WTB Vigilante Team Issue 27.5 Tire - Review
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![WTB Vigilante Team 27.5 Tire 2014]()
Wilderness Trail Bikes builds its Vigilante Team tire specifically for the rigors of “European style enduro racing.” That means it has to be tough, gravity racing tough, so WTB uses a two-ply casing (each, 60 threads per inch) to double its life expectancy in the pointy bits. That also means that the Vigilante must be able to find traction on greasy roots, so its tread pattern is sharp and aggressive, and made from super-sticky 45a-durometer rubber over a tough, 60a base layer. Enduro tires must produce reliable cornering grip on a wide variety of surfaces, so the Vigilante has double-reinforced edging blocks. Finally, WTB keeps the air inside the tire where it belongs, with a licensed UST bead system, so the only reason you’ll need an inner-tube is to sling-shot cold beers to river rafters while you are lollygagging between stages.
Of course, all of the items listed above come at a price. To achieve gravity-racing durability, one must also accept a substantial measure of gravity-racing weight. The Vigilante Team, which features Gravity DNA rubber and the 2.3-inch Enduro two-ply casing, weighs a claimed 987 grams in the 27.5-inch size we reviewed. The 26-inch version of the Team is claimed to weigh only 945 grams and, so sorry, there is no T.E.A.M. in “twentyniner.” MSRP is $76.95 USD.
WTB Tires
![WTB Vigilante tire 2014]()
Pinkbike’s Take:
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WTB's "Team Issue" designation marks the only version of the Vigilante to get the two-ply Enduro casing combined with the 45a durometer sticky rubber tread.
Wilderness Trail Bikes builds its Vigilante Team tire specifically for the rigors of “European style enduro racing.” That means it has to be tough, gravity racing tough, so WTB uses a two-ply casing (each, 60 threads per inch) to double its life expectancy in the pointy bits. That also means that the Vigilante must be able to find traction on greasy roots, so its tread pattern is sharp and aggressive, and made from super-sticky 45a-durometer rubber over a tough, 60a base layer. Enduro tires must produce reliable cornering grip on a wide variety of surfaces, so the Vigilante has double-reinforced edging blocks. Finally, WTB keeps the air inside the tire where it belongs, with a licensed UST bead system, so the only reason you’ll need an inner-tube is to sling-shot cold beers to river rafters while you are lollygagging between stages.
Of course, all of the items listed above come at a price. To achieve gravity-racing durability, one must also accept a substantial measure of gravity-racing weight. The Vigilante Team, which features Gravity DNA rubber and the 2.3-inch Enduro two-ply casing, weighs a claimed 987 grams in the 27.5-inch size we reviewed. The 26-inch version of the Team is claimed to weigh only 945 grams and, so sorry, there is no T.E.A.M. in “twentyniner.” MSRP is $76.95 USD.
WTB Tires
Widely spaced, pointy tread and soft rubber help to keep the WTB Vigilante hooked up to wet roots and rocks. Reinforced edging blocks add a measure of control in the turns that impressed some reviewers.
Pinkbike’s Take:
 | Traditionally, WTB's tire range has performed swimmingly well on drier surfaces and soil conditions that are predominant in Spain, Coastal Italy and, of course, Central California, where WTB happens to live. We wanted to find out how the Vigilante performed in less idyllic terrain, so we mounted them up and went out the back door of Pinkbike's HQ for a month of banana slug popping, root sliding, mossy rock rolling and loam skidding in rainy BC. Some riders call this muddy jungle paradise and it could very well be, if paradise were a place where everyone looked like they had just crapped their shorts. We ran the Vigilante tires on both ends of a Giant Reign Advanced, pressurized at 28psi up front and at 35psi in the rear. True to WTB's meticulous standards, the inflated tires measured 27.5 inches in diameter and 2.3 inches wide - and they mounted up easily to WTB's widest rims, the Frequency i25 Team. On trail, WTB's promises of real enduro performance were quickly justified. Although one rider crashed his brains out on a greasy wood feature, it was probably due to overconfidence. Tacky tread and a relatively aggressive block pattern encouraged test riders to claw up and down wet roots and slimy ladders - two tricks that none of us believed that the Vigilante had up its sleeve. Where the WTB tire impressed most was under braking. There was a measure of grip and control which inspired confidence in places where few riders dare mention the word. Cornering was also predictable, and not just in the wet. As it turned out, BC was hit by an unseasonable four-day drought, which gave us a chance to shred some dusty berms and hard-pack descents. The bottom line for WTB's stand-out all-mountain/enduro tire is that it checks all the boxes: It is durable, grips in almost all conditions, corners predictably, is among the best under braking, and it rolls - well, it rolls OK. About as good as any other 987-gram, two-ply racing tire with a sticky, aggressive tread. - RC |
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I run Gravity DNA, Team Issue (as reviewed) rubber out front and the harder Dual DNA (TCS) rubber rear.
The 2.3 Vigilante is fractionally narrower than Dampfs 2.35 as to be expected and the profile is flatter than the Dampfs rounded tyre profile giving more corner bite on the pronounced shoulders. I would say that they drag quite a bit more than Dampfs especially if you run low pressures, the corner grip quite a bit more, and braking performance is like hitting a brick wall.
They excel in damp-wet and hardpack-loam, rocks and roots but dry days and/or mixed with hardpack trail centres are like riding in glue. I ride mostly Afan, Cwmcarn, BPW, Coed Y Brenin, Innerleithen, Surrey Hills, and Swinley Forest.
Schwalbe size pretty accurately with only the 2.5 models sizing larger at 2.6. The Hans Dampf measures 60 which is 2.36
size wise on the flow ex 26 rim they are a little squarer then hans but hans are a bit rounder....cheers
goo.gl/6hPDuf
Hans Dampf on the other hand has only half of the block height and rounder shape. Not even close to the aggressive tread design of Muddy Mary or it`s successor Magic Mary.
(but come on its not really a direct comparison is it, its a lot more geared at Gravity than HipsterDuro).
I found with the muddy marys in trailstar the knobs broke of very easy , but with vert star they didn't break off , just wore down fast.
Well they did start to break at the bases but the tread was worn way beyond optimal by this time anyway.
and WTF? "lollygagging"?? I don't think I even want to know..
Thats not heavy! A high roller weighs 1400g's and a magic mary 1100g's, they pedal just fine for me
Pics or it didn't happen