Bontrager XR4 Tire

3.77/5

(13 Reviews)

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MSRP : $34.99

Product Description

Light and fast rolling. Designed to out-corner any other tire on the market. Engineered for XC and Trail riders in loose and rocky conditions. Covered by Bontrager's Unconditional Performance Guarantee. Available in 2.20 or 2.35, wire bead, 60 TPI.

Bontrager XR4 and 29-4 All Mountain Tire Pro Review

by Francois Jun 12 2012, 3:46PM

The UPS man arrived with a bunch of XR4 tires and we were rightfully excited. The tread pattern is much different from the previous generation as it is more modern with a simple, blocky and more open style. The 26er tires are called XR-4 and the 29er tires are 29-4. The ’4' refers to their trail/traction abilities on a 0-4 line with the XR0 being an ultra lightweight xc race tire and the XR4 being an aggressive all mountain tire. Continue reading →

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Reviews 1 - 13 (13 Reviews Total)

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Submitted by Vuco a All Mountain Rider

Date Reviewed: May 30, 2013

Strengths:    Great all round traction and grip, work an all terrain for now, dry or wet

Weaknesses:    none so far (don't know the weight)

Bottom Line:

Came on my new Slash 8 2012 (should be 26x2.35" Expert issue). Thought I'll throw them away after the first ride and put on my trusted Schwalbe Albert 2.35, but they gave me a lot to think about, and for now - they have been remarkable in every situation.

Since the weather this year is not stable, in first 5-6 rides I got to run them in the dry and in wet, hard pack or loose soil, and specially in muddy conditions.
Rear tire has great traction while climbing and feels like no addition drag exists. If you keep spinning, they get you to the top and thats what it is all about. Wet rocks and roots also great (there are probably some tires that are better than them in the muddy conditions, but as all round tires, the Bontragers are worth every penny). Really, no whatsoever drawbacks or negatives up to date. Didn't even had a snake bite or a pinch flat (run them with tubes for now).

In the front also 5+. Braking, cornering great (don't like when tires get loose if you lean and then get the grip back as you get the side knobs in action), riding on wet roots and stones without a hitch. In muddy conditions the front slides but gets you in the direction you want.

Can't find a fault for now. Hope the rest of the Bontrager parts do as the tires (khm, wheelset).

Cant say nothing about durability since I'm ridding them for a month only. But for now don't see any fast wear on the rear especially.

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Favorite Trail:   Sljeme, Zagreb

Duration Product Used:   1 month

Similar Products Used:   Schwalbe Albert 2.25/2.35, Continental Rubber Queen 2.2, Geax DHea 2.3, WTB ExiWolf 2.1 (the best rear tire I had up to these Bontragers)

Bike Setup:   Trek Slash 8 2012 everything stock

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Submitted by Dante M a Weekend Warrior

Date Reviewed: January 26, 2013

Strengths:    Long tread life (I'm on 4 years), ridiculously smooth and grippy cornering on DH pavement even in wet, controllable on dry dirt DH corners, OK for wet sand or mud, very fun in the snow. The tread, despite being ripped up from years of shredding will still cruise through the city smoothly, love these tires!

Weaknesses:    Thin side wall for DH, perfect for XC.

Bottom Line:

I would buy these tires again and again. Definitely for XC or DH mountain pass pavement runs and not hard core DH bike stuff as the sidewalls are thin. But this thinness is what allows the tire to be so light.

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Favorite Trail:   The closed one

Duration Product Used:   4 years

Price Paid:    $100.00

Purchased At:   Sussex Bike and Spor

Similar Products Used:   Panaracer Fire XC Pro (which were better at uphill gravel climbs)

Bike Setup:   Trek 4300, Shimano parts, dart 3 rock shox

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Submitted by Rafael a Weekend Warrior

Date Reviewed: September 8, 2012

Strengths:    Good rolling and fast tires. High volume, good for trail riding.

Weaknesses:    Weak side wall, hich punctured easily.

Bottom Line:

These came standard on my 2012 Trek Fuel EX 8, which I have owned for 8 months. I have been using them tubeless and running them at 36 PSI on the rear. Somehow the rear tire sidewall punctured after a small drop (don't remember hitting a rock). The thread is still good and I don't want to run different tires so I will give it a second chance but it seems that the side wall might be too thin. Will post again.

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Favorite Trail:   Porcupine Rim

Duration Product Used:   8 months

Price Paid:    $64.00

Purchased At:   LBS

Similar Products Used:   Several WTBs

Bike Setup:   Stock 2012 Fuel EX 8

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Submitted by jeorge

Date Reviewed: June 8, 2012

Strengths:    none

Weaknesses:    F@#K these tires. The knobs and compound is too soft. Washes out OFTEN! Does NOT handle loose or sandy terrain. Does NOT feel confident ever!

Bottom Line:

F@#$ these tires! BURN EM!

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Similar Products Used: schawalbe, kenda, intense, continental,

Bike Setup: Trek Scratch 9

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Submitted by chichantes

Date Reviewed: May 29, 2012

Strengths:    Grippy. Great traction

Weaknesses:    A tad more rolling resistance than my old Maxxis.

Bottom Line:

Came stock on my 2012 EX 8. I do not plan on changing until they wear out, and might replace with the same thing.

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Submitted by jasonsmeall a Cross Country Rider

Date Reviewed: May 16, 2012

Strengths:    Amazing grip, you don't feel any rolling resistance, look awesome on the bike!

Weaknesses:    Only thing I could say negative is the weight, they could be a little lighter.

Bottom Line:

I love these tires, purchased Bontrager XR4 26 x 2.20 at the start of the season. Currently have just short of 400kms of quick XC riding on them. I am now given the confidence to throw the bike into the corners, even a sandy one and push myself harder then I ever did last year! The more I ride on these tires the better they feel! These tires have helped me have the second best time on a segment on Strava, only to be out done by a Pro Rider / Racer by less then 25 seconds. Overall I would recommend these to anyone looking for a tire with great grip, yet not a huge budget maybe not the first choice for someone that wants a really light tire. Bontrager tires will be the first company I look into when I need to replace these XR4’s.

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Favorite Trail:   Walker Woods / Glen Major

Price Paid:    $35.00

Purchased At:   Down to Earth Advent

Similar Products Used:   Hutchinton Bulldog 26 x 2.21

Bike Setup:   2006 Jamis Dakar XC Comp Fox FLOAT R shock 90mm, Manitou R7 Comp w/ rebound 100mm, UNO 90mm Stem, Ritchey Pro Flat bar, Easton EA30 Seatpost 27.2, ODI Rouge Lock-on Grips, Mavic XM117 rims, Bontrager XR4 Tire 2.20", SRAM X-9 rear derailleur, SRAM X-9 Impulse trigger shifters, 2011 TruVativ FireX 3.3 crankset. Crank Brothers Egg Beater SL, Avid Juicy 5 hydraulic disc

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Submitted by RCOSpeedwagon a Cross Country Rider from Akron OH

Date Reviewed: August 24, 2011

Strengths:    Tire bead makes installation and removal quite easy. Rolls quite well and is relatively quite on pavement considering the substantial tread.

Weaknesses:    These tires do not perform well when wet. After water crossings, the tires slip on dry rocks and dry roots far worse than any tire I have used in the past (using this tire as front and back). Additionally, picks up and retains loamy and muddy soil, i.e. does not shed well at all.

Bottom Line:

Bought these tires to get by for the rest of the season. After this season concludes I will be searching for a new tire setup and put these on my spare bike. I would not recommend these tires.

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Favorite Trail:   West Branch

Duration Product Used:   3 months

Price Paid:    $40.00

Purchased At:   LBS

Similar Products Used:   Specialized S-Works Purgatory, Specialized The Captain Control, Panaracer Fire XC.

Bike Setup:   2010 Specialized Stumpjumper FSR Expert, stock.

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Submitted by Orembiker a Downhiller from Orem, Ut

Date Reviewed: August 1, 2011

Strengths:    Not a whole lot of rolling resistance

Weaknesses:    Weak Sidewalls, bad grip on dry dirt. Consistently washing out and pinch flatting.

Bottom Line:

I'm searching reviews right now for replacement tires. I'm stick on pinch flatting. I've had to run these at lower PSI because they keep washing out on the cornering.

They seem to do great on the uphill, but I'm not riding uphill enough to make up for the weakness on the DH.

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Favorite Trail:   Anything in American Fork

Duration Product Used:   3 months

Purchased At:   Came with bike

Similar Products Used:   Kenda Nevegals, WTB, and a handful of others

Bike Setup:   Trek Scratch Air 8.0

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Submitted by stompeinator a Racer from Novato, Ca

Date Reviewed: February 21, 2011

Strengths:    Long life, excellent grip, durable sidewalls, rolls well for a knobby tire

Weaknesses:    none so far

Bottom Line:

Great tire. I've ridden these at whistler, northstar, and climbed thousands of vertical feet with them to reach singletrack. They last a pretty long tome for a rear tire, goin on 8 months and i think i can squeeze a few more months out of them, and they lock up great in most soil conditions. Very predictable tire, highly recommended for all mountain applications

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Favorite Trail:   hairball

Duration Product Used:   6 months

Purchased At:   Free promoed from Tr

Similar Products Used:   wtb, kenda, you name it

Bike Setup:   2007 enduro expert cherried out

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Submitted by cyk a Cross Country Rider from Evergreen, CO

Date Reviewed: February 5, 2011

Strengths:    1. Extremely grippy
2. Directional to run less rolling resistance or more traction
3. Can be used front or rear
4. Can be run tubeless
5. Large volume in the 2.2" size give a lot of bouyancy
6. Long lasting
7. Inexpensive

Weaknesses:    1. A bit heavy

Bottom Line:

With the XR4's overall traction, longevity, and cost, I would have no problems recommending it for all-mountain type use for the rider who is willing to give up a bit in weight for performance in every other category. The most similar to the Kenda Nevegal in traction, but far better than the Kenda for longevity.

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Duration Product Used:   6 months

Similar Products Used:   1. Kenda Nevegal
2. Continental Trail King
3. Continental Mountain King
4. Maxxis Larsen TT

Bike Setup:   Trek 69er SS

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Submitted by Ripley_405 a Weekend Warrior from UK

Date Reviewed: November 8, 2010

Strengths:    Confidence inspiring sidewalls; fast rolling; sheds the "not too wet" stuff away fairly quickly; nice compound

Weaknesses:    The sizes are on the big side; can be a pain to align on the rim; if it's too wet and sticky they find it hard to get rid of it and end up getting clagged up

Bottom Line:

I bought some Bonty Mud X's for last years uber wet season (well, in Yorkshire it was horrendous), and I instantly fell in love with them. So much so that I turned my back on Maxxis and went as Bonty for all my tyres.

At first they were a pain to set on the rim correctly, took ages to get them anywhere near right, but in time they centred nicely. And the 2.35 is huge!!! I am going to swap them to 2.2's when the weather turns again early next year.

Their first outing was Dalby Forest, in April earlier this year. Whereas they ate up the trail with consummate ease, I did discover that if you run them at too high a psi (limits = 30 - 50) then the height of the lugs alone can make you squirm around a bit; so even in the dry I am running quite low psi's (max 40 if the sun has baked the trails, but i tend to stick to 35).

They've loved the dry dusty trail centres, and the wet rocky Lake District alike, not having any issues and being very predictable, especially in high speed corners. They are as fast rolling as I need them to be, and they don't give away any grip due to that.

If it does get a bit sticky then they can clog up quite easily, but they don't lose all their grip, so as an all round, all year tyre I'm impressed. They've lasted well enough, but I reckon next year I'll get some more, to keep my contact to the trails as i want it. I might also try running and XR2 up front, XR4 out back. Could be fun...

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Favorite Trail:   Llandegla

Duration Product Used:   1 Year

Price Paid:    $30.00

Purchased At:   Evans

Similar Products Used:   None really. Not of the same ilk anyway. I've had Maxxis High Rollers and Minions and i gave some Nevegals a blast.

Bike Setup:   Pace RC405, RS Revs Team Dual Air, DT Swiss M210, Mavic 719's, SLX/XT Mix, SLX double and bash, Avid Elixir R's

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Submitted by dhalsey a Cross Country Rider from anahiem

Date Reviewed: October 29, 2010

Strengths:    gripy, rolls very well. great sidewall strength

Weaknesses:    I haven't found any

Bottom Line:

They don't look like anything special. I was about to strip these off the bike and put on my kenda combo. I've never used Bontrager tires. Hit the trail and have been surprised. The breakaway seems higher on the dry dusty, rocky terrain out here. The float over the lose. I feel like I can push these tires to more extreme lean angles. I'm looking forward to putting the rim strip on and trying them tubeless. Try them. You might be surprised.

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Favorite Trail:   fully loop[

Duration Product Used:   3 months

Similar Products Used:   most of the kenda line

Bike Setup:   2010 remedy 7
dual chainring, blackspire stinger, kona wha wha's

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Submitted by shademan a Cross Country Rider from shademan50@comcast.net

Date Reviewed: October 19, 2010

Strengths:    Grips most everything. Great on loose, rocky conditions. Feel very confident on them

Weaknesses:    Big......looks like a DH tire. Not sure about the weight. The climbs hurt, but I'm not sure it's the tire's fault. Went from a 25 pound Cannondale Scapel to a Trek Remedy 9...about 29 pounds

Bottom Line:

When I got my new bike I was all set to replace the tires before I even rode them. They are just huge and look bigger than the claimed 2.35. But I decided to give them a try, and I'm impressed. They hook up on most everything and seem to float over the trap rock that is very common here in CT. I have not used them on wet or muddy trails just yet. I'm not sure of the weight, but they look heavy. I'm struggling on the climbs, but that could be for other reasons besides the tires.....Like most things in life, it's a give and take thing...a heavy tire that gets me through most everything...or a lighter tire that climbs better, but may not inspire the confidence this tire does

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Favorite Trail:   Case Mtn

Duration Product Used:   Less than 1 month

Price Paid:    $1.00

Purchased At:   Biker's Edge

Similar Products Used:   came with the bike....

Bike Setup:   Trek Remedy 9...full XT.....

Reviews 1 - 13 (13 Reviews Total)

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Bontrager XR4 Tire

Product Description

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