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WTB promote the Resolute as a four seasons, any conditions, gravel tyre. To me, that sounds a lot like the Nano which I reviewed in March. I felt the Nano was almost the ideal gravel tyre but it was beginning to look a little long in the tooth. I needed to try some more modern rubber so I moved on and looked elsewhere.
After a disappointing spell on the Schwalbe G One Bite I returned to the WTB fold and tried the Riddler 700×45.
While I liked the Riddler, I couldn’t escape noticing its shortcomings. In the end, a spate of punctures inspired me to look elsewhere. It was time to try the WTB Resolute.
Resolute TCS Light 464g on our scales against a claimed 460g. I think that’s within an acceptable margin for error.
Testing
The test was carried out on the well mannered Mason Bokeh.
Wheels – the rims are Stans Grails, mounted on Hope Hubs laced with Sapim CX Ray spokes.
Orange Seal Sealant provide the goo to keep everything inflated.
Test conditions were predominantly dry, although the trails are much less sandy than of late. Rain has firmed everything up again but it has not been so wet that there is any mud to worry about.
I have ridden on fire roads, singletrack and tarmac.
Tarmac
A lot of our riding takes in road sections as we travel from one forest or fire road to another.
First time out, I noticed that I was faster on the WTB Resolutes. My average road speed increased to 18s or 19s from the more pedestrian 16s or 17s on the Riddler. Whenever James made one of his periodic bursts for glory, it was easier to make up any lost ground, sit on his wheel and let him wear himself out before taking up the pace once more.
The casing is a lot more supple than the Riddler and the round profile means that I can corner with confidence once more.
I carried out a series of roll tests with a riding buddy who was using WTB Nanos. We found a flattish piece of road and rode side by side, then stopped pedalling on a given signal. On each occasion, I pulled a bike length or more ahead within 25 yards with the WTB Resolute. There was no appreciable difference in tyre pressure, so the only difference had to be rolling resistance.
OK the test wasn’t scientific but this goes some way to explaining the increase in speed.
Off Road
I’d like to avoid unnecessary use of superlatives so I’ll limit my assessment to fast, sure footed, flickable and great at cornering.
Unlike the Riddler which at times felt wooden and frankly ‘hard work’, the WTB Resolute just springs to life and injects a joie de vivre into your off road riding. Acceleration is rapid and it is easy to hold your speed through corners, even across broken or gritty surfaces. On hard packed single track it simply flies. You get that ‘floaty feeling’ as soon as you put the power down. Can I go faster? You bet! The only limitation apart from your legs and lungs, seems to be courage!
Off camber riding is easy, the tyre sticks to the trail like glue.
Setup
Setup was easy. The tyres slipped onto the rims with only the smallest assistance from a tyre lever.
Both tyres inflated with a track pump. I found that they seated perfectly once you hit 60psi. Drop the pressure to your preferred level and you are done. I have had no trouble with them deflating so to all intents and purposes they have been fit and forget.
Conclusion
Thus far, the Resolute has proved to be a fast and versatile companion for the Bokeh.
The tread pattern is chunkier than the Riddler and I suspect they will be competent once the surface becomes wet and muddy once again. I’ll update the review when I have had a chance to try them out in the usual winter gloop.
I like the Resolute, I like it a lot. It would be interesting to see how the 650b version stacks up as that could be really fun! First of all, I need to get some more miles on these ones.
WTB Resolute
£35.00
Pros
- Fast
- Supple
- Easy to fit
Cons
- None that I can think of yet!
Last modified: 21st October 2020
So is the takeaway that these seemed to roll faster and / or with less resistance than the nano on pavement?
In my experience…yes.
I think you could probably draw a similar conclusion on forest access and ‘gravel’ roads. In MTB Lite situations, the Resolute is quicker (all round) too, though other factors come into play here so it is more difficult to be quite so conclusive.
I like the Nanos and always have a pair of wheels with them on and ready to go. I just seem to go quicker on the Resolutes.
Does this help?
It does, thanks John!
I’m trying to narrow down that Goldilocks tire (resolute and nanos at this point) for 30 milish rides consisting of about 70% road and 30% dirt. Both still seem like strong contenders.
Hi.
Have you had a chance to try them in the wet and slop yet?
Just wondering if they could cope with a British winter…….
Thanks.
Sarah.
Hi Sarah, Yes they’ve coped with two winters so far! They shed mud very well.
First off the tire looks amazing, its light, has the looks and thread design seems great. On pavement and hardpack DRY!! roads it is as good as any other tire from the competition.
However, at the MINIMAL sight of wet surfaces, grass, roots, rocks, concrete etc it is a death trap, totally unpredictable and zero traction, actually quite dangerous! It is like riding on black ice, no kidding!
Would only recommend for that weeken club bike that you want to take out for the looks alone. Everything else get another tire…
Same experience than Fernando, ending with a visit to the hospital
I had almost the exact opposite experience on long muddy, rooty or sketchy typically UK surfaces. Where G-One Speeds and Riddlers lost traction and span out on a sketchy incline the Resolutes offered confidence building security. They are noticeably slower on road than the G Ones but still a very good fit and forget tyre.
Hi… How you you think these would fill out on 24mm internal diam rims?
the stats on my bike state a max of 700×40 c but there seems a good 4 mm either side with that set up at the moment. (Vittoria Terreno Dry)
I’m a big fan of the 650b Resolutes on i23 rims and would like to squeeze them on the 700s and then get a set of 50mm / 2.1″ for the 650bs.
Just a bit worried that they’ll come up to something like 45mm on the wider rim.
Tricky one, the combination of wider rims and getting into tiny clearances makes it a potentially damaging (to your frame) choice. It’s a risky one, but no way of actually knowing unless you try.
Thanks for taking the time to reply.. I was hoping you’d have the magical solution! 🙂
I might give it a whirl when the vittorias need changing out… I could always sell them on if it’s a no go.
Yeah fingers crossed… just watch out on the frame, especially on the chainstays where clearance is typically tighter. I’ve damaged frames before trying to muscle in tyres that are realistically too big and it’s not worth it!
You’ll probably have the answer by now but anyway: I have these on 23 mm ID rims and there they measure 44 mm. My frame’s officially good to go with 45 mm so I’m golden. In your shoes, I probably wouldn’t do this. The official safety margin is 6 mm and while you can shave away at it, it’s there for a reason. I’m guessing that with a true rim, you’ll be ok 99% of the time but if you hit sticky mud or debris, trouble could come knocking and certainly with a carbon frame, I wouldn’t risk it.
Came as stock on my Whyte Gisburn. Total ball ache to seat for tubeless, but rims are 24mm internal so may make a difference. Once done they are awesome. Fast AF on tarmac and a daft amount of grip off it. Dry, wet, muddy, all good. Swapped first set out for Panaracer GKing semi slick for the commute. Needed my bumps read, they are awful!! Back to a new set of Resolutes. Still a pig to seat but well worth the trouble.