Kenda Alluvium Pro, 45mm Review

I've got 600 miles on my Kenda Alluvium tires so I thought I'd share a couple of things.  Bottom line, very happy with the tires, no punctures, and good match for where and how I ride.

Tire: Kenda Alluvium Pro, 45mm.  Has Kenda's "GCT" casing; a bead to bead puncture belt.  Purchased from my LBS.

Weight: didn't measure and don't care.

Setup: Tubeless on Vittoria rims.  Stan's tape and valves.  Orange sealant.  Was able to set up with a minimum of cussing, but I did need an air compressor for the initial bead seating.  As of this post, the tires measure 44mm on a 23 mm internal rim.

Inflation: I run 30 psi front, 32 psi rear with a total ride weight around 200 lbs.  While I check air pressure before each ride, I only end up adding air every 3 rides or so.  This pressure seems optimal for my riding.  Less pressure and the tires get squirmy during hard cornering.  More pressure and the ride is harsher - but no faster.

Performance: My rides on the same gravel segments have been as fast or faster than rides on other tires I've used.  One tarmac, I'm slower than I would be on my road bike, but on average not that much slower, so I don't feel like I give up much with a mixed route of tarmac and gravel.  No worries with aggressive cornering unless the surface is really loose.  The tires tend to float over fresh gravel noticeably better than 38-40mm tires.  I do tend to lose traction when trying for PRs on uphill gravel, but keep traction when just spinning. 

I have had no punctures, cuts, or other issues.  No sealant weeping, and I've only aded sealant once.  On the same roads, I've had a lot of puncture and cutting issues with other tires.  The GCT casing is doing something here.  After 600 miles there is some tread wear evident, but there are many, many, miles left in the tires.

Compared to: On this bike I've also run Gravel King SKs, Vittoria Drys, and Continental Terra Speed/Trails, all in the "as measured" 38-41 mm range.  Objectively I'm no faster or slower on the Kendas than any of the aforementioned tires.  Subjectively, the Kendas are more comfortable and I feel more confident getting way off the beaten path without worrying about flats.  The tires don't throw up little pieces of gravel like the Gravel King SKs do.  Had lots of puncture and cut issues with the Conti's.

So do I plan to keep running them - yes.