WTB Dissent Tires - 2.5", Team DH Casing.

Oct 14, 2008

Like a helpful roommate, Dain at WTB has hooked us up with some sweet rubbers.

Wilderness Trail Bikes is known more for their saddles around here, but we got our rims into a set of the WTB Dissent Tires to see how they'd perform in our neck of the woods.

Read on to see how they fared.

The WTB Dissent Tire is featured in a 2.5", and is offered in either a Team DH casing, or a Race Casing. We received the Team DH version of the Dissent, meaning it weighted in at 1379 grams, and featured a steel bead, and super duty casing. The Race version of the Dissent tire weighs in at 1057 grams, and features an aramid bead, DNA rubber, and a lightweight casing.


The Dissent tire has a spaced apart tread pattern for maximum traction in hardpack terrain with a light dusting of dirt on the trail. To put a location to the description, the Whistler Bike Park is where these tires were designed to excel and they are aptly named the "Official tire of the Whistler Bike Park". They have a 40a Durometer Rubber, meaning it will swallow up rough terrain like the cookie monster to a jar of cookies. 40a Durometer rubber features a slow rebound, and is very soft so it conforms to the trail.

With a softer Durometer rubber I was worried about the tread breaking away, especially as this tire was designed to be used in dry conditions. I was surprised to notice that it holds on strong while cornering hard. When cornering on hard surfaces the tire felt as if it was sitting "stretched". By this I mean the knob has stretched over due to the softness of the rubber, and is now utilizing the new position it is in for its benefit. With numerous sypes (slits in the tread that act like knob multipliers) the Dissent tire is good at what it does, gets traction where others wouldn't on hard pack terrain. When these sypes come in contact with the dirt, specifically in hard pack conditions, they are stretched, creating a larger surface area to grip to.


Here's a small video explaining some of the benefits, and technologies which can be found in the Dissent tire.


As stated the Dissent 2.5 is the official tire of the Whistler Bike Park. This is definitely where I noticed this tire excelled. Unlike most soft rubber tires, the Dissent tire was designed to be ridden on "paved" terrain, and the mixture of Whistler's smooth straights, and braking rut plagued corners makes a perfect place to test the Dissents traction out. One of the most noticeable features of the Dissent tire is its ability to grab ahold of anything. Most noticeable on rocky rooty trails, the Dissent tires will find what it wants to hold on it, and it won't let go.

In its element

In its element

Out of its element
Now to burst the bubble, if water is involved you had better throw in the towel. The Dissent tires are no good in the wet due to the small "channel" that they have, however, WTB has come to the rescue with the recent creation of the Dissent 2.3, which was designed to address the downsides of the 2.5 version. One of the most voiced issues with the Dissent tire was its performance in the wet, and lack of proper channels. Here's a small video explaining the changes WTB has made to improve the Dissent family of tires:


All in all the Dissent 2.5 did what it was supposed to. It performs really well in dry, hard pack conditions, while excelling in places like the Whistler Bike Park. Actually, I would think this tire would excel wicked in any situation that resembles a hard pack, lightly dusted trail, that is dry and fast. I would recommend the Dissent 2.5 to anyone who's in the market for a tire of this nature. Also, as Dain predicted the Dissent tire lasted me a season basically, of moderate riding, however not much lift access other than Whistler.

WTB produces tires for any style of riding, and they have been tested and tried in Mill Valley, California. If you're in the market for some fresh rubbers for your rims, take a look at WTB. You won't be disappointed.