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Rider Review-Bontrager XR1 Tyres

March 14th, 2010 - Posted by Euski

For 2010 Bontrager has simplified the way in which they name their tyres.  There are now 2 main ranges, XR for Cross Country and FR for Freeride/All Mountain, these 2 letters are then followed by a number which denotes the level of grip the tyre has, the higher the number the more grip, going from 0 for very fast rolling to 4 for maximum grip in wet & muddy conditions.

Over the past couple of weeks I’ve been testing out a set of XR1 tryes (£26.99) kindly supplied by Mark at TREK UK, which Bontrager describe as ‘Designed in collaboration with Bontrager-sponsored pro race team riders, the XR1 is an ultra-fast rolling Cross Country race tyre that’s ideally suited for dry and dusty conditions.  Small, tightly spaced knobs provide plenty of fast-rolling traction while siping (thin slits) across the middle knobs give even more grip on dusty surfaces. Designed for front or rear use.’

I’ve used my new Whyte 19 with these tyres to commute on, and my god are these tyres fast.  They pick up speed like no other tyre I’ve used and have seriously amazing grip cornering on tarmac, they inspire you with enough confidence to lean round corners like riding a motorbike, whether you have the skill or not!

Since having them fitted  I’ve ridden at 2 Welsh MTB trail centres, Coed-y-Brennin and Glyncorrwg at Afan.  Despite not being designed as a rock loving tyre, they held up incredibly well.  With conditions being wet and rocky at both centers, I hoped a fat, low profile tyre would give maximum contact with the ground and maximise grip, and it worked a treat!  As expected, they were rapid on the connecting fire-roads but also really grippy over the big slabs of rock.  The one area they were not very good was over the wet roots and greasy sections at Afan, the low profile tread just didn’t dig in deep enough, but that’s not what these tyres are designed for.

So as a seriously fast dry weather tyre, I think they can’t be beaten.

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