Anyone use Bontrager Tires (tubular or clincher)?

[ss-jimbo]

I put a hole in my PR2 after just a couple of months. I can get a good deal on Bontrager tires. I need a clincher to replace the one on the bike now. The Race X-Lites look nice, are reasonably light, and come in 25s (like my 23 PR2?).

Additionally I have set of Cane Creek Volos tubulars sitting in my garage. I have a race in 2 weeks that includes a hill climb time trial, and given that my race (actually only) wheels are Ksyrium Equipes (read heavy) I was thinking about gluing up some tires. Well I only have cross tires so I need to buy some. The shop carries the Sprinters, and also the Bontrager Tubular tires.

I haven't read anything about Bonty tires, so I figured I'd ask the general forum about them. Any help is greatly appreciated.

Jimbo

[J.Greene]

I have the Bonty clinchers in 25. It's a sturdy tire, not as nice as the pr2 atmo.

Are you doing the sugarloaf races?

JG

[dave thompson]

I use Bontrager 25s (Race Lite & Race X Lite)and 28s (Race Lite) clinchers on all our bikes. A good durable tire, no problems with flats or cuts for the last two seasons. I've measured them with calipers and they run true to size. I have also weighed the 25s and they weigh between 215g and 220g

[ss-jimbo]

I have the Bonty clinchers in 25. It's a sturdy tire, not as nice as the pr2 atmo.

Are you doing the sugarloaf races?

JG

Actually I'm going to Joe Martin out in Arkansas. My wife wants to do a stage race and likes that there is a 3/4 category there. I would do Sugarloaf, but got spoiled doing the 3/4 race last year, and want nothing to do with a 4/5 race that their doing this year.

[93legendti]

I have the Race X Lites on my CSi and they seem to ride very nicely.

[Bill Bove]

Race Lites and X-Lites are great clinchers. The Race X-Lite sew up is among the best there are, just short of a Dugast.

I thought about going up to sugerloaf but it kicked my butt last fall in the Horrible Hundred and with the wind that we've had the last couple of months I am in poorer shape than then. One trip up, O.K. three or four times up, I'd actually be under the white cross on the side of the road.

[keevon]

For those that have used both the Michelin Pro2 and the Bontragers, how do the Bonty's run fit-wise? Harder/easier to mount than a Mich?

[dave thompson]

For those that have used both the Michelin Pro2 and the Bontragers, how do the Bonty's run fit-wise? Harder/easier to mount than a Mich?
Easier. Not loose, but I am able to fit/take off the Bontragers with my hands

[ss-jimbo]

I got the Race X Lite AC (all conditions) with a bit of file tread on the edges. It seemed to have more rubber than the regular X Lite. I got a 25c as well.

I also bought a pair of tubular X Lite Pro's. I'm going to try the KoolAid. We'll see how I like it. I've got them on the Volos right now stretching them out, but i noticed after putting them on that the tire sits up a bit higher at the valve stem, like it's not all the way down into the whole. Did I do something wrong in getting them on the time (a pain, but I think it's supposed to be).

The guys at the shop believe (but don't know) that Vittoria makes the Bontrager tires.

Thanks, Jimbo

[quehill]

They change suppliers with some regularity. There was a time, maybe 2004ish?, when the Bonty tires were Continentals. As of last year they were Vittorias. Last summer I had a pair of Race-X-Lite clinchers- Open Corsas with a different tread.

Cheers

[theprep]

II've got them on the Volos right now stretching them out, but i noticed after putting them on that the tire sits up a bit higher at the valve stem, like it's not all the way down into the whole. Did I do something wrong in getting them on the time (a pain, but I think it's supposed to be).

The guys at the shop believe (but don't know) that Vittoria makes the Bontrager tires.

Thanks, Jimbo

I had to enlarged the valve stem hole to mount Vittoria tubulars and avoid the bump. Just the tire surface hole, not the hub side.

[ss-jimbo]

I had to enlarged the valve stem hole to mount Vittoria tubulars and avoid the bump. Just the tire surface hole, not the hub side.

Did you use a drill? I guess I can just drill slightly bigger a bit at a time until the bump is gone.

Hopefully this won't cause any ill effects if I use a different tubular in the future.

Thanks, Jimbo

[J.Greene]

One trip up, O.K. three or four times up, I'd actually be under the white cross on the side of the road.

It's just not sugarloaf. It's buckhill and the wall one after another. It's my home roads. I've been riding them since the mid 80's.

In 88 or 89 when the tour of the Americas came through town the riders climbed over that on the way towards tampa. We all thought it would cause a split or someone would attack. While those hill are tough for local racers, i don't think the pros even stopped their morning chats on the way up over.

JG

[theprep]

Did you use a drill? I guess I can just drill slightly bigger a bit at a time until the bump is gone.

Hopefully this won't cause any ill effects if I use a different tubular in the future.

Thanks, Jimbo

Yep - that is what I did. Also, glue it real well at the stem to prevent a squish noise with every tire rotation.

Pretty darn amazing to me in this day and age of law suits, these things (tubulars) do not come with instructions.

[Bill Bove]

It's just not sugarloaf. It's buckhill and the wall one after another. It's my home roads. I've been riding them since the mid 80's.

In 88 or 89 when the tour of the Americas came through town the riders climbed over that on the way towards tampa. We all thought it would cause a split or someone would attack. While those hill are tough for local racers, i don't think the pros even stopped their morning chats on the way up over.

JG
The state road race used to be out there back in the 80's too, I did a 600K brevet out there too. went over the hills four times the last time being close to midnight after having been on the bike since 5am. I own a little piece of those roads and they own a piece of me. When I lived in Cocoa Beach we went out there pretty often but now that down here in the El Dub it's a little farther away.