Bontrager Jones CX

Price Paid:  $0.00 at College Park Bicycle

Favorite Ride:
Lake Fairfax

Bike Setup:
Stock Lemond 03/04 Poprad with 38/48 chainrings and Time ATAC Pedals

Summary:
This tire came stock on my 03/04 Lemond Poprad cyclocross bike. It is a tire that is fast enough for a commuter bike ridden on pavement only, and it is comfortable. I also raced a number of cross races in addition to a few commutes on this tire. It is just awesome on grass and hardpacked dirt or tight gravel. Very very fast and good in the corners. I had problems cornering with this tire on off camber turns that were on frozen grass, and off camber muddy turns. It is ok in short sections of mud or smooth sand. In deep sand or mud it is very hard to control the bike with this tire. It is not really designed for mud and sand, but it if you're careful and back off of the air pressure, it can do ok in those conditions. I would use these tires in non-extreme conditions. For racing,the problem is that they are expensive. At $40 a pop, you're starting to get into the tubular/clincher range. If you can get any kind of price break, and you race a lot of grassy courses, or just want a nice commuting tire that you can go off road on, this is a nice choice. If mud or sand is a decisive factor for you, only use this tire on the rear, or not at all.

Strengths:
Fast on pavement, grass, and packed dirt and gravel, cornering on dirt. Supple casing and soft compound tread. Lightness. It has decent flat resistance for a lightweight tire, only one flat when I ran over a thorn.

Weaknesses:
Slick corners - mud, wet or icy grass, snow. Wear - this is a soft compound tire built for speed not distance; and I noticed some wear on the rear tire after about a dozen hearty rides.

Similar Products Used:
Ritchey Trailmax Cross Tire

Price Paid:  $0.00

Favorite Ride:
Anywhere in Montreal & CX racing

Bike Setup:
Trel XO1 with barcons mated to ultegra drivetrain, stock matrix wheels.

Summary:
I got a new set of Bontragers in May. Pretty much after about 1,500km, the back tire is very square looking, treads are non-existing in the center & so-so on the sides. The front is doing slightly better.
Let's be honest, these are CX tires meant to go anywhere from city street to trail to mud & back! Not to mention CX racing. I have even raced a duathlon with these tires & I did not find them so bad except that I had about 65psi & all the roadies took off like the wind!
I will swap out the front with the back & stretch them out for the rest of the season (before it snows really bad).

Strengths:
Good grip on all surfaces whether it be wet or dry, street, trail, mud. In heavy sand, I think it is my lack of skill more so than the tires

Weaknesses:
I wish that they were more durable but the trade off would be adhesion.

Similar Products Used:
None

Price Paid:  $0.00

Favorite Ride:
any place

Bike Setup:
2001 Trek X0

Summary:
The tire works great for the first few hundred miles. It rolls along very well for being a cyclocross tire and handles well on most surfaces. The problem is that after 500 miles the back tire is badly cracked and has almost no tread. the front isn't looking good either. I won't stick with these tires any more.

Strengths:
Roll pretty smoothly
handle the road and dirt well

Weaknesses:
No durability

Price Paid:  $0.00 at N/A

Favorite Ride:
Anywhere sunny

Bike Setup:
2001 Trek XO, stock.

Summary:
These tires came stock on my 2001 Trek XO cyclocross bike. I can best describe them as average. I a commuter who also rides for recreation, so most of the conditions I rode these in are pretty moderate; mostly well maintained roads and bike paths, some dirt roads.

These tires have been pretty average. They are relatively comfortable of a road/cross tire. The rear tire lasted about six months before the tread wore out. During that time I had two flats for no apparent reason (I didn't find anything that punctured the tire). The front tire wore out after about 9 months, no flats.

Overall these tires are OK, but there are better ones available for the same or less money.

Strengths:
Comfortable ride, good intermediate tread.

Weaknesses:
Wears fairly quickly, seems to puncture fairly easily.

Similar Products Used:
Specialized turbo armadillo.

Price Paid:  $0.00 at on line

Bike Setup:
dean

Summary:
Good rolling resistance, poor in the corners

Strengths:
fast rolling

Weaknesses:
very poor cornering traction

Similar Products Used:
michelin mud, speed-max