News from WTB: a lot of updates and a new rear tire, the Judge
Pretty fat! WTB has expanded its tire portfolio considerably, releasing the popular but slim Vigilante and Trail Boss models in wider versions, with small profile updates, new rubber compounds and revised casings. Also, they’ve got a new kid on the block to rough up the tire world.
New casings and rubber compounds
WTB calls their newly developed rubber compound TriTec. It combines the properties of three different compounds. The soft rubber compound for the shoulder knobs should provide a lot of grip. They’ve used a slightly harder compound for the centre knobs to offer lower rolling resistance and an even harder compound for the base underneath. The inside of the soft shoulder knobs is supported by the hard base compound to stabilise them and prevent them from folding over.
TriTec is available in Fast Rolling and High Grip versions. With the casing, there are two options to choose from: Tough or Light. The lighter single-layer casing promises to provide sufficient puncture protection at a low weight thanks to the reinforced sidewall. The two-ply Tough casing is designed to provide adequate damping and puncture protection for the demands of gravity and enduro use.
Bigger is better – new widths for Vigilante and Trail Boss
In addition to the brand new Judge, WTB has also worked on the popular Vigilante and Trail Boss models. In future, both tires will be available with TriTec rubber compounds and in both casing variants. The knobs on the Vigilante have been slightly raised for more grip. It is now also available in 2.4″ and 2.6″ widths. The side knobs of the fast rolling Trail Boss have been updated too. A larger gap between the knobs should provide more traction on soft or wet surfaces. At 2.25″ it was always very narrow but the new widths of 2.4″ or 2.6″ make it suitable for front tire use.
The new WTB Judge in detail
WTB’s Judge is their gravity and enduro specific tire, so they haven’t bothered making it with the light casing. Tough casing and 2.4″ width are the order of the day. You can choose between the Fast Rolling or High Grip compound in either 27.5″ or 29″ wheel diameters. With this tire, WTB isn’t targeting riders who intend to do a lot of climbing. That’s what the Trail Boss is for, which like the easy rolling rear tires of other manufacturers has a lower profile centre tread. But we believe that low rolling resistance is not the only thing that makes a good rear tire. When climbing is just a means to an end, grip, cushioning and puncture protection are much more important.
Thanks to the combination of a hard rubber compound in the centre and a soft rubber compound on the outside, the side knobs should be stable in cornering and provide massive amounts of traction. In the centre, pairs of long and wide knobs alternate to generate a lot of braking traction with acceptable rolling resistance.
The WTB Judge and the revised Vigilante on the trail
Rear wheel specific? We weren’t convinced at first. The Judge’s profile looks so aggressive that we could picture it on the front wheel as well. But we’d already mounted an old acquaintance on the front: WTB’s tire for everything, the Vigilante – only in the new 2.5″ wide version. Although we primarily put the new Judge to the test in hard bike park use, we didn’t let the opportunity pass us by to see how it would climb. The Fast Rolling version of the Judge is surprisingly easy rolling. You won’t be claiming any KOM’s, but you don’t feel like the rear brake is dragging either.
As soon as the uphill turns to downhill, however, the Judge is in its element. It provides a lot of braking traction and holds it’s line all by itself. The only way to get it to slide out is to really throw your weight into it or if it gets hit from the side, ensuring that the tire remains easily controllable even when locking the rear wheel in steep sections. The behaviour when changing from the centre knobs to the side knobs is very predictable, as they’ve been optimised for rims from about 30 mm wide to produce a flatter tread pattern. What this means that the side knobs come into contact with the ground early on, and thanks to the softer rubber compound, provide lots of grip. In open corners, the side knobs dig into the ground and guide the rear wheel as if it’s on rails. Only in super fast, hard packed berms do the large shoulder knobs begin to fold. The Judge fits so well on the new WTB KOM i29 rim that we had no problems with burping despite our best efforts. Also, the tire withstood several hard hits on the rim without suffering a pinch flat. The tire combination of the Vigilante on the front was very convincing, and despite different tire widths, it felt balanced. To exploit its full potential and put the side knobs to the test, we intend to do some more testing of the soft compound Judge on the front wheel. The fact that an aggressive rear tire also works brilliantly on the front has already been proven by that competitor of WTB’s with the large yellow M.
Conclusion
WTB has sensibly expanded its product portfolio and introduced the new Judge, an aggressive rear wheel tire. Together with the revised Vigilante and Trail Boss, it has closed the gap in the American brand’s tire range. If grip, puncture protection and control are more important to you than rolling resistance, and if you’re not into hill climbing competitions, the Judge is for you. We’re curious to see how it behaves in the wet, how long the massive knobs will last and how it performs together with the vigilante in everyday trail use.
More info at: wtb.com
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Words: Photos: Anthony Pease
