Top Ten Favorite 29″er Products of ‘07: Bontrager’s Tubeless Ready System
December 30th, 2007 by Guitar TedEditors Note: Yeah, yeah…..another year end review! Tis the season! So, here are my favorite things that have passed through the Twenty Nine Inches review process during the past year. I want to point out a few parameters that I used for what I chose here.
1. The product had to be in the review process during the time period of December 2006 through to the end of November 2007. Reviews that are currently in process I did not include and will be eligible for my 2008 Top Ten list.
2. They had to be products or bicycles that I personally used during this period. Nothing any of the other Twenty Nine Inches staff reviewed on their own could be considered for my list. This list doesn’t necessarily reflect the opinions of anyone but me, Guitar Ted.
That said, let’s get on with this……
Number Two: Bontrager’s Tubeless Ready System. After rumors of a tubeless tire system from Bontrager had been heard for at least three years running, the products finally saw the light of day over the course of 2007. With a promise of several tread designs and two wheel formats, Bontrager had the attention of 29″er freaks nation wide. Twenty Nine Inches recieved a Race X Lite wheel set, Bontrager Super Juice sealant, and two different tread designs to test out over the course of the year.
Why it made the list: This may not be the first tubeless ready system out for 29″ers per se’ (Stan’s No Tubes Crow and various rim pairings could be argued to be first), but Bontragers system is a “real world” system in that the tires are multi-condition, fully knobbed tires and the system is bullet proof. I saw first hand how the rim strip works and it provides an amazingly snug fit for the Bontrager Dry X and ACX Jones tires that I tried out. The Super Juice sealed the tires up so that they held air better than my tubed set ups did, and out in the dirt I never experienced any burping or otherwise negative performance traits due to the system itself. Bontrager may have seemed crazy for not going UST, but I say they are crazy like a fox. This system will only get better as new tires are introduced and the Rhythm wheel sets start popping up on trail bikes set up tubeless. Bontrager has an edge on the “approved” tubeless ready market and looks to be committed to holding down that first place for awhile.
My Two Cents: While supplies of tires and rim strips have been sporadic at best, the system is out and it works well. Really well. I have seen and held two other tread designs and know of a third that will be added to the arsenal of Tubeless Ready tires that Bontrager has on offer already. Compare that with the competitions one tire a piece and I think you can see that when it comes to “tested and approved” tubeless tire systems, Bontrager is way up the trail on this stuff. If Bontrager can get the supply problem squared away, it will rule the tubeless roost in ‘08 unless there is a miracle of some sort coming that I don’t know about. For coming out with a tubeless ready system and having a variety of choices out of the box, Bontrager’s Tubeless Ready System gets the Number Two spot on the list this year.
What 29″er product did I choose at Number One for 2007? I saved the best for last on the last day of 2007!
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Now if they’d just make a damn G2 Race X Lite fork to connect these bad boys to my rig…I’d be happy.
bryant: Interesting that you should mention this. I have written about this incident before, but back in August I was standing at Trek World, (Their dealer show) and talking with Gary Fisher. Suddenly he stepped away towards the Bontrager Switchblade display and I heard him mutter to himself, “I’ve got to talk to the Bontrager guys about the offset on this….”
Who knows? I don’t think the current version will go away, but a version that could be used on the ‘08 G2 Fisher 29″ers is a slam dunk in my opinion.
Why doesn’t anyone make a tubless system with a Schrader Valve??
I can’t wait for the Gordo!
With the trend going for more offset [ White Bros, Fox, RSTseem to be on 44 mm for 08] do you think we are going to get in a situation where one is going to have match a particular sus fork offset to the head angle, or do you think eventually we’ll all end up with a standard as in 26″?
desert, schrader valves are for rednecks, I think. They only come stock on the “huntin’” bikes these days anywho. I tell you what…
Dirt-
say what you want but it not only pays to think smarter, not work harder, it also pays off to engage brain before moving mouth.
PS- I guess everyone that has owned a car in the past 50 years is a redneck.
jeremy UK: Fork offset from the originally used for 29″ers 38mm to 44mm isn’t that huge a leap. So making a swap to one from the other will be able to be felt, but won’t make the bike unrideable either.
One should take into consideration the effects of making any sort of offset change before swapping out to a different fork to make sure that the results are what you intended. That means a bit more thought and effort may have to be employed, but the results will be worth it.
I think having a “standard” off set is not a desirable thing. It dictates the handling you will have on a bike and you won’t be able to tune that without going to a custom rigid fork. Take my Raleigh XXIX+G as an example. I can bolt on a RST M-29 fork and retain the sort of handling I have arrived at by using the Willits WOW rigid fork (44mm offset) and stay away from the dreadful handling it had stock with the 38mm offset Reba.
That sort of thing wouldn’t have been possible to do just a year ago. I think it is a step in the right direction. I am not interested in a single offset standard as I feel that would be a step backwards.
I’m wondering not what is desirable but what is likely. Offset has gone from 38 to 44 and next year a lot of stuff might be over 50.
I agree that the first step isn’t that big but in your own words handling went from dreadfull to good. With the next step there are going to be incompatability issues.
As far as I can make out both Niner and UK’s Singular run very long rigid forks in order to accomodate Rebas, ie they allow the Rebas to drop and steepen the front end and thus compensate for the short offset. Those designs may already not work with the newer forks.
I would have thought that both must be considering when [not if] they are going to have to change their designs to accomodate the later fork offset.
The question, which of course you can’t answer with any certainty, is whether we are in a transitional period.
I’ve already decide which design to buy with this in mind. If I buy a small 29er designed with a 71 head angle and a 470 mm rigid fork then I can probably get good results from either an 80mm 44mm offset fork, or a100mm travel 51ish offset fork.
That cuts out the two already mentioned manufacturers, which is a pity.
On reflection I’ve probably overstated the case, since the to above frames work with 44mm offset, if not the longer.
Sorry if I missed the answer, but is the Bontrager system supposed to work with only Bontrager rims or will the system work with other manufacturer’s rims?
Thanks,
Rob
Rob R. There are two answers to your question. #1- Officially- yes, only on Bontrager rims if you are running them tubeless, with a tube you can use any 29″er rim. . #2- Well, I have tried the TLR Bonty tires on Mavics Cr29max rims and I had good success. However; I have also gotten several e-mails and read several instances of where the combination suffers from blow offs. So, be aware.
As for Stan’s No Tubes rims, I have heard good reports.
I mentioned nothing about cars, fool. And for the record, learn how to take a joke and not be so damn sensitive! relax, don’t do it……
Dirt-
Hopefully you know that car tires are Tubless, and that they use Schrader valves Only, hence my remark.
Learning to take a joke- what joke? by making the redneck remark, you mostly likely diss’d yourself.
I just took delivery of the new GF Superfly that comes with RaceXLite TLR 29 wheels and I can’t wait to give them a try. The G2 system looks and feels great on the trainer. The GF specific Fox 80mm 29 forks are unbelievable. I weighed it with egg beaters, and tubes installed (comes that way) and it was 22.4 pounds in a 17.5″. Nice. Thinking either converting it to SS or buying a specific rear wheel for that. Can’t imagine what the weight would be without all the shifting/gearing hardware…
Bontrager Tubeless system ranked 2.nd: The Bontrager system is ok I guess, but I what makes the difference compared with Notubes Crow and Arch wheelset ? ?
HeavyDude: My opinion is that the Crow tire is a very specific use tread and therefore limited in not only what you can do with it, but in over all appeal as well. Bontrager, on the other hand, has (at the time of the review) three really good tread patterns that cover a wide range of conditions and has a much, much broader appeal for “everyday” cyclists running 29″ers off road.
In my view there isn’t any contest between the two.
I can understand your evaluation of the Crow,- but what about the Bontrager TLR-rim compared to the ZTR Arch rim ? I am on my way to buy a new wheelset for my Paragon, to use with tubeless tires, and I am really confused which one to go for.
HeavyDude: Well, this may be a difficult question to answer. I don’t know if you really are “heavy” or if you are light. If you are racing, or using the rims as everyday beaters.
That said, I will tell you what my take is as a 240lb person.
The Arch weighs 470 grams each, according to Stans. That ain’t much for an off road rim of 700c diameter. It also is only available as a 32 hole drilling. (Went to the No Tubes.com site, and that’s all I saw there) So I would classify this offering as a “race day” wheel set component at my weight. I also consider the Race X Lite TLR wheel set I have in the same vein.
Looking for something stiffer? More durable? Go with a Flow rim or a Duster rim from Bontrager. (You also might look at a Rhythm wheel set) Much more attuned to “everyday” uses and should feel stiffer. (Especially if you are a Clyde)
Thank`s Ted for your help. I am 100kg, and riding a GF Ziggurat for races, and my GF Paragon for trening, but as I am getting more used to the 29er, I am planning to go racing with it . But I am not quite satisfied with the bontrager Race wheelset that came with the bike, that`s why I am looking for a wheelset that can get me trough Xc marathons here in Scandinavia, more efficently.
The GF Superfly came with the Bontrager RaceXLite 29 TLR wheelset but it obviously shipped with tubes. Since I am new to the Bonty Tubeless system, help me out. The wheels have a blue flexible rimstrip intalled for tubes, but they say I need the black patented rim strips for the tubeless setup. So, I would assume that I take off the blue strip and install the one you pictured at the top of this thread. IS that correct? If I leave the blue strips on, I am thinking that the tire bead will not have enough space left to seat since the blue strip is fairly thick….. Of course the website does not offer any help….
Bikenelson: Yes, you are on the right track. Remove the stock blue rim strip and re-install a black TLR rimstrip. You will then be on your way to tubeless bliss.
Thanks Guitar Ted
I went ahead and did that last night and the system really does fit tight. Do you think there is and advantage to using Super Juice in this system over Stan’s No Tubes? Since I am a multi-year user of Stans, and have the sealant already, I was thinking of using the Stan’s in the Bontrager System. Curious about material compatibility I guess. Any thought?
Bikenelson: If you need the puncture protection, go with Stan’s. Otherwise the Super Juice will seal them up great and hold air pressure for a long, long time. doesn’t “booger” up, at least not in my experience. Stan’s is definitely better at sealing punctures though.
have rhythm elite 29er wheels
any idea where to get rim strips ?????
matt g: Not available yet, but very soon from your Trek/Fisher/LeMond/Bontrager dealer.
you can use stan’s strips on the rhythm wheels..but the bonty strips should be available in april according to our local trek rep.
I used Stans yellow tape for about two years and loved it (in fact I still do on my 26r), however, having just recently set up my new RaceXLite 29r wheels with the Bonty Rim Strips I have to say, I am impressed. The fit and weight is great. I will test them next weekend at the Kona 24 Hours in the Old Pueblo. If anyone is interested I could submit a post ride opinion because I plan to run fairly low pressure and encounter cactus needles on the trail. That said, this thread started with an excellent review of the product anyway. I am running Stans No Tubes instead of Super Juice after my beliefs were backed by Guitar Ted.
Bikenelson
would be great to hear a summary of the wheels/tires after the race.
Matt g
The 24 Hours in the Old Pueblo race was harsh this year. Rain and Snow preceded the start for 24 hours. Fortunately the desert drys quickly. The Bontrager RaceXLite 29 wheels were fantastic. Once I set the air pressure at about 33lbs, I never checked them again, except to give them a squeeze. There was plenty of cacti in the trail, I assume from people hitting the ones on the edge of the trail. Of course you try and avoid them, but there are some that are impossible to miss. I don’t think I ever took a thorn in the wheel though. I used the Bontrager rim strips and Stans No Tubes solution. It got down to about 30 degrees two nights in a row and I had no problems at all. The Superfly and the wheelset performed flawlessly.
thx for th update!
what tires were you runnning?
Mattg
GT,
I have a SpeedDream built Bontrager Mustang rim - do these work with the tubeless system? Also, I came across a good deal on some “race day” Spinergy wheels for the 29er - do you know much about them and would you recommend?
I’m thinking you would recommend an RST on a Jabberwocky over my Reba because of the offset, but how would a WB rigid perform?
Caught Brendan C. on the trail the other day, and your name came up. I, too, hope to get a little time on the Song when he has one available.