Bontrager Jones XR Tubeless Tire

2.75/5

(28 Reviews)

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Product Description

New high volume, lightweight, front and rear specific tire

Tubeless Ready technology optimizes the tire for use with sealant, which saves nearly 100 grams per wheel (over tubeless) and provides race proven performance

Gum-Bi dual compound (68a-62a) gives exceptional grip and durability

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Reviews 1 - 15 (28 Reviews Total)

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Submitted by Alex Abbas a Cross Country Rider

Date Reviewed: May 17, 2012

Strengths:    Nice tread, good balance of weight and features

Weaknesses:    Not available in medium width

Bottom Line:

I've ridden this tire in 2.2" and 1.8" and I like them both a lot. Good enough grip for most riding, pretty good durability, easy to mount, etc. The 2.2 is fairly high volume, the 1.8 is pretty small, and they're both great fun in the right setting. A 2.0" Bonty XR would be a fantastic tire but it doesn't exist.

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Similar Products Used: Ignitor, Captain, Nevegal, Eskar, Renegade

Bike Setup: Hifi, Caliber, Superfly

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Submitted by salsamoto

Date Reviewed: May 8, 2012

Strengths:    fast tire ! light great on dry hardpack

Weaknesses:    sucks in the mud and rocks and not a tire for the wet.

Bottom Line:

okay tire overall but use for the road vs off road.

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Submitted by graham54 a Cross Country Rider

Date Reviewed: June 9, 2011

Strengths:    Quick rollin tyre

Weaknesses:    Absolutely no grip & rear tyre wore down in 500 miles

Bottom Line:

I read a review on these tyres about someone who almost washed out on a roundabout when in the dry. The same almost happened to me with the rear sliding out. Also came off when the front wheel slid away and still wondering how (no I wasn't being daft, honestly)? The upshot is that this tyre gives me very little confidence so I've took my Continental Verticals off my Cube and put them on my Trek.
Durability wise, my rear tyre has worn down and I've only done 500 miles in them in about two and a half months. It may explain the rear sliding out but I never expected a tyre to only last less than 12 weeks. Will stick to my Conti Verticals.

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Favorite Trail:   kielder

Duration Product Used:   3 months

Purchased At:   came with Trek 6300

Similar Products Used:   Continental Verticals

Bike Setup:   Trek 6300 and Cube Attention

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Submitted by Ken365 a Racer from Johannesburg, South Africa

Date Reviewed: April 10, 2011

Strengths:    Corners like a dream in loose gravel corners. Climbs rocky ascents with confidence. Great traction in flowing single tracks. Does really well in mud.

Weaknesses:    Rolling resistance not great. Can feel sluggish at first.

Bottom Line:

Can't seem to relate to other reviews I've read. I've just completed the Cape Epic 2011, which was very rocky, lots of loose sand, large thorns, great free flowing single track. these tyres handled everything I threw at them. Tyre pressures were 30psi back, 26psi front, running tubeless on American Classic 29' rims.

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Favorite Trail:   Groen Kloof

Duration Product Used:   3 months

Price Paid:    $78.00

Purchased At:   TourDeFrans Cycles

Similar Products Used:   Bontragger XDX 29', Michelin wild race'r 29'

Bike Setup:   Niner Rip9, American Classic 29' Rims, tubeless, Full XT

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Submitted by ucancallmejoe a Cross Country Rider from Berkeley

Date Reviewed: August 1, 2010

Strengths:    Easy to set up for tubeless

Weaknesses:    Horrible horrible traction

Bottom Line:

No traction - that is all. Even when I do not skid out you know something is really wrong. The feel of the bike is like ice on ice.

Back to the Nevegals. Some Bontragers work surprisingly well but not these things.

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Favorite Trail:   Tamarancho

Duration Product Used:   6 months

Price Paid:    $1.00

Purchased At:   Given to me by worst

Similar Products Used:   Nevegal, Jones XCR

Bike Setup:   Lynskey Rigid Single Speed

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Submitted by Mike P a Cross Country Rider from Sicklerville, nj, US

Date Reviewed: August 1, 2010

Strengths:    fast on the flats, low rolling resistance

Weaknesses:    poor traction and washes out on any hard turns

Bottom Line:

these almost like having racing slicks, traction is poor on anything other than hardpack an cornering is always an adventure. It's a disgrace the Trek would put these on a high end bike. I road these tires less than 15 hours before removing them from my bike

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Favorite Trail:   Ceres

Duration Product Used:   Less than 1 month

Purchased At:   came with Trek Top F

Similar Products Used:   WTB Velociraptor

Bike Setup:   Trek Top Fuel 8, stock parts

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Submitted by Zach a Cross Country Rider from Germantown TN USA

Date Reviewed: May 12, 2010

Strengths:    Came with bike
Low rolling resistance
good for flat, hardpacked terrain

Weaknesses:    if you ride on anything other than flat hardpacked terrain these tires will wash out. I have a huge problem with the tires washing out on me. These are racing tires so sacrificing grip for speed it to be expected, but these give up way too much grip and you will lose control the second you hit loose conditions (and in some cases when you have to make a sharp turn)

Bottom Line:

I wouldn't recommend these tires unless you are a serious racer that doesn't need grip and knows how to keep the bike from washing out. I'm replacing mine with some specialized Fast Trak Controls. Another XC racing tire, but I've ridden slicks with more grip than the Jones XR

pretty average price, good for a racer, just not for normal people.

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Favorite Trail:   Stanky Creek Blue

Duration Product Used:   1 Year

Purchased At:   Peddler Bike Shop

Similar Products Used:   Various Bontrager and Specialized mountain tires, tubeless and otherwise

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Submitted by lifebybike a Cross Country Rider from Ann Arbor, MI

Date Reviewed: April 12, 2010

Strengths:    Light

Weaknesses:    Lacks traction and prone to flats

Bottom Line:

Racing only tire, maybe. My second ride on my brother's bike I was borrowing and I got a pinch flat off nothing fancy. Traction worse than cheap semi-slick cross tires. And Bontrager has the gall to post only one review of these tires on their site from Bicycling.com that says
"It stops leaks, and pinch flats will be a thing of the past. I almost never flat with these systems, and I can run a lower pressure for superior traction."
Bottom line: Load of refuse, but my bro's happy because I'm buying him a new and better tire.

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Duration Product Used: Tested or demo'ed only

Bike Setup: Trek Fuel EX8

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Submitted by Deepsand a Cross Country Rider from San Diego, CA

Date Reviewed: February 20, 2010

Strengths:    Rolls Fast, Fairly light weight

Weaknesses:    Horrible traction on dirt turns

Bottom Line:

Can't believe Trek would put these tires on a $7000 bike. I have now had my new bike slide out around a turn twice in two weeks of owning. I have ridden my Trek Remedy for years on the same track with multiple brands of tires never sliding out once. My front tire feels like I'm on ice at higher speeds on dirt turns. Could be ok for very conservative riders that only like to go straight. This is my first review, because of all the thorns I had to pull out of my arm yesterday. Buying new tires this week.

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Favorite Trail:   Lake Hodges

Duration Product Used:   Less than 1 month

Price Paid:    $100.00

Purchased At:   With New Trek Bike

Similar Products Used:   Other Bontrager tires (Big Earl), Kenda

Bike Setup:   New Trek EX 9.9

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Submitted by bgriff01 a Cross Country Rider from Albuquerque, NM

Date Reviewed: July 21, 2009

Strengths:    Light-weight, good rolling speed

Weaknesses:    VERY THIN sidewalls, poor traction with higher pressure

Bottom Line:

I got these tires on the Trek Fuel Ex 8 I bought a couple months ago. I'd been hearing a lot of great things about tubeless and how it nicely complimented the full suspension, so I figured I'd try it out.

The bike came with the Bontrager Jones XR tires, which I would describe as more of a race tire. They're light-weight and they roll fast. The problem with them is that they're Tubeless Ready" (TLR), which I've surmised is basically a comprimise between regular tires and UST tires. These "Tubeless Ready" tires are capable of being installed with sealent as UST tires, but they're also light enough to be used with tubes without a huge weight penalty. Basically what you get is a tire that's too slippery to use with tubes because you can't run a low enough pressure to get good traction without getting pinch flats, and a tire with incredibly thin and easily torn side walls when in the tubeless set up.

It's been 2 months now and I've torn both the front and rear tires, rendering them useless as UST tires. After my back tire went, I hoped it was bad luck, replaced it with a much beafier standard UST tire, and kept using the Jones XR on the front wheel. About 3 weeks later the front tires tore open while I was going over some rocks, and that was it. I have the proper set up, problem is the sidewalls are so thin they tear while going over even minor rocky patches and the tears are too big for the sealant to handle.

The bottom line is that these tires are a lousy compromise, an attempt to give the buyer two options; tubless or tubes. They fail at this and ultimately leave the buyer with a tire that doesn't really work in either set up. The side walls are just too thin, and they don't offer enough traction with tubes at higher pressures (around 40 psi and above). I'd recommend only buying standard UST tires (NOT TUBELESS READY or TLR, be careful) if you're thinking of going tubeless, and a tire like the Kenda Nevegals or the Panaracer Fire XC Pros if you're happy with tubes.

As for me, I'm having luck with the Bontrager ACX UST, tire on the back wheel. The sidewalls are much thicker and sturdier, and the tires have ridden over numerous rock outcrops without complaint. The tread design is very substantial and I'm sure I lose some rolling speed due to that fact, but I can't argue with the traction I get on long climbs of decomposed granite. Next I'm thinking of trying the Kenda Nevegal UST for the front tire, hoping to get a faster rolling tire that still has good cornering traction.

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Favorite Trail:   Windsor Trail, Santa Fe, NM

Duration Product Used:   3 months

Purchased At:   Albuquerque Bicycle

Similar Products Used:   Bontrager ACX UST

Bike Setup:   Trek Fuel Ex 8 2009, Bontrager ACX on rear wheel

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Submitted by dogsloweverywhere a Cross Country Rider from UK, Watford

Date Reviewed: May 3, 2009

Strengths:    Longevity over NNicks and if you're on reasonably hard packed trails, watch out, you'll be into corners quicker than you're used to! Would be my choice for Meridas, Sleepless, Mayhem, Clic24 etc until it gets muddy.

Weaknesses:    I haven't really trusted bunging them in without caution, say, into fast berms being 1.8 tyres. Not the best choice for say Glentress!

Bottom Line:

Where I ride it's fairly non-technical & I ride the 1.8 size & they're fast.
If you aren't railing the berms at Glentress and want a fast rolling tyre then look no further.

I find them resistant to pinch flats as I ride them pumped up, they never get punctures which NNicks are dreadful with, and they're lasting far longer too.

I'm going to try the 2.1 XDX Jones too, but as it stands around somewhere like Dalby Forest or Cannock Chase's Red Routes you'll be on-fire!

As can be seen from the tread pattern, these tires aren't the best in muddy conditions, but they are excellent for their intended purpose, which is a fast rolling crosscountry/trail tyre.

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Favorite Trail:   Dalby or Afan

Duration Product Used:   6 months

Similar Products Used:   On the 29er, none yet in 5 months. XDX's up next with a RRalf too.

Bike Setup:   29 and 26 HT and full sus in the 26er too

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Submitted by firedawg225 a Cross Country Rider from Chievres, Belgium

Date Reviewed: April 2, 2009

Strengths:    Stick good, sheds mud well, fast roller

Weaknesses:    front slips alittle, not the greatest in deep mud

Bottom Line:

Love these tires. the negative do nothing to steer me away from the way these tires work. Note these tires are XC/race tires. these are a little weight strong tire. I also have the tubeless version. the small knob clear mud fast and effectively. great tire i'd buy these again in a heart beat!!

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Favorite Trail:   Mer De Sable

Duration Product Used:   Less than 1 month

Purchased At:   Espace bike

Similar Products Used:   Panaracer fireXC pro 120tpi, WTB Velociraptor

Bike Setup:   Trek 8500 and a HM custom

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Submitted by biker2 a Downhiller from Gainesville

Date Reviewed: March 7, 2009

Strengths:    none

Weaknesses:    traction, cornering, anything that you need in a tire this doesnt have.

Bottom Line:

For a low rolling resistance tire it barely accomplishes this, I have tried all possible range of psi to no avail. Not sure about durability but who cares with a tire this bad. Could be better used cut up as a chainstay protector. Shame on you trek for putting this on an otherwise great bike.

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Duration Product Used:   Less than 1 month

Purchased At:   stock

Similar Products Used:   huth pythons, irc mythos, panaracer fire xc

Bike Setup:   trek fuel ex8

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Submitted by mfx007 a Weekend Warrior from Isanti, MN

Date Reviewed: December 25, 2008

Strengths:    Work OK on Slickrock

Weaknesses:    Worthless in any type of dirt

Bottom Line:

I rented a Trek EX7 in Moab with the stock Jones XR tires. They worked fine. Stuck well to slickrock -where it probably is good to have less aggressive knobbies. They also worked well on rocky terraine like the long Porcupine Rim trail (I had them at about 35 PSI and no pinch flats).

Don't grip for anything on dirt. My worse wipeout in Moab was the only dirt I rode on - the top of porcupine. I live in the Midwest and Trek is a midwest company, so I don't know why they put tires on bikes that don't work in midwest dirt. Supposed to run low pressure I guess, but if you try to launch the occasional rock at higher speeds, will get a pinch flat. I generally don't ride in mud, but any moist soil will clog the tread.

Panaracer XC Pros are much better for me (I have not tried that many other tires). Probably too agressive a tread for racing, but an better overall tire.

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Favorite Trail:   Hillside

Duration Product Used:   Less than 1 month

Similar Products Used:   Panaracer Fire XC Pro

Bike Setup:   08 Trek EX7

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Submitted by kendogz161 a Weekend Warrior from Connecticut

Date Reviewed: September 14, 2008

Strengths:    These babies are light,good grip in corners. Air up easy as tubeless with floor pump. Roll fast.

Weaknesses:    Rear wears quick. Not the best in mud.

Bottom Line:

Tire has not been bad. Been running these tubeless with Stans from new. Mounted and aired easy. I weight 180lbs and run these at 27psi front, 33psi rear with no problem. I ride the trails two to four times a week. and few of those ride are four hours long group rides with no problems. Wish the rear would last longer may get a year from it, front still look like it could go one more round.
For anyone riding in the northeast these tires should be good. Side walls are thinner and the normal ust tire so you have to be carefully of sharp rocks.

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Favorite Trail:   Trumbull

Duration Product Used:   6 months

Price Paid:    $40.00

Purchased At:   E-Bay

Similar Products Used:   Many tires have been use in my quest it find that perfect tire.

Bike Setup:   A few bikes setup to ride at anytime.

Reviews 1 - 15 (28 Reviews Total)

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Bontrager Jones XR Tubeless Tire

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