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Hutchinson Alligator

MSRP $ 30.00
Weight
# of Reviews 20
Average Rating 4.15/5
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Description:Hutchinson Alligator (black)



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    Submitted by Gavin Holmes a Weekend Warrior from Atlanta, Ga , USA
    Date Reviewed: November 19, 2005
    Favorite Trail:Tsali
    Duration Product Used:3 months
    Price Paid: $14.00
    Purchased At:Performance
    Strengths:Great grip. Nice cornering.
    Weaknesses:mmmmmm....
    Similar Products Used:Continental Vertical Pro
    Bike Setup:Specialized Enduro, Fox Vanilla 125RLC, Race Face DH cranks, XTR rear derailleur, Avid BBD7s.
    Bottom Line:Nice for rear wheel use in wet Georgia mud. Excellent in the corner. Nice price.
    Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

    Submitted by Jose Chavarria a Cross Country Rider from San Jose, Costa Rica
    Date Reviewed: August 3, 2003
    Duration Product Used:3 months
    Price Paid: $20.00
    Strengths:Excellent grip, makes you feel so sure and confident in dh.
    Weaknesses:The rear tyre just blow out after 3 months. It has about four holes in the surface.
    Similar Products Used:Michelin Wildgriper
    Bike Setup:Trek 4900, full loaded
    Bottom Line:I really love this tyre but I had to return to Michelin because the rear tyre didn´t work for me, best traction ever but it started to destroy in pieces and it has several holes in the surface. Front was perfect. I rode Michelin today and I missed the Alligators a lot.
    Value Rating:3Overall Rating:2

    Submitted by GlowBoy a Cross Country Rider from Portland OR USA
    Date Reviewed: April 15, 2003
    Favorite Trail:This week? Gray Butte
    Duration Product Used:2 Years
    Price Paid: $17.00
    Purchased At:pricepoint.com
    Strengths:Fantastic mud grip and shedding. Very controllable behavior as a climbing tire. Grips wet roots and rocks as well as any tire I've used. Works decently in all conditions, including hardpack, loose sand, rocks, mud, you name it. This is my all-conditions tire, especially in back.
    Weaknesses:There are better choices for front tires in loose dry conditions (sand, gravel)
    Similar Products Used:Alligator GOLD 2.0, Conti Survival 2.3 ProTection, Ritchey ZMax, Specialized Team/Dirt Control/Master, Geax Hook/Warp.
    Bike Setup:Early 90s KHS frame, built up as rigid singlespeed with Thudbuster seatpost.
    Bottom Line:The 2.0 black Alligator is simply an incredible rear tire, and a pretty good front one. It's consistently rated as one of the best mud tires out there and for excellent reason. I ride in the Pacific NW, both west of the Cascades (think gooey forest glop or nasty clay) and east of the Cascades (think desert gumbo). This tire packs up less than others I've used (including the Survival ProTec) and has fantastic grip - both front and back - in any kind of mud or snow that is rideable. I run it as a rear tire year-round, and as a front tire in the wet winter months.

    Best feature: when the rear loses traction while climbing, you can feel it gradually start to spin up and back off the power in time - contrast this with the Survival, which spins out abruptly and unpredictably, forcing you off the bike. It also rolls very well for such an aggressive tire and performs at least decently, and usually quite well, in ALL conditions. (Again, contrast this with the Survival, which though maybe a little grippier in mud, is very condition-specific, rolls poorly, and has poor traction on hardpack).

    The only real weakness I've found (other than it's too heavy to be a true racing tire) is its performance as a front tire in loose dry conditions. I've had the front end wash out unpredictably in sand and loose gravel, causing crashes several times. No tire does really well in these conditions of course (except, interestingly, the Survival, which was intended for slop!)

    Get the black model instead of the Gold, which costs more, weighs 100g more and may clash with your bike. I've used both versions extensively and do not believe there is any difference in performance. 5 chilies for value (especially for $17 at pricepoint), 5 overall
    Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

    Submitted by Tony a Cross Country Rider from Boise, ID, USA
    Date Reviewed: May 14, 2002
    Favorite Trail:hulls gulch
    Duration Product Used:6 months
    Price Paid: $12.00
    Purchased At:jenson usa
    Strengths:good traction on the loose stuff, shed mud well, good cornering
    Weaknesses:none so far (maybe the retail price)
    Similar Products Used:specialized
    Bike Setup:hardtail
    Bottom Line:Good tire, probably have around 200 off road miles on em in mostly dry, rocky terrain. These are the same as the alligator gold only without the yellow stripe. They shed mud well and have great traction, I am now able to climb some loose sections that always made my specialized tires spin out. 5 flamers for value cause I only paid 12 bucks instead of 40 or 50 (am told bike tires cost a lot because they are hand made and have a hefty import tax) and 5 overall because they have been a great tire.
    Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

    Submitted by DAVID NORWOOD a Weekend Warrior from TRENTON , GEORGIA
    Date Reviewed: May 2, 2002
    Favorite Trail:OCEE WHITEWATER CTR. BENTON TN.
    Duration Product Used:6 months
    Price Paid: $32.00
    Purchased At:OWENS CYCLERY
    Strengths:CLEANS AND GRIPS WELL, GREAT IN MUD AND LOOSE GRAVEL CHERT
    Weaknesses:KNOBS TEAR OFF
    Bike Setup:JAMIS DURANGO SX, JUDY ROCK SHOX DUKE, SHIMANO LX CRANKS, CANE CREEK THUD BUSTER SEAT POST
    Bottom Line:GREAT FOR MUDDY WET CONDITIONS AND LOOSE CLIMBS. GRIPS WELL ON ROCKS, BUT SEEMS TO WASH OUT JUST ALITTLE ON HARD PACK-CLAY. THE ONLY FAULT I CAN FIND IS THE KNOBS TEAR OF AND THE CORDS SEEM TO SHOW THRU AFTER ABOUT THREE MONTHS OF RELATIVELY HARD RIDING.
    Value Rating:4Overall Rating:3

    Submitted by Mike a Weekend Warrior from Cincinnati, OH
    Date Reviewed: February 26, 2002
    Favorite Trail:Ceasar's Creek
    Duration Product Used:Less than 1 month
    Price Paid: $12.00
    Purchased At:jensonusa
    Strengths:They shed baby!!!
    Weaknesses:None yet, maybe weight, but I'm not a weight freak.
    Similar Products Used:Velociraptors
    Bike Setup:01 Fisher Paragon stock except Time ATAC pedals and now, alligators.
    Bottom Line:These tires do better in the mud than anything I've been on. I took them out last weekend and it was extremely muddy (to the point where I got off the trail cause it just wasn't ridable). Anyway, these tires performed really well. I had all the traction I needed all the time and they never got caked up. Plus who can beat $12 each at jenson.
    Value Rating:5Overall Rating:4

    Submitted by George Triantos a Cross Country Rider from Farmington Hills, MI
    Date Reviewed: December 17, 2001
    Duration Product Used:Less than 1 month
    Price Paid: $12.00
    Purchased At:jensonusa.com
    Strengths:Excellent for muddy conditions.
    Weaknesses:Heavy and rolling resistance on pavement (I should be on the trail not road).
    Similar Products Used:Panaracer Duster II
    Bike Setup:Ellsworth Truth
    Bottom Line:For the money ($24/pr) it's a killer deal. So far, so good.
    Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

    Submitted by Kris a Cross Country Rider from Kelowna
    Date Reviewed: September 11, 2001
    Favorite Trail:Crawford Trails - Vapour!
    Duration Product Used:3 months
    Strengths:This tyre grips everything!
    Weaknesses:Poor quality. Knobs are tearing off!
    Bottom Line:Maybe I have a set of lemons, but these knobs are ripping off!!!! Yes I do some rock/root/downhill/north-shore riding so I can see some damage but I have 5 knobs in a row ready to fall off. I've had to replace them as the tube was peaking out through exposed threads. This is on the front but the back is starting to show same signs. These came with my Cannondale SuperV700sx so I'm suprised they don't last more than 3 months.
    Value Rating:2Overall Rating:2

    Submitted by Charles Coker a Cross Country Rider from Austin, TX
    Date Reviewed: September 3, 2001
    Favorite Trail:anything with lots of rocks!
    Duration Product Used:6 months
    Purchased At:hammerheadbikes
    Strengths:the best rear tire I have found for wet, muddy rocks
    Weaknesses:somewhat heavy
    Similar Products Used:everything
    Bike Setup:Racerx
    Bottom Line:This is the best rear tire I have found when the trails get wet. Here that means mud covered rocks.

    I run the 2.0 on the rear and while I know it's heavy, it doesn't really feel like it..

    I run it on the rear with a Conti Survival Pro on the front
    when it's nasty out and 99% of the Austin riders aren't riding, I can still go out and ride the most technical, offcamber, loose rocky trails around with this tire setup

    I run front and rear at 35psi (I am 200) and no pinch flats
    Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

    Submitted by mark a from Canada
    Date Reviewed: May 26, 2001
    Duration Product Used:3 months
    Strengths:average traction in wet and dry
    predictable
    Weaknesses:they wear way too quickly
    weak sidewalls
    Similar Products Used:irc,tioga, etc...
    Bike Setup:Raven2
    Bottom Line:An okay tire.
    Not worth the price.
    They wear very quickly if you do any riding on road.
    Value Rating:2Overall Rating:3

    Submitted by bob a Weekend Warrior from canada
    Date Reviewed: April 14, 2001
    Duration Product Used:Less than 1 month
    Purchased At:my friend gave them to me for free because we were riding together and my other tires blew to shre
    Strengths:nice wide tire good for mud and dirt wide nobs relitvly tough.
    Weaknesses:they wear a little quickly
    Similar Products Used:irc
    Bike Setup:older kona with everthing upgraded to suit my needs
    Bottom Line:these are great tires for mud and dirt and just allround riding try them
    Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

    Submitted by Puzman a Cross Country Rider from Wallingford, CT
    Date Reviewed: April 9, 2001
    Favorite Trail:tyler mill
    Duration Product Used:Less than 1 month
    Strengths:Grip, grip, grip
    sheds mud easily
    pretty decent rolling resistance for a full knobby
    Weaknesses:weight
    Similar Products Used:Panaracer Fire XC Pro, Panaracer Duster II's
    Bike Setup:Titus LocoMoto
    Bottom Line:I've been running Panaracer Fire's for the past 2 years. I just got a new rig and had these put on. So far I'm very impressed. I think the rolling resistance seems very reasonable on pavement; feels similar to Fire XC's. I haven't had them on hardpack yet (very muddy around here so far this season). They perform like champs on mud, wet rocks and roots, steep loose climbs, etc. No loss of traction whatsoever. These have a very round cross section, so the cornering feel is a little quicker than the Fire XC's. If these were 100g lighter they'd never come off my bike (when its a little drier out, I'll probably switch to Python's). Have only had them for a few weeks, so I can't comment on their durability.
    Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

    Submitted by Beast Boy a Weekend Warrior from Melb
    Date Reviewed: February 18, 2001
    Favorite Trail:The jumps we built
    Duration Product Used:Less than 1 month
    Price Paid: $70.00
    Purchased At:Flemington Cycles
    Strengths:You name it
    Weaknesses:Compound is a little soft but you get that with this kind of tyre.
    A little expensive
    Similar Products Used:Tioga Psych TT & K & Edge
    Bike Setup:'98 K2 Proflex Beast
    Bottom Line:Well, Lets see!!!! I bought this tyre yesterday and raced Dual Slalom today. This tyre rocked for it. There was no concern about washing out at all (Especially compared to my Tiogas). It was my first race and I managed to end up around the middle of the field. Mainly thanks to these tyres. Just go out and bu them.
    Value Rating:4Overall Rating:5

    Submitted by Benjamin Gehret a Cross Country Rider from Las Flores, Ca 92688
    Date Reviewed: February 14, 2001
    Favorite Trail:Porcupine Rim, Moab
    Duration Product Used:6 months
    Strengths:shed Mud well. Great cornering traction. The 2.1's are as wide as a 2.3. These tires give one increased confidence on descents. Great traction on climbs
    Weaknesses:Tire wears out quickly. I wore a pair out in 6 months, even having swapped the front to the rear after 3 months. Frequency of flats increases dramatically as the tread wears down.
    Similar Products Used:Panaracer 2.3DH, Specialized Team Control, Ritchey semi slicks
    Bike Setup:Cannondale hardtail, with hayes discs and lefty.
    Bottom Line:these tires are amazing for three months or so. After that, replace them. Best all around tire I've come accross, other than the premature tread life.
    Value Rating:5Overall Rating:4

    Submitted by Big Boy a Cross Country Rider from Perth West Australia
    Date Reviewed: November 28, 2000
    Favorite Trail:All of it "BOY"
    Duration Product Used:6 months
    Strengths:Traction in everthing
    Reasonable weight
    Sheds mud like a champ
    Good pinch flat resist(SO FAR)
    Weaknesses:High roll resistance.
    Similar Products Used:Everything known to man.
    Bike Setup:Dale 900SX
    Bottom Line:Grip like a Drowning Sailor to a Life Raft
    Great having a tire you can really charge on without weighing a F@#ken ton.
    Buy em, "they work".
    Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

    Submitted by Mike S a Weekend Warrior from Knoxville, TN
    Date Reviewed: September 15, 2000
    Favorite Trail:Flat & fast ones
    Duration Product Used:3 months
    Strengths:Black/ Kevlar
    Weaknesses:rolling resistance
    Similar Products Used:Panaracer 2.3 DH//Vittoria evolution3D 1.9
    Bike Setup:AZONIC DS1 /Azonic 1.5" risers/75mm stem//Avid 2.5 brakes & R booster//Chain tensioner/Marin 6061 cranks/Platform pedals/XTR ti cassette/Richey asym R rim//
    Bottom Line:Grip real good.no flats yet//1.85 size/slices & dices/not as good as Panaracers on rolling resis..may file down some knobs on FT. tire for faster roll!! good tire..
    Value Rating:4Overall Rating:4

    Submitted by John a Cross Country Rider from Richmond,Virginia
    Date Reviewed: April 15, 2000
    Favorite Trail:Sherando Lake
    Duration Product Used:6 months
    Strengths:Great grip in the mud, which it sheds EXTREMELY well.
    Weaknesses:VERY heavy, and it falls apart
    Similar Products Used:Michelin's whole line of tires, Same with Specialized
    Bike Setup:2000 C'dale Raven 900SX
    Bottom Line:Like every one's said, this tire does very well in mud and gives you great feeling of confidence in cornering. But I have not put a tremendous amount of miles on them and they are falling apart on me. The wire beads are showing through the rubber and I've been getting A LOT of pinch-flats, no matter the amount of air pressure. I'm lucky enough to have a good dealer who's willing to trade them for new IRC tires. Hutchinson needs to work on their quality control! I know I'll never buy one in the future.
    Value Rating:3Overall Rating:2

    Submitted by john raymond a Cross Country Rider from massachusetts
    Date Reviewed: April 10, 2000
    Favorite Trail:powerlines-salem to lynn
    Duration Product Used:3 months
    Strengths:grips well in all conditions, throws mud well, very agressive tread pattern.
    Weaknesses:a little heavier than would like
    Similar Products Used:michelin, ritchey, plus many more
    Bike Setup:indy fab deluxe, mostly xtr, white bros. sc90
    Bottom Line:this an awsome trail riding tire, probaly not for those that race. if you just like to ride for the love of it get these tires, if your a racer i would still say get hutchinsons just not these.
    Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

    Submitted by Matthew Weston a Cross-Country Rider from Vejle, Denmark
    Date Reviewed: December 14, 1999
    Favorite Trail:
    Silkeborg, Munkbjerg
    Duration Product Used:
    6 months
    Strengths:
    Mud Clearence, Grip, Control in Mud, Looks
    Weaknesses:
    Weight, Rolling Resistance
    Similar Products Used:
    Michelin Wildgripper Lite
    Bike Setup:
    Cannondale F900Disc
    Bottom Line:After buying the Hutchinson Python tires, these had to be tried out aswell. I would define these tires as Mud specialists. They give you a great feeling of control on the descents and the corners, and they never pack up, due to the great mud clearence. Unfortunatly these tires are far to heavy. When I threw them up on the scales the pin reached 775 grams. But for overall a great mud handling tire.
    Overall Rating:5

    Submitted by s-rocket a Cross-Country Rider from Anchorage,Ak
    Date Reviewed: October 11, 1999
    Duration Product Used:
    less than 1 month
    Strengths:
    Sticks to any surface. clears mud very well. It weighs about 620 gms which isn't bad for an aggressive tire.
    Weaknesses:
    Rolling resistance on hard surfaces.
    Similar Products Used:
    Too many to list.
    Bike Setup:
    Saszbo with '99 Z2 Bam.
    Bottom Line:I purchased this tire to use in the sloppy conditions we have had. It has exceeded my expectations for all around traction and mud performance. I'll see how long the tread holds up.
    Overall Rating:4






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