Riders are spoilt for choice when it comes to tyre options, to the point where it is easy to become bamboozled by the number of tread patterns, casing options, rubber compounds, and how those compare against their respective competitors.
Bontrager, Trek’s in-house components brand, has revamped its cross-country and trail tyre offerings for 2024, with updated tread patterns, sidewall casings, rubber compounds and graphics. Most notably, the alphanumeric naming convention of years past has been ditched, with the recently released tyres being named after the location that inspired them.
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Bontrager Gunnison Trail Tyre
Bontrager’s Gunnison tyre, inspired after Gunnison, Colorado, USA, home of some classic barren rocky trails and high alpine descents — like the infamous 401 loop — is the brand new trail tyre aimed at balancing speed and grip in a wide variety of conditions.
Replacing the late Bontrager SE4, the Gunnison Pro XR is tubeless ready, features a dual compound rubber construction for reduced rolling resistance whilst maintaining cornering traction, a 60TPI casing with sidewall puncture protection and weighed in at a confirmed 890 grams per tyre. The tread pattern of the Gunnison appears not too dissimilar to its SE4 predecessor, featuring alternating 2x and 3x central lugs and alternating parallel and angled cornering knobs, with generous spacing throughout for shedding mud.
Bontrager is offering the Gunnison Pro XR in a 29×2.4in or 29×2.6in width, and a 27.5×2.6inch option is available. The cost of tyres seems to have skyrocketed as of late, but Bontrager has kept the Gunnison comparatively reasonable at $79.99 per tyre.
For those seeking a bit of extra sidewall protection or stickier rubber, Bontrager offers the Gunnison RSL XT, featuring the same tread pattern as the Pro XR with a 120PTI casing with apex puncture protection and triple compound rubber construction. The extra puncture protection and sticker rubber come with a weight and price penalty, with Bontrager claiming the RSL XT 29×2.4in variant weighing in at 950grams per tyre and costs an extra $40 per tyre.
Flow’s Initial Impressions
Fitment of the Gunnison’s wasn’t quite as easy as we were hoping, with the rear tyre fitting rather loose on the Santa Cruz Reserve rims on Nick’s Tallboy. Following multiple failed attempts with a tubeless specific floor pump, we had to bring out big guns (AKA the air compressor), and even then, we had to remove the valve core to obtain enough flow through the valve to seat the tyre.
On the trail, the identical front and rear tyres provide an excellent balance of speed and traction, exactly as claimed. They are sprightly enough to be well suited to shorter travel bikes, but provide predictable and dependable traction in loose and rocky terrain. It’s a little too early to conclude their long-term durability, but so far we have seen minimal wear and haven’t had any punctured or sidewall cuts.
Compared to the Pirelli Scorpion Enduro M/R combination Nick recently tested on his Tallboy, the Gunnison Pro XR’s feel a little less race-focused, being slightly slower to accelerate and requiring a little extra effort to keep them rolling. On the flip side, the traction was more predictable and was not as sensitive to rider inputs, especially when things got a little steeper and rougher.
What kind of bike does Bontrager’s new Gunnison Pro XR’s tyre suit? We think these will be best fitted Trail bikes ranging from 120mm to 140mm travel is the sweet spot. In saying that, smaller bikes could benefit from their predictable traction and bigger bikes from their sprightliness on the trail.
