Bike Setup: Project one 5500 Durace - 170 lb rider.
Summary: My rear tire on my project one trek with a red stripe Race X lite center disentegrated. The mileage is not that great, as I have three bikes and there was no warning sign. It appears that the two red stripes are added rubber but the center, where one rides, is thin casing. I am most disappointed in this product.
Strengths: Attractive - good ride
Weaknesses: Terrible engineering
Similar Products Used: michelin, vredestein, continental
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Bike Setup: 2006 Trek Madone 5.2 SL
Shimano Dura-Ace/Mavic Open Pro CD wheels
Forté Pro SLX saddle
FSA Wing Pro handlebar
Summary: I've had two sets of these Bontrager Race X Light clinchers. The first set came with the purchase of my 2004 Trek 5200. I can't recall how many miles that set lasted. If I'd have to guess, I'd say near the 2000 mile mark.
When my 5200 was totaled, I bought a 2006 Trek Madone 5.2 SL. Again, the bike came with a set of these tires on them. The 2006 tires were a joke. After about 200 miles, the tires had noticeably flattened because the compound had worn down so fast. The rear tire more so than the front because more weight was back there. The tire compound developed tiny pits and gouges from the various debris I'd ridden over. It was almost as if the outer compound had started to separate from the inner compound laced with the threads.
I rotated the tires once to have them wear out as a pair. At around the 900 mile mark, the rear tire had worn down so much that was down to the threads! I had not noticed this prior to setting out on a 70 mile out-and-back trip in the back country near Solvang. Thirty-two miles into the trip and the treads had started to give weakening the integrity of the tire. The pressure in the tube caused the tire to bulge funny. Lining inside of the tire with an empty PowerGel foil package worked well enough to get me home.
Maybe tires wearing out this soon is more common than I'm accustomed to. I just haven't experienced it or heard of it before.
Based on this experience, I would never choose to buy these tires as replacements.
Strengths: Impressive sounding name - "Race X Lite".
Summary: These came in the normal tread with my bike, a Lemond Victoire. The rear tire lasted only about 1,500 miles, but that was a bike problem not a tire problem. (Chainstay rubbed off one side of the tire over time; the other side had plenty of miles left when I had to replace it.) I ride rough roads, and have a pretty typical number of puncture flats -- maybe one every 750 miles or so, even with keeping the pressure at 120. I've now replaced the front tire after 2,500 miles(preventive replacement after a small bulge emerged from a sidecut) with a hardcase version of the same tire. I'll track which tire gets how many flats! These are incredibly easy to remove and install, by the way, at least on my Bontrager rims.
Strengths: Durable, good rolling resistance, easy to take off and put back on
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