So, picked up a pair of Bontrager RL (Racelite) tubs from a local Trek dealership this afternoon. They are for my brother's wheelset that I just sold to him as he wants to finally try tubs.
The budget was a bit limited, as I was throwing in the tires with the wheelset, plus a lesson on how to glue and mount them.
So the Bontrager fit our budget at 39 bucks each. I was afraid that the tires, made in Thailand, like most budget tubs these days will have crooked treads and really lumpy base tapes. Examined te only two the,dealer had in stock for now and the looked pretty decent.
Mounted them dry on my brother's wheels and I was really surprised on how well made they are. Very staight treads, no lumpy areas and the base tape is also straight and even, all around the wheels. They are visually similsr quality as upper mid priced tubs I have on my wheelsets. I compared them to a spare Vittoria Rally, and there's definitely a big difference between the two, the Bontrager looking to be much better made.
I hope they ride as well as they look after we get them stretched and glued on....
Has anyone here tried these tubs yet? How was the ride and resistance to flats. The packaging says it has a "hard case" flat resistant belt. I did a bit of researching on the net and so far, only found very little feedback from users, one even mixing it up with a clincher version of the tire, which he did not like.....