Review: Kenda Dagger XC & Trail Tires

Earlier this year we got a look at Kenda’s new Dagger tires — a new, fast-rolling tread aimed squarely at the growing “light XC and trail” category. Unveiled at the Sea Otter Classic, the Dagger replaces the Booster in Kenda’s lineup and slots in as a faster, race-oriented step up from the Rush, and it’s already proven itself at the top level — the Kenda Torpado Team rode it to a win at the Hero Marathon World Cup.

Kenda offered to send over a set, and I was not only intrigued, but looking forward to trying them, as I was a long-time fan of the Small Block Eight tires. The Dagger looked like a spiritual successor, packed with modernized casing technology and a larger, 2.40 volume for modern XC courses.

I was looking forward to trying them on my lightweight titanium hardtail, a Binary Maniak, which pairs lightweight with aggressive geometry, and replacing the 2.2 and 2.1 XC treads. I also really wanted to see if the trail casing could work on my Santa Cruz Tallboy.

At the time, I had questions. My analog suspension trail bike quiver consists of a 120mm Santa Cruz Tallboy and a 160mm Specialized Stumpjumper EVO. My goal was to make the Tallboy feel lighter and faster without giving up too much on descents. I also wanted to know if a tire like this could work double duty for the road-to-singletrack rides I do all over Portland. (and hold a pace more in line with gravel bikes)

The folks at Kenda were nice enough to send a set of the Trail Casing tires in addition to the XC tires so I could get the full experience and see how the two compared. A few months and a few hundred miles later, I’ve got answers.

The Setup

I ran the full XC casing set (29 x 2.40, 120 TPI) on my Binary Maniak titanium hardtail — my current favorite for mixed-terrain adventure days that string together bike paths, roads, and singletrack around Portland, with Powell Butte as the primary destination on one of my regular loops.

On the Tallboy, I mounted the heavier-duty Trail casing (60 TPI) on the rear only, pairing it with a more aggressive front tire. (I left the Maxxis DHF 2.3 on, but the Kenda Karma 2 in a 29×2.4 would be a great combo with the matching sidewalls)

I ran pressures on the higher end of normal — 32 psi front, 35 psi rear, sometimes a touch more depending on the ride — since a lot of my miles on the hardtail are pavement and hardpack getting to the trail, not just the trail itself.

XC Casing: Small Block 8 Energy, Modernized

The XC casing is the standout here for me. These tires roll noticeably faster than the 2.1 and 2.2 XC tires I’ve run in the past, which was a little counterintuitive given the extra air volume. I was amazed at the pace I could maintain on the pavement, even with the added volume.

On the hardpack local XC trails, these tires were fast and fun. The closest comparison I keep coming back to is the Kenda Small Block 8 — but a higher-volume, modernized version. I still have a few of these lying around as they’re an old favorite. The Dagger has the same fast-rolling, low-profile personality, except the Dagger’s extra volume translates directly into better cornering traction than the SB8 ever had. On a ride like Powell Butte, where you’re mixing pavement approach, hardpack climbs, and looser singletrack descents, that combination is exactly what I want. If I ever line up at an XC start line again, the Dagger XC is going on the bike without a second thought.

The one thing I want to experiment with is getting an electric mini inflator, so I’m more inclined to change up my tire pressures on these kinds of rides. I may have to post an update after I get one.

Trail Casing: From Trail to Downcountry for the Tallboy, With a Trade-Off

Swapping the rear of the Tallboy to the Dagger Trail casing made an immediate and obvious difference — the bike feels faster over the same terrain than before. It immediately transformed the bike from trail to downcountry. I’ve been thinking about selling the frame to replace it with a proper XC chassis, but don’t have the budget at the moment. Swapping the bike to fast-rolling XC tires is an inexpensive way to transform the riding experience.

From the perspective of a “downhiller riding XC,” the Dagger is a great tool for riding mellow trails where the goal is covering ground quickly rather than ‘shredding the gnar’. For this application, it’s an excellent tire. We have a lot of old-school singletrack in the region filled with climbing, and the Tallboy has felt too trail and not “XC enough”. The Dagger made a noticeable change in the bike’s personality. On mellow trails, the Tallboy rides too similar to the Stumpjumper, so this tire swap made a big difference in optimizing it for faster-paced rides.

The trade-off is exactly what you’d expect from a lower-knob-height tire on a 120mm trail bike: less braking control than a burlier trail tread, but most of the cornering bite in the turns when leaned over. Most importantly, it’s far easier to pedal on XC rides.

My first ride out with the rear setup on the Tallboy was on a wet day on the local trail system. Sadly, I was not feeling it, and almost washed out on the rear end on a few slick spots. Part of that was me running too much air pressure, and part of that was the low-profile knobs on the slick, wet clay berms. The smaller knobs don’t have the bite you need when things get greasy, and I found myself getting way too loose. Maybe a coincidence, but I also broke a spoke on the rear of my carbon wheel, marking the end of an era for the Reynolds Carbon wheel – they had a great run, though. (And hopefully replacing the single spoke is enough to keep them rolling.)

That said, on longer trail rides on pine needle-covered Forest Service singletrack, I have been loving the decreased rolling resistance. I took the pace down a bit over any rocky sections, but that was simply being cautious; the Tallboy has this way of making you think you’re on your enduro bike, which is one thing if you’re running enduro casing tires and inserts.

Conclusion

My take: the Dagger tire has convinced me that 2.4″ is the new 2.2″ for cross-country tires. At this point, I’ll take the fast-rolling with the air volume, and save the 2.2″ for the dropbar ride.

The Dagger Trail 2.4″ on the rear of my short-travel trail bike, on fast-paced XC and non-rocky trail rides, was an easy button for instant turbo boost.

I am planning to continue experimenting as I still need to try the full setup on some local XC loops where the full set could transform the Tallboy from the “Downhiller’s XC Bike” to riding like an actual XC bike.

That said, after spending a lot of time riding eMTBs, when it comes to riding under my own power, I want all the help I can get. I’m feeling the fast-rolling rear as an instant speed boost, and am thinking it’s time to invest in a spare set of trail bike wheels (most of my spare wheels are on the burly side, as I often prefer durability) set up for speed.

• Dagger XC (120 TPI): Count me in as a convert. 2.2 tires now are officially gravel tires in my mind. Faster rolling than typical narrower XC tires, better cornering than the Small Block 8 it evokes, a race-worthy option. My new go-to for hardtail XC and mixed road-to-trail adventure rides.
• Dagger Trail (60 TPI): A major speed upgrade for a trail bike on mellow, dry terrain — but not a do-it-all trail tire for the front under aggressive riders. Best used as a rear-specific speed tire paired with a tread that offers more bite up front, and not the tire I’d reach for once the trails get wet.

Kenda built the Dagger to bridge the gap between race-day XC speed and trail-bike confidence, and on the XC side, it delivers exactly that. I found the Trail casing is a more situational tool — brilliant on the right day and on the right trail.

Learn more at kendatire.com.