Bontrager tire question for you tire guys?
#1
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Phoenix, Az
Posts: 161
Bikes: "10" Trek 7.3, early 90's Raliegh Dash, late 80's Takara 12spd Road Bike
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Bontrager tire question for you tire guys?
I just got back from a 23 mile bike ride on my Fx 7.3 to find my rear tire (Bontrager Race Lite Hardcase, 700x32c) has about 2-3 inches of rubber peeling off. I did lock up the rear tire when a dog ran out in front of me about 2 miles into my ride so now I need a new tire, don't know if this caused it.
The tires only have 1000 miles as of today and I was running 105#s of pressure in them. If this is something that is common with these tires I would prefer to go with another brand. To get the same tire it will be $45 but I am not against buying two other brand of tires if it would be better for me in the long run.
So now my question.
Is this something that is common with this brand of tire or is it just a fluke?
The tires only have 1000 miles as of today and I was running 105#s of pressure in them. If this is something that is common with these tires I would prefer to go with another brand. To get the same tire it will be $45 but I am not against buying two other brand of tires if it would be better for me in the long run.
So now my question.
Is this something that is common with this brand of tire or is it just a fluke?
#2
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Rochester, NY
Posts: 1,342
Bikes: 1962 Carlton Franco-Suisse Custom,1968 Raleigh DL-1/Tourist, 1971 Holdsworth Professional, 1973 Holdsworth Mistral,1973 Raleigh Gran Sport,1974 Raleigh Grand Prix, 1993 Trek 2200 Composite, 2011 Trek 7.3FX
Mentioned: 4 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 67 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 6 Times
in
6 Posts
ive had bontrager tires before and currently and they have lasted a lot longer than that, never had any rubber peel off the tire, a buddy has that same bike, bought new last year, never had any problems with the tires... the front derailleur on the the other hand.. thats a different story,
i would stick with the same brand, but if you find a comparable tire for a good price, can't hurt to switch...
i would stick with the same brand, but if you find a comparable tire for a good price, can't hurt to switch...
#3
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: South Brooklyn, NYC
Posts: 360
Bikes: '80 Trek 710, '81 Trek 613, '82 Trek 613, '86 Trek 500, '87 Bridgestone MB2, '87 Specialized Rockhopper, '87 Schwinn Circuit, '88 Miyata 712, '89 Trek 400, '97 Trek 6000, '11 Trek Utopia, '13 Specialized Allez Race, '15 All City Macho Man
Mentioned: 3 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 45 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Whatever you do make sure you buy tires that have a similar puncture protection to the ones you have now as flats will become more of an issue. I have some bonty race lite hardcase tires on my Trek 7200 and they have worked very well so that might be something to look into.
#4
Constant tinkerer
A picture might help, but a few seconds of locking up the rear wheel should not cause this.
I've heard of the Bontrager tires separating at the different "layers" but I've put tons of miles on mine and never had it happen. I would see if you could take the tire back to the shop and maybe get a warranty or something if your tire was defective. Otherwise, if it were me, I would've lost confidence in that brand/tire and switch to something else. There are lots of tire choices out there. I've heard good things about Continental Gatorskins.
I've heard of the Bontrager tires separating at the different "layers" but I've put tons of miles on mine and never had it happen. I would see if you could take the tire back to the shop and maybe get a warranty or something if your tire was defective. Otherwise, if it were me, I would've lost confidence in that brand/tire and switch to something else. There are lots of tire choices out there. I've heard good things about Continental Gatorskins.
Last edited by FastJake; 03-08-12 at 06:10 PM.
#5
I love custom cruisers
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Lincoln, NE
Posts: 310
Bikes: Versato Riviera 21spd cruiser, 2005 Schwinn Typhoon cruiser 700c wheels, Ocean Pacific cruiser 6spd suicide front brake, 1993 Giant Acapulco SS conversion project
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
i run bontrager tires on a few bikes with no problem even with a ton of skid stopping ive never had any real wear on them.
i agree a pic would be helpfull.
i agree a pic would be helpfull.
#6
Banned
As I understand, in a panic stop you locked up the rear wheel and
skidded a flat spot in the the tire.
skidded a flat spot in the the tire.
#7
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: South Brooklyn, NYC
Posts: 360
Bikes: '80 Trek 710, '81 Trek 613, '82 Trek 613, '86 Trek 500, '87 Bridgestone MB2, '87 Specialized Rockhopper, '87 Schwinn Circuit, '88 Miyata 712, '89 Trek 400, '97 Trek 6000, '11 Trek Utopia, '13 Specialized Allez Race, '15 All City Macho Man
Mentioned: 3 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 45 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
The question is how long was that wheel locked up for. If I was to lock my rear wheel going 30 mph down hill I would definatly need a new tire by the time I stopped. Now i'm sure that isn't the case but the tire might be damaged from skidding with it.
#8
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Phoenix, Az
Posts: 161
Bikes: "10" Trek 7.3, early 90's Raliegh Dash, late 80's Takara 12spd Road Bike
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
here are some pictures of the tire. I was going about 12mph when I locked up the back tire, I just don't know if that was the cause.
#9
30 YR Wrench
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Oxford, OH
Posts: 2,006
Bikes: Waterford R-33, Madone 6.5, Trek 520
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 3 Times
in
2 Posts
Looks like you skidded through the tire to the kevlar belts. The tire is shot! But if you have a good shop, they might take pity on you and hook you up with new one at a discount.
Learning to effectively use the front brake can help prevent this sort of thing, but sometimes, it is hard to avoid it. Better to lose tread than skin, IMHO!
Learning to effectively use the front brake can help prevent this sort of thing, but sometimes, it is hard to avoid it. Better to lose tread than skin, IMHO!
#10
Constant tinkerer
Sometimes when I panic I grab both brakes by accident, but if you're not yet aware in such a situation (on dry pavement) you should only be jamming the front brake just before the point you tip over. This takes practice but it's important safety-wise because the front brake alone will stop you twice as fast as the rear brake alone.
#11
I let the dogs out
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Boulder, CO
Posts: 1,934
Bikes: 2011 Fuji Roubaix 1.0, 2003 Ti Merlin Solis, & 1994 Raleigh MT200
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
I agree with everything that you said, except the sentence that I've quoted. I disagree there, because if you are on a budget, it is much better to get a few bruises and scrapes than to blow through a $50 tire. Though if I had a limitless budget for your bike, I'd much rather lose rubber than skin, but that is not the case.
That being said, I've practiced my front brake for quite a while now, and I now have excellent modulation skills. I've never endo'd, but I have gotten my rear wheel off the ground by about a foot in a panic stop.
Just my $0.02.
That being said, I've practiced my front brake for quite a while now, and I now have excellent modulation skills. I've never endo'd, but I have gotten my rear wheel off the ground by about a foot in a panic stop.
Just my $0.02.
Last edited by AlphaDogg; 03-08-12 at 11:20 PM.
#12
tcarl
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: St. Louis, MO
Posts: 561
Bikes: Roark, Waterford 1100, 1987 Schwinn Paramount, Nishiki Professional, Bottecchia, 2 Scattantes, 3 Cannondale touring bikes, mtn. bike, cyclocross, hybrid, 1940's era Schwinn
Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 27 Post(s)
Liked 9 Times
in
7 Posts
I'd guess you either damaged the tire in the skid or that it was a defective tire. I've not had any trouble like that with those tires and I've been riding them several years. If you like them, get the same kind again.
#13
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: River City, OR
Posts: 672
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 9 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
With that kind of separation of the tread, I'd look elsewhere than Bontrager in the future, even though others haven't reported any problems. It looks to me like thats a dual compound tire, and there was a bonding issue of the two compounds. Maybe stay away from those in the future?
#14
Subjectively Insane
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Saint Louis, Missouri
Posts: 802
Bikes: '09 Rodriguez Adventurer Custom, '08 Trek 7.3Fx
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
I went through three hard-cases, all of them had the tread pull off the casing within 400 miles of being new. I avoid them for a number of reason, durability being one.
#15
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Sheboygan, WI
Posts: 157
Bikes: '87 Peugeot PB14, '98 homegrown, '72 world sport...
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
Theres alot of people out there that like the stuff but from what i've seen come thru the shop the past couple of years the quality seems to have gone downhill. 5 years ago i didn't see much of it prematurely fail but as of lately idk whats going on but I make sure theres nothing Bontrager on my bike.
#16
I love custom cruisers
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Lincoln, NE
Posts: 310
Bikes: Versato Riviera 21spd cruiser, 2005 Schwinn Typhoon cruiser 700c wheels, Ocean Pacific cruiser 6spd suicide front brake, 1993 Giant Acapulco SS conversion project
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Theres alot of people out there that like the stuff but from what i've seen come thru the shop the past couple of years the quality seems to have gone downhill. 5 years ago i didn't see much of it prematurely fail but as of lately idk whats going on but I make sure theres nothing Bontrager on my bike.
My old select invert are still going strong after god knows how many miles and skid stops.
#17
makn'a phonecall to doggy
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: The blue suit.
Posts: 490
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 24 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
I bought a low-miles '08 7.5fx last May and the selfsame tires delaminated promptly. Knew about this tire's defective character from the web, but didn't bother the dude I got it from about it as he thought they were "good" tires. As such he wanted (and got because I needed the bike) his asking price. Tires, chain, and front hub adustment (this alone) should have got me a few dollars off. If I met him on the street and he asked about the bike I'd not hesitate to disabuse him his opinion of being attentive to this/a bike's funtioning (politely of course on my part)--he claimed he was attentive to such things. Doesn't everyone, no? Le sigh.
I get by with a Serfas Seca wirebead front and a Maxxis refuse on the rear. This combo has been satisfactory regarding puncture but not treadlife. I do ride through all kind of sharp street litter. YMMV.
Gonna try a Fyxation Accela on the rear here before April's end.
As far as the FX, it's allright, but I wouln't get it a second time.
#18
makn'a phonecall to doggy
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: The blue suit.
Posts: 490
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 24 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Theres alot of people out there that like the stuff but from what i've seen come thru the shop the past couple of years the quality seems to have gone downhill. 5 years ago i didn't see much of it prematurely fail but as of lately idk whats going on but I make sure theres nothing Bontrager on my bike.
#19
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2011
Posts: 137
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
That seems highly unusual. My dad has these in a 700x23c and has several thousand miles on his and havent even punctured. I have bontrager T1 for training and they are freaking bombproof. 15 bucks a tire, I even use them on a trainer trying to wear them and they look like brand new.
#20
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2007
Posts: 6,760
Mentioned: 10 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1107 Post(s)
Liked 1,197 Times
in
758 Posts
Isn't 105 PSI really, really high for a 32mm tire? I run 700X32's Michelin City tires on my commuter and run them at about 60 PSI front, 65 rear. I weigh 165. I don't know off hand what the PSI rating printed on the tire is, but I don't think it's higher than 80.
I don't know if that has anything to do with your tire's premature failure. What's the PSI printed on your tire, what's your weight, and why did you choose 105? I don't even run 105 on my 700X23 tires on my lighweight road bike. (95 front 100 rear... never a pinch flat).
I can imagine an overinflated tire having problems, but again, I have no idea if it relates to your problem at all.
That said, I wouldn't buy another set of Bontragers if I had that problem. Why not try some other brand instead. I'm very happy with my Michelin's and they weren't too expensive. ~1500 miles and hardly show wear.
You would actually think about this as either a general rule of thumb or during an actual emergency event - to spare wear and tear on your tire knowing you'd certainly go down as a trade off? I can see consciouisly thinking of maneuvering or going down rather than using the brakes if it's a situation wher your experience has taught you braking isn't the right thing to do in that event. But to actually think about going down when braking would be the effective thing to do? Just to spare a tire? That's what tires are for!
To me the "chance" of ruining a tire (and it's only a chance, not a sure thing) is no where near worth the chance of certain pain of going down and any tiny chance of a broken bone or bad sprain, let alone the added possibility of face, teeth, head or neck problems. Not even close to being worth it, at my most poverty stricken working student days.
To each his own, I guess. But I wonder if you're really serious.
I don't know if that has anything to do with your tire's premature failure. What's the PSI printed on your tire, what's your weight, and why did you choose 105? I don't even run 105 on my 700X23 tires on my lighweight road bike. (95 front 100 rear... never a pinch flat).
I can imagine an overinflated tire having problems, but again, I have no idea if it relates to your problem at all.
That said, I wouldn't buy another set of Bontragers if I had that problem. Why not try some other brand instead. I'm very happy with my Michelin's and they weren't too expensive. ~1500 miles and hardly show wear.
To me the "chance" of ruining a tire (and it's only a chance, not a sure thing) is no where near worth the chance of certain pain of going down and any tiny chance of a broken bone or bad sprain, let alone the added possibility of face, teeth, head or neck problems. Not even close to being worth it, at my most poverty stricken working student days.
To each his own, I guess. But I wonder if you're really serious.
Last edited by Camilo; 03-10-12 at 03:08 PM.
#22
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Oklahoma
Posts: 9,438
Bikes: Trek 5500, Colnago C-50
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 7 Times
in
6 Posts
I replaced the Bontrager Race Lite tires on my wife's bike with Michelin Pro Race tires. She says that's the best thing I've ever done for her.
#23
I love custom cruisers
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Lincoln, NE
Posts: 310
Bikes: Versato Riviera 21spd cruiser, 2005 Schwinn Typhoon cruiser 700c wheels, Ocean Pacific cruiser 6spd suicide front brake, 1993 Giant Acapulco SS conversion project
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
#24
Banned
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Lincoln Ne
Posts: 9,924
Bikes: RANS Stratus TerraTrike Tour II
Mentioned: 46 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3352 Post(s)
Liked 1,054 Times
in
634 Posts
While I dont have Bontrager tires, I use their tubes. I dont know what company makes Bontrager tubes, I understand that there really is only 4 or 5 tube manuf in the world. Any way I have found that Bontrager tubes lose pressure slower than any other tube brand that I have used.
#25
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Phoenix, Az
Posts: 161
Bikes: "10" Trek 7.3, early 90's Raliegh Dash, late 80's Takara 12spd Road Bike
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
I decided to replace both tires instead of just the bad rear tire. I went from the 700x32 Bontrager hard case tires to two $15 Forté Strada K 700x28's, I haven't really had a chance to test them on the open road. I did go on a 7 mile ride to Mcdonalds with my nieces yesterday and they seemed to ride smoother then my old tires and today I took my neices on a 4.5 mile ride and a 2 mile walk today. I had the girls go thru some open fields to see how my tires did on hard pack, 2 miles from home the tires on their bikes started going flat. We walked the bikes back home, I took thier tires apart and when all was said and done each tube had 3 to 5 holes each. So far my tires are holding up fine, tomorrow may be different, so far i'm happy with the new tires for now.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
OmgAlexteece
Singlespeed & Fixed Gear
6
03-04-11 02:14 PM