeless ghetto style on the rear of my bike, sealed up really easily. Even though I did not run it on the front yet it did seal up on the stans rim with a floor pump. I am running it at 20 psi which seams to being working well all around.


On buff flowly trails this tires has oddles of lateral grip and rolls fast, its tend to grip over drift and grips so much it is actually over powering my beat to hell 2.25 ardent on the front. Its does fine on dry, roots and rocks absorb trail chatter well enough for a FS bike and overall I am impressed with its grip for a micro knobby. I was expecting to roll fast but was not expecting its to grip so well on every dry trail surface imaginable.  The round profile let the tire grip at any angle and is very like on concrete like dirt, has good but not vice like grip on tacky soil or loose over hard more on that later.

On wet roots its does ok, on wet rocks the pressure is very dependent of your grip. Yesterday I had the bike on some trails that cause most riders on much beefy rigs than mine to walk sections. Think large granite slabs, 30 degree pitches, wheelie drops, 2 foot steps and multi pitch technical roll downs. On the wet rocks climbing I was getting some tire spin but lowered the tire pressure on top to what ended up being 20 psi. On the way down it was fine and held great on a trail that IMO is scary to walk than it is to bike.

Pros - rolling resistance, pedaling grip, lateral grip, easy to mount up tubeless, tougher casing

Cons - grip on wet rocks, packs with mud easily, hard to get on /off rim, does not have the best braking traction, weight for an XC race tire(750 grams)


jim-ratliff

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Re: Geax AKA quick review
« Reply #1 on: June 22, 2012, 01:50:50 pm »
I confirmed Geax Fanboi now, Maxxis will still get some of my money but for the most part I am sticking with what may be cheaper and better Geax.



Bush: Glad to hear that you like the Maxxis brand, I'm considering stepping out on a limb and getting a pair of Maxxis Padrones (to be run dry).  I liked what their chief devleopment engineer had to say over on another forum (not PMTS), including the fact that every tire is X-Rayed at the factory for defects and voids.
And I also just recently learned that Geax is a division of Vittoria (not sure of spelling) which has made good road tires for a long time so that gives Geax a lot of credibility in my mind. I had never heard of them until Svend's posts. (they are probably a Canadian company)!


[update]
Wrong. Vittoria's North American Headquarters are in Oklahoma City???  Bike riding capital of America?
« Last Edit: June 22, 2012, 02:52:54 pm by jim-ratliff »
"If you're gonna play the game boy, ya gotta learn to play it right."

Svend

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Re: Geax AKA quick review
« Reply #2 on: June 22, 2012, 04:37:21 pm »
I confirmed Geax Fanboi now....

Gee BW, I remember that as recently as a year ago you were poo-pooing Geax tires.  ;D  Something about "no serious rider uses Geax tires", or similar comment.  Glad to hear you're a convert  ;)

I haven't used them on my 29er, but as you know, my wife's bike has had the Arrojo (predecessor to the Sagauro) since 2008, and they are just now wearing out.  Fantastic durability, no pinch flats (and that's at 30 psi on her bike), great grip on all terrain, good handling, good mud shedding, and very fast rolling.  The only drawbacks are that they are only a 2.0 and thus lower air volume so a bit less cush than optimum on an aluminum hardtail.  And they no longer make this model.  But fortunately the Sagauro seems like a worthy replacement, with the added benefit of a rounder profile and bigger size.

Thanks for the great review of the AKA.  This tire would probably do very well here in our area, as the only mud we really get into is the slick hard clay kind (there is deeper goo here, but we just avoid those trails -- helps to know your way around a park  ;)).  The Slant Six sheds wet clay like it's made of teflon, but the Arrojo does very well in that too -- doesn't shed all of it, but the knobs pierce through for decent grip, then the stuck-on stuff flings of once you hit a dry section.  Looking at the AKA pattern, the knobs would probably do the same.  Nice.  I might try this as a rear tire on my 29er once the Slant Six wear out (which should be soon), and a Saguaro on the front.  Should be a perfect combo.

Jim -- Geax is Italian.  It seems they got onto Canadian bikes earlier than US ones.  Opus (a Montreal bike maker) started putting them on as a factory spec tire way back, which is how my wife's bike ended up with them -- she has an '08 Opus XC race hardtail.  They were so good, I just didn't bother taking them off since when she rolled the bike out of the showroom. 

They seem to be very well established in Europe, too.  Great products.  If my Kendas don't hold up well (I am becoming skeptical), then I will likely be going with Geax all around.  Or Maxxis.  I like the Ignitor for our terrain.  And my father-in-law (who used to race mtn. bikes, and still rides about 10-12 hours per week out on Vancouver Island) really likes the Ikon as an all-round great XC tire -- he has a pair on his XC hardtail.  A lot of guys that he rides with also use the Ikon as their preferred XC tire.  For more rugged AM use, they like the Nevegal for its very sticky grip (poor wear though -- they don't last long out there).  He uses the Panaracer Fire XC Pro or Panaracer Cinder on his AM full-suspension bike, and swears by them. 


bushwacka

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Re: Geax AKA quick review
« Reply #3 on: August 17, 2012, 10:09:38 am »
I said no serious rider uses some sort of cheapo Geax(or any other tire) > think panaracer Dart/smoke which do indeed stink.

Back to the AKA.

I have used these quite a bit. the grip on hardpack is great. I have used them front and rear and the lateral grip is awesome. They still do well in dust on crust conditions but not as well as say the Ardent.

the high volume casing is plush and provides great absorption of smaller terrain variation.

They roll very well but not as well as the micro knobbies would suggest. I suspect Maxxis Ikon's and kenda slant six's roll faster but probably arent not as plush or as durable. Like all other Geax TNT tire I think you shouldnt have any issues with durability.

overall this is great dry conditions and most terrain tires for people who like speed with out giving up to much cornering grip.

Svend

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Re: Geax AKA quick review
« Reply #4 on: August 17, 2012, 10:31:05 am »
Hey, thanks for the update.  They sound like great tires.  Would make a good combo with a Saguaro up front.

Have you used them in light mud or wet clay? Our hills are mostly glacial sand and gravel deposits, with a thin clay overburden.  The sand/gravel base drains water very quickly, so we really don't get much deep mud, except in isolated low spots.  But the clay, when wet, holds water for a while, and gets super slick with the wrong tires (ones that don't have much bite).  Slant Six work great in that stuff; the old Geax Arrojo likewise.  How about the AKA? Any experience in that stuff?



« Last Edit: August 17, 2012, 11:36:57 am by Svend »

epic

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Re: Geax AKA quick review
« Reply #5 on: August 17, 2012, 12:39:37 pm »
About the origins of Geax, think Acura to Honda, Geax is Vittoria's Acura. They launched the brand sometime on the mid-'90's. Their U.S. office is in Oklahoma City. I remember wondering if the bombing of the federal building would affect my tire shipments, so it's that far back. They certainly have had a hard time finding traction in the market even if the tires themselves do have good traction. Perhaps they are better in some markets than others. I used to sell quite a few of them down in CT. They were very noticeable then with a vivid green sidewall. It probably did not help sales, but you sure did know them when you saw them. I don't know if they still do it, but back then, they used to mix bits of chopped up kevlar into the rubber. They did it on the road tires too. The idea was that it would help with durability by holding the rubber together on a micro scale while also enhancing traction by having those tiny kevlar bristles sticking down onto the ground. I think some animals have feet hat do that.

bushwacka

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Re: Geax AKA quick review
« Reply #6 on: August 17, 2012, 05:38:15 pm »
Svend the first ride on these guys was in a VERY muddy race I can certianly say that if the mud is packable these are the last tires you want to use.

the Saguro sheds mud better and grips better and the gato grips much better and shed pretty good as well in those conditions.

I have some WTB bronson's that I have been using for wetter conditions as well, as well some mountain kings that I still need to try that work well for what you describe.

Svend

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Re: Geax AKA quick review
« Reply #7 on: August 17, 2012, 08:45:35 pm »
Great feedback -- thanks Josh.  The local clay, when it gets wet, is very packable.  My old Bontrager tires would pick up about 5 lbs of it on each wheel rolling through that stuff.  Slant Six shed it right away -- nothing sticks.  Arrojo are good too, and have a tread pattern kind of in between Saguaro and Gato.  The next tires for my wife's bike and mine will be Saguaro.  Should be coming up soon for both bikes, as the Arrojo are 3 years old and just now getting worn (very long lasting); and the Slant Six lugs are already well down after only 3/4 season.  Not impressed with that longevity.

Have you ever tried a Hutchinson Cobra? The tech at my local shop rides on those, and really likes them.  Don't look well suited for wet clay either, but are a high volume design which should give a cush ride.  They look fast, but only for dry trails.


bushwacka

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Re: Geax AKA quick review
« Reply #8 on: August 18, 2012, 05:40:07 am »
I think epic has tried the Cobra's i have not.

I would go saguaro for sure, jsut make sure you get the TNT casing because its more durable, more supple and has stickier rubber.

Svend

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Re: Geax AKA quick review
« Reply #9 on: August 18, 2012, 08:24:23 am »
Will do. The Saguaro looks like a great all-round, three-season tire.  High volume, too, I believe. The Arrojo on my wifes's bike will not deal with the coming autumn damp conditions, as it's getting low on tread, so new rubber is in order soon.

Thanks very much for the good feedback - very helpful.

Svend

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Re: Geax AKA quick review
« Reply #10 on: August 19, 2012, 08:15:41 pm »
About the origins of Geax, think Acura to Honda, Geax is Vittoria's Acura. They launched the brand sometime on the mid-'90's. Their U.S. office is in Oklahoma City. I remember wondering if the bombing of the federal building would affect my tire shipments, so it's that far back. They certainly have had a hard time finding traction in the market even if the tires themselves do have good traction. Perhaps they are better in some markets than others. I used to sell quite a few of them down in CT. They were very noticeable then with a vivid green sidewall. It probably did not help sales, but you sure did know them when you saw them. I don't know if they still do it, but back then, they used to mix bits of chopped up kevlar into the rubber. They did it on the road tires too. The idea was that it would help with durability by holding the rubber together on a micro scale while also enhancing traction by having those tiny kevlar bristles sticking down onto the ground. I think some animals have feet hat do that.

Epic -- it seems Geax may have become more popular here in Canada earlier than in the US.  My wife's Opus (made in Montreal) had them as stock tires back in '08 already -- Opus was putting them on all of their mid- to upper-end bikes as a factory spec.  At that time, there were a number of stores in this area (Toronto) that sold Geax, and did well with them.  The shop guys were all very keen on them, so their reputation was solid then, and hasn't waned since.  You see them more and more today on XC race bikes and downhill rigs.  Great tires, and very durable.