Rolling resistance, sand, weight, versatility

probably mud, wet tree roots.

The tire I am reviewing is the 2012 29-2 that came on my Trek Marlin. I am very impressed with this tire as the tires that came on my 2010 Trek 4300 were garbage. The 29-2 has the same tread patten at the XR2, but does not have the same casing. I have had a lot of success running this tire through large amounts of sand here in the central coast of California. I am talking about sand that was over the rim and these kept finding traction somewhere. I run them at 30psi and weight about 200lbs. I also use them for commuting back and forth to work. I really enjoy this tire and will look into the team issue version as these wear out. The wear is good after 212 miles of mixed road and dirt they are showing where in the back...about 1-2mm lower tread than the front. I have no experiance with them in any type of wet conditions or rocks. My rides consist of sand, clay, gravel all hardpack until I hit sand spots (like beach sand) that can last a long time. Overall a good tire for the dry conditions I ride and just wished that they wore like the legendary tread life of the Maxxis Crossmark.

Performance on hard pack, decent tracking, ability to take turns in softer corners, mud.

Noise on the street (if that matters to you)

These tires came stock on my Trek 4300 Disc and my friends Trek Marlin. They seem to be holding up well to my rookie mistakes in the rock piles and sandy washes that I frequently ride. I was certain a few times after hitting the corners of a sharp rocks that it was going to tear up the tire but I was wrong. Still messing with the air pressure to feel out the best "floation" vs. rolling resistance on the tires so I really can't comment on that other then they roll fast on the street when air'd up. They do grab nicely on the mild rocky uphills that we ride on and I'm sure as my skills progress they will do even better. The only perceived drawback is the noise of the tires when riding on the street. Overall I'm very pleased with the performance of the tires. Great for all round riding.

Light, strong, and fast!

None thus far

I swapped a Kenda Nevegal 2.35 setup on Mavic 819s for this XR2 TLR. Most of the trails I ride are sand/loose gravel and don't warrant the Nevegal. Rode it for the first time today and was VERY IMPRESSED! The rolling speed is incredible and the grip is tremendous. I pushed this tire farther into a turn than ever before and it never let go. With such a minimal tread pattern, I was completely surprised at how well it maintained grip. Very nimble through rock gardens too. Definitely shaved significant weight as well. Spend the money for the "Team Issue" - for added durability it's worth it.

Similar Products Used:

Kenda Small Block 8

grippy, tubless, fast rolling, mud shedding

wide sidewall sticks out

only ridden the tire 6 times @ about 15 miles per ride. switched to this tire to combat the sandy/loose over hard pack/ hard-pack terrain of southern NJ. at the right pressure (about 37psi) this thing does anything you want it to very well. it transitions smoothly between straight line accel and turning. the tire is also very well constructed and can take a beating quite well. the "team issue" is worth the extra $$.

Similar Products Used:

bontrager jones tlr