Over the past couple of years and since Bontrager started making the 29″ tubeless ready tires i’ve quickly fallen in love with most of them. They are always simple to fit up on a rim and with a good selection of tread and width designs there is a tire for just about everything and one that performs well in doing so! That being said i had the opportunity to try out the new Bontrager 29.3 Team Issue tubeless ready front & rear combo. I paired these up with a new set of the wider platformed Rhythm  wheelsets and pinned them to my ‘09 Paragon. I then gave them a couple good runs at the local park on a slightly rainy day while the trail was somewhat moist but not really wet or muddy.

top= front, bottom= rear

The Front: 29″ 2.25 (55/57)

this 2.25 tire handled like nothing else i’ve ridden from Bontrager or any other tire manufacturer for that matter. Turns & corners got faster and faster as i started to become comfortable with the tire. At one point i was actually giggling out loud as i cornered through the turns and switchbacks with speed. I really think this tire would do well wrapped on both the front & rear of a 29er!

The Rear: 29″ 2.00 (44/50)

this 2.00 tire had a tread that at first glance reminded me of the Bontrager revolt. Very low profile knobs which gave it a smooth feel on the hard stuff. Having a 120 TPI casing and a  durometer of  approx 52,  this tire had an extremely soft and favorable, in my opinion,  feel to it. It had a very supple and soft ride characteristic & i was sure to run it at my normal air pressure for testing purposes. I found this tire to climb well and accelerate even better. Even during the ride while it drizzled lightly i never spun trying to climb. (yes there are climbs in western PA short but steep & lots of them) .

notice the printing opposite of the older tires

What I noticed (and my opinion only)

• the labeling was printed opposite of the older tires. (just an observation)
• tire markings (not the printing- but the markings) were rolled up into the tread area away from the bead. I heard rumor that this gives a more uniform thickness to the sidewall of the tire.
• rear had a low durometer which will give it greater traction but a slightly shorter life. using my gauge approx durometer of 52
• front had a slightly higher durometer on the center treads (approx 60) and a lower durometer on the outer tread (approx 48)  which should give it overall durability and traction for cornering.

Compared to my other favorite Bontrager tires

• ACX  2.0 (52/54)  Great all condition tire. good traction & cornering (durometer approx 54)
• XDX 2.1 (53/51)  Actually a pretty good tire for rocks and slightly damp conditions. awesome for the dry stuff too. (durometer approx 62)
• MudX 2.0 (47/49)  This tire dominates the worst conditions and is at its best in the winter trails around here! (durometer approx 62)
• XR1 1.90 (48/48)  a dry fast trail tire for speed and lots of it. (durometer approx 64)

The numbers in parenthesis are the global measurements in millimeters the first number being the Tread width and the second number being the Casing width. This helps explain why people are always saying “boy thats a narrow looking 2.0 tire there” . Some Bonty tires have a wider tread width than the casing (XDX) which gives the tire itself a wider look. Other tires have a very narrow tread width and a much wider casing which some perceive as a narrow tire yet it still actually has some volume. All durometers were measured by me with my gauge and are not in any manner provided by bontrager. So if you think they are wrong argue with me about the accuracy.

Anyway long story short these new 29.3 tires are fantastic and I plan to get them on a few other trails real soon…..oh yea the wheelset…well they look awesome for one thing and I’m really pleased with the new hub and black look that the Pros have. A slightly wider rim offers some benefit on the off camber stuff. I’ll follow up with another look at these after I get some miles on them.

*stork

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