[gundrted]

I've been running the bontrager xr4 29 x 3 as a front tire for about a year. I'm absolutely loving it. I had the unfortunate result of a snake bite and a third hole in the same ride. Rather than pitch an almost new tire I decided to throw a tube in it and use it for a rear tire. Granted the clearance on my frame is extremely close, however it did fit and there's no rubbing.

My first test was a gravity day at Granby ranch. That is just outside Winter Park in the Colorado Rockies. Lift access with flowing trails and nothing huge. I was amazed how well the tire gripped in the rear. It's like my tires were made of Velcro. Day two was doing XC trails around Winter Park. Again I was very surprised how well the back tire rolled. It was not as fast as my McFly, however I would not say it was objectionable in any way.

My XR4 29 x 3 measures at a full 3in and maybe a touch over on the tread.

I am strongly considering running the 29 x 3 SE4 as a rear tire.

Does anyone have back-to-back experience running the XR4 and the SE4 as a rear tire?
Heavier casing tires often do not as stretch as much as their lightweight casing counterparts. Even a few millimeters wood make a large improvement on my frame clearance. Does this apply to the SE4? Is the SE for slightly smaller than the XR4?
Does the SE4 wear similarly to the XR4?
Has anyone experienced a disadvantage from running either tire in the rear?

Here are some pictures of my xr4 on my rear tire. I'm also including a screenshot of the approximate mileage to gauge wear.

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[Flying_Scotsman]

Have you considered running the 2.6 in either tyre to give you the clearance you need?

 

[gundrted]

Have you considered running the 2.6 in either tyre to give you the clearance you need?

I have, however I'm concerned that a 3in up front and a 2.6in rear may not meld correctly.

My previous rear tire was a 2.8in McFly. It measured 2.77ish and had a low profile tread. I was surprised when I swapped to the 3in XR4 I could notice a difference in my riding position. I could notice I was a little more up-right on the bike.

Now that I'm typing this out ... I'm thinking if the 2.6 is a touch overszied, it may not be that different than the 2.8 McFly.

Hmmm ... good food for thought

 

[33red]

If you like fast with grip you might consider a 2.8 Rekon. Last 2 months i use it (rear) Since i like to climb i mounted it reversed. That 3c just amazes me. I hope they made it in all sizes. I read some use 2 and are happy.
https://www.maxxis.com/catalog/tire-519-140-rekon-plus

 

[Impetus]

If you like fast with grip you might consider a 2.8 Rekon. Last 2 months i use it (rear) Since i like to climb i mounted it reversed. That 3c just amazes me. I hope they made it in all sizes. I read some use 2 and are happy.
https://www.maxxis.com/catalog/tire-519-140-rekon-plus

If OP is punching holes in an XR4, a Rekon is gonna last as long as a wet paper bag.

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[TooSteep]

If OP is punching holes in an XR4, a Rekon is gonna last as long as a wet paper bag.
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Yeah, this. Rekon's are not made for the kind of riding/trails that abuse XR4's. Totally different things.

Would also be curious to know if the SE4 in practice is smaller than the XR4. Anyone?