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Bontrager Mud X TR tyre review

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$42.99

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Bontrager Mud X TR Tyre

BikeRadar verdict

4.5 out of 5 stars

"Great value grip, lightweight speed and tubeless ready too"

6 comments
Fri 9 Jan 2009, 4:00 pm GMTBy

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Bontrager's Mud X TRs offer the best balance of grip and speed of any winter tyres we've tested. The square, slightly melted-looking knobs and rounded profile give consistently good grip in every direction and let you lean the bike right over in corners.

While they’re not the grippiest in any single given condition, the ‘GumBi’ 50/60 durometer dual compound rubber, with little diamond centre detail, makes the Mud X TRs great all-rounders. The tread looks like a scaled-down front motocross tyre, but its simple looks belie its performance. The square knobs dig into soft surfaces and their low, chamfered profile flings sticky mud off with glee.

The dual compound gives a hard-wearing and fast-rolling centre section, while the uber-soft 55a side compound sticks to all but the wettest of roots. The Mud X TRs stick consistently over roots, rocks and wet wood, and there’s no need to change your level of aggression over the changing surfaces. 

While racers will go for the 1.8in version, even the 2.0in is relatively thin for cutting through the mire without losing too much speed. The fact the tread stays pretty clean all the time is a big advantage on bikes with tighter tyre clearances. The Mud X TR is light in the slightly fatter version too, it cleans quickly once you’re out of the slop and it feels more responsive and rapid than you’d expect for the consistent grip, so it's a fabulous filthy race tyre.

The supple carcass gives good ground moulding at lower pressures and it's tubeless ready, so a quick fill of sealant will make it even more connected. The beads aren’t so stiff you’ll struggle to fit or remove them on wet, dark nights if you do puncture. 

We’ve never had issues with torn sidewalls or splitting in rocky sections while the tread lasts pretty well too, boosting their already good value for money. Considering the autumn-to-spring performance and other features, pricing is excellent. The tyre's only serious downside is that it’s a little low on carcass size for big-hitting riders.

What's the score with BikeRadar reviews? You can find a full explanation of our ratings here.

Manufacturers description



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User Reviews

There are 6 reviews on this post

Showing 1 - 6 of 6 comments

  • I brought these to replace the michelins i got with my Rockrider 6.3 and it was the best thing i ever done to my bike these tyres are the absoloute best you can buy.

    Off road the grip is immence so much better then my old ones and they look so nice, they do cause abit to much friction on a flat road slows you down a little but its nothing too bad when you go down hills or down road its as if you lost all the grip and your just flying, but still manages to hold all that grip in the corners, which you can take at amazing speeds with these tyres.

  • I am a novice rider, but I felt my stock Continentals which were issued with my 'Team' Boardman weren't giving me great traction in mud.

    After reading the good review on this site. I decided to purchase a pair for £40 from Triton Cycles, to explore fact if these would issue me better grip through mud.

    I trialed them out tonight on a run through my local woods and they have not disappointed. I really felt the traction, so much better then my stock issue Continentals. The Bontrager stayed with me vastly up hill without any wheel spin, these tyres really bite into anything loose. I possibly preferred a bit more speed on the tarmac, but that isn't what this tyre is designed for, but handled tarmac ok.

    I recommend these tyres and for a sum of £40, it vastly improves the ride and my safety & enjoyment.

  • Bought these tyres about a month ago and have been mightily impressed with them. They've handled everything i've thrown at them and just refuse to let go. They've improved the handling of my bike immensely,definately the best tyres i have used. Would recommend them to anyone. Only flaw i've found is they are a little twitchy on wet tarmac,but nothing too severe.

  • I use one of these (2 inch version) on the back with a Bonti Jones ACX 2.2 on the front and they rock !

    Marv

  • Great in the mud, the only fault is they are not very deep so changing tyre pressure to suit terrainis limited. 1.8 version.

  • Love this tyre, highly recommend for UK gloopy conditions. So good I blogged about it, www.routesandrides.com

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Specification

Name:
Mud X TR 2in
Built by:
Bontrager
Price:
$42.99

Wheel Type:
Winter
Tyre Tread:
Knobbly
Bead:
Aramid
Rubber Compound:
Gum-Bi 60/50a dual compound
Tyre Width Sizes Available:
1.85-2.5 In
Weight (g):
542 g
Threads Per Inch:
120 TPI
Colour:
Black

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