Earlier this year, Bontrager launched four all-new MTB treads. Those tires started with the super-fast Vallnord, ranging up to the all-around trail tire called the Gunnison. Now Bontrager is completing their new MTB tire lineup with the most aggressive options in the lineup – the Brevard and Galbraith.
Like those launched in April, the Brevard and Galbraith ditch the ‘XR/SE’ naming convention of the outgoing tires. Instead, the tires take naming inspiration from legendary MTB zones where the tire would be appropriate. For enduro and aggressive trail, the Brevard replaces the XR5/SE5 while the Galbraith replaces the SE6.
The new naming structure also includes some changes to the levels and constructions. While the old tires went from Comp, to Expert, to Team issue for Entry/Good/Best, the new level goes Comp, Elite, Pro, and RSL for the top end. Constructions are noted as XR for XC/Trail, XT for Trail, SE for Enduro, and G for Downhill. That gives you three parts of the name, as in Brevard RSL SE which would be the top-level Brevard tire in an SE casing. Four parts if you add the TLR Tubeless Ready acronym.
Named after Brevard, North Carolina, the Brevard is optimized for loose and mixed terrain. Looking at the tread pattern, it’s hard not to think Minion, which is fine since it’s one of the most popular all-around aggressive tires.
The Galbraith is named for Bellingham, Washinton’s Galbraith Mountain, and these tires claim to be ideal for anything from rocky to loose, soft, and loamy trail conditions like you’d find in the Pacific Northwest.
The Brevard tire comes in either Bontrager’s new Trail Dual-Compound, or their Trail Triple-Compound. The Galbraith is only offered in Triple-Compound which adds softer shoulder compounds for better cornering grip, a medium center for climbing and braking grip, and a firm base for knob support. The Dual-Compound uses a medium shoulder for cornering grip and a firmer center for faster rolling and better longevity.
Both tires are also offered in Bontrager’s new RSL SE construction which uses a 60TPI casing with sidewall, bead-to-bead, and apex puncture protection. This is the only casing offered for the Galbraith, but the Brevard also comes in XR and XT. According to Trek’s testing, the new SE casing improved pinch-flat resistance by an impressive 33% on the Brevard compared to the SE5, while the Galbraith improved by 26% from the SE6.
The Galbraith is also only available as a 29 x 2.5″ tire, while the Brevard is offered 29 x 2.5 and 27.5 x 2.5.
Actual Weight
These tires have thick casings and a lot of rubber. As a result, they’re not super light at 1406g for the Brevard RSL SE 29 x 2.5, and 1414g for the Galbraith RSL SE 29 x 2.5.
First Impressions
First impressions always start with the installation, and for me that meant mounting to a pair of Forge + Bond 30 AM wheels with a 30mm internal width. Out of the box, the Bontrager tires are pretty stiff and were a bit of a challenge to mount to the rim. An application of Schwalbe Easy Fit Tire Mounting Fluid seemed to help. Still, I had to use a tool at points, but once they were on the beads easily popped into place. I mounted the Galbraith to the front and the Brevard to the rear in hopes that the Galbraith would help hook up on the sketchy loose-over-hard fall conditions.
Starting at my usual 21psi rear, 19psi front, it was immediately apparent that these tires are stout. I could definitely feel the weight difference from the 19 x 2.4″ Maxxis Dissectors that came off the bike, but the trade-off was a nicely damped ride feel.
The SE casing is supportive enough that I started lowering the air pressure, eventually setting at 16/17psi front/rear. Even at those pressures on a light weight ebike, it didn’t feel overly squirmy and offered excellent traction.
All of my rides so far have been in the same conditions – tons of leaves, acorns, walnuts, and sticks over rock-hard dirt. This time of year you can’t even see the trail in most spots, so you really have to trust your tires. So far, the Bontragers have worked out pretty well as long as you’re OK with some controlled sliding. Understandably, with so much loose debris on top of the trails, the tires haven’t been locked into place, but the sliding is predictable and there is still plenty of grip while climbing and braking. The tires also improved quickly with some miles, but it’s still early.
Pricing & Availability
Available now, the Brevard and Galbraith RSL SE TLR both sell for $69.99. The Brevard is also offered in Black/Tan.
