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Bontrager Race Series 29er

Average Rating 2.25/5
# of Reviews 4
MSRP $
Weight
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Description:For the 29" Race Series of wheels.

Many different options. Specify wheel type in review.






Submitted by dewthedru a Cross Country Rider from Kalamazoo, MI
Date Reviewed: August 6, 2008
Favorite Trail:Fort Custer
Duration Product Used:6 months
Strengths:I suppose they're light
Weaknesses:I had a fairly simple fall about 6 weeks ago and got up and noticed the front wheel was all jacked up. Thought I must have landed on it harder than I thought. A few rides later, on a new rim and spokes, I did the same thing. Hit a root and felt the rim just buckle. Completely cracked at the seam after a fairly innocuous fall. I had the pleasure carrying my bike for 2+ miles through mosquito valley. Yay me.

I can't imagine that my crashes were bad enough to destroy the wheels. I rode for years and years on a set of Dave's Speed Dream without anything like this happening. Can it be that I just got unlucky or that 29'r wheels are more fragile?
Similar Products Used:Dave's Speed Dream Wheels
Bike Setup:Gary Fisher Superfly - XTR, X.0, etc.
Bottom Line:I'm not very happy with going through two front wheels in 3-4 rides. If I could afford to do so, I'd swap them out for some American Classics or Speed Dreams.
Value Rating:3Overall Rating:2

Submitted by Jason a Cross Country Rider from South Mountain Emmaus
Date Reviewed: May 10, 2008
Duration Product Used:6 months
Strengths:These came on my 2006 GF 293 29er. They are not light and the spokes were loose when I got the bike, machine built I imagine. I am only 160lbs, but ride hard on technically demanding terrain (lots of rocks, log hops, and stumps etc). I beat the snot out of these and have not pulled a spoke out yet.
Weaknesses:They are flexy even though I'm a lightweight. I am an amateur wheel truer so that may be part of the reason they don't stay true for long.
Similar Products Used:only 26ers
Bike Setup:These were on my sugar 293, now on my kula 29er set up ss. I am looking for another set of rims and will keep these and prob. set them up with skinny tires for some road riding.
Bottom Line:If you are light and are looking for something cheap to beat on I recommend these, but I wouldn't spend much on them. Buy new skewers, the bonti's suck.
Value Rating:3Overall Rating:3

Submitted by Red Snail Racing a Cross Country Rider from Chicago, IL
Date Reviewed: March 4, 2008
Favorite Trail:Southern Unit, Kettle Moraine
Duration Product Used:1 Year
Strengths:The hubs seem to hold up fine.
Weaknesses:The spokes can't pull out of the rim fast enough
Similar Products Used:Mavic, Salsa
Bike Setup:Fisher X-Caliber, Reba 80mm, XT Drive Train, Avid BB7 Brakes
Bottom Line:To set the scene, I'm a 210#, 47 yr old, endurance rider and racer. These wheels have never seen more than an 18 inch drop, ever. They have seen many roots, rocks and log obstacles. Last fall I noticed that a spoke was pulling out of the rear rim, taking with it a 3/8 inch strip if metal the width of the eye. After taking it to the LBS, they told me Trek would not warranty the rim, as it was a breakage through use problem. So be it, how ever after using it once in the snow this winter, nothing cleans a rim and tire like snow, I fond another tear of similar size pulling down the side of the rim at another location. Then upon further inspection, I found cracks around 6 other eyelets. It been many miles since I’ve broken a spoke, much less tore 8 of them out of a rim. Trek/Bontrager should be embarrassed to sell a product as lame as this rim
Value Rating:1Overall Rating:1

Submitted by Raoul Castaneda a Cross Country Rider from Babylon, NY USA
Date Reviewed: December 22, 2007
Favorite Trail:Rocky Point
Duration Product Used:2 Years
Price Paid: $350.00
Purchased At:EBay
Strengths:Light, strong rim
Weaknesses:Hub flange
Similar Products Used:XTR, Mavic cross max, Richey Rolf's, Campy
Bike Setup:Orbea aluminum frame 29er rim brakes, full XTR upgrade except wheelset, Bomber Marathon fork
Bottom Line:Bike came with the race lites, I rode XC one month no races. The front hub flange must have cracked because I found pieces on the garage floor one morning- it was in a bike stand and 4 spokes tried to escape. That was weird because I have race lites on my road bike and ran 10,000+ with no trouble, not even worn bearings. I replaced the hub (rare 24 hole) with a blue Richey and no problems since. The rims run true and hold up to up to 4 ft drops. I'm 190lbs on a hard tail, so they take a beating. Buy them for cross country if you want a light midrange wheel. Why spend 800 or more?
Value Rating:3Overall Rating:3






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