Winners of the Bontrager Write-A-Review Contest!

Congrats to "afullsodacan" and "FLLMTR", the Week 4 winners of Bontrager's Write-a-Review Contest!



"FLLMTR" winner of a Bontrager Evoke Saddle and "afullsodacan" winner of a Set of Bontrager Tires were chosen at random for their reviews of the Bontrager XR1 Tires and the SRAM X0 Twist Shifters!

User Review: Bontrager XR1 Tire
by FLLMTR

Overall Rating:
4 of 5
Value Rating:
4 of 5

Bottom Line:
I commute on my hardtail bike to work. I also take to the road to ride up to Pompano Beach from Fort Lauderdale. I used to run 1.9" tires under the idea that narrower tires translated to lower rolling resistance. But three pinch flats later, and one dented rim, I decided to try the 2.4" after seeing them on a bike at my local bike shop.

The tires are the widest I have ever ridden. I feel like I am on the Batman Motorcycle when I ride. I run at higher pressures and these tires ride faster and much quieter than the Tomac's I previously ran. I feel less beat-up and have less fatigue on my hands and wrists.

The challenge was inflating these tires. I saw examples where people were able to fill tubeless tires with a floor pump. No such luck. These tires required compressed air. I used 2oz of Stan's on each tire and they sealed up easily without the need of soap and water.

Strengths:
2.4" is 560g
Fast rolling, outstanding resistant to pinch flats
Very well constructed

Weaknesses:
Wish the blocks on the edge was bigger for better cornering



User Review: SRAM X0 Twist Shifter
by afullsodacan

Overall Rating:
5 of 5
Value Rating:
5 of 5

Bottom Line:
I have used these for a about 3 months now after using SRAM X7 trigger shifters for a while. I was looking to match my X0 rear derailleur that I "inherited" when I bought a used 2005 Giant NRS C2. I am on a budget, I would never have bought the X0 triggers because of their price. I am very impressed with these, I believe I have MAYBE mis-shifted when riding, even when jumping, only about 2 times that I can remember--not counting crashes, because that happens even with triggers--Heck, I have even mis-shifted a few times with triggers when going to shift while riding and I hit a bump or something.

These lock pretty solid, shift very crisply, and prevent mis-shifts much better than I would have thought. The rubber on these is nice and grippy, especially when paired with gloves; I do not remember my hand ever slipping. The main thing I love about these is how you can go through the whole range of gears with just a flick of the wrist. Because of this, I honestly feel they have improved my riding. Another thing that is great is that they are lighter than triggers. Also, I love the microshift, it prevents chain rub on the front derailleur and keeps the bike quiet; the way I like it.

The main thing I don't like about them is that they don't feel quite as good as a regular full handlebar grip. I really am not a fan of the grips that come with these. You have to cut them much shorter than they come stock, or else you will have a WIDE grip area. The grips should mate up better with … read morethe edge of the grip-shifter. Because of this I rigged some old, thick foam grips with these. Also, sometimes when shifting these can slightly interfere with braking. But, seems to not be a problem, since you have 2 brakes, and you are basically never going to be using both shifters and brakes at the same time.

Bottom Line: They shift well, they are quite cheap compared to any other high-end shifters (especially at Amazon's price), they are light, and you can shift faster with them. I definitely recommend buying Jagwire's Ripcord derailleur kit when you buy these. That is the best way to get the full potential of these. I say these are definitely great for XC, Trail, All Mountain. May not be best for Downhill/Freeride when doing bigger jumps, although you would probably be fine. I would say definitely not for Dirt Jumping, though, seems like might get in the way of barspins, etc.

Strengths:
Shift crisply, lock in place well, the microshift eliminates chain rub on the front derailleur, they are light, and pretty cheap compared to other shifters ( I got them for about $68 on Amazon new and shipped!)

Weaknesses:
Not quite as comfortable as a regular full handlebar grip, the grips that come with these could mate up better

Favorite Trail:
Ridgeline at Balm Boyette

Price Paid:
$68.00

Purchased At:
Amazon.com

Similar Products Used:
X7 Triggers, X9 Triggers, older Shimano Rapid-fires, cheap Alivio

Bike Setup:
2005 Giant NRS C2, rigged 2x9 drivetrain

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