I was finally able to get out a bit on these new Intense tires and see just what they had going for them. Here are a few of my initial observations.

Intense tires on my bike

I was able to hit up some dry dirt and rode to and from the ride on some pavement. The first thing I noted was how the tires rolled. It would seem that they are about middle of the pack in terms of rolling resistance. Nothing amazing here in that respect. I did also notice how the EX-2′s were grabbing sand and small stones and flinging them all over the place. The stickey tread was the culprit there, no doubt. If I ran through a sand pile, the downtube would resonate from all the sand hitting it. Much more so than any other tires we have tested.

Tread shot

The cornering on dirt was amazing! I felt like the tire was planted and was not going to let go. I had about 30psi in the rear and about 27psi in the front, for those that want to know. The tires didn’t exhibit any squirmy feelings or any flexy casing characteristics either. They felt solid and sort of dead compared to some other tires I have ridden. I think the softer compounds used here are making for a different feeling at the handle bar.

I decided to lean into it on a paved corner going home at speed and the same stuck-to-the-trail feeling was there. Nary a hint of slippage. I did notice that when I got home there was noticeable wear on the tread though, so I think the EX-2′s have seen there last pavement ride! I’m going to reserve the rest of the testing for true single track, rougher trails, and some off camber soon.

My impression so far is that the EX-2 Stickey Lite is stickey for sure, but not so light, and feels sort of sluggish due to the rubber compound used. We’ll see if different trails impart any of these feelings and report back soon.