Many people think of Chen Shin Tire (CST) as a company that makes low-priced budget tires for cyclists who don't require or want to pay for performance tires for their recreational and commuter bicycles. But CST also manufactures tires for Maxxis. And as you probably know, Maxxis is about performance and ride quality.
CST manufactured tires, and other tire companies brand these CST tires with their own logos. But after talking with Trey in the CST booth at Interbike, it is clear that CST is making an effort to promote their own CST brand of bicycle tires.
Trey showed me the CST Czars when I asked about a decent tire at a decent price for the fixed gear riders who are constantly needing to replace their rear tires. According to Trey, he had decent reviews of the tire features from Faster Mustache, who describe themselves on their site as "a diverse group of Atlanta residents with one thing in common: riding bicycles," gave away CST Czar tires as prize items in their annual 24-hour, 13,050-mile urban bike relay, "FM.24.07". And Trey said that they really liked the price and quality of the CST tires.
At the Wheelgirl shop, we sell a bunch of tires. And I, as well as many customers, have had good experiences with the various models of urban / training / racing tires that CST has manufactured and branded with their own name, as well as the tires that CST manufactures for Maxxis. I like expensive road tires, but you can't spend $100 or more for a set of tires for your urban ride. So, CST (and Maxxis) offer good alternatives for the urban rider who needs a reasonable price point and a decent set of tires. (Jump for post edit details.)
First photo of CST tires taken by Wheelgirl at Interbike Vegas 2007. Faster Mustache FM.24.07 poster
This post used to contain references to bike courier companies, Godspeed and Cycle Hawk, liking these tires. In fact, I received an email from Trey from CST today (about a year later) who explained that representatives from both companies "seemed to like what they saw," but did not formally review the tires. So, I've now updated the post, as of 10/2/08 by removing any references to either courier company. If you read a post that is has factual issues, please make sure to comment.
