Until now, carbon wheelsets were usually astronomically expensive. With the Bontrager "Line Pro 30 TLR", they are now more or less affordable for the average earner. The enduro-compatible wheelset costs around 1400 francs. However, it is only available with a Boost hub standard, but as a 27.5 and 29-inch version. We did some serious rock gardening with the latter.

The Bontrager "Line Pro 30 TLR" is in line with the current trend. The inner rim width is 29 millimetres, the outer width is 36 millimetres. The connection between the rims and the in-house Rapid Drive hubs is made using 28 Aerolite spokes from DT Swiss. The rear wheel comes from the factory with a standard Shimano freehub body. The Sram XD body must be purchased separately - this is available from specialist dealers for 100 francs. Around 1740 grams is a good value for the 29-inch wheels when you consider that they are not designed to be lightweight, but to withstand the stresses and strains of enduro racing. Trek supplied us with Bontrager's "SE4 Team Issue" tires in 2.4 inch width to match the test wheels. These weigh around 900 grams each and promise downhill-level puncture protection.

What you can't feel can't be bad

Tubeless mounting is easy. Only the conversion of the hub body to Sram's XD system is a little awkward, it could be easier. It would be welcome if you didn't have to remove and convert the pawls yourself on the XD body. Although this is not a mammoth task, it is not quite as user-friendly as with other manufacturers, where this is done using the "plug and play method", i.e. remove the body and fit a new one.

When riding, the wheels behave inconspicuously. After just a few bends, you stop thinking about them. The "Line Pro 30 TLR" have had to put up with a lot over the past few months: From snow and mud rides to blocked, rocky trails and even detours to the bike park. The wheels had to put up with jumps that were too short and a few punctures. Apart from a few superficial scratches, the wheelset revealed no weaknesses. Over the course of the test, the spoke tension had reduced somewhat, so that after six months, the wheels had to be re-tensioned. Since then, the wheels have continued to spin dead straight.

And then there's a bang at the photo shoot...

The test report is written and all that's missing are the pictures. But things turn out differently than planned at the photo shoot. During the photo shoot over a rough stone field, the tire punctures and the shot is taken, but the rear rim fails. It is torn and the top carbon layers are broken. Nevertheless, it wasn't a total failure and the ride into the valley was successful without the rim collapsing.

The rear wheel was then inspected by Trek, who issued the following statement:
"There is no material defect in the tested Bontrager "Line Pro 30 wheel". Our wheel experts have come to the conclusion that external influences have led to the structural damage. Rims on downhill and enduro bikes are generally exposed to greater stress than wheels in the CX or road bike segment. Although carbon fibers are stronger than aluminum in relation to their weight and can withstand enormous tensile loads, carbon is more susceptible to structural damage when subjected to very high pressure loads from impacts or stone chips caused by falls or riding errors. Especially with low tire pressure, as is sometimes ridden in the enduro sector. Looking at the Line Pro 30 wheel models in general, Trek has not recorded any increased warranty cases for this line. With its Carbon Care program, Trek offers its customers a discount on replacement material in the event of damage outside of the warranty."

Second round

A new rear wheel is delivered and the wheelset test continues for three months. This time, the rims are deliberately not spared. Much to the concern of our colleagues, we only ride at full throttle (at least almost), and with a minimum air pressure of 1.1 bar - at a body weight of 65 kilograms, mind you. The "Line Pro 30" wheelset also has to hold its own in the bike park. The wheels, especially the rear one, once again endured countless punctures. The appearance suffered greatly, but not the fibers: This time, the rims held up.

Conclusion on the wheelset

The wheels provide the right mix of comfort and stiffness. This is characterized by the fact that you forget about them after just a few meters, because the properties fit. With Bontrager's "Line Pro 30 TLR" wheelset, you literally get "a lot of money" for the 1400 francs. It is certainly not a flyweight, but for a 29-inch Enduro wheelset it is not a heavyweight either. It also scores points for its pleasant handling and load capacity. A rim can always suffer major damage, and no manufacturer is immune to this.

Conclusion on the tires

The situation is similar with the "SE4 Team Issue" tires. When it comes to tires, I'm very tricky and it takes a while to gain confidence in new tires. That's because you first have to find out what their limits are. But I soon stopped thinking about the Bontrager tires. They are rather unagitated but very reliable - in short, very good all-round tires. They don't excel with any features, but they don't show any noticeable weaknesses either. The rolling resistance is significantly better than that of most enduro tires from other manufacturers. Only in wet and muddy terrain were they no longer able to keep up with their coarse-tread Pendandts.

Information about the wheelset: www.trekbikes.com

Information about the tires: www.trekbikes.com