If you live for insanely steep terrain, high stakes log crossings you ride a DH tire. The new Trail Bear a race proven DH tread design mated to an ultra tough yet lightweight casing to create the ultimate freeride tire.
Submitted by
dnnandxc
a Weekend Warrior
from Vancouver
Date Reviewed: August 14, 2011
Strengths: Grip, cornering and durability. Rolling resistance is good too!
Weaknesses: weight
Bottom Line:
I started hoarding these tires as well, they aren't the lightest, but they're the best combination of Cornering grip and durability I've found. I've been riding one on the front and rear for over 2 years and the rear is only about 75% worn.
Submitted by
pedaler845
a Cross Country Rider
from Hudson Valley, NY
Date Reviewed: December 18, 2009
Strengths: Durabile all rounder.
Weaknesses: ?
Bottom Line:
Its a shame these are probably not made anymore -some are still out there. I have 3 new on the shelf because of their reliability.
Ive never tried them tubeless -I dont get pinch flats, and they grip fine with 40 psi (rear) Im 180#.
These are as grippy as any other 2.3 tire on the varied east coast conditions. They grip and roll better than most.
Ive heard theyre good on the front --theyve done so well as a rear thats where I use them--- my front tire is a 2.4 like the Mountain King.
Submitted by
jamis brown
a Weekend Warrior
from Ingalls Indiana, USA
Date Reviewed: August 25, 2008
Strengths: wears like iron
fun to ride on
cushy for a hardtail
price
Weaknesses: rolling resistance
Bottom Line:
Bang for the buck; there is no bigger. I've gotton 800 dirt miles on one a rear tire and it still looks and works great. It really completes the off road package for trail blasting.
Submitted by
axlissel
a Cross Country Rider
from Lima, Peru
Date Reviewed: July 27, 2008
Strengths: Long lasting all around tire, grip, cornering, braking.
Weaknesses: slow and noisy on pavement, very hard tire
Bottom Line:
Excellent all around tire, resist lots punishment in diffeent conditions. I weight 220lbs and I broke the Specialized Resolution in the first use over rocks. These tires resisted and performed excellent. I will try them with a tube less conversion kit.
Similar Products Used: Specialized Resolution Pro 26x2.1", 120TPI, aramid bead, dual compound
Bike Setup: Stumpjumper FSR Comp plain vainilla 2007
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
BlackSCRunner
a Weekend Warrior
from Boston, MA USA
Date Reviewed: May 15, 2008
Strengths: This is my first review here, but I felt the need to add to the great reviews of this tire. I will not buy another mtb tire for general 'all mountain' trail riding PERIOD. I ride in the Northeast and this tire grips amazing everything from loose gravel and sand to pine needles and roots to dirt, grass, and solid rock! I run 2.5's front and rear and they hook up awesome. I can't wait to try them downhill this summer!
Weaknesses: Do not try to ride on the road unless you want a really good leg workout! I have ridden around the city on these a little bit, they are kinda loud, and you feel the tread, and they take some effort to get moving. But that is NOT what they are for! For trail riding, not racing XC, these are the best tires I've ever used!
Bottom Line:
If you want ultimate traction in a WIDE variety of terrain, and you don't care about rolling wicked fast like an XC racer, and you don't plan to use them on the road, BUY THEM! I have bought all my pairs at price point. At $20 they are a bargain, when they go on sale for $13 or $15 I stock up! You should too! Now go ride!
Similar Products Used: WTB weirwolf (not impressed) Michelin wildgripper lite(great grip but waaay too many flats!) Continental Gravity (Terrible on loose stuff IMO)
Bike Setup: Giant Reign, uncut manitou nixon, moto-style brakes, protaper fat bars, thompson shorty stem, carbon spacers to make my bars high, oury grips, azonic loveseat saddle. I LOVE IT SET UP THIS WAY!
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
Andrew D.
a Weekend Warrior
from British Columbia
Date Reviewed: April 28, 2008
Strengths: Traction, traction, traction! Resistance to pinch-flats
Weaknesses: Weight
Bottom Line:
Wow - these cheap ($19.00), tires offer some of, if not, 'the' best, traction I've yet to experience in a mountain-bike tire! I was able to climb, non-stop to the top of a bluff that our trail-building group has been working on for three summers - I'm officially the first one to have every ridden it non-stop to the top!
I own this distinction to these brutally heavy, but stunningly traction-oriented 2.5” tires.
If you’re looking for a killer tire for you’re all-mountain ride - and aren’t a weight-weenie – you’ve found traction heaven here.
Submitted by
Kevin B
a Cross Country Rider
from Southwest VA
Date Reviewed: March 18, 2008
Strengths: Traction!
Weaknesses: Weight, Rolling Resistence
Bottom Line:
The is a tractor tire. Seriously, this thing has a tremendous amount of grip even when things get wet. But the trade off is it's also a bit heavier and the rolling resistance is not that great. Breakaway is also kind of sudden as the profile isn't very round and you can't lean these tires over as much as I'd prefer. That said, it's a great all around tire with good grip at a great price.
Similar Products Used: wtb velociraptors, maxxis ignitors, hutchinson python airlights
Bike Setup: singlespeed
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Nick White
a Cross Country Rider
from Perth WA Australia
Date Reviewed: March 6, 2008
Strengths: Grip well in terrible gravel on steep hills. Very predictable slide.
Weaknesses: NONE that I can find
I wish to edit my previous rather tough post about this. I was concerned about the sidewalls. Later I was assured by several people that the lines in the S/W did not matter. They were right. The lines are still there, the tyres still grip like whatever to a blanket.
Bottom Line:
I read all the reviews. I bought on the strength of those. I am not sorry.
Not the fastest tyre around, but I trust them to the nth.
Submitted by
Mark Huppertz
a Weekend Warrior
from Tijeras, NM, USA
Date Reviewed: October 4, 2007
Strengths: Great tire in all conditions. Different tire pressures adjust for different terrain perfectly. Tough and long lasting. I bomb these tires without mercy on sharp rocks for the last three years, and haven't had a pinch flat 'till this last weekend. I'm going to buy another set just to make sure I have them!
Weaknesses: None.
Bottom Line:
I wish I had a bunch of money so I could buy 10 sets of these!
I have to give this a 4. It is a great tyre - my favourite front so far and I've tried quite a few. It's a nice round shape and the side lugs are well supported, means it corners like a bad boy.
Negatives are that it is conditions dependent, it doesn't like wet roots and rocks (the rubber is too hard) and is middling in loose dry alpine conditions. The sidewall is also too thin to run at sub 35 psi.
I reckon my next front tyre will be a similar moto style but with thicker sidewall and softer rubber. WTB Prowler anyone??!
Submitted by
John
a Weekend Warrior
from Billings Mt USA
Date Reviewed: July 25, 2007
Strengths: Really good front tire. Very predictable - goes where you point it. Rolling resistance on pavement as good as any I've tried.
Weaknesses: None so far
Bottom Line:
I ride a lot on hilly "gravel" roads that are really beds of 1/2 inch river pebbles. The Trail Bear at 40 lbs. gives me much better directional stability in this stuff than the Dart. Very reassuring feeling running or braking. Even beats the Smokes on the rear for traction and the corner lugs don't tear off nearly as easily.
Strengths: Cornering. The best cornering tire ever.
Weaknesses: None
Bottom Line:
I've tried many tires over the past 15 years, and this is the best cornering tire ever. I'm using 2.25 width for general purpose, racing and light freeride. Grip is tenacious, lets go very predictably - the only two wheel drift around a hairpin that I've ever done in an XC race was with these tires.
Weaknesses: VERY thin sidewall. Pinch flats, and rollovers (sub 30psi.)
Bottom Line:
Overall this is a good tire, I like to run low pressures (sub 30psi.) in my tires, so with these tires, it presented the problem of pinch flats in the rock gardens. I had to run 35+ psi. with DH tubes 2.25mm thick in order not to pinch. Its too bad because I really like these tires. Also the traction on large rocks were poor, but there really are not many tires out there that preform any better.
Submitted by
Scott
a Weekend Warrior
from Seabrook, TX
Date Reviewed: July 1, 2007
Strengths: great cornering, sticky compound, great wear
Weaknesses: a little heavy, weak sidewall
Bottom Line:
I put 500mi (by my computer)on a set, until my rear tire wore out. Then I went with a set of panaracer fire xc pros. I was unhappy with the cornering ability of the fire xc on the front so I put the trail bear back on the front and used it for another 1000mi. This past week I hucked a 4ft ramp @ 22mph w/35lbs in the front tire and it blew-out a big hole in the side on the landing sending me tumbling through gravel - ouch!!! I still give them a great rating because I had over 1500mi on this tire.
Submitted by
Derek
a Weekend Warrior
from California
Date Reviewed: May 20, 2007
Strengths: Grippy compound, aggressive knobs, kevlar bean, light weight for FR tire, enough width and volume to run low pressures, wear very well
Weaknesses: Thin sidewall prone to pinch flat, compound turns slippery after a while, somewhat tall profile
Bottom Line:
This is a great, cheap and sticky FR tire. I found them quite grippy in most conditions that I encounter here in N. California; hard packed, wet, roots, rocky. They have enough volume to run low pressures, but be careful because it's a fine line to getting low enough to pinch flat easily. I tend to run around 28 PSI with good results. The side walls are thin compared to other FR tires so I also found them to fold a tad w/ low pressures, but the upside is light weight.
I've had the tires for 2 years and they've worn very well. The knobs have of course lost their sharp corners/edges, but they still stand strong and tall.
However, I have noticed that they have suddenly lost grip in the turns, partially responsible for laying down some nice raspberries on my leg. I haven't ridden the bike for a few months, so I can only assume the rubber has aged to the point where it's no longer as grippy. But 2 years is a long time to own a tire, and I got plenty of good miles out of these.
I just ordered another set for $20 apiece since I couldn't really find another that suited me well. Almost went for the Kenda Blue Groove/Nevegal combo, but too many poor reviews about them only lasting a month.
