The WTB Vigilante, the latest tyre from WTB, marks a significant change in design direction for the company, and it looks to be a good change.
In the past WTB tyres have always had very distinctive/unique tread patterns, and to be honest we’ve never really been that overly impressed with them. The tread pattern of this new Vigilante however is far more traditional, and there’s a reason why square blocks and the like are so common…it’s because they work and are very hard to beat. Obviously only time is going to tell for definite if WTB are on the right track with this tyre, but we’ve got a feeling they are going to be.
Of course a great tyre isn’t just defined by the tread, it’s also defined by the rubber and the casing. In both of these respects WTB look to have things sorted. The tyre is being aimed at ‘enduro’ use (read the kind of riding that we all do) and so the 2.3″ size is pretty much bang on the money, and then the sidewalls sit in a happy middle-ground between useless XC thin and super heavy DH thick. Of course as with any decent tyre these days these are also tubeless ready.
As for compound, you get two choices, both of which are dual compound. On the ‘Team Issue’ ones which you see here you get a 60a base compound and then a high-grip 45a rubber on the outside, and then on the ‘AM TCS’ version you get the same base but a slightly harder 50a compound on the outside. The Team Issue ones really do feel quite soft so we wouldn’t be surprised if these turn out not to be the fastest rollers, but if that’s a priority for you then just go for the harder compound version. A good pairing might be the softer one up front and the harder at the back.
These Vigilante tyres will be available in 26, 27.5 (650b), and 29″ sizes, all in a 2.3″ width, but hardcore 29’er riders might be a bit gutted to find out that the softer Team Issue compound isn’t available in that size. Weight wise, this 650b Team Issue tyre came in at 953g.
Price: £44.99 – £56.99
