ABOUT THE BONTRAGER GALBRAITH RSL SE & BREVARD TIRES RSL SE
Bontrager’s nod to epic mountain bike cities and locations is a fantastic way to brand their new line of tires, albeit some of the names may not correspond to your first thoughts of the area. For example, for many, Mont-Sainte-Anne likely represents a world-renowned DH race, while the Bontrager Sainte-Anne tire is the brand’s XC fast roller. Regardless, the naming scheme is cool.
Along with changing tire names, Bontrager also reworked the tire level and construction labeling. Tires now increase levels from Comp, Elite, Pro, and RSL, with materials and construction increasing in quality from Comp to RSL.
Three options are offered for tire construction — XR, XT, and SE. XR construction is the lightest and meant for XC riding, while XT sees an increase in sidewall protection for all-around trail riding. Both the Galbraith and Brevard on test at The Loam Wolf have Bontrager’s aggressive enduro SE construction.
BONTRAGER BREVARD RSL | The Brevard replaces the Bontrager SE5 Team tire, although it utilizes what looks to be the same tread pattern. While the Brevard is Bonrager’s second most aggressive tire, an angled leading edge of the center tread reduces rolling resistance. Dual center tread blocks alternate between connected and spaced. More prominent side knobs alternate with L-shaped side knobs, slightly offset in just a few millimeters.
If the Brevard’s tread pattern sounds familiar, you might notice that it has a striking resemblance to the Minion DHR II.
Our SE RSL Brevard sees the same Trail Triple Compound as the Galbraith, with a firmer 60a rubber base, a slightly softer 54a rubber center tread, and 45a rubber on the side knobs. Unlike the Galbraith, the Brevard has a 27.5 option, with the 29er and 27.5 having 2.5 widths. The Brevard also has more level and construction options than the Galbraith:
- At the RSL level, the Brevard is offered in the SE and XT casings.
- At the Pro level, the Brevard is offered in the XR casing.
Tipping the scales at a claimed 1390 grams, the Brevard’s actual weight is just over 1400 grams. This weight increase, again, is likely due to Bontrager’s new Trail Triple Compound.
BONTRAGER GALBRAITH RSL | The new Galbraith, which replaces the SE6 Team tire, seems similar at first glance but certainly has a leg up on its predecessor. The Galbraith is Bontrager’s most aggressive tire in the lineup, boasting a 3-2-2-2 center tread pattern and tall side knobs for corning bite. Compared to the SE6, the Galbraith sees increased space between treads for better performance in tacky conditions.
Bontrager also updated their rubber compound with this new tire lineup. Using their new 60tpi Trail Triple Compound, the Galbraith starts with a firmer base (60a rubber), which is covered with a medium-soft rubber (54a) for the center tread. An even softer rubber (45a) is then used for the side knobs.
These new triple-layered tires also see quite an increase in weight over the previous dual-layered SE Team options. The Galbraith has a claimed weight of 1330 grams. However, the tire’s actual weight knocks on the 1400-gram door. It also has the fewest options available. The Galbraith is only offered at the RSL level with SE construction. Sizes are limited, too, with the only option being 29 x 2.5 — perhaps the most common size for a 29er front tire.
THE DIRT
SETUP | Of all the tires I’ve set up, Bontrager has to be among the most stubborn. Tolerances are tight, and it can take a small army to get the tire over the rim. Once they were on, the beads easily popped into place with a track pump. They were mounted on my Forge + Bond all-mountain wheels to test as a tire combo, with the Galbraith RSL SE up front and the Brevard RSL SE in the rear.
The tires’ weight and stiffness were noticeable right away. I found the typical 23psi and 25psi (front and rear) I often air my tires up to made the Bontragers feel rock hard — especially the rear tire. Knowing this incredibly firm feeling was likely due to the thick SE casing, I aired down a bit, knowing firm tires don’t provide the best traction. But, more on air pressure in a moment.
RIDING THE GALBRAITH AND BREVARD COMBO | I was thankful for the familiarity of the Galbraith and Brevard tires. While the Galbraith strays from the SE6 a little, the Brevard appeared to be a replica of the SE5 that I have spent some time on — albeit the Brevard performed much better thanks to the updates.
And, yes, we also need to acknowledge the elephant in the room. The Brevard looks strikingly similar to the very popular Maxxis Minion DHR II, and, as you may have guessed, performed similarly. Since I, like many others, have logged many miles on the DHR, it was nice to have a familiar feeling around the rear wheel.
However, I do not intend for this review to be a comparison to another tire brand. Instead, I would say the new Galbraith and Brevard (and I’m sure the other tires in Bontrager’s lineup) are quite an improvement from their previous lineup. I feel this has a lot to do with the new Trail Triple Compound, which utilizes a much softer rubber and delivers improved traction and comfort, especially on the side knobs.
After several days of rain, I took a friend on a trail he was unfamiliar with. The dirt was perfect, but the rocks were a bit slick. We stopped above a rock roll so I could show him the line, and as I explained, I slipped on one of the rocks and nearly tumbled down the roll. Knowing this rock roll required a slow, controlled entry, I was hesitant about how the tires would perform on the rocks. However, the Galbraith and Brevard performed well, providing quite a bit of control, even in these extremely testing conditions.
The softer rubber also did well on wet roots, grabbing traction where they could rather than deflecting it away. That said, I feel like riding wet roots is an art and depends heavily on the rider and their experience riding in those conditions.
Very tacky or muddy trails were a struggle for these tires. While the Galbraith did its best to shed tacky dirt and debris, it would simply become overwhelmed, as would the Brevard. However, these aren’t marketed as “Wet” or “Mud” tires, and they performed in those conditions as well as I expected.
Much of the riding I did on these tires fell into two types of trail categories, which, I feel, represent the types of trails I ride throughout most of the year — deep and loose, and loose-over-hard. For the deep, loose, sandy trails, both the Brevard and the Galbraith dug in, providing sufficient traction for cornering and braking. While they might not have the longest knobs for the deepest of trails, I had no complaints, and personally wouldn’t want to sacrifice rolling speed for minimally increased traction.
On the loose-over-hard, the Galbraith and Brevard performed as you would expect an aggressive trail/enduro tire to perform. Both braking and cornering traction were good, although it took me a second to get used to the corning of the Galbraith, especially on these types of trails. The Brevard cornered very much how I would expect it to corner — smooth, consistent, with little or no float zone between the center and side knobs.
While I didn’t experience any gaps in traction as I leaned the Galbraith from center to side knobs, the rounder profile of the tire was something that caught me off guard. This isn’t necessarily a knock on the Galbraith; it’s just an acknowledgment that I am used to a more squared profile on a front tire. After several rides, I began to feel the consistent transition to the side knobs and got along with the Galbraith just fine.
However, to get to this place of consistent quality performance from the Galbraith and Brevard tires, I had to do quite a bit of fiddling with tire pressure. While the thick SE casing was great at preventing flats (I had none despite jagged, rocky terrain), it is very stiff. Knowing I needed to drop air pressure, I found it challenging to find the air pressure sweet spot where the Galbraith and Brevard provided good traction but didn’t feel like slugs. Although the tires are heavy, I hardly noticed the rotational weight once I found that tire pressure sweet spot.
The Wolf’s Last Word
So, what’s the verdict? The Galbraith/Brevard tire combo was a great all-around trail to enduro tire setup for more fair weather conditions. With the thick SE casing, these tires hold up well in rough conditions and provide great traction, provided you get the air pressure right. They also cost roughly half of what some other tire brands run for comparable tires. If the Galbraith and Brevard came on a new bike I purchased, I’d run them into the ground and consider a second set. 
Price: $69.99 (each)
Website: Trekbikes.com
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ABOUT THE WOLF
The local boy — Travis was born and raised in Bend, OR. Skateboarding consumed his life until his high school years (yes, he can still kickflip), but was replaced by mountain biking…then rock climbing, whitewater rafting, and finally back to mountain biking. After a stint in the big city, Travis returned home, trading a teaching career to be an okay mountain biker and above-average journalist. He is an outspoken 90s grunge fan, cornering poor souls in conversations about the meaning behind the lyrics of Alice In Chains’ “Would.” Most days, Travis hopes to be outside, whether that is on an early morning ride or a hike with his family (the best days include both).
Rank: Contributing Writer
Size: 5’8” / 172cm | 195lbs / 88kg
Social: @travis_reill_writes
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