Hot on the heels of the 650B 47mm Horizon introduced at the 2016 NAHBS last month in the new Road Plus category, WTB has again added to its drop-bar tire lineup.
The new WTB tires were introduced today at Sea Otter and will be available by this summer.
The Riddler is a tread for hardpack and gravel that was released as a 27.5” mountain bike tire last year and will now be available in 45mm or 37mm widths for 700c tires. The former has a 560 gram claimed weight and both come with WTB’s TCS Lightweight casing, which is a supple tubeless compatible design for a faster riding tire. The tires have a round profile with closely spaced flat center squares and two rows of taller knobs along the shoulders for cornering with a dual compound rubber across the tread.
The 700x45 Riddler tires add big adventure capability to the steel 2017 Kona Sutra LTD. © Cyclocross Magazine
Also new for 2016 is the Exposure, a tire decidedly more performance-road oriented that will be available with a 30mm or 34mm width for 700C. The narrower Exposure is 345 grams and has a round profile with a smooth center and very fine file shoulders. The 34mm version weighs 370 grams and has smooth center band flanked by a chevron tread and then the tread gets more aggressive towards the shoulders with a deep diamond pattern and a row of rectangular knobs. The Exposure uses WTB’s TCS tubeless compatible system and the same supple lightweight casing as the Riddler, but has a harder compound for better road durability.
The tread on WTB's Exposure 34mm looks to provide cornering confidence when hitting the loose stuff. © Clifford Lee / Cyclocross Magazine
Both the Riddler and Exposure have folding beads as part of the TCS.
These new introductions along with the CrossWolf 33, CrossBoss 35, and Nano 40 nicely round out the wide 700c oferings from WTB.
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The tread on the 45mm WTB Riddler gravel tire. © Clifford Lee / Cyclocross Magazine
