Kenda Super Domestique Tubular Tyres

These Kenda Super Domestique tubulars are fast rolling and they're durable too.

Kenda are best known for their mountain bike tyres but they do a whole road range as well. The Super Domestique sits in the middle of their three-model tubular line-up.

Fitting was easy enough... Well, as easy as fitting tubs ever is. I put them on some wheels unglued overnight to stretch them out and they were fine to fit the following day.

The Super Domestique is made from a blend of natural and synthetic rubber and it's a pretty hard compound compared to a lot of other tyres out there. It has stood up well to use, wearing only slowly over several months, and there are no notable nicks or cuts in the surface – certainly nothing to worry about.

I've not had any flats either. Kenda use their Iron Cloak Belt to provide protection from punctures. It's a strip of Aramid fibres that sits under the tread. It doesn't extend down the sidewalls like it does on some of Kenda's tyres so the Super Domestique is more vulnerable in that area, but it's quite rare for anything to get in there anyway (of course, it does happen sometimes) and the advantage is that it keeps the weight down.

The valve cores are removable so you can easily put some sealant inside for further puncture prevention. If you do get a flat and sealant won't do the job, the butyl tube inside can be patched relatively simply. I say 'relatively' because mending a tub is always going to be way more complicated than patching a standard inner tube.

The casing is 300 TPI (threads per inch) and the Super Domestiques provide a really good ride quality. They can handle as much as 200psi (pounds per square inch) or 13.8 bar of pressure – if you have a pump that can get that much air inside – although you'll sacrifice a whole lot of comfort at that kind of level.

I've found them plenty grippy enough for cornering hard and fast in the dry although I felt that they lacked a little traction compared to the most sure-footed tyres out there in damp, greasy conditions. They're fine on that score, but not mind blowing. That's the flipside to the extra durability.

The Super Domestiques come in a 22mm width and ours weighed 290g apiece (Kenda claim 270g +/-10g). That's reasonable for racing or all-round riding (if you do all-round riding on tubs). If you'd prefer something lighter, the top-end Volare (£79.99) comes with a latex inner tube and Kenda say it's 20g lighter.

Verdict

Very good tubulars that are fast rolling and durable