bontrager's 2025 tire lineup/pr. on their site prices are $50-70.Bontrager drops two new enduro tires for the rough and rowdy[Waterloo, WI] – Today, Bontrager...
bontrager's 2025 tire lineup/pr. on their site prices are $50-70.
Bontrager drops two new enduro tires for the rough and rowdy
[Waterloo, WI] – Today, Bontrager brought even more trail-charging prowess to its MTB tire lineup with two new tires built for rocky, rooty, and technical terrain. Engineered from the ground up, the all-new Bontrager Brevard and Galbraith tires are ready to rip with fresh tread patterns, construction, and compounds to keep riders planted and in control in loose, technical descents — all while fighting punctures from trail debris and pinch flats. Like the trail and XC tires added to Bontrager’s lineup this Spring, Brevard and Galbraith have been run through the wringer with tests, measuring in with a big boost in pinch-flat protection on both tires.
Brevard
Replacing Bontrager’s SE5 is the all-new Brevard. Named for the rooty, rocky, and dicey technical riding of Brevard, North Carolina, these tires are built to excel in loose and mixed conditions. Their tread pattern and compound has been optimized for loose and mixed terrain, delivering the grip riders crave when trails get a little hairy.
Galbraith
Galbraith enters the lineup to replace Bontrager’s SE6 enduro tires. Named for Bellingham, Washington’s Galbraith Mountain, these tires are built with aggressive tread that packs in incredible puncture protection for terrain that rolls from rocky and rowdy to loose and soft — like the rock walls and tacky loam of the Pacific Northwest.
New compounds
The two new tires feature Bontrager’s new trail triple- and dual-compound offerings. The trail triple-compound provides a medium-firm center rubber with soft shoulders and a supportive base for gripping loose corners and staying planted in the rocks and roots. The new dual-compound provides medium-firm center and soft shoulder compounds but skips the supportive base compound for a more economical package.
New construction
Galbraith and Brevard are both available in Bontrager’s new RSL SE construction, with 60TPI casing and sidewall, bead-to-bead, and apex puncture protection.
Brevard is also available in two additional constructions, RSL XT, with 120TPI casing, bead-to-bead and apex puncture protection, and the more pocket-friendly PRO XR construction, with 60TPI casing and sidewall protection.
Tested to the max
To deliver on the promise of durability, Brevard and Galbraith were sent to the singletrack and the lab for rigorous testing. Both tires saw significant improvement to pinch-cut protection, with Brevard measuring +33% more resistant to pinch-cuts than its predecessor, the Bontrager SE5, and Galbraith measuring +26% more resistant than the SE6 it replaces.
Availability
Bontrager’s new Brevard and Galbraith tires are available now at Trek and Bontrager retailers around the world, and online at trekbikes.com in select markets.
thanks for posting this. I always thought Bontrager tires were underrated. Been a fan of the SE4 for years. Even ran the SE5 and SE6 on my park bike last season with a decent level of success. I think Trek/Bontrager and Specialized both miss out of a lot of tire sales by not advertising and/or explaining changes to their lineup. Hell, even just providing content publishers like Vital and Pink with those kind of updates, explanations of casings/compounds, and test units would go a long way. As much info as this photo provides, it leaves an equal number of questions.
I've went through a few fronts on my trail bike including Specialized Ground Control T7, XR4 Team Issue 2.4, Onza Ibex, Specialized Purgatory T9 & currently...
I've went through a few fronts on my trail bike including Specialized Ground Control T7, XR4 Team Issue 2.4, Onza Ibex, Specialized Purgatory T9 & currently Schwalbe Tacky Chan UltraSoft Super Ground
GC, is not great. It's no faster than other options with worse traction.
The Ibex is just, so fast. But not quite enough traction as it wears even slightly. If speed is the primary concern and you don't mind replacing often (before you even see wear), this is your tire. If you are on the GC, switch to the Ibex. It's crazy how AM it looks, yet XC it feels.
The XR4 (RIP) is very, very good. Fast, light, very good traction. Haven't tried the new heavier version.
The TC is real fast rolling and leaned all of the way over in the right conditions, it's the best by a solid margin. If you consistently have something to bite into, you'll love this tire. You don't feel the weight. However, at less convincing lean angles, it has a dead spot. Think leaves on the trail, hard pack with nothing to bite into, etc. It can be sketchy in these moments.
The Purg T9 is probably my favorite. It's between the Purg & the TC for me. It works really well in many conditions. It's also cheap enough that you could buy 2 of them for every 1 TC and keep fresher tires mounted. It is however the slowest of these tires.
I've found that when I take my 'trail bike' (It's a Smuggler) to the AM trails with loose rock and rougher conditions, the TC works really well. However, on just a trail ride, which is basically hardpack, the TC can't bite into anything, and it just skates along and exhibits poor traction. I'll be going back to the Purg T9 but it's not a rush or anything. If we eventually get some rain and some softer ground the TC might work well for the Fall/ Winter riding. The Purg T9 is exceptionally good at moderate lean angles, even though its peak isn't as high as the TC.
I also tested the Albert 2.5 Radial up front on my big bike and found it inadequate as it couldn't punch through the loose rock and dig in. But I'm going to test it next on the trail bike where it might be more at home.
I have a new favorite for my front tire on my Smuggler.
It's a 2.5 Albert Ultrasoft trail tire. I had initially bought it for my Relay front and found that with the speeds and terrain I encountered on the e-bike, the Albert was just inadequate and it has since been replaced by a very good Magic Mary Radial.
I then tested the Albert 2.5 US up front on my Smuggler. LOVE IT! It's very fast and has enough traction for that application.
I get away with fairly low pressures, particularly on my trail bike that sort of maxes out at about a 3' drop but still sees plenty of chunk. (I'm 182#s)
My old AND current set up was a Cross King in the rear with a lightweight insert (broke a rim last year, even with the insert, but at 21 psi) is 23 psi.
For the front tire I was mostly running 19 psi with the other tires I was testing, like the Purgatory T9 but when I tried that with the Albert it felt funny right away. A bit of testing and I ended up at 23 psi.
So now I run 23 R (Cross King with insert) & 23 F (2.5 Albert US trail).
The Relay has seen a similar bump in pressures, and I ended up at 23 & 27 (no inserts for the first time in years) with the MM trail & Albert gravity Radials.
It's worth noting that our terrain is darn loose, especially where I take the Relay. We don't have much to push against to load up the tires and traction is at an absolute premium and hard to find. When I increase air pressure my bikes end up skating on top of the rocks and/ or pinging everywhere.
They’ve had EXO and EXO+ SKUs loaded up on the Maxxis website for a minute. Didn’t think they’d have them this soon. Thought they were keeping it to the DD and DH casing that was released in July. But more casings are always good!
I’ve been running nothing but DH super soft Kryptotal FR / Xynotal and have started to question if the casing is too stiff for me during harder riding. Over 16psi and the ride quality noticeably diminishes. I’m thinking of trying out these new Schwalbe radials. Magic Mary gravity super soft / Albert gravity soft front and rear respectively. Hoping it would let me run at least 20psi with similar performance?
I’ve been running nothing but DH super soft Kryptotal FR / Xynotal and have started to question if the casing is too stiff for me during...
I’ve been running nothing but DH super soft Kryptotal FR / Xynotal and have started to question if the casing is too stiff for me during harder riding. Over 16psi and the ride quality noticeably diminishes. I’m thinking of trying out these new Schwalbe radials. Magic Mary gravity super soft / Albert gravity soft front and rear respectively. Hoping it would let me run at least 20psi with similar performance?
interesting.. to me Kryptotals are stiffer than maxxis, comparable to Schwalbe and less stiff than any michelin (DH or wild enduro raceline).. never felt these were on the stiff side..
That new high roller is so tempting! I absolutely loved the Continental Argotal this year for my riding terrain but I am stuck with using a DH casing 1300g tire just to get the super soft compound. As a 160lb rider it is overkill for me. I know Kryptotal SS Enduro is on the way but does anyone know if Argotal SS Enduro is also in the works? If not then this Exo+ High Roller might be the ticket.
Anyone still drunk off the Schwalbe "Radial Revolution" kool-aid? They seem to be more available now.
What pressures differences are you running compared to previous tires? I have heard of people going up as much as 10 psi with the same traction/feel as before. Is that legit?
I have had the high roller 3 in DD on the front of my nomad for about 3 months, it’s been great as we had a pretty damp summer here in Northern Ireland and as me and my brother had just built two new loamers it was the perfect tyre, we have some old trails that are down to bedrock which the assegai is slightly better on but the high roller hasn’t held me back at all on these. Keen to get my hands on the exo+ version as my DD is looking very tired (max grip definatley don’t wear well but the grip can’t be questioned)
high roller 3 seems like a Maxxis Magic Mary. New Schwalbe Magic Mary Gravity Pro Radial feels a lot better than Maxxis Assegai DH Maxxgrip in similar pressures. Upped the pressures after breaking a rim and found the rear very harsh, 24psi front and 27.5-28 rear Maxxis Assegai DH Maxxgrip. The same pressures a Schwalbe Magic Mary Gravity Pro Radial felt normal, more like if you took 3-4psi out of the tires and got compliance even with pressures so high I hardly hear any rim impacts, FYI I got Rimpact Pro and Rimpact Pro Race inserts both front and back.
Anyone still drunk off the Schwalbe "Radial Revolution" kool-aid? They seem to be more available now. What pressures differences are you running compared to previous tires? I...
Anyone still drunk off the Schwalbe "Radial Revolution" kool-aid? They seem to be more available now.
What pressures differences are you running compared to previous tires? I have heard of people going up as much as 10 psi with the same traction/feel as before. Is that legit?
I just got a set to see whether the hype is real, but first ride went down and messed up my shoulder. I added 4 PSI more to Trail/Gravity from what I was running with Conti DH to get it to deform similarly in the garage. I'll give them another try once I heal up but I'm honestly kind of skeptical - I feel like the higher pressure and more rounded profile contributed to me losing grip on the front end.
So comparing Maxxis shorty 2’s and highroller 3’s side by side in my local bike shop yesterday there is hardly any difference (you’d need a set of verniers to tell basically). Really liked the old shorty, but moved to the assegai as I find it better all round. Kind of a weird play on Maxxis’ part that no-one seems to have made much of.
So comparing Maxxis shorty 2’s and highroller 3’s side by side in my local bike shop yesterday there is hardly any difference (you’d need a set...
So comparing Maxxis shorty 2’s and highroller 3’s side by side in my local bike shop yesterday there is hardly any difference (you’d need a set of verniers to tell basically). Really liked the old shorty, but moved to the assegai as I find it better all round. Kind of a weird play on Maxxis’ part that no-one seems to have made much of.
The knobs are different shaped and shorty has bigger spacing between them.
thanks for posting this. I always thought Bontrager tires were underrated. Been a fan of the SE4 for years. Even ran the SE5 and SE6 on my park bike last season with a decent level of success. I think Trek/Bontrager and Specialized both miss out of a lot of tire sales by not advertising and/or explaining changes to their lineup. Hell, even just providing content publishers like Vital and Pink with those kind of updates, explanations of casings/compounds, and test units would go a long way. As much info as this photo provides, it leaves an equal number of questions.
https://www.trekbikes.com/us/en_US/equipment/cycling-components/bike-tires/tubeless-ready-bike-tires/tubeless-ready-mountain-bike-tires/bontrager-brevard-rsl-se-tlr-mtb-tire/p/44588/?colorCode=black_tan
this is a perfect example. What the hell do all these new acronyms mean? How do they compare to the known quantities on the market?
I have a new favorite for my front tire on my Smuggler.
It's a 2.5 Albert Ultrasoft trail tire. I had initially bought it for my Relay front and found that with the speeds and terrain I encountered on the e-bike, the Albert was just inadequate and it has since been replaced by a very good Magic Mary Radial.
I then tested the Albert 2.5 US up front on my Smuggler. LOVE IT! It's very fast and has enough traction for that application.
What changes if any did you make on pressures with the radial?
I get away with fairly low pressures, particularly on my trail bike that sort of maxes out at about a 3' drop but still sees plenty of chunk. (I'm 182#s)
My old AND current set up was a Cross King in the rear with a lightweight insert (broke a rim last year, even with the insert, but at 21 psi) is 23 psi.
For the front tire I was mostly running 19 psi with the other tires I was testing, like the Purgatory T9 but when I tried that with the Albert it felt funny right away. A bit of testing and I ended up at 23 psi.
So now I run 23 R (Cross King with insert) & 23 F (2.5 Albert US trail).
The Relay has seen a similar bump in pressures, and I ended up at 23 & 27 (no inserts for the first time in years) with the MM trail & Albert gravity Radials.
It's worth noting that our terrain is darn loose, especially where I take the Relay. We don't have much to push against to load up the tires and traction is at an absolute premium and hard to find. When I increase air pressure my bikes end up skating on top of the rocks and/ or pinging everywhere.
Hope that helps.
new high roller in DD and EXO+ now available (just got the email about it) - https://shop.maxxis.com/products/high-roller
They’ve had EXO and EXO+ SKUs loaded up on the Maxxis website for a minute. Didn’t think they’d have them this soon. Thought they were keeping it to the DD and DH casing that was released in July. But more casings are always good!
My DD highroller just got dropped off at my door😁. Won't be mounting it for a week or two though.
I’ve been running nothing but DH super soft Kryptotal FR / Xynotal and have started to question if the casing is too stiff for me during harder riding. Over 16psi and the ride quality noticeably diminishes. I’m thinking of trying out these new Schwalbe radials. Magic Mary gravity super soft / Albert gravity soft front and rear respectively. Hoping it would let me run at least 20psi with similar performance?
interesting.. to me Kryptotals are stiffer than maxxis, comparable to Schwalbe and less stiff than any michelin (DH or wild enduro raceline).. never felt these were on the stiff side..
That new high roller is so tempting! I absolutely loved the Continental Argotal this year for my riding terrain but I am stuck with using a DH casing 1300g tire just to get the super soft compound. As a 160lb rider it is overkill for me. I know Kryptotal SS Enduro is on the way but does anyone know if Argotal SS Enduro is also in the works? If not then this Exo+ High Roller might be the ticket.
Anyone still drunk off the Schwalbe "Radial Revolution" kool-aid? They seem to be more available now.
What pressures differences are you running compared to previous tires? I have heard of people going up as much as 10 psi with the same traction/feel as before. Is that legit?
I have had the high roller 3 in DD on the front of my nomad for about 3 months, it’s been great as we had a pretty damp summer here in Northern Ireland and as me and my brother had just built two new loamers it was the perfect tyre, we have some old trails that are down to bedrock which the assegai is slightly better on but the high roller hasn’t held me back at all on these. Keen to get my hands on the exo+ version as my DD is looking very tired (max grip definatley don’t wear well but the grip can’t be questioned)
high roller 3 seems like a Maxxis Magic Mary.
New Schwalbe Magic Mary Gravity Pro Radial feels a lot better than Maxxis Assegai DH Maxxgrip in similar pressures. Upped the pressures after breaking a rim and found the rear very harsh, 24psi front and 27.5-28 rear Maxxis Assegai DH Maxxgrip. The same pressures a Schwalbe Magic Mary Gravity Pro Radial felt normal, more like if you took 3-4psi out of the tires and got compliance even with pressures so high I hardly hear any rim impacts, FYI I got Rimpact Pro and Rimpact Pro Race inserts both front and back.
I just got a set to see whether the hype is real, but first ride went down and messed up my shoulder. I added 4 PSI more to Trail/Gravity from what I was running with Conti DH to get it to deform similarly in the garage. I'll give them another try once I heal up but I'm honestly kind of skeptical - I feel like the higher pressure and more rounded profile contributed to me losing grip on the front end.
So comparing Maxxis shorty 2’s and highroller 3’s side by side in my local bike shop yesterday there is hardly any difference (you’d need a set of verniers to tell basically). Really liked the old shorty, but moved to the assegai as I find it better all round. Kind of a weird play on Maxxis’ part that no-one seems to have made much of.
The knobs are different shaped and shorty has bigger spacing between them.
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