New Bontrager MTB and Gravel Tyres

Bontrager have re-designed their gravel and mountain bike tyres. Along with new constructions, compounds, and tread patterns, they have a new naming convention to help you find the perfect tyre for your needs.

The Girona, Betasso, Vallnord, Sainte-Anne, Montrose, and Gunnison tyres are named after real-world locations their designs will excel in. Each tyre has been tested against the old Bontrager tyre they replace, as well as the leading competitors in their respective class.

The new tyres are:

Mountain Bike

Vallnord - A lightweight cross-country mountain bike tyre that’s best for speed and grip in super hardpacked dirt.

Sainte-Anne - An all-around cross-country mountain bike tyre that provides speed and grip in mixed rocky, rooty, and even wet race conditions.

Montrose - A fast-rolling trail mountain bike tyre pattern for versatile performance in generally hardpacked dirt.

Gunnison - An all-around trail mountain bike tyre that provides durability and speed in mixed conditions from rocky desert to high alpine.

Gravel

Girona - A fast rolling all-around gravel tyre with a smooth centre and lightly treaded side knobs for straight line speed and confident cornering.

Betasso - An aggressive gravel tyre for grip and durability in mixed and loose conditions.

Each of these tyres comes in a few different versions. So, for instance, you can get a Gunnison Pro XR TLR or a Gunnison RSL XT TLR tyre. The letters after the main name tell you what the differences are. The first part tells you the overall quality of the tyre. Pro-level tyres are a budget-friendly options. RSL are the lightest and most supple option. There will also be an Elite level tyre but this will only come fitted on Trek bikes. In terms of quality the Elite tyre is just below the Pro.

After the Pro or RSL part of the name comes a couple of letters to tell you about the tread pattern. These are:

XR - A fast-rolling XC construction with sidewall puncture protection

XT - A tough trail construction with bead-to-bead puncture protection and Apex pinch-flat protection

GR - A fast-rolling gravel construction with bead-to-bead puncture protection

GX - A tough gravel construction with bead-to-bead puncture protection and sub-tread puncture protection

TLR – tubeless ready

So if we use the examples from before we know that the Gunnison Pro XR TLR and Gunnison RSL XT TLR are both tubeless tyres. The RSL is the more expensive tyre and comes with an extra level of puncture protection.

Below is the full range of new Bontrager tyres.