The Kenda Alluvium Pro is an all-new gravel and adventure tire that is as capable on gravel and pavement as it is on dry singletrack. While we didn’t get a chance to test the Alluvium Pro on some of the famous routes like Unbound Gravel or the Belgian Waffle Ride, we have had the opportunity to run it through some Midwest gravel, pothole-ladened roads, and some pretty rocky and rooted singletrack.
So what makes this tire so special? The Alluvium Pro features shorter, dense center knobs designed to be durable over miles of gravel, dirt and rocks, this center pattern is paired with rather aggressive side knobs for cornering and sidewall protection. We’ll discuss this aggressive side knob a little later.
The center knobs are optimized for speed, with low profile knobs to aid in reducing rolling resistance, combined with a new single tread rubber compound, the Alluvium offers speed and grip.
The GCT casing wraps the tire from bead to bead with a secondary casing layer acting as a shield against punctures and sidewall slashes. A tubeless set is made even easier with the GCT casing.
On Gravel and Dirt
Starting in the tire’s natural habitat, the Alluvium Pros finds itself right at home offering a stellar performance on gravel of all sizes, as well as on dry and dusty singletrack. Wanna toss in a little mud? With a little lower tire pressure, the low-profile tread holds well and the side knobs offer a little extra confidence. Take note, we said a little mud. On rockier terrain, the Alluvium Pros stay strong, as the 40mm offers plenty of volume, sucking up impacts well with minimal issue when run at softer pressures.
On the Road
Capability on the pavement is a major plus with this tire since most gravel rides always involve a little asphalt. The low-profile knobs make for a fast and responsive tire.
One thing that will take some getting use to is the transition from the low profile center knobs to the edge knobs when on the road. There is a feeling of uncertainty when cornering on asphalt but only the first few times.
Size Matters
The Kenda Alluvium Pro is available in multiple sizes but the Coffee Sidewall Edition (which looks killer) is only available in 700x40c. While this may seem like a bummer, Kenda picked a great size to run with, even though our test tires ran closer to 42mm, we had no complaints. The 40mm tire offers some serious volume for sucking up some of the roughest gravel and root ladened singletrack. For a rider that hits about 172 lbs, the tires performed great at 32 psi front and 33 rear. When the rides were mostly road or smoother surfaces, those pressures went up slightly.
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
700X45C (40-622)
| PART NO. | COMPOUND | PROTECTION | TUBELESS READY | BEAD | TPI | PSI | WT (GRAMS) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 214926 | SINGLE | GCT | YES | FOLDING | 120 | 50 | 558±28 |
700X40C (40-622)
| PART NO. | COMPOUND | PROTECTION | TUBELESS READY | BEAD | TPI | PSI | WT (GRAMS) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 214922 | SINGLE | GCT | YES | FOLDING | 120 | 50 | 495±25 |
| 214923 | SINGLE | GCT – CSK | YES | FOLDING | 120 | 50 | 514±26 |
700X35C (35-622)
| PART NO. | COMPOUND | PROTECTION | TUBELESS READY | BEAD | TPI | PSI | WT (GRAMS) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 214920 | SINGLE | GCT | YES | FOLDING | 120 | 50 | 424±21 |
Our overall thoughts are the Alluvium Pro performs rather well, being both a fast and grippy tire for gravel adventures and highly capable on the road and even on some light singletrack. There is no doubt they struggle a little in the mud and looking at them you’ll see why, but the way they perform on dusty dry tracks and rough, rocky trails more than makes up for it. For more muddy conditions, you might want to look at their Booster Pro.
The Alluvium Pros were tested in a pair of Hunt 30 Carbon gravel wheels.
You can snag a pair of Kenda Alluvium Pros for $64.99 each and they are available online at shop.kendatire.com, Competitivecyclist.com and in select local bike shops.
