Bontrager SE4 Team Issue Tires
With tubeless becoming the norm for most high performance mountain bike applications, tires with thicker sidewalls that provide a bit more support are filling a niche in the market. Bontrager’s SE4 Team Issue TLR tires feature a robust tubeless ready casing with medium volume, which results in a tire that isn’t especially light – 1033 grams each for the 29×2.30 version tested; 941g for the 26×2.35 – but does stand up to a good thrashing.
Bontrager’s SE4 Team Issue tire may look a lot like the existing XR4, but it does have two big differences.
Bontrager’s nomenclature is slightly confusing: the SE4’s tread pattern is the same as the lighter-weight, yet also tubeless ready XR4 tire, which essentially sits at the most aggressive end of their XC tire range. To get right into the buzzwords, the SE4 is aimed at the Enduro market with a reinforced casing and a softer compound.
The reinforcement in the SE4’s casing, called Core Strength, is unique to Bontrager in that it is a three piece structure – one on each side, and one down the middle, with 5mm gaps between – that is said to allow for more tire flex where you want it (at the tread) while providing the sidewall support you’d expect from a heavier tire.
The SE4’s robust sidewalls allowed me to run low tire pressures which kept grip in the good category despite the relatively small tread blocks.
Out on the trail the SE4’s casing was burly enough for me to run low pressures (as low as 25 up front and 30 out back) like I do with other heavy-yet-thrashable tires such as Maxxis’ Minion EXO without worry of flat or tire roll. On lighter casing tires I find I have to up the pressure to avoid rolling tires off the bead, so this is a plus for heavier riders or those who tend to push things sideways.
The almost-continuous side knobs, combined with the reinforced casing, make for reliable cornering at the limit while resisting tire roll.
While this is Bontrager’s most aggressive “XC” tire, the tread pattern is still relatively smooth compared to other tires of its weight, which should in theory result in a quicker rolling tire. Over the past few months of riding on two bikes, I found the rolling resistance to be decent while the weight was perceptible.
The flip side of this is obviously grip. To the SE4’s credit, its 55a compound is slightly softer than the 62a found in the XR4, and the large volume of the 2.30” casing makes for a confidence inspiring tire on the ground. As mentioned, I usually ran these tires at relatively low pressures as they were happy to handle it.
The 29×2.30 version weighs in at a hefty 1033g, which is in line with other burly tires in the big wheel market.
For our often wet and slippery conditions the SE4 is good for front or rear in the drier season, but I would most likely look to a grippier tread pattern on the front through winter. The heft of the 1000g+ casing is noticeable but that is a hit I’m willing to take for a tire that is predictable and reliable when pushed hard.
For the longer term the SE4 has found a home on the rear of my bike, while it was a great front tire during the dry season.
It’s good to see more entries in the mid-weight category, especially in the 29er market which has been fairly thin on burly tires until very recently. Currently these tires are only available in 26” and 29”, but with Trek’s Slash and Remedy 27.5” bikes on the menu in 2014 it would be logical to see this beefed up but fast rolling tire in all three sizes.
The Bontrager SE4 is indeed burly – where do you draw the weight line?
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