CST Crusaders

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CST Crusaders

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Key Search Terms: CST, bicycle, MTB, tire, Crusader.

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Product: CST Crusader MTB tube-type tires. Configuration: 26 x 2.1. Actual width: 47 mm (1.85”) across the casing; 54.6 mm (2.15”) across the outer knobs. Test Platform: Kona Dawg Primo. Reviewed by: Rich Ries. Cost: $17 MSRP; typical street/online price around $10. Mass (weight): 690 g. (1 lb. 8.3 oz.) actual; 700 g. (1lb. 8.7 oz.) claimed. Recommended? Yes.

Executive Summary: Stick to the trail and stick to your budget.

Ratings

(1 is lowest, 5 is highest)

Comments

Traction

Average on wet roots; good-to-excellent everywhere else

Acceleration

No more or less doggy than other tires of similar size with similar knobs

Cost/Value

Well above our rating capacity

As the largest producer of bicycle tires in the world, Cheng Shin Tire and Rubber Company made a name for themselves among bicyclists. Unfortunately, it wasn't a good name. Cheng Shin built low-buck tires as OEM (original equipment manufacturer) equipment for low-buck bikes. The problem with low-buck stuff is that it actually performs okay but no one wants to be seen using it. No one wants to show up at the trailhead with Alivio components. Because of this bias some low-buck parts endure (Alivio) but many fade away (RST forks).

Cheng Shin wanted to borrow a business ploy from another giant in the bicycle industry, Giant. Cheng Shin made some tires with their name on them and billions more with other companies' names on them. Giant made bikes for other brands before pushing their own brand hard into the marketplace. Cheng Shin decided to travel the same road to riches but they knew that tires bearing their name would be a tough sell to enthusiasts and racers. So they changed the name of their aftermarket tires to CST. It doesn't take a PhD to leap from “CST” to “Cheng Shin Tire,” yet surprisingly few riders have made the connection and CST wants to keep it that way. If you Google “Cheng Shin bicycle tires” the company's Web site isn't in the first 10 pages of results. Google “CST bicycle tires,” however, and their site is the first listing. “Cheng Shin bicycle tires” may never call up their Web site. I don't know. I quit looking after 10 pages. (What an amazing bit of SEO work. The Cheng Shin Webmasters must have a magic wand.) CST has been aggressively advertising their line in major MTB magazines (although the ads do have that haunting, Chinese agency look to them). This strategy of promoting their own, rebranded tires has provided Cheng Shin some success and their line of MTB tires has grown to include 8 models.

I settled on the Crusader because it was billed by Jenson as a folding, 620-gram tire for under $10. That's not what I got. Yes, the tire was a folder. But if you've ever marveled at a gorilla in a zoo as he mauls his 800-pound earthmover tire, you realize that any tire is foldable if you apply enough force. And so it was with my Crusaders. Someone at Jenson applied enough force to fold my wire-bead Crusaders into the box. And because I got the wire-bead Crusaders instead of the folders, the mass was 690 grams instead of the claimed 620. The forced fold did not seem to damage the tires, and Jenson made good on the problem when I brought it to their attention. In fact they were more than fair and I continue to recommend Jenson USA to riders.

I've ridden the Crusaders several times since I mounted them on my Kona. Those rides have covered a number of conditions, from rocks to roots to leaves to hardpack, all of them dry at times and wet at others. The only traction issue I had was on a night ride just as the dew settled and my rear wheel slipped on a wet root. Otherwise the traction is as good as with any other tire I own. The tires don't squirm or wander on hardpack and hook up very well on loose leaves and duff. When they do break away, they do so predictably. The degradation of traction in a turn is on a wide, linear curve and recovery is reliable. The tires are non-directional. I puzzled over the lug pattern for several minutes before deciding there was no clear advantage to orientation front or rear. I slapped on the tires going the same way and have been pleased with traction on both ends of the bike. No flats yet, although truthfully I've not had many flats lately. My favorite trails are the favorite trails of many riders and they thoughtfully collect the thorns before I pass by. After a short test period I can't say how long the Crusaders will last, but initial wear has been very low. Update: After 7 months of regular riding the Crusaders still show minimal wear and still hook up well under most circumstances. Acceleration is good, but not stunning; it's about what I'd expect from a pair of 690-gram tires.

I don't know if the Crusaders are the best MTB tires I've ever owned. But I can say without a doubt that they are the best ten-dollar MTB tires I've ever owned.

Crusaders are available in 1.95” and 2.10” widths with either wire bead or a foldable bead. All are 26-inch and all are tube-type.

CST is Cheng Shin Tire, but don't tell anyone.

The Crusaders' knobs and compound hook up surprisingly well on a surprisingly broad range of trail surfaces.

Their well-rounded profiles and stout side lugs are responsible for the Crusaders' excellent cornering ability, fluid transitioning in and out of turns, and predictable break-away behavior.