Comments on: Bontrager 29-3 Tires: On Test http://twentynineinches.com/2009/04/20/bontrager-29-3-tires-on-test/ 29er Bike Reviews, Rumors and News Sat, 21 Nov 2009 06:18:41 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8 hourly 1 By: Fo http://twentynineinches.com/2009/04/20/bontrager-29-3-tires-on-test/comment-page-1/#comment-60681 Fo Fri, 21 Aug 2009 22:28:14 +0000 http://twentynineinches.com/?p=2493#comment-60681 I got me a set of FR3s :>) booyah! I got me a set of FR3s :>) booyah!

]]> By: Fo http://twentynineinches.com/2009/04/20/bontrager-29-3-tires-on-test/comment-page-1/#comment-60652 Fo Thu, 20 Aug 2009 21:44:55 +0000 http://twentynineinches.com/?p=2493#comment-60652 cool...thanks! I will probably wait for the FR3 as a front...this is for what i would label, as pathetic as the label is, an "AM" intended bike so i really would LOVE the FR3, or a 2.4 Ardent if I can get on the prototype list or otherwise. cheers cool…thanks!

I will probably wait for the FR3 as a front…this is for what i would label, as pathetic as the label is, an “AM” intended bike so i really would LOVE the FR3, or a 2.4 Ardent if I can get on the prototype list or otherwise.

cheers

]]> By: Chris http://twentynineinches.com/2009/04/20/bontrager-29-3-tires-on-test/comment-page-1/#comment-60650 Chris Thu, 20 Aug 2009 20:53:18 +0000 http://twentynineinches.com/?p=2493#comment-60650 Fo, the FR-3 is definitely a manly tire - they really rail, and they are big, and heavy. Also, you need to ensure they'll actually fit your frame (if your frame can accommodate a WTB WeirWolf 2.55 with room to spare, then you'll probably be ok - see the pics I mentioned above to clarify). In the meantime though, I'd definitely check out the 29-3 front tire, it's the other one I've been running. It doesn't rail corners quite as well, but it's very fast rolling, and is still pretty darn huge. It's labeled as a 2.25 instead of the FR-3's 2.35, but it's still very good volume and really worth checking out. Depending on your conditions, I'd run the 29-3 instead (it's what I plan to run on my Jet 9 once that arrives (hopefully September). I've run the 29-3 front tire both front and rear (as a pair), and that's great. The 29-3 rear is supposedly actually quite an excellent tire for climbing and traction wise, but it's just too small for me, I like the big 'uns. Oh, also, if you can run them tubeless, that's even better :) They mount up and run tubeless with sealant really well - I was able to use a pump and easy mount them on C29ssmax wheels, and that let me run them all at quite low pressure as mentioned above. Since that comment above, I've verified that I was running about 13/18 on the FR-3's and about 5psi higher for the 29-3's, maybe a shade more on the rear tires. Fo, the FR-3 is definitely a manly tire – they really rail, and they are big, and heavy. Also, you need to ensure they’ll actually fit your frame (if your frame can accommodate a WTB WeirWolf 2.55 with room to spare, then you’ll probably be ok – see the pics I mentioned above to clarify).

In the meantime though, I’d definitely check out the 29-3 front tire, it’s the other one I’ve been running. It doesn’t rail corners quite as well, but it’s very fast rolling, and is still pretty darn huge. It’s labeled as a 2.25 instead of the FR-3’s 2.35, but it’s still very good volume and really worth checking out. Depending on your conditions, I’d run the 29-3 instead (it’s what I plan to run on my Jet 9 once that arrives (hopefully September). I’ve run the 29-3 front tire both front and rear (as a pair), and that’s great. The 29-3 rear is supposedly actually quite an excellent tire for climbing and traction wise, but it’s just too small for me, I like the big ‘uns.

Oh, also, if you can run them tubeless, that’s even better :) They mount up and run tubeless with sealant really well – I was able to use a pump and easy mount them on C29ssmax wheels, and that let me run them all at quite low pressure as mentioned above. Since that comment above, I’ve verified that I was running about 13/18 on the FR-3’s and about 5psi higher for the 29-3’s, maybe a shade more on the rear tires.

]]> By: Fo http://twentynineinches.com/2009/04/20/bontrager-29-3-tires-on-test/comment-page-1/#comment-60649 Fo Thu, 20 Aug 2009 20:26:10 +0000 http://twentynineinches.com/?p=2493#comment-60649 thanks chris. it looks like a manly tire so i was really hoping...though my current project is a custom frame so it'll take a while so mabe timing will work out..lol cheers thanks chris. it looks like a manly tire so i was really hoping…though my current project is a custom frame so it’ll take a while so mabe timing will work out..lol

cheers

]]> By: Chris http://twentynineinches.com/2009/04/20/bontrager-29-3-tires-on-test/comment-page-1/#comment-60648 Chris Thu, 20 Aug 2009 20:24:45 +0000 http://twentynineinches.com/?p=2493#comment-60648 I don't think the FR-3's are available just yet, but probably pretty soon. They are available as a 26" I think, but I don't believe purchasable as a 29er tire yet. I don’t think the FR-3’s are available just yet, but probably pretty soon. They are available as a 26″ I think, but I don’t believe purchasable as a 29er tire yet.

]]> By: Fo http://twentynineinches.com/2009/04/20/bontrager-29-3-tires-on-test/comment-page-1/#comment-60646 Fo Thu, 20 Aug 2009 20:10:19 +0000 http://twentynineinches.com/?p=2493#comment-60646 so are the FR3s actually available yet? cheers so are the FR3s actually available yet? cheers

]]> By: Chris http://twentynineinches.com/2009/04/20/bontrager-29-3-tires-on-test/comment-page-1/#comment-59093 Chris Thu, 23 Apr 2009 17:55:38 +0000 http://twentynineinches.com/?p=2493#comment-59093 Mike, the 29-3 front tire works just fine as a rear tire in many (most?) cases. I've been running the 29-3 front, on both front and rear (and in same direction) for a few weeks and really liked them a lot. Big volume, easy to mount up tubeless, roll really well, and they stuck to wet rocks amazingly. Bontrager also has a new FR-3, which is even bigger at 2.35 coming, and they rail (just mounted them up and rode them last night). Pictures and comparisons to the 29-3's and such here: http://mountain-monkeys.com/2009/04/22/bontrager-fr-3-tires.html Oh, and on both the 29-3's and the FR-3's, running tubeless, I'm running them at 21/25 (front/rear) for the 29-3's, and last night wound up at 18/23 for the FR-3's, at least according to my gauge. Shiggy put his digital gauge on them last night and got 13/18, so one of our gauges is wrong, but obviously they can run at a nice reasonably low pressure. Oh, and I got no burping with either of them. Mike, the 29-3 front tire works just fine as a rear tire in many (most?) cases. I’ve been running the 29-3 front, on both front and rear (and in same direction) for a few weeks and really liked them a lot. Big volume, easy to mount up tubeless, roll really well, and they stuck to wet rocks amazingly.

Bontrager also has a new FR-3, which is even bigger at 2.35 coming, and they rail (just mounted them up and rode them last night). Pictures and comparisons to the 29-3’s and such here: http://mountain-monkeys.com/2009/04/22/bontrager-fr-3-tires.html

Oh, and on both the 29-3’s and the FR-3’s, running tubeless, I’m running them at 21/25 (front/rear) for the 29-3’s, and last night wound up at 18/23 for the FR-3’s, at least according to my gauge. Shiggy put his digital gauge on them last night and got 13/18, so one of our gauges is wrong, but obviously they can run at a nice reasonably low pressure. Oh, and I got no burping with either of them.

]]> By: Guitar Ted http://twentynineinches.com/2009/04/20/bontrager-29-3-tires-on-test/comment-page-1/#comment-59088 Guitar Ted Thu, 23 Apr 2009 00:34:24 +0000 http://twentynineinches.com/?p=2493#comment-59088 Mike: I think the front 29-3 is very similar to a Prowler which works fine as a rear tire. I don't see why this wouldn't work with the 29-3 front. Mike: I think the front 29-3 is very similar to a Prowler which works fine as a rear tire. I don’t see why this wouldn’t work with the 29-3 front.

]]> By: Mike http://twentynineinches.com/2009/04/20/bontrager-29-3-tires-on-test/comment-page-1/#comment-59087 Mike Thu, 23 Apr 2009 00:08:14 +0000 http://twentynineinches.com/?p=2493#comment-59087 Can you use the wider front tire on the rear as well, or is it front-specific where the climbing/braking traction might not be as good if you used it in the rear? Just wondering since I don't know if I'd want to go that low volume-wise with the rear tire. Can you use the wider front tire on the rear as well, or is it front-specific where the climbing/braking traction might not be as good if you used it in the rear?
Just wondering since I don’t know if I’d want to go that low volume-wise with the rear tire.

]]> By: Cloxxki http://twentynineinches.com/2009/04/20/bontrager-29-3-tires-on-test/comment-page-1/#comment-59078 Cloxxki Wed, 22 Apr 2009 16:17:01 +0000 http://twentynineinches.com/?p=2493#comment-59078 I look forward to hearing sand performance comparisons with the original XR 2.25 front tire, which I rate among the very best, even if it's not the widest. Being able to track on sand is a big deal in the summer for us here. No rolling resistance can make up for that, but good cornering sand tires are usually not bad rolling either. I look forward to hearing sand performance comparisons with the original XR 2.25 front tire, which I rate among the very best, even if it’s not the widest. Being able to track on sand is a big deal in the summer for us here. No rolling resistance can make up for that, but good cornering sand tires are usually not bad rolling either.

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