A bunch of new tyres just showed up from WTB’s local distributor KRD Imports. Dave got really excited because he needs some new rubber for his bike, but then was let down just as quickly when he was told that none of these are for 26″ wheels. The medium and large wheel riders are pretty stoked though…
First up there is the Breakout, which comes in 27.5/650b only. It’s a biggun at 2.5″ wide, and features fairly close-spaced knobs allowing it to roll way faster than a tyre this burly has any right to. Ours came in the Team Issue version, with a tougher casing to ward off sidewall cuts and prevent burping at low pressures. It looks like it’ll handle most trail conditions, hopefully mud as that’s what it’ll be getting plenty of around here.
The Trail Boss will keep both 27.5 and 29er riders happy as it’s available in both sizes. It’s a bit more aggressive in its tread pattern, with wider-spaced square knobs that are lower profile in the centre and slightly ramped for better rolling. It’s like a lighter and faster version of the popular Vigilante, and would team up with that tyre as a rear or could be run on both ends of the bike.
The Nine Line is for, you guessed it, 29ers only. Super low profile and small ramped knobs make it great as a race tyre for all those big-wheeled hardtails on XC startlines, or a fast trail tyre when the conditions are dry and hard.
The Vigilante has been a Spoke favourite for a while now, and the Team Issue model gives the 2.3 wide beasty the extra protection from cuts that riding or racing on rocky tracks invariably bring. We’ve been running this one tubeless on wide rims as low as 17psi with no problems whatsoever, no burping and heaps of grip in mud and on wet rocks and roots. It rolls pretty impressively too for such an aggressive tyre, both on front and rear.
For more info check WTB’s website, and your local shop for pricing, availablity and ordering.
