zerogravity

For the Street, the Bontrager Race Lite All Weather Hardcase. They are 700x32


I broke them in on the SART and i do believe they ride much smoother than the stock LT3's. From what i notice, you get way more roll when coasting. It is a faster tire for sure. I didn't want to buy another set of tubes so i didn't go any smaller than a 700x32. I would have liked to go at least 700x28 but it's ok...i wanted a little cushion anyway.




It is definitely a big change pumping these tires up from 40+ psi to 65+ psi. Being my first real road tire, i wasn't sure what to expect. Overall, the traction is good. It's funny that the tires felt so heavy with grip, realizing later on i was riding AGAINST the wind! haha i averaged about 15mph against the wind, then going back i averaged about 18mph. Big Difference. Since they are the Hardcase versions, im not worried about getting flats..so i can basically enjoy my ride with less worries. Since these are my first Road Tire, i have nothing to compare these to so i say i will give them a 4 out of 5. Once i try other tires, i can give these a more accurate rate.

For the Mountain Biking aspect, i wanted more grip and a little more plush of a ride on the trails/ruts/roots. Since the Dualsport utilizes the Genesis 1 frame, the rear tire size is very limited. The widest you can go is a 29x2.0 based on choclabman's findings so i opted to get the Bontrager 29-3 Fronts and Bontrager 29-3 Rears.

THat's my beautiful wife kindly holding my bike up so i can take some pictures.

Yes, the 29-3 Fronts are wider then the rears at 29x2.25.


Compared to the rears at 29x2.0.


I figured that the intent was to have more corner speed with the wider width on top of more shock absorption while the rears are more directional and square for better straight on climbing and braking.


Up front:
I noticed that the single tracks and down hills were less bumpy. Less stress on my wrists means less fatigue. This is definitely a welcomed changed. Compared to the stock tires, these fronts had more front grip as well. i would slow down quite a bit on a downhill so my front end would make a high speed turn. With the 29-3's i used much less or even no brakes on the down hill, allowing me to go so much faster. Going downhills, i would just coast, but now with the new found grip, i actually pedaled part of the way to go faster! Yes, i was smiling the whole way. Overall, the Bonty 29-3 fronts is a good upgrade if you are looking for a little more performance and cusher ride. 4.5 stars. I gave 4.5 stars because it is a bigger tire and it is heaver.
In the Rear:
Since they are narrower by .25" bit wider than the stock ones by .50", these tires did their job. Along with a more plush ride, the grip was even better. Compared to the stock tires, i could never stand up and pedal with out losing grip and eventually losing momentum. THey were just too narrow for any more grip. Not the case with the 29-3 Rears. I could sit, stand, what ever i needed to do to get up the hill and it gripped. Since then, instead of going 1/1 granny gears on climbs, i have managed to climb from 2/1-2/3!!! The extra grip allowed me to use more torque to get up the hills faster. Overall, for the Ds 8.4 this is a great mod for your bike if you wanted more rear grip. 4.75 for this tire. I think it will be hard to beat this tire for the Fully Loop, but for now, this is the best option IMO for the DualSPort Bikes.

Anyway, thanx for reading.

side_FX

Wow! That bike looks real sweet. That's what I love about the DS series, the way you can lean more to the street or dirt and still get a decent ride. I am considering some 2011 DS models on closeout and was wondering how easy is it to swap out each wheel? I've never dealt with discs and was wondering if that makes it much more difficult to change a tire?

zerogravity

It isn't hard at all. I think i can swap both tires in about 10 minutes with a compressor to air up. Im getting pretty good at it. As far as Discs...they are pretty easy too. One thing i have learned and hae not done again was NOT press on the brake levers when the wheel is off. The Calipers stay compressed and you would have to get a flat head screw driver to pry them open. It isnt a big deal..just a minor inconvenience. I think it is easier to change wheels with discs cuz there isn't and V Brake cables to unhook. Get a DS...it is TRULY a great ALl Round Bike!

Here is a Vid of me going down hill in my DS with his Trek Marlin. As you can see...i have to brake so slow down so i don't hit him...it rolls so good!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K9Nvz...1&feature=plcp

richard4993

That issue with the brakes doesn't happen with mechanical discs so you wouldn't have that issue with a 2011 Kaitai or Utopia and a 2012 8.3 DS. I'm thinking of throwing 32 or 28 road tires on my Utopia and putting the LT3's on my 7200 as what I have now hasn't been too great. Do you know how narrow I can get on the stock rims?

zerogravity

I think the narrowest you can go is 700x28 i believe. I would definitely ask you LHS to confirm.