Bontrager H2 Comp tyres

[gbnz]

Anyone ever used, Bontrager H2 Comp Tyres?

Have 2 No. brand new, such tyres. Delivered, fitted to a clearance price, 90's, quality bike, delivered this week - 7 spd (Nb. God, 7 spd, that was too dated when buying my 1st, 21st century bike, 2002 )

Am a tight £'s person.............had my only experience ever, of cutting up and binning, two effectively, brand new tyres, October '24. One had done 200 miles (?), other had 1 ride (Nb. Had used tyre type, for 22 years, these were defective)

Am tempted to "try" them. But are punctures every 10 miles, a floppy ride, likely (Nb. Is it a Philosophical question ? Is it worth riding on puncture prone, floppy tyres, for a mile ? Or not take the chance ?).

Anyone use them ?

(Nb. 15.03.25. UPDATE. Had several hundred miles, with a HC2 Tyre left on the front. The tyre has had some "abuse", yesterday hit lengthy stretch of 1.5" loose, asphalt chippings, at speed, over a couple of hundred metres of road, can't believe it didn't puncture. Likewise have had many stretches on road, with extensive hedge cutting going on. No punctures to date

I wouldn't buy them, they are notably soft, an issue being with minor chippings becoming stuck in the tread, with nothing in the way of puncture prevention, as they become more worn)

[Brucey]

if (and this is a big if) they have been stored correctly, there may be nothing much wrong with old tyres. Typically the rubber gets harder over time; on the minus side this may mean less grip and more cracking, but on the plus side it may translate into lower wear and fewer punctures. I have used quite a few bontrager tyres (not these) and I would describe them as 'somewhat underrated'.

[PT1029]

I used to work recycling old bikes. The collected/donated bikes came with all sorts of tyres, in all sorts of condition. Invariably quite a lot had knackered side walls due to perishing/age, or through being ridden too soft.
That said, Bontrager tyres virtually always had intact side walls regardless of tread wear or bike decreptitude. I now repair bikes for a living, invariably the side walls are in good order, even when the tread is worn.
If you ride them soft enough for long enough (surely not, OP!), you get advanced warning of side wall wear by diagonal marks in the side wall that eventually become cuts/tears in the fabric.
So for a "non tyre bracd tyre", they are pretty good.
I have no idea who makes them, they don't look like any other tyres on the market that I can see.

[TrevA]

My wife’s Trek FX2 came with those H2 tyres fitted. They were OK but she did have a couple of punctures, so we swapped them out for some Vitoria Randonneurs for a couple of years, which in turn were swapped for Schwalbe Marathon Plus, as she’s very puncture-averse.

[gbnz]

My wife’s Trek FX2 came with those H2 tyres fitted. They were OK but she did have a couple of punctures, so we swapped them out for some Vitoria Randonneurs for a couple of years, which in turn were swapped for Schwalbe Marathon Plus, as she’s very puncture-averse.

Thanks, it's a FX1 clearance I've picked up. Unfortunate that your wife's experience, has matched the bulk of any reviews I've read (Nb. Puncture prone, numerous reviewers have changed it for another tyre)

Will definitely do a tyre swapping exercise, retain the HS Comp tyres purely for use/trial on the Treks front wheel. Have 6 brand new/near new Vittoria Randonneur & Schwalbe Marathons, 4 on wheels/2 unused to swap (Nb. If H2 prove hopeless, they will provide an excellent source of patches to attach to the soles of suede "hiking" boots; rarely find such last beyond 10-12 months)

(31.03.25. An update; Have retained the H2 Bontrager Comp Tyre on the bike, 176 miles one week, 198 the next, 148 the next, a reasonably hi mileage. Too many rides down country roads, littered with the remains of flailed Hawthorn Hedges. Even a hi speed, 8 mile run down a dual carriageway "hard shoulder", hit a horrific 500 metre stretch at speed, hard shoulder covered with 1-3" lumps of stone/waste from the road.

Can't believe I haven't had punctures, so they're not as bad as I presumed. But they are made of exceptionally soft material, a dozen bits of "sharp" grit, easily get pushed into the tyre, a constant, "puncture" worry. Will definitely keep change, but keeping as spares for emergency use