Founded in 1982, WTB was formed in the birthplace of mountain biking to design better bicycle products. Renowned for saddles, tires, rims, and grips, this rider-driven company continues to push the boundaries of what’s possible through an unrelenting spirit of innovation and passion for two-wheeled adventure.
The Breakout
The Breakout tread pattern is composed of square and oval shaped blocks in a medium, consistent pitch with a linear line of large side knobs designed to be fast rolling for medium conditions.
“The new Breakout tire really compliments WTB’s line of tires fitting in between the Trail Boss and Vigilante tread patterns,” articulated Chris Feucht, WTB’s Product Manager. “It has a little more speed than our premier aggressive, enduro-oriented Vigilante tire due to a slightly decreased knob height, yet it has noticeably more volume than our swift Trail Boss tires. It’s a true 2.5, with all that comes with tires of that girth, but it still rolls like a champ.”
WTB Breakout 27.5 x 2.5” tires will be available in TCS Tough: Fast Rolling Compound and TCS Tough: High Grip Compound starting in May, 2014. TCS Tough tires feature two full layers of casing for increased protection in demanding conditions. High Grip versions feature a supportive 60 durometer base layer of rubber which is then coated by a top layer of 45 durometer sticky, conforming rubber for the utmost grip. Fast Rolling versions feature a dual durometer top layer of rubber with 50 durometer, stickier side knobs and a faster rolling and longer wearing 60 durometer centerline tread rubber. WTB Breakout 27.5 x 2.5” TCS Tough: High Grip Compound tires weigh 1140g while TCS Tough: Fast Rolling Compound versions weigh 1110g. Both versions will retail for $79.95.
Nine Line
The WTB Nine Line 2.25 features an extra line of blocks from the Nine Line 2.0 and wider spacing between existing blocks, allowing for increased braking, traction, and better performance in damp conditions. The WTB Nine Line 29 x 2.25 is intended to play double duty as a performance cross country and race worthy tire, weighing in at 635g for the TCS Light version, as well as a fast and capable trail tire due to its increased width and tread spacing over the 2.0 offering.
“This new Nine Line tire gives aggressive cross country riders that extra bit of volume they’re looking for,” explained WTB’s Product Manager, Chris Feucht. “With their added width, the usage expands beyond the racecourse and solidly into the trail riding category.” Mark Slate, WTB’s Vice President of Product Development and the tire’s designer succinctly summed up its changes: “The Nine Line get a bit more bulk without losing its roots, predictable drive at a super light weight.”
WTB Nine Line 29 x 2.25 tires will be available in TCS Light and Comp levels. TCS Light tires will feature Dual DNA Rubber, Lightweight casings, and folding TCS beads designed for tubeless usage and will retail for $69.95. Comp tires feature DNA Rubber, Durable casings, and wire beads and will retail for $39.95.
Trail Boss
The Trail Boss features staggered side knobs, an even tread shelf, and abundant siping to create additional working edges as the tire is ridden aggressively. The Trail Boss is decisively marketed toward trail riders with availability in a 2.25” width in 27.5” and 29” diameters.
“It’s difficult to create a truly successful trail tire because so much is asked of it,” stated WTB’s Product Manager, Chris Feucht. “A great trail tire needs to be fast, light, work in numerous conditions, have good braking characteristics yet still somehow be tough enough to be ridden aggressively. I like to think the Trail Boss does all that and more. It has tight enough tread pitch to keep it rolling fast and smooth even on hard surfaces but the squared off blocks still dig in hard when it comes time to slow down in a hurry. We strategically added siping that expose more working edges as the tire is pushed harder in the corners. Combine all that with the introduction of new tire level options, TCS Tough in addition to TCS Light, and you have a real winner for the discerning rider,” explained Feucht. “The chore of this tire’s creation gets a little easier when it ends up being the tire that all of us would want to ride,” smiled Feucht.
The name “Trail Boss” is a direct head nod to WTB’s second employee and current Director of Operations, Fred Falk, who began working at WTB in 1988 when the company was still located in the garage of Mark Slate’s rented house.
WTB Trail Boss tires will be available in TCS Light and TCS Tough Fast Rolling Compound levels in both 27.5” and 29” wheel sizes starting June, 2014. Trail Boss TCS Tough Fast Rolling Compound tires will feature two full layers of casing for added protection and will use the same Dual DNA Rubber Compound as TCS Light tires. Pricing and weights are as follows:
- 27.5″ – TCS Light, 750g, $67.95
- 27.5″ – TCS Tough: Fast Rolling Compound, 870g, $79.95
- 27.5″ – TCS Tough: High Grip Compound, 900g, $79.95
- 29″ – TCS Light, 795g, $69.95
- 29″ – TCS Tough: Fast Rolling Compound, 920g, $83.95
Trailblazer
At november 2014 WTB began shipping production articles of the Trailblazer 2.8 27.5” TCS Light tire today, which marks the first 27.5+ tires available to the public. 27.5+, or B+ as others have termed it, is designed to work within existing 29” mountain bike frames and forks while also giving frame builders and bicycle companies a standard to design around.
“The idea of a plus size tire on a smaller diameter rim fitting existing 29” bikes came from a friend of mine, Bob Poor, when he visited me at my house shortly after Interbike 2012” stated WTB Vice President of Product Development, Mark Slate. “We looked at average chain stay and seat stay clearance to determine how large the tire could be to fit most 29” bikes. We knew that this B+ tire as Bob referred to it would fit any 29” fork designed for off-road use. After looking at different widths, we settled on 2.8” as our target, to provide plenty of air volume, with an overall in diameter of 28.5” at lower pressure on 27.5” rims of average to wide size” explained Slate.
This isn’t the first time Slate and Poor have collaborated to create a new standard in mountain bike tire sizing. Bob Poor acted as the direct conduit for communication between WTB and Wes Williams in 1998 as Mark Slate formalized early drawings of the Nano Raptor 2.1 29” tire. In February of 1999, the first 29” tire, the WTB Nano Raptor 2.1 29”, was born.
“The Trailblazer continues WTB’s commitment to thinking outside the lines of convention,” stated WTB’s Product Manager, Chris Feucht. “From Slate drawing the first tread patterns for Specialized, including the Ground Control tire, to WTB now creating a new wheel size that works within existing products on the market, existing frames and forks even, there’s a lot of thought that goes into making mountain biking better for the rider – it’s the very reason WTB was founded,” concluded Feucht, thoughtfully.
WTB Trailblazer 2.8 27.5” tires are designed to fit within most existing 29” frames. When mounted to Frequency i25 27.5” rims, the narrowest rim WTB recommends, the overall wheel diameter becomes 28.6 inches, slightly shorter than most conventional 29” tires, some of which are fewer than 29 inches overall. Effective beneath the wheels’ axles, Trailblazers’ overall diameter equates to a quarter inch or fewer drop in bottom bracket height, something WTB recommends should be taken into consideration when trying out the new wheel size. Due to very close proximity to traditional 29” tires’ diameters, a new suspension fork is not necessary, though fork makers are quickly designing around the burgeoning wheel size. Rear chain stay clearance is a case by case basis with no reports yet of fit issues so long as the rider is willing to mount the Trailblazer in question to a rim closer to the 25mm inner width end of the acceptable, 25-45mm, spectrum.
WTB Trailblazer tires employ a near uninterrupted centerline tread pattern reminiscent of the Nano tread pattern. Squared off, moderately spaced side knobs hint back to the Mutano tread pattern while also help clear debris as conditions become more dynamic. The 2.8” tire utilizes WTB’s TCS Light casing, optimized for sealant retention, and uses Dual DNA, 50a/60a durometer rubber for the tread pattern. WTB Trailblazer 2.8 27.5” TCS Light tires retail for $67.95, are available today, and weigh 895g.
About TCS
WTB’s proprietary sealant tubeless system, TCS (Tubeless Compatible System,) revolutionized rims and tires in 2009 when combining ETRTO, ISO, and UST standards with light tubeless rotational weights. Never before had a standards-based tubeless system weighed so little. Certified as the first sealant-based tires for the UST system in 2012 by Mavic, TCS continues to push the boundaries of what’s possible through purpose-built tires and rims tailor-made for every discipline of cycling. Learn more about what’s possible at wtb.com/tcs.