Few weeks ago WTB released a new 27.5” tread pattern called the Riddler 2.4 tire during day one of the Subaru Sea Otter Classic bicycle festival. The Riddler 2.4 tire, named after WTB athlete Nathan Riddle, features a densely packed, fast rolling low center tread combined with larger, regressive outside knobs and is intended primarily for rear tire usage.
“This tire was born out of a discussion over what makes a good tire line,” stated Jason Moeschler, WTB’s global OEM sales manager and racer for Team WTB. “I showed Nathan [Riddle] what we had mapped out and he liked what he saw but he definitely identified a hole in the lineup. I got him in touch with Evan [Smith, WTB’s product design engineer] and before we knew it, a tire was being drawn over a race weekend.”
As mentioned by Moeschler, the Riddler tire was first conceived during Ashland Oregon’s Spring Thaw Mountain Bike Festival in May of 2013. Nathan Riddle, a longtime WTB sponsored athlete, Ashland local, and United Bicycle Institute professor who often wins Spring Thaw’s downhill race, identified the need for a tire that featured the rolling characteristics of WTB’s fast rolling Beeline tread pattern in combination with the tenacious cornering grip of WTB’s Vigilante tire. Nathan Riddle elaborated on the WTB Riddler when asked about the tread concept and design process:
Tires are really one of the biggest tech advantages a bike rider can have over the terrain or competition. I had been struggling whether to run the Beeline due to its light weight and fast rolling characteristics for a given race that incorporated an XC stage and a DH stage (with no tire changes,) or the Vigilante for its aggressive cornering traits. Then I realized… Why compromise one for the other? I pitched the idea for a tire that blended the best traits of both models into one tire – The Riddler. I was really amazed at how fast the WTB design team can go from an idea to a 3D model! E-mails flew back and forth literally any time of day or night and usually Evan Smith had the next design iteration for us to see within hours of the suggestion. I am so honored to be a part of the WTB team and to have a tire named after me is actually a dream come true.
WTB Riddler 2.4 27.5” tires will be available in two different levels. Riddler 2.4 27.5” TCS Light: Fast Rolling tires will feature WTB’s sealant-optimized Lightweight Casing and dual compound, Dual DNA rubber, weighing in at 868g with an MSRP of $67.95. Riddler 2.4 27.5” TCS Tough: Fast Rolling Compound tires feature WTB’s Enduro Casing, composed of two full layers of WTB’s sealant-optimized Lightweight Casing, along with dual compound, Dual DNA rubber, weighing 1108g with a $76.95 MSRP. Riddler 2.4 27.5” TCS Light: Fast Rolling and Riddler 2.4 27.5” TCS Tough: Fast Rolling tires are both currently available and shipping from WTB.
