# Tires on Trek Madone 4.7



## JoeJoyce (Jul 3, 2012)

In the past 3 months of riding my new Madone 4.7, I have had about 6 flat tires (both back and front), so I am wondering about the quality of the Bontrager tires that came with the bike. I rode my 30 year old Schwinn on the same roads (using Contential tires) nad NEVER flatted once!

Has anyone else had a similar experience? Any suggestions on new tires to switch to? It is really annoying me!


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## danl1 (Jul 23, 2005)

JoeJoyce said:


> In the past 3 months of riding my new Madone 4.7, I have had about 6 flat tires (both back and front), so I am wondering about the quality of the Bontrager tires that came with the bike. I rode my 30 year old Schwinn on the same roads (using Contential tires) nad NEVER flatted once!
> 
> Has anyone else had a similar experience? Any suggestions on new tires to switch to? It is really annoying me!


It sounds like your own experience suggests Continentals. 

But, good to recognize that things change - maybe the roads have more debris on them. And there are varying lines within brands - I've got a set of Bontrager hardcase tires on our tandem that seem quite solid. Maybe your Conti's are one of the sturdier lines, like Gatorskins or one of their commuter lines, so maybe the comparison isn't apples-to-apples.

IME, 'bulletproof' tires ride hard and slow, so there's always a tradeoff.


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## Dale (Mar 13, 2004)

go with bontrager race lite hardcase tires no flats in over 10,000 miles I use the 700x25


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## PlatyPius (Feb 1, 2009)

Bontrager tires suck.


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## darwinosx (Oct 12, 2010)

PlatyPius said:


> Bontrager tires suck.


Yes they do. God knows who makes them. Their wheels do too.
Hard to go wrong with Michelins or Continental for the most part.


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## tihsepa (Nov 27, 2008)

PlatyPius said:


> Bontrager tires suck.


Yes they do. 

I will one up you. Bontrager anything sucks. :thumbsup:


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## Buzzard (Sep 7, 2004)

I rode a pair of race lite wheels for 7 years without a single problem. I swapped them out this year for a set of carbons. Still as true as the day I bought them. I don't really remember the original tires. Perhaps their quality control has gone downhill.


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## darwinosx (Oct 12, 2010)

Bontrager parts used to mean something. Like Keith Bontrager himself designed them. Now they just slap his name on cheap Chinese parts to increase their profits.
Just like the way they ruined Klein after buying his company. All of a sudden Kleins had crummy knobby welds and horrible paint jobs.


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## Vitamin G (Aug 3, 2007)

Check your rim strips... maybe there is a problem there.


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## Hooben (Aug 22, 2004)

Don't feel too bad, all new bicycles come with crap tires. With that, get yourself some Gatorskins, or some Maxxis re-fuse tires. They have served me well. Don't use tire liners, spinning weight is the worst.


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## Pirx (Aug 9, 2009)

PlatyPius said:


> Bontrager tires suck.


Just about anything Bontrager sucks.



tihsepa said:


> I will one up you. Bontrager anything sucks. :thumbsup:


Sorry, just saw that you beat me to it. I'll second you, then.


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## JoeJoyce (Jul 3, 2012)

Hooben said:


> Don't feel too bad, all new bicycles come with crap tires. With that, get yourself some Gatorskins, or some Maxxis re-fuse tires. They have served me well. Don't use tire liners, spinning weight is the worst.


I think I will switch to Gatorskins since I have had good experiences with Contential. Two follow up questions, though: Are Gatorskins a slower ride than the Bontrager? Not that I go that fast, but the Bontrager felt quick. Also what do "spinning weigh is the worst" with tire liners? Do you mean they add a weight to the wheels and go slower?

Thanks for you input!


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## mpre53 (Oct 25, 2011)

tihsepa said:


> Yes they do.
> 
> I will one up you. Bontrager anything sucks. :thumbsup:


I was waiting for this one. :lol:

But it's true. I can sit on almost anything for hours, except a Bontrager saddle.


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## Hooben (Aug 22, 2004)

According to my LBS, yes the liners add weight and the worst kind. 
The Gatorskins should really alleviate the problems with so many flats. They are quite fast. The Maxxis Re-fuse are wonderful and my LBS says they're actually lighter than the Gatorskins.


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## ecub (Sep 2, 2011)

Some people will be fine with the standard race lites, but it all depends on your road. I had a flat with them, but after switching to Bontrager All Weather Hard case, I can ride over ANYTHING, without any issues.


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## brianvosburgh (May 17, 2012)

Ordered ROL's Race SL wheelset for my Madone 4.5 and put GP 4000s' on them. Completely different bike. The stock Bontrager tires had no road feel or traction. The GP's inspire a whole new level of confidence in corners and all around handling. The ROL wheelset is incredible value - stiff, about 2.5 pounds off the bike from the Bontrager SSR boat anchors that came on the bike. The combo of wheel and tire is amazing. Highly recommend you go with the GP 4000s tires, you won't be disappointed.


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## RJP Diver (Jul 2, 2010)

Have you checked the location of the flats against the rims and tires? Could there be a piece of debris embedded in the tire or a burr or similar on the wheel? 6 flats in three months seems like a lot unless you're riding on roads paved with broken glass.

I ride Continental Gatorskin 25s and two weeks ago got my first flat in >6,000miles, and I ride plenty of unpaved/gravel roads on a regular basis.


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## Thebrann (Apr 23, 2012)

Before you do, are you sure you aren't pinch-flatting? What is your weight, tire width, and what psi are you running? Do you check your pressure before each ride?


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## JoeJoyce (Jul 3, 2012)

I have thought about that. I am 220, 6', the tires are 700 x 23 and I usually ride at about 120 psi. I check the pressure before every ride. I may have caused one of the flats since I was new to changing tires and may have inserted the tube incorrectly, but think I have since corrected that. What do you think?


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## JoeJoyce (Jul 3, 2012)

Thebrann said:


> Before you do, are you sure you aren't pinch-flatting? What is your weight, tire width, and what psi are you running? Do you check your pressure before each ride?


I have thought about that. I am 220, 6', the tires are 700 x 23 and I usually ride at about 120 psi. I check the pressure before every ride. I may have caused one of the flats since I was new to changing tires and may have inserted the tube incorrectly, but think I have since corrected that. What do you think?


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## tihsepa (Nov 27, 2008)

JoeJoyce said:


> I have thought about that. I am 220, 6', the tires are 700 x 23 and I usually ride at about 120 psi. I check the pressure before every ride. I may have caused one of the flats since I was new to changing tires and may have inserted the tube incorrectly, but think I have since corrected that. What do you think?


I think you need to step up to a 25 tire at least. 

Set the pressure at like 95 front 105 rear to start. You will be glad you did.


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## aureliajulia (May 25, 2009)

Don't know about Bontrager, but I vote for Conti Grand Prix 4000s!


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## wanderinwalker (May 10, 2012)

Another voice of non-love for the stock Bontrager tires. My 2.1 came with some wire-bead Bontrager Race or whatever labeled tires. I'm pretty danged handy fixing flats after all of the practice those gave me. 

Last year I switched to Michelin Lithion 2s. Not the lightest, most supple tire nor are they billed as a heavy-duty tire. So far I have about 2k miles on them and have nothing bad to say. I've had a couple of flats (most memorable being a paper staple the rear picked up somehow) but nothing like the epidemic I had with the Bontragers. As a bonus, they were incredibly affordable.

But I will note I am 150-lbs and thus not very hard on rolling gear. I run 23s and the Michelins are wider than the 23c marked Bontragers. (Coincidentally, the 23c Specialized All-Conditions tires I ran for a few hundred miles were also wider than the Bonti tires.)


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## Thebrann (Apr 23, 2012)

That sounds ok. Deff the tires.


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## tednugent (Apr 26, 2010)

ecub said:


> Some people will be fine with the standard race lites, but it all depends on your road. I had a flat with them, but after switching to Bontrager All Weather Hard case, I can ride over ANYTHING, without any issues.


the race all weather hard case seems to need a break-in period before rolling resistance gets better

I'm on Conti GP4000


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## Oldteen (Sep 7, 2005)

RJP Diver said:


> Have you checked the location of the flats against the rims and tires? Could there be a piece of debris embedded in the tire or a burr or similar on the wheel? 6 flats in three months seems like a lot unless you're riding on roads paved with broken glass..


+1. That's a high freq of flats for any tire not worn down to the threads. I'd carefully recheck that rim for anything sharp that might be nicking the tube. Sometimes the rim prob is subtle, like a spoke barely poking through the rim tape or a rough valve hole causing repeated flats at the base of the valve stem.

BTW- I'm no fan of Bontrager wheels on lower-end Madones as I've seen a few of those wheels develop rim crack at spoke holes. But my DW's been running stock Bontrager Race Lite tires for ~1500mi with no trouble. No flats & still look almost brand new. Not the most supple tire, but no cuts on roads that commonly put small nicks in my Rubino Pros or Michelin Pro Race. Would not hesitate to use those RL's for commuting or touring.


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## jiznake (Jan 24, 2012)

tihsepa said:


> I think you need to step up to a 25 tire at least.
> 
> Set the pressure at like 95 front 105 rear to start. You will be glad you did.


I'm also 220ish (I've been bouncing between 215 and 220 at least). And I think for people my size going with a 23 on the front and 25 on the back is the way to go. Then you run right around 100 psi in both tires comfortably.


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## Jason rides (Jul 6, 2012)

JoeJoyce said:


> In the past 3 months of riding my new Madone 4.7, I have had about 6 flat tires (both back and front), so I am wondering about the quality of the Bontrager tires that came with the bike. I rode my 30 year old Schwinn on the same roads (using Contential tires) nad NEVER flatted once!
> 
> Has anyone else had a similar experience? Any suggestions on new tires to switch to? It is really annoying me!


I loved Continental Grand Prix tires. Very odd about the Bontrgager :blush2:


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## rruff (Feb 28, 2006)

JoeJoyce said:


> I have thought about that. I am 220, 6', the tires are 700 x 23 and I usually ride at about 120 psi. I check the pressure before every ride. I may have caused one of the flats since I was new to changing tires and may have inserted the tube incorrectly, but think I have since corrected that. What do you think?


You need to identify where the puncture occurred, and hopefully what caused it. 

If the cause is sharp objects going through the casing, then you need more puncture resistant tires. If not, then getting new tires won't solve your problem.


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## JoeJoyce (Jul 3, 2012)

Well I switched to Continental Gatorskins (the ones that are Kevlar lined) and increased the width to 15 from 23. I have ridden close to 10 times on these tires with NO PROBLEMS. The Bontrager tires would have never held up. So thanks to everyone who provided feedback - it was quite illuminating and SO helpful!


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## Jason rides (Jul 6, 2012)

I have the Trek 4.5. Mine came with the R1 and yours have the R2. Both are 60 TPI. I found the rolling resistant on the R1 not to be so good. I moved up to the R3 Bontrager tire which comes standard on the higher end Trek 5 series. They have 120 TPI and appear to be a much improved tire with less rolling resistance and are lighter. I found I can climb hills a little easier with these tires. With the higher thread count it seems to hold up better on flats. I am 6 foot 200 pounds and I reduced the air to 110. This also seemed to reduce puncture and there is a little more give when the tires roll over stones.

Low end Tires and components from any company is not that great. But the higher end Bontrager products are great. Give the R3's a try with a little less air and I think you will be happy. The Cont Prix 4000 are another good option but they have a little more rolling resistance. The R 3's make your bike fly


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