Review: WTB 700 X 50mm Resolute - Final Word

 Note: WTB sent over one set each of the Vulpine S, Vulpine, and Resolute tires for testing and review to Guitar Ted Productions at no cost. I was not paid nor bribed for this review and I will always strive to give my honest thoughts and opinions throughout.

 First off, if you have missed the previous installments on the Resolute, you can go back HERE.

Now with a Summer's worth of riding the WTB Resolute in the 50mm width I have enough miles in to make a final verdict on the tires. In this post I will focus on how a wider Resolute compares to the previously available 42mm Resolutes and also how the wider Resolute fares in varied conditions. 

I've said it before in may posts here, but my favorite overall gravel tire for years was the original tan-wall Resolute 700 X 42mm tires. Whatever WTB was doing then as far as factory used and materials sourced for those tires, I was smitten with the performance on gravel and the ride quality, which was really top-tier, in my opinion. 

Resolutes do really well on loose, deep gravel. The 50's even more so.

However; a lot of riders reported troubles with sidewalls getting sliced up in sharp rocks and some others noted accelerated wear issues. WTB then began to change subsequent Resolute production runs and finally introduced the SG puncture protected casing for the tire. 

While gravel performance was not affected negatively by these changes, I always felt that the ride quality did suffer. A trade-off often seen when trying to balance durability with ride quality. 

Here is where the new, wider Resolute, with the SG+ casing, changes the game for me. The larger air volume of the 50mm casing allows me to gain back some of that lost ride quality, so now I not only have a wider, more stable footprint on loose terrain, but I have a bit more grace in ride quality and tunability which the narrower 42mm casings do not afford me. 

Just as with narrower Resolutes, the knobs will "round-off" as wear is noted.

In varied terrain the wider Resolute shines as a tire that will allow you to manage well. It is not the ultimate traction tire for cobbly, rock infested roads, nor is the Resolute the tire that will show up as the fastest hard conditions or pavement choice. However; it holds its own everywhere, so if you are a rider that sees varied terrain on many rides, this might be that "one tire" you can rely on to get you through. 

Since the Resolute does sport a flatter crown, and since the wider width enhances this characteristic, it can exhibit a bit of self-steer. Self-steer is an issue that many fat bikers are aware of, but if you do not know the term or what it describes, it is the tendency for a tire to grab a line and pull the bike in that direction, usually which is contrary to what you want to do. I experienced this when riding a grassy, two-track with weeds so high they obscured a rut. The Resolute caught this rut in the rut's depression and was trying to climb up the side of the rut contrary to my direction of travel. This resulted in a fall for me. 

It is not a terrible characteristic, and I could not see the rut to make a preemptive correction, so I do not blame the Resolute, but it is a cautionary tale if your riding sees a lot of rutted out dirt roads. 

The Resolute also did well in very fine, loose silt and carried me over wet, slightly muddy sections with aplomb. The silt sections were barely passed, and with a narrower tire, these would have been impossible to ride through. Credit the new 50mm width here. Dirt sections are where the Resolute is perhaps the best, with those knobs lending above average traction, at least as long as those knobs are not worn down. Resolute knobs have always been subject to rounded edges as they wear which reduces those knobs effectiveness in dirt. 

Final Words: This is now a tire which - for myself - brings ride quality and versatility with the SG+ casing protection together in a tire which rides really well and does a variety of things in a manner that is acceptable. Not great at any one thing, but a tire that shines in varied conditions and terrains. I would highly recommend the 700 X 50mm version as long as it fits your frame and as long as your riding has varied surfaces. This also might be the choice for rides taking you into unknown territory where you may not know what to expect for roads or paths. Of course, with technology and social media being what it is, it is becoming increasingly rare for "unknown territory" to exist. 

The 700 X 50mm Resolute has a tough casing, holds air quite well over a period of time, and with its volume is quite a "tunable" tire for varied conditions and for ride quality. It does what it is intended to do quite well. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a great all-rounder choice for their gravel or adventure bike.