Keith Bontrager is a tyre obsessive, and it shows in the performance of this cheap but more than cheerful big all-mountain/ freeride boot. It's just a really confident-feeling, workable tyre, whether hammering Whistler runs or mucking about in the woods.
The big, mid-height, lugged tread uses a Gum-Bi dual-compound mixture with reinforced outer knobs to give reliable cornering all the way into the lean. It smears and slides in proper slurry situations but it's a predictable, controllable let-go, and braking/driving traction is impressive. But we'll have to wait for the trails to dry out to confirm that the slightly tweaked tread is better in the dry like they claim.
The high-volume Stability Control Casing soaks up big landings without squirming or popping and it's still relatively light. There's also a lightweight, tubeless-ready Abrasion Resistant Casing (ARC) version available for all-mountain use. Those who are picky about tyre dimensions will appreciate the close-spaced sizes and everyone should appreciate the phenomenally good pricing.
