Review: Teravail Honcho is a true all-around mountain bike trail tire.

Teravail Honcho…

The new mountain bike tire from the Honcho Teravil is designed to be versatile enough for most trail riding conditions. For the past several weeks I have been testing the Lite and Sapul version on my hardtail trial bike.

For our uses, especially on the surrounding trails, Honcho ruled the Roost… handles a myriad of trail conditions, proving itself a fantastic, all-rounder-type.

However, I understand that sometimes our bikes need ultra-specific components, especially if you are competing at the highest level.  But that’s not all of us, is it?  No, that’s not the case for most of us.

The Teravil Honcho specification.

29er or 27.5 ″ diameter

2.4 “or 2.6” wide

Durable or light and complimentary cover

Black or brown sidewall

60 TPI

Designed for 29mm internal rim width

Weight: 29 × 2.6 to 895g, 29 × 2.4 to 865g (Light and Supple Casing, Tan Sidewall)

What do you get and what is its price:

Honcho comes in 27.5 “and 29” wheel sizes and 2.4 “and 2.6” widths in both wheel sizes.  You can get a tire on a black wall or brown wall with a “durable” or “light and supple” sidewall casing in both colours.  On their website, the retail price is $ 70 for “light and complimentary” casing and $ 80 for “durable” casing.

 Installation

Honcho tires include folding grooves and I found the Light and Sample versions to be attached with no hassle.  Paired with the Reynolds TR 309 S carbon wheels set, the tires just went with the ground pump and I didn’t even have to use the lever.  Initially there was a bit of sealant leakage around the bead, but nothing through the tire.

In fact, the Honchos is completely closed after riding more than a hundred miles.  Probably the most shocking thing is that I haven’t added air or sealant yet.

Teravail says that the internal rim width for a 2.6-inch Honcho is 29mm and my rims are 30mm.  I tested a 2.6-inch tire on the front and a 2.4-inch on the rear.  My rim width is less than ideal for a 2.4-inch tire, according to the Teravail;  They recommend a 24mm rim for the narrow Honcho.

With 30mm rims, the 2.6-inch tire is squeaky under the Cain Creek Helm Works fork I’m running, so double check with your fork manufacturer to make sure the larger tires fit.

 On the trail

In my experience, “all-rounder” tires can be very few and I combine them in the same category as hybrid bikes.  It’s tough, and I don’t mean to knock brands out for trying, but it’s a tall order to design a good tire for everything without making significant trades.

The Trail Honcho was probably the first all-rounder I tested and it actually lives up to its name.

On hard surfaces, the Honcho is incredibly fast rolling and quick to accelerate.  The 4mm-high centre lugs are closely spaced together, providing a fairly continuous rolling surface.  Vertical sipping provides direct acceleration and consistent traction in braking.

 I find the centre knobs provide excellent technical climbing performance, especially on uneven terrain.  Tall, siped centre knobs dig and hug the roots, and I often found myself limiting the steep slopes to the tire rather than the tire.

 In wet conditions, the tires do a good job of holding the stone and root surfaces.  A single rubber compound seems to strike a good balance between stickiness and durability.

 The frustration of all-terrain tires is that the traction is curtailed.  Mountain bikers need a tire that transforms well from straight to lean and does not slip when sideways.  To me, the Honcho shines brightly here, and I find it gives corner performance similar to most slow-rolling tires.

 Terravile says the transition knobs are designed to shed dirt, and after riding in some real muddy conditions, I make sure the tread is clean enough.  The corners tend to be smooth and stable so clearly the transition knobs do the job.

 On several occasions I have wondered about how far I can learn the Honchos.  Teravail added buttresses to the shoulder knobs, reinforcing them against sharp cornering forces, while allowing the parallel sipping tread to dig in and adapt to the terrain.  The cornering show is decidedly confident-stirring, and I think it has allowed me to progress as a rider since the traction is so consistent.

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 With tall and wide tires, sidewall stability is one of the many reasons that many tire insert solutions exist in the market.  I had a hard time deciding whether to go with the Light and Sapal Honcho’s or the durable sidewall option.  In the end, the “Light” part of the Lithe and Supple version won me over, and on the 24psi front and back, I don’t even whine.  It would be interesting to compare the “durable” version to see if both flavours use a 60tpi carcass that is less complimentary.

 Speaking of durability, I have never had any problems with punctures or heaven forbid, lateral tears.  This happens even when riding some real junkie trails hard and fast on a hard bike.

 Judgement

 Overall I am incredibly pleased with the Teravail Honcho Trail tires.  It has a moderately aggressive tread that is a good all-round tire that can do everything you ask for.  This is a tire that can last a long time based on its durability and consistent performance.  It is good on soft, not soft, hardpack, stone, root, and most (if not all) loose.  I just want to say that I really liked these tires, I will ride them until they are torn down and put another Honchos on Krampus.

source Teravail Honcho…