Editors 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 2008 through to the end of November 2009. Reviews that are currently in process I did not include and will be eligible for my 2010 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.
3. The reviewed products were provided to Twenty Nine Inches at no charge for review. I was not paid or bribed for this review. I will give/gave my honest opinion or thoughts through out.
That said, let’s get on with this
Number 5: Bontrager 29-3 tires: Back in 2008, Bontrager let it be known that the 29″er tire line up was going to be overhauled. Promising new, 29″er specific designs, Bontrager set out to give wagon wheelers their own designs for their rigs. One of the first designs to come out was the 29-3. Introduced just before Sea Otter, the design is a front/rear specific tire system with each tire being so radically different from each other, they are often paired as front/front, rear/rear on bikes.
Why They Made The List: The 29-3 tires really have to be judged as two separate tire models. Since that is how they are being used, for the most part, even on Gary Fisher 2010 bikes. So, taken as that, these tires offer two things that Bontrager didn’t have in the line and are also offered in the excellent TLR models which works flawlessly as a tubeless system with Bontrager wheels. The “front” 29-3 is an excellent, high volume, all around trail tire while the “rear” 29-3 is a fast, grippy racing tread.
My Two Cents: The Bontrager tire designers snuck one over on us by developing two models of tires and selling them under the same model name. Well, all the better for 29″er riders in the end. The “rear” 29-3 is not a very big tire, (nominally a 1.85″ by my measure) and it isn’t going to wow anybody on everyday trail rides, but taken as a race tire, it shines pretty well. The tread pattern grips beyond what you would believe for such a skinny little devil and of course, in the TLR format it sets up tubeless really well. The “front” 29-3 is a killer all around tire that excels in lateral grip and has a tallish profile, not unlike the Continental Race King. I liked the way it cornered and braking traction was excellent. Of course, I ran the tires as a system, which was the way I was introduced to them, but in reality, they are better paired as I am describing here. Due to that bit of confusion, the 29-3 tires are a bit frustrating at times for folks at shops and for riders buying them. Bontrager needs to split these into two different named models, which would be best for everyone. That said, they are excellent tires for two different types of riding and grab #5 on 2009′s Top Ten list.
Stay tuned for #4 on the Top Ten 29″er Products Of ’09 list.
Don’t forget to add your pick for the 2009 Reader’s Choice Award! See the post here to vote.
Don’t you think it’s time to stop calling 29er’s “wagon wheelers”?
@Fastfossil: Nope!
“Wagon wheelers” seems so old fashioned and clunky – nothing like the bike I ride.
@Fastfossil: Yup! Think about it.
Calling 29ers ‘wagon wheelers’ is sooooo 2009.
(As of 1-1-2010, this phrase will be permanently attached to CTRL-V on my PC
)
First tire looks little bit like Schwalbe Black Jack
so, you guys think one can run the “front” on both ends. what do you think? i like the way look. interesting design.
@gt2rock: Yes, the “front” 29-3 has a tall-ish profile, so lots of “vertical volume” which makes for a good trail tire. Mad lateral grip, and rails corners very well. Not too shabby a climber or for braking either. Great all rounder for most any bike.
Ted – you seem to have spent a good deal of time on the Bontrager 29er tires (XDX, 29-3, etc). I am currently running the XDX. How do you like the 29-3 vs the XDX? I am heading to ride Kokopelli in a couple of months and was trying to decide whether or not my XDX 29er TLR would be a good tire or if the front or rear 29-3 would be good. Or perhaps one of the other Bontrager tires as well. Or would you recommend something completely different? I am riding a Fisher Paragon HT 29er with the 28mm Bontrager TLR rims.
@ibrydn: Kokopelli is desert, stone, and not much soil. The XDX will fare much better here.
Hi I have a GF Hi-Fi Pro (weekend warrior-however my team mate and I do participate in Multi-stage events in South Africa to raise monies for a specific Charity). Recently i changed my tires from XDX to 29-3 (Front also on the rear, 2 bar). Discovered on my first ride with them ,on generally dry gravel surface, that the rolling resistance was far greater than the XDX. My riding partner has Maxxis Crossmark and whereas normally we could Freewheel together this time he would be at least 5m ahead and pulling away over a pretty short distance. Should I be concerned by this?
APOLOGIES email should be
eddiel@iafrica.com
Hi Ted undecided if I should go back to XDX or stick with the 29-3 as highlighted before–please advise. Thanks
@Ed@ProudMary: If you are using a “front” variant of the 29-3 on both ends you are indeed going to experience more rolling resistance on smoother terrain. The front variant is more aggressive and I would say is an excellent all around trail tire.
For speed, the “rear variant” of the 29-3, while being less voluminous, is definitely far faster rolling.
If volume is important, (and thus- width), stick with the XDX, or try a “front specific” XR on both wheels. In the TLR version, it is fast! It also has the same approximate volume as an XDX.
In a Maxxis tire, you may want to try an Aspen in the rear mated with a front CrossMark, or an Ignitor.
GT – Have you tried the 2010 Schwalbe Racing Ralph in either the 2.25 or 2.4 versions? If so, what is your opinion of them? How would you compare them to the XDX TLR 2.1 ARC? I am running the XDX now but have considered giving the Racing Ralph a try. How would the volume compare? Cornering traction? Wet root/wet rock traction? etc
@ibrydn: I have ridden the older Racing Ralph in a 2.4 inch size only. I have not tried the 2010 issues, but but to my knowledge, nothing has changed yet.
I will say that until a 2.4″ with SnakeSkin sidewalls comes out, the XDX is a tougher tire. Better suited to rocky conditions and for going tubeless than the RR. That said, plenty of XDX owners have voiced concerns over rock performance saying the tire isn’t as tough as they would like to see.
Racing Ralphs get the nod in the better traction department, but really, neither of these are that great on wet roots and wet rocks. The Racing Ralphs and XDX’s are both pretty round and voluminous. Based on the fact that they are not in the same size range, comparisons are sort of daft, but they both are plump and round on a medium to wider width rim.
Thanks GT
Overall I like the XDX but would like someting that would hook up better in the turns. A few guys liked the RR’s for that. I have also heard some good things about the Ignitor and the Crossmark. Ignitors front and back or Crossmark in the rear and Ignitor in the front. Do you have any experience with either or both of these? If so, what are your thoughts on them? Especially in contrast to the XDX.
@ibrydn: Well, Ignitors are a more aggressive traed pattern and a lot of guys will use those up front for better cornering. I think that paired with a Crossmark in the rear, it would be a great pairing.
I’ve run Ignitors front and rear in wetter, slightly muddy conditions and I thought they did very well. This was with tubes. Tubeless they probably would even be better.
In contrast to an XDX, if conditions stay dry, the XDX rolls better. If things tend towards wet, the performance of the XDX starts to fall off dramatically. In that case, I’d rather have the Ignitors on. (Or better yet, a Jones ACX!)
GT – Schwalbe released the RR in a 29×2.25 with snakeskin and 630g. Now that looks pretty interesting. Seems like it would be a real nice blend of traction, speed, protection and weight. Based your experience with the 2.4, how would you compare its cornering to the Ignitor, Crossmark or even the 29-3?
Ted – sounds like you like the ACX better than the Ignitors? What do you like about them? Did you run them front and rear?
On a related note, have you run the XDX rear and the 29-3 front tire combo? Thoughts on that as a good all around combo (not mud) How does the 29-3 roll compared to the XDX?
One last question how does the XR TLR version compare to the XDX?
@ibrydn: The ACX is a better grip tire. Rolling resistance? No. Best use of an ACX would be up front with maybe the Ignitor out back for the best of both worlds.
I have not run the XDX and 29-3 together. However, the combination would probably work well. I like the front grip the 29-3 gives. It rolls very well, and I would liken the performance to a WTB Prowler, which I also like as an all-rounder.
The XR TLR is a faster tread pattern than the XDX. I use a front specific XR on both ends of the bike for the lowest rolling resistance. In my opinion, the XR TLR seems a bit more supple/plump than an XDX, but that may be due to batch differences in production more than anything specific to the designs.