The signature black-and-grey Bontrager Hardcase tire.
I love riding my bike, but no surprise, I hate changing flats. Well… hate is maybe a strong word, though major annoyance is quite accurate. I also have high expectations for the ride quality of my tires. So, when a tire delivers on both puncture resistance and riding performance, you can bet I’m on board. Here is the tricky part, however: there are lots of tires with great puncture resistance but many have a “dead feel” rolling down the road; there are also many wonderful, lively riding tires… with moderate to poor puncture resistance.
Just to be clear, the Bontrager Hardcase doesn’t match the supreme ride quality of a high-end performance tire. I still love my Conti’s for a vigorous training ride, but if I could only pick one all-round tire, the Bontrager Hardcase would be it. The simple reason: they absolutely excel at puncture resistance and durability, making them also a great value for their price.
Me and my bike (with Bontrager Hardcase tires), at a recent bike tour along the California Coast.
My testimonial for these tires is based on thousands of miles of loaded bike touring and commuting on one pair of Hardcase tires with *knock on wood* nary a flat. After one 900-mile tour from San Diego to Texas, two 300+-mile tours on the California coast, 4 tours of the San Juan / Gulf Islands and innumerable commute miles on one pair, I did not *knock, knock* have a single puncture. Anyone that’s ridden the Southern Tier bike route across Arizona knows the extent of possible puncture sources on that state’s highways – lots of debris, rumble strips, and thorns. Yet my wonderful Hardcase tires crossed without *knock* even a hint of damage. They just kept going and going and I only replaced them because it seemed the prudent thing to do after 2,500 miles of hard use and an upcoming tour that included some pretty remote areas.
I have heard stories of Hardcase tires actually being punctured and so I know that they are not magically impervious to all hazards but, in my experience, they are by far the most reliable, puncture resistant, durable and enjoyable tire to ride. I love my Bontrager Hardcase tires and I am thankful to them for the years of *final knock* puncture-free riding!
14 Comments
I fully agree! I have a set of Bontrager Hardcase tires that have performed beyond my expectations. I put 2000 miles on my Trek 5000 in 2008 including riding across the state of Iowa (RAGBRAI) without a flat! I recomend these tires to my biker buddy friends.
I truly hate changing a tube. Just hate it!!!! I do love biking and understand it’s necessities and inevitabilities. So, I did a trial. Bought a Michelin City for my front and a hardcase for the back of my Giant FC2 last season. Yes, the hardcase doesn’t provide the most pleasant ride, but I’ll take it. I’ll replace the front Mich with a hardcase this week. Looking to a 2500mi plus season this year.
Do you know how they compare to Specialized Armadillos on feel and/or price? I’ve been using ‘dillos for the last year of commuting and will be up for a new set of tires soon.
Having ridden both the Armadillo and the Hardcase, I can say that the HC is smooth like butter by comparison. The Armadillo offers great puncture resistence, but at a price.
After three…or was that four flats on the first day of STP I had my wife go to the shop and pick up two HC tires and installed that night. Through the rest of 2007 which included Cycle Oregon and 2008 summer commuting I’ve had no flats. I recommend that tire to anyone I hear needs a tire. I’ve had Armadillo’s too and had good luck but it was too long ago to recall the ride.
I search the net and found $40 to be the going price for HC. Picked up my front tire from a local shop for exactly that. Running with 700/28s. If I have any major problems I’ll probably go with 25s next.
I have to agree – ridden thousands of miles in US, Caribbean and Australia on one pair of Hard Case tyres with only one puncture.
i loved my HC’s I hate my (unfortunately current michelin Speedium 2′s) on my HC’s i had one puncture in 2200 miles of london cycling (ie straight through the broken bottles, car window and lamp glass, in fact one of them had a largish piece of traed missing due to glass and it kept going for a week or so until i finally purchased a new one. my current tyres give a t least on flat a week commuting in perth Aus, where the roads seem to be slightly better.
hurray!! i’m so excited – i finally found a shop in this one horse town that sells hardcases from stock (bikeforce – south perth) unfortunately i could only afford one which i put on the rear then on my first commute got a front puncture within 4 miles of home – b@#$#rd michelin! I did however forget how hard a ride HC’s give – still small price to pay to be shod in the tyre i love.
Recently completed the Souther Tier west to east…rolled on Hardcase tires pulling a BOB….not one single flat! I’m sold on this excellent product…oh, by the way I also used Tuffy liners and thorn tubes….
I now have over 2000 miles on my tires. A buddy of mine that I ride with has had 3 flats this year and I ride right behind or in front of him. He is not riding the Hard Case. He may for this years RAGBRAI. I will have almost 3000 miles by the time I am done.
After 4000 km on my 700×23 Race Lite Hardcase set this riding season, I will never buy anything else. I’ve ridden on Continentals, Michelins and Hutchinsons in previous years, and I used to count on at least one flat a week (usually pinch flats). I’ve had zero flats with these tires. Zero! The rear one is pretty sliced up now from rock cuts, but it just keeps on going.
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I have been using the hard case by Bontrager for 4 years on the rear wheels of all my bikes and I have never had a flat. I used to get flats on every other ride due to the tire shreds from big trucks. They contain steel wire like all tires but for some reason there are tons of those tire bits on the roads I ride. Highly recommend if you are having flats especially on the rear wheel