A couple sets of Bontrager tires just arrived at MTBGearTech.com. The FR4 2.35 and the Big Earl 2.5(Dry) are great looking tires that combine a durable carcass with reasonable weights. The Big Earl 2.5(Dry) is weighing in at a light 727g while the FR4 2.35 is a respectable 899g. Both tires feature a folding aramid bead that is a tight fit on my MTX33 rims. It doesn’t look like I’ll have any problems with them rolling off the rim during hard turns or off camber landings.
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The FR4, as seen on the left, has an aggressive tread pattern that has a square profile with low center lugs. There is a continuous row of tall side lugs that will hopefully provide additional grip in the turns and off camber sections. The 2.35 width is misleading as this is a high volume tire with a large contact patch. This tire has a two ply casing that feels reasonably stiff and strong in your hands. The FR4 is designated as TLR or tubeless ready. Using a rim strip and Bontrager’s Super Juice tubeless tire sealant will allow you the benefits of a tubeless setup. I will initially be running the FR4 with tubes but I may get the urge to try them tubeless down the road.
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The Big Earl 2.5 dry compound folding bead tire has a huge volume and a very open tread design. Although this is a single ply tire the sidewall thickness is impressive and I would expect that this tire will hold up to all but the most extreme abuse. The Big earl has a rounder profile than the FR4 with monstrous side lugs placed lower or closer to the rim. This tire should be a bunch of fun in dry conditions on both loose and hardpacked soils and with it’s light weight (for a freeride tire) it shouldn’t be too bad to pedal for longer distances on more all-mountain style trails.
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I’ll report back on performance as soon I rack up some trail time on these bad boys. Tires are one of the components I enjoy testing the most. It’s something that can instantly and dramatically change the performance and feel of the bike. It’s great to have so many solid choices in tires like we do right now. The more riders we have out there snuffing out the really great ones and reporting back the the community the better.
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