Looking for a more affordable gravel or mountain wheelset? Well, WTB’s new CZR line is now available with wheels starting at $749.95 for the front and $849.95 for the rear in both the mountain and gravel configurations.
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Radar
WTB’s Wheels Return with MTB and Gravel Proterra Light and Tough Models
You might recall a few years back, WTB had an extensive MTB and gravel wheel lineup. Well, after a few years hiatus, it’s back, a bit more dialed, with a bit more options. The Proterra wheel lineup is hand-built in California and has something for just about anyone’s needs. On the 29er and 27.5 MTB side, the light option is a 27mm wide rim with alloy nipples, while the tough is 30mm with brass nipples. Both wheels use 3-cross spoke lacing. Meanwhile, the gravel options come down to a 700 or 27.5 Proterra light in a 700 x 23mm rim or a 650 x 25mm rim. You’ll most likely be seeing these wheels in an OE application, rolling out under familiar bike models from big brands but should you be on the hunt for a $295 wheel, they do look like a great option. See more at WTB.
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Kyle’s Swift x Kona Rove ST Special Edition Touring Bike
A little while back, our friends at Swift Industries worked with Kona to create a collaboration Rove ST Special Edition touring bike. If you recall this project’s release, it looked really appealing for those wanting a classic touring bike package with bags and everything, ready to hit the road.
My bud Kyle Klain picked one of these up from the Broken Spoke here in Santa Fe when they first dropped. It’s been his bikefishing mobile and commuter before upgrading a few crucial components this year. To test out my new camera setup (more on that later) I met up with Kyle at his office and took his bike for a quick shoot…
Radar
WTB’s New CZR Carbon Rims
WTB’s had carbon rims before but they were nothing like their new CZR rims. These rims are designed with a bit of flex to help you maintain trail connectivity, have reinforced spoke holes, utilize TCS 2.0 tubeless technology, and are available in i23 and i30 inner widths for gravel or MTB riding.
Specs:
-Reinforced spoke beds, proven 4D angled spoke hole drilling and an asymmetrical design…all the necessary ingredients of an incredibly durable rim.
-Two internal width options… 23mm for the gravel-centric and 30mm for the mountain-focused.
-When compared to the competition, lab tests proved our CZR carbon rims to be overall lighter, stiffer and more impact resistant. To be precise, our CZR i23 rims were 38% more impact resistance than their direct competition while our CZR i30 rims were 10% more impact resistant.
-Original owner benefits from a Limited Lifetime Warranty against manufacturer defects in additional to a No-Questions-Asked crash replacement policy which offers a replacement rim at 50% off MSRP.
-Retail $569.95
See more at WTB.
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Four Months of Riding Shimano’s 12-Speed Deore M6100: “the People’s Champ”
The constant evolution of mountain bike technology over the past few years has been relentless. Mixed in with the breakneck progression comes fierce competition between the two powerhouses of component manufacturing; SRAM and Shimano. While Shimano was arguably a bit late to the 1x game when compared to SRAM’s early adoption of this technology, over the past few years they’ve proven they’re taking it seriously and have completely revamped one of their most beloved groups, Deore with trickle-down tech normally only found on the higher-priced tiers. I’ve been riding the entire M6100 kit for the past four months here in Santa Fe on my Mystic hardtail and I’m ready to talk about it, so let’s drop right in…
Radar
WTB Rolls out SG2 Puncture Protection on Gravel Tires
Always wanting to improve their tires, WTB has just announced a new casing for their gravel tires measuring at least 37mm wide. This casing is dubbed SG2, and is an ultra-thin nylon insert that coveres the tire from bead to bead under a 120 tpi casing. This means the 120 tpi casing will ride like a lightweight tire but will offer complete protection against snake bites and other potential damage.
These SG2 gravel tires only come in black sidewalls and will see a 5-10% weight gain over their 60tpi counterparts without puncture protection. This translates to a 15-50 gram increase in weight, depending on the width of the tire. All the WTB 60tpi tires that we’ve come to trust over the years are still available with an MSRP of $59.95, while all SG2-protected 120tpi gravel tires have an MSRP of $69.95.
The entire gravel tire line is currently in stock and can be ordered from your favorite local bike shop or WTB.com.
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Wilderness Trail Bikes Phoenix (WTB) – Second Spin
Most people know Wilderness Trail Bikes or WTB as an aftermarket component manufacturer. While this has pretty much always been their MO their catalog once included a lot more than seats and tires. In the early days WTB products were further developments of the work done by founding partners Charlie Cunningham and Steve Potts.
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John’s Titanium Sklar Pack Mule MTB with Tumbleweed Persuader Bars
This bike is the direct result of many experiences, beginning with my 44 Bikes touring bike and culminating with the Moots Baxter I spent a great deal of time on last year both fully-loaded and set up in what I could call expedition mode. After a lot of back and forth, I realized that I like 29+ bikes for bikepacking and yeah, titanium is really nice for desert riding. These mental musings came to the full realization after spending some time talking with Adam from Sklar Bikes this summer in Bozeman.
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Grinduro 2019: Sycip Gravel Bike
This year at Grinduro, eight frame builders presented bikes in partnership with Maxxis, Sram/Zipp, Columbus, and Hope Tech. The theme? What is your ideal Grinduro bike? This outstanding Sycip gravel bike brought classic Sycip details to a modern platform.
Radar
The 2020 Bombtrack Hook EXT C
Bombtrack announced the Hook EXT C model last year. It was the flagship lightweight carbon gravel bike with a bit more versatility added in for the long haul, with the needed bosses for fenders, racks, and other touring essentials. The 2020 Hook EXT C now features a T47 bottom bracket, SRAM Rival, and 650b Hunt Adventure Sport wheels with 2.0″ gumwall WTB Venture tires.
Radar
WTB’s Byway Design Goes 700c Offering 34mm, 40mm, and 44mm Widths
The WTB Byway tire is a perfect choice for mixed-terrain riding. It’s been our go-to tire of choice for 650b gravel rides and while we’ve been really pleased with the tire’s abilities, our praise has been cut short by the lack of a 700c version. Today WTB announced the Byway is now available as a 700c diameter, with 34, 40, and 44mm widths, in both black and gumwall. Head to your local WTB dealer for ordering.
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John’s Falconer Chubby Road
A few towns over from Downieville, California, where John works at Yuba Expeditions during the summer months, is Quincy, California where Cameron Falconer‘s workshop is. John and Cam knew each other back when they both lived in the Bay Area and since relocating to what is called the “Lost Sierra,” John really wanted a road bike that could handle the area’s veritable Sierra chunk.
Radar
WTB’s Vigalante Tire Now Comes in 29 x 2.8″
Those looking for more grip on loamy surfaces on their plus bikepacking or trail bike can rejoice at the latest drop from WTB. The Vigalante is now available in a 29er plus package. To keep the weight down and the durability up, WTB utilizes their TriTec compound, which balances traction, support and durability, keeping your sidewalls tear-free and the casings supple. Head over to WTB to read more and your local dealer to order.
Radar
WTB Unleashes the Venture Tire in 650 and 700x50mm
WTB has come a long way with their “road plus” tires over the years since the first Horizon tire hit the market. Now, the Venture has quickly become a favorite over here and now it’s available in both 650 and 700 in the 50mm widths. Head to your local dealer to see one in person and to WTB to see more information.
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Super Stoked 2019: Gideon’s 333 Fab AirLandSea Kyler Martz Cascadian Rambler
I was amazed at the number of 333 Fab bikes rolling at this year’s Super Stoke Weekend. One of which was this limited edition, Kyler Martz-designed, Now You’re Finished-painted, AirLandSea all-road/light tourer, piloted by Gideon Tsang from Austin. Morgan Taylor reviewed one for the site last year. Max from 333 Fab designed these bikes as a “Cascadian Rambler,” meant to take on all day or multi-day dirt road rides throughout the Pacific Northwest and beyond.
These bikes are made in a limited production run, with various sizing to ensure the rider can get their custom fit dialed in. You can choose from one of seven sizes, with the ability to fit riders ranging from 5’ – 6’5”. The sizing doesn’t stop at the geometry alone, Each individual size has its own specific tubeset with engineered tube diameters to ensure a proper ride quality. How they build up the frames is up to them! I particularly took to Gideon’s build spec, as it’d be close to how I’d build one of these up myself.
Radar
WTB for the Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship: Downieville Volt Pro Saddle
If you’ve ever been to Downieville, you know what a magical place it is. So magical that WTB teamed up with the Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship to make a run of these commemorative Volt Pro saddles with a special Downieville graphic. On sale now for the holidays and a perfect fit for your trail bike! Head to SBTS’ webshop to scoop one up.
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2018 Grinduro: This Blue Collar Nigel 650G is Perfection!
Wow. Just wow. Robert from Blue Collar Bikes brought my favorite bike to the 2018 Grinduro Town Hall. Painted to match his iconic van, this Nigel 650G featured components from PAUL, 3T, WTB, White Industries, SRAM, and a Fabric saddle. There are so many NorCal brands on this bike, all within a short trip from Sacramento where Blue Collar is based.
There’s not much else to note about this bike, as it’s a prime example of a bike that tells its own story. My only regret was not taking this photo as well!
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Radar
WTB Launches Sendero and Venture Road Plus Tires
Following up with their popular Byway tires, WTB launched two new road plus options. With a 27.5 by 47mm design, the new Sendero and Venture tires are for your all-road, or ‘cross bike and while the Venture features a minimal tread design, the Sendero has aggressive knobs. See more details at WTB and holler at your local dealer for ordering.