Feature

Tested: Bontrager Gunnison XR Pro – The Trail Tyre for All Conditions

Looking for the perfect all-rounder trail tyre? This may be it.

Mike Blewitt 15.01.2025

When we spoke to Bontrager about sourcing some tyres for our trail and enduro mountain bike tyre test, they did tell us some new tyres were on the way. But as you may have noticed, it’s not just one or two new treads, it is a ground up redesign of the range with new treads and casings. I was sent a Gunnison PRO XR in 29×2.4” to test. This is billed as a trail tyre and Bontrager also sell this tread in 2.6” and 27.5 x x2.4”.

A closer look at the Bontrager Gunnison

The Gunnison tyres use a 60tpi casing, which should prove to be quite tough for light trail use. The rubber is a dual compound rubber, favouring a firmer rolling rubber in the centre with something softer on the shoulders. The tread pattern is a classic 2-3-2 arrangement, with a bunch of siping on all tread blocks, save for the middle one on the 3 arrangement. The leading edges are ramped for rolling speed but have abrupt back edges to find plenty of traction if the front is pushing into a turn or for braking. The edge knobs are staggered, which helps make for consistent traction through most lean angles on the round profile tyre. My Gunnison Pro XR test sample weighed 897g, 22g over the claimed weight.

Setup

I fitted the 2.4” tyre on my Black Inc wheels, which have a 27mm internal width. The inflated to 58.5mm and were easy to inflate with a track pump with the valve core removed. Bontrager have a guide on the inside of the tyre packaging that suggests the amount of sealant required for their tyres, and with a pressure suggestion based on rider weight. The tyres stayed as airtight as any during the test – which isn’t surprising for a 60tpi tyre. I tested these at 20.5psi on my front wheel.

On the trail

The conditions I’ve had, or have been riding in, during the test period moved between hero dirt after light amounts of rain, and the typical loose over hard. Based on looks alone, I expected the Gunnison to ride a lot like a Maxxis Rekon, one of my go-to front tyres for light trail, or XC+ use in my area.

READ: AMB Mountain Bike Sealant Group Test

My first few rides were on the typical loose over very hard hardpack conditions on my local trails, where the Gunnison acted as you’d expect; it rolled quite fast on the front and was predictable this was even better in damper conditions and hero dirt, as you’d expect.

I was impressed by the support on offer with the Gunnison – the 60tpi casing ended up being quite robust and actually fairly supple, but nylon reinforcing in the sidewalls meant I had no folding of the tyre despite edging the pressure a bit lower. At times I did find the transition to the edge knobs to not be as predictable as I expected. I think with the innie and outie pattern it is easy to find it less consistent than a tyre with taller, more consistent edge knobs. Those tyres tend to come with other features that mean they don’t roll as fast though.

Bontrager Gunnison Pro XR — The 60tpi casing ended up being quite robust and actually fairly supple

While I had all but convinced myself that the Gunnison was an average light trail tyre perfect for average light trail riding, a recent ride took me down a forest road that I always avoided as it’s very steep. It is a moto favourite, and this time I was tempted to take a look. With loose and dry conditions it was a test of patience and brake control at first, before letting the bike go on the steep moto singletrack. Into a series of steep, rutted sections at a grade over 30% the braking control with the Gunnison tyre was more than I’ve found on other similar tyres, while it also guided me through the faster, rutted areas at other points with confidence that I did not expect.

Verdict of the Bontrager Gunnison

The Bontrager Gunnison XR Pro is likely to be a light trail jack of all trades tyre. I am often swapping tyres around on wheels to get the best fit for a coming race or ride. But finding a pairing that works for 90% of your riding is far more efficient on time, tyre consumption, and even tubeless sealant! A tyre like the Gunnison XR Pro could be that tyre for those riding light trail or even expecting more grip and confidence on their XC bike.