ARISUN MOUNT BONA { PRODUCT}
Arisun is a bicycle-specific tire brand born from its par- ent company, ZC Rubber. ZC
Rubber is one of China’s biggest tire
manufacturers dating back to 1958
and makes tires for just about anything with two or four wheels. Arisun,
however, focuses its attention on tires
for everything from road bikes to fat
bikes and whatever falls in between.
Tech features: The Mount Bona
tires from Arisun come in three different diameters: 26-inch, 27.5-inch and
29-inch, with two different widths for
each size. The 26-inch and 27.5-inch
tires are sold with a width of 2.1 or
2. 25 inches, while the 29-inch versions come in widths of 2.1 or 2. 35.
All sizes have folding- or wire-bead
options and have varying levels of
puncture resistance. The tires’ tread
patterns have smaller ramped knobs
in the center and slightly larger knobs
on the outside corners. This tread
pattern makes the Mount Bona tires
ideal for hardpack or loose-over-
hardpack terrain. The Mount Bonas
sell for $40 and have a claimed
weight range of 625 grams to 750
grams, depending on tire size and
the type of puncture resistance you
choose.
Field test results: The Mount
Bona tires we tested were 27.5x2.25
inches wide and had a lighter-weight
nylon casing as opposed to the
heavier Kevlar option. These tires are
not tubeless compatible, so we dug
out a pair of tubes and slapped the
tires on a 6-inch-travel trailbike.
While climbing we noticed the
tread pattern seemed to hook up well
on steep hills, and tire weight was
never an issue. As we began to head
back down the trails, we noticed the
tires’ smaller center knobs rolled fast
and the side knobs cornered well
on harder-packed trails, but braking
performance seemed to be a little
under-powered. We found ourselves
locking up both the front and rear
tires quite easily. This may not be
an issue for casual riders, but our
long-travel, go-fast bike begged for a
bit more traction. All in all, the Mount
Bona tires offer great value and a
competitive weight, but they do fall
a little short as far as braking per-
formance is concerned. Mount Bona
tires would be a good option for the
rear end of a bike, but one of Arisun’s
more aggressive tread patterns would
be a better choice for the front. ■
