Has’nt anyone got any more opinions on the WTB Bridger? It looks ideal and at a decent price.

Al – can one just rock up at nextdaytyres for a sniff/fondle or is it just a shed with guard dogs and sniper towers?

They’re actually lighter. Yes. Mental I know.

I possibly do have some hr/minion samples in but ivenot yet sifted through the piles of tyres to see what’s there.

+1

Specialized have just told my LBS that they have no plans to bring in either Slaughter or Butcher in 650B+ sizes this year. Possibly next but nothing firm.

Anyone heard any different? Or any sources from Europe/US?

Looks like cheese side walls or small mortgage tyres only then?!

cheers Al.

My i35 rims arrived today, just waiting on some hubs, then I will drop in and have a play with that chronicle of yours if it’s still available. And then maybe wander down the road to NDT to see what might work on the rear wheel with an 35mm internal rim…

Apologies if this seems like a hijack. I went out on my new Longitude (late 2016 model) at the weekend and I was loving it. It feels heavy to lift, but rides sweetly.
However, I got a puncture from a thorn. On fixing it was clear there is little if any puncture protection with the WTB trailblazers. So I was thinking of trying tubeless, which I’ve not done before. This thread has me worried though that that might not be enough. So, some basic questions:
1. Will tubeless help?
2. How can I determine what other tyres will fit, without physically trying?
3. Any general tips/thoughts?- I was planning on using the bike for general riding (nothing too gnar) and some off road touring; so a tyre that rolls well and could cope with quite a few miles.

Thanks.

It’ll help with thorn flats, but it won’t stop the painfully thin WTB sidewalls from exploding if you wave a rock in their general direction.

There are some threads on mtbr.com with comparative bead to bead measurements of + tyres as a starting point, but Trailblazers are quite narrow in the tread to suit 29er clearances. The carcasse of a 2.8 Schwalbe, for example, is comparable, but the fact they have side knobs may means it won’t fit if clearances are tight with a TB. I found a 2.8 Rocket Ron was slightly wider because of this, but just about fits.

Trailblazers are decent rear tyres if you;re not riding on rocky stuff and don’t mind occasional sideways moments, but awful up front. The 2.8 Nobby Nic / Rocket Ron combo is decently fast rolling but gives a fair bit more grip. Everything else seems to cost loads and/or be unavailable…

I ran a Nic on the front and a TB out back quite happily till I holed the sidewall again… I guess it depends on where you’re based and riding and whether you want your front tyre to grip at all.

I anticipate a future of modular mix and match wheel size horror where mountain bikers desperately wrestle with the pros and cons of plus and minus size tyres in different diameters to suit specific trails and ‘need’ an arsenal of tyres costing upwards of £200 each. It’ll be great. For the tyre companies anyway…

I don’t think we’re any more gullible than any of other countless million victims of neoliberal consumerism though 🙂

The Purgatory with the GRID casing is just starting to appear in the US now and looking at the plus forum on MTBR it seems they are like hens teeth in the states at the moment. I don’t think this is a case of Specialized not bothering with the UK due to potential sales, it might be down to how the ordering and delivery of component lines are done between US and Europe. I blame Brexit.

Anyway the Purg GRID gets the thumbs up from leelikesbikes

It’s a Sonder Transmitter, but a proto frame so may have less room at the rear than the production one, not sure. Brant would probably know.

The Ron seems like a pretty good alternative to the TB as a rear tyre, more rounded profile with edge knobs means it’s slightly wider, but the Snakeskin sidewalls seem tougher and it’s grippier all round, but pretty much as quick I think,

if you are going to play the luddite card then I’m guessing you are still rolling on 26″…

No where near the same level of grip when I run that combo in my High tower. Rekon+ back and front works so much better.
May be try them back to back before giving your expert view. 🙂

A legend in your own lunchtime. 🙄

The main advantage for me is I’ve actually tried both and 9times out of 10 choose to use the bike with my + wheels in.
I’m obviously not a pro doing serious enduro like you though..

Anyway sorry to take this thread back to tyres rather than how awesome you are Mike.

Just had a response from Schwalbe about the apex casing tyres. Looks like they will be arriving in the shops soon for 3.0 variants, and early 2017 for 2.8s

27.5×2.8 Nobby Nic APX PSC: Early 2017
27.5×2.8 Nobby Nic APX TSC: Early 2017
27.5×3.0 Nobby Nic APX PSC: week 44 (Europe)
27.5×3.0 Nobby Nic APX TSC: week 36 (Europe)

Please make sure you pre-order the tire at your local bikeshop in order to get it as soon as possible. For detailed information about availability please contact your local bike shop or Schwalbe distributor.

trailstar compound is grippier, pacestar is less so. I generally run a trailstar front and pacestar rear

Horrified to see that my WTB Trailblazer has developed a few threads on the side walls…I am guessing from where it is bashing the carcass against the chainstay on hard corners. It’s done 800 miles (and I haven’t noticed it once…but is def happening as the chainstay is missing some paint too)

I’ve never noticed this when riding. I don’t want to run it rock hard and lose the benefits of the traction.

Wheels are taught. Pretty sure it’s just tyre roll.

So…has anyone run anything non cheese like in the rear of a Cotic Solaris? Cotic say you can squeeze a 2.8 in, but the trailblazer isn’t the biggest and I am still having issues….

Help!