[Closed] Bontrager XR3 F/R or XR4/XR3

ive just put se4 and se5 on my hardtail, i believe the x series are the same in a lighter casing
Im quite impressed so far, when it comes to the 4 and 5, one of them has intermediate knobs so designed more for front use
Im toying with the idea of picking up a lighter rear wheel and putting one of hte x series tyres on the back for summer riding.
none of this helps you much, except i cna say i quite like these tyres

I run XR4s front and rear on my Occam, currently a mix of old-pattern rear and new-pattern front. I'm not a fan of changing tyres frequently so tend to stick with the same all year round. I don't find a XR4 too draggy.

Thanks all. I might try the XR4/XR3 combo and see how it goes. Hopefully be a nice combo for a mix of XC/trail use.

Can swap out to an XR4 out back if the XR3 feels a bit slippery.

Hi , sounds like I do similar riding to you on a trek top fuel and find the xr4 / xr3 a really good combo for spring summer. Found xr4 gives more confidence on cornering particularly when it gets wet. Also they are both 2.4 but xr4 gives a bigger volume which I like

Another XR4 user here (F&R), generally riding fairly dry/ hardpacked trails. No complaints at all ... except when it comes to getting them on or off Stans rims. Grrrr.

And as Achaney says, they come up big for their stated size; I find 2.2s are more like some other brands' 2.3 or even 2.4"

I run a XR5/XR4 combo on my Remedy and really rate them. Grippy in all but severe mud and not draggy. Have even survived multiple rocky Lakes trips without issue.

I ran a XR4 front and XR3 rear - til I pinch flatted and split the XR3 at the bead and it wouldn't seat tubeless. Enjoyed it while it lasted!

Would not run a XR3 on the front personally.

I had a Trek Fuel that came with the XR3 front and back. I swapped out the front one for an HR2. I personally found the experience of it washing out on dry trails rather concerning. As a rear option it was great.

FWIW, I've not felt the urge to change the XR4 on the front of my Top Fuel through the year I've had it. Rear tyre changes between another XR4, an XR Mud or an XR3 depending on conditions. It came with an XR3-like tyre on the front and the XR4 was a big step up in the confidence I had in the bike.

Would have said that Barzo/Mescal was closest to XR3/XR2. I have XR4 on my longer travel Occam.

All very helpful thank you. Going to order this evening.

Have used XR3 both ends for years now. Totally trust it as a tyre in everything from BPW flat out madness to churning through some god forsaken bog.

It has a rounded profile that gives you loads of feedback when it's traction is running out on a corner. Let's go very progressively.

I run xr4 front, xr3 rear.. but on my rigid SS xc race bike!
Love them, and ruin them all year round..

The xr4 front is great, and really grippy...i run nice and soft as it's a rigid bike!

DrP

I also run XR4 front/ XR3 rear on my rigid SS. Rear swaps to an XR4 when there is more mud around.

XR3 is a great fast, tough, smooth rolling tyre but it can get sketchy in loose gravel over hardpack. On the rear it is fine even when gurning up loose, steep hills but it does require body position and weighting of the bike to be more spot on. I can't always guarantee that level of attention descending so stick to the security of the XR4 up front 🙂

The XR4 is also a bigger volume tyre despite the listed size being the same as an XR3, so more comfortable on the front.

I can tell the difference between and XR4 and XR3 on the rear for speed and smoothness but this is much less noticeable on the front. The extra grip of an XR4 on the front is well worth it for virtually no downsides.

TLDR: XR4 front/ XR3 rear for current conditions riding XC/ Trail pretty much anywhere

XR2 are very fast in dry conditions get hairy in mud use XR4 on my EX8 good all rounded never use XR3,XR2 are need to be tubeless or otherwise you do flat a lot.

Thanks for all the feedback. Question has pretty much resolved itself as was out shopping for a new MTB jacket yesterday and came home with a bike instead lol. It’s has XR4 2.6 and 2.4 on set up tubeless so will run with them for a bit.

Have XR4 front and XR3 on my 29er Hardtail great in dry to damp conditions. Absolutely piss easy to set up tubeless with the Bontrager rim strips. They stayed inflated for 24 hours before I put sealant in them.

literally just got back from a ride
picked up some 23mm rims and put on a xr3 2.4 and xr2 2.35 29er on my Sonder Signal
went for 25/27 psi (i'm 78kg dry)
rode QECP and surroundings
surfaces were dust dry, on top of the typical southdowns chalk, 1st trail was a natural trail with an of camber start.. the combo was uneventful
next trail had a bit more loam, ending in a drop/jump to slope... i came off my pedals.. i cant explain that as i have literally never done so 😀
Climbing was fine.. definitely easier than on the SE4/5 on my other wheels, i only had a 42 bail out gear, id usually have a 51?.. but every climb was completed.
then we went to more hard dusty stuff, this time steeper... the XR2 was sketchy in bends.. actually sliding out on me. Also.. it had limited braking potential meaning front was doing a lot more work... front tyre was great.. but my front brake didn't feel man enough (zees front and rear, 180/160 discs) i never usually feel under braked.
my favourite trail i over cooked it going so fast into a jump i rode over the berm on the way out XD
I dropped a random amount of pressure..I then went off and looped the offical stuff, QECP Blue i found myself spinning out... but got a PR out of 114 recorded attempts....

conclusion...
i need to play with tyre pressures a little
the Xr3 front is a much better tyre than you think from looking at it, i was shocked by how hard i was pulling the brake on it and it handled it.
Xr2.. well... i couldn't see me ever putting that on the front of a bike, slipping a back end is fairly unusual to me.. and the lack of braking force i could put through it was not how i expected it to be, but this could be pressure related.
the combo on a whole is rather good.. and i'm happy to give it a go through the summer, hoping i can get a little more grip from the rear...

I have 24 rear 22 front (I'm a similar weight), with an XR1 2.35 rear and have had no bother with burping etc. Reckon I could probably go down a bit further.

At a similar weight I am 18psi front 22.5 rear on rigid SS.

Personally I'd use a SE3 on the rear for added security, but then I live in Wales and the slate is a nightmare. But an sE3 on the rear has served well ni the past and is surprisingly lightweight for the added protection. I've XR4 front and rear thought 2.6/2.4 and have used XR5 not eh front with good effect as a inion substitute. can you tell my LBS is a Trek dealer!!!!

so.. second ride out around QECP
21/22 PSI
also.. first time for ever denting a wheel and putting a hole in the bead of the tyre.. ive jsut chucked a plug in it, see what happens
22 up back doesn't work for me 😀
think i'll jump back up to 25 and go from there