Country Views: A Road With A Chameleon Personality

Escape Route: Traffic on the Sergeant Road Trail

We've had a switch from hot, humid weather to a few days of cooler, less humid air here in Iowa and I was able to get out to enjoy it a bit on Wednesday. Days like these in August don't come around often, so I was blessed to be able to take advantage of the day.

I also needed to ride the fat Resolute tires I have here to review and I had a special place I wanted to take those tires to. This place, curiously, is not well ridden or even well known to locals, as far as I can tell. One person, maybe two, ride it on occasion other than myself, and typically I never see any other bicycle tire tracks out there. Once you've seen this road you might wonder why this is such a rare treat for the locals to partake in. Don't as me for the answer. I have no idea why local gravel cyclists don't flock to ride down this spectacular road. 

I was riding the pink MCD Black Mountain Cycles bike this time and with the weather being what it was, normal cycling garb was all that I needed to be wearing. Since this particular road I was going to ride was South of town, I headed out on the Sergeant Road bike path. I had the unique experience of having to pass a mower doing trail maintenance which was a bit sketchy, but once I got by it was smooth sailing out to the gravel.

Washburn Road. That's Hudson, Iowa's water tower over on the left horizon line.

Real American Gravel

I decided to make the approach to this particular road from the West side, which I typically don't do. However; I wanted to make sure I could actually ride this road as the Western side gets wet and can flood out much easier than the hilly, more well drained Eastern side of that road. This took me just East of Hudson, Iowa and then South of there a bit further. 

Just a bit further....

Petrie Road's Level B section. Yes....this is a road!

Well, maybe you guessed it before you saw the image above, but it is indeed Petrie Road. I've said this before, and I fully expect this to happen, but this 7/8ths of a mile of awesomeness is probably not long for public consumption. I fully expect this road to be gated and turned into a C Level Maintenance road soon. So far though, it has escaped that fate. Not that the local farmer adjacent to this road hasn't been trying to get it closed off. 

This is the same section of Petrie Road as shown in the previous image from 2016.

The local farmer that lives just to the South of this road has wanted this closed up since I spoke with the wife of the couple that farms the land there back during T.I.v12 in 2016. Since then, that Level B sign has disappeared, and the green street sign indicating this is Petrie Road has also mysteriously disappeared. Only the street sign pole remains. Hmm... 

And as you can see, zero maintenance has been done on that road since we did T.I.v12. It is fairly obvious that someone is wanting this to be declassified, and I am betting I know who that someone is. 

But anyway....

This road changes personality at least three times in less than a mile.

The thing that I love about this road is how different it is in feel and terrain as you travel it from one end to the other. On the East side it starts out as a typical gravel road. Then about an eighth of a mile in, it goes to dirt two-track, and then it crosses a low water crossing which is typically only wet during Spring run-off. This is all big rock and dirt. Then it goes up, two-track, sandy, and with embedded rock. Then it goes on with a big mud hole up top that very rarely is ever dry, descends down a silty two-track, and then about a quarter mile of flat, grass-filled and severely rutted out two-track which skirts several mud-pits and water filled ruts. 

Now I did that in reverse and about 50 yards in my front tire self-steered up a rut unexpectedly, since I could not see anything for the four foot high weeds, and I was dumped unceremoniously off my bike with another ridge from a rut hitting me mid-back and across the bottom of my shoulder blades. Fun times!

Coming out on the East side.

 

Back to your regularly scheduled gravel program!

I was okay and rode the rest of the way out to the Eastern exit of the Level B Section and on down Petrie Road to its other terminus at Ansborough Avenue. The gravel had been refreshed down here and it had been done very close to when I rode these roads. There were no good lines and the Resolutes had to do for getting me through it, which they do quite well. 

I did not see a deer this time but I was ambushed by a dog. The dog appeared out of a ditch and was silent until the mutt took off after me.  Fortunately this mutt's angle of pursuit was off and I was out in front of the pooch enough that I was able to crack off a nice "dog sprint". This was enough to break the dog's engagement and I was dog free! I did see another couple of dogs in a farm yard but they gave me nothing but a few barks as I cruised on by them.

The Pink MCD

It turned out all to the good and I made it back home in one piece. All the while I was wondering why folks around here don't take advantage of Petrie Road's varying personalities along that section of Level B road. One day, sooner than later, it won't be an option. Too bad for those who don't get down that way now. They are missing out on some good fun!

Review: WTB Vulpine 45, Vulpine S 45, and Resolute 50 Tires

 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.

In this post I will give my first impressions of the WTB Vulpine 700 X 45mm, Vulpine S 700 x 45mm, and the Resolute 700 X 50mm tires. The previous post to this one has all the tech specs and first impressions out of the box. Please see that post for those details. 

700 X 50mm Resolute:

First up I have the Resolute. While this tire isn't really a 50mm tire, at least the set I have is not, it doesn't mean that it is not an interesting tire and it is different than the older 42mm version. There is more air volume here, and I was able to leverage that to my advantage by dropping air pressures from my typical, close to 40psi down into the lower 30's psi. This gave the tire a nice, stable feel in loose gravel and the damped feel I expect from a Resolute was there as well. 

When a tire tread design is expanded over a larger casing, this often times means that everything gets 'enlarged'. The knobs, the spaces between knobs, and, of course, the casing, all are bigger on this Resolute than they are on the narrower version of this tire. This does a few things to the wider Reso.

Everything is bigger - The knobs, the spaces between the knobs, and the casing.

First of all, this slows down the tire a bit on hard surfaces like pavement or very hard dirt. But like the narrower Resolute, this tire comes alive on gravel or rougher surfaces where the rolling resistance seems less than it should be. On my roll-down track, the tire did not fare well on the pavement sector but it did a lot better on the gravel sector where I would deem it as "average" for most gravel tires I have tried on my test. 

The Resolute does a great job over loose gravel in the 42mm size and this characteristic is amplified with the wider version. I'd take this tire to places I haven't been before because of its versatility and performance over varied terrain. However; I'd choose something like the Vulpine, or the Vulpine S if I were going to see a lot of hard surface gravel, dirt, or especially sections of pavement. 

So Far... Yeah, so it hasn't come out as wide as I'd been led to believe, but this review isn't over yet. I'll remeasure later and see if I am gaining on that. Until then, I will say I like the wider Reso a lot. It does all the things I have liked about the Resolute tires that came before it, and those are good things. 

700 X 45mm Vulpine

The Vulpine is a tire that doesn't look as smooth riding as it is, and it doesn't seem as grippy as it is either. This version is wider, has more air volume, and again - the knobs are larger.  The 40mm tire, as well as the original 36mm Vulpine, were super-supple feeling and the ride quality was great, they just begged to be a bigger tire, in my opinion. But when I rode the 45mm Vulpine, it was a different beast. 

This tire does have a great grip level in turns, and I would credit the tread design and the softer durometer rubber that the Dual DNA compound has on the shoulders of the tire. It's not an 'extreme lean' tire, but it does have a bit of a "save your bacon" characteristic if things get a bit out of line while you are riding. Especially on a harder surface.

The Vulpine 45mm was also acting very familiar to the 42mm Reso on my roll-down test because it was only 'average' on the paved sector but did a little better than you might expect on the gravel sector of the test. Nothing to write home about here. The ride quality was only average as well. Now, I will say that I believe that not only do these casings stretch, but they "break in" as well, and once you get enough rides in they start to act 'better'. 

So Far... "Better" as in ride quality and rolling resistance. I have the least amount of riding on this tire so I will have to come back to this in my next update, but I don't see anything glaringly negative with the Vulpine 45mm. I expect that this tire will start acting much more like what I found with the Vulpine S. 

Vulpine S 700 X 45mm:

Ah! Now we get to the tire I am most impressed with out of the bunch. The Vulpine S was a surprise when I was presented with this review opportunity, but not surprisingly it follows a current trend in "gravel race" oriented tires which have a smoother center tread area flanked by some sort of minimalist tread blocks. 

I found that the tires were fast, I originally went up to around 38psi on pressure, which was great on pavement, but on gravel the tire wanted to hunt for a line and it was a bit of a chore to get down the road. However; I tried a lowered pressure, closer to 30psi, and the tires came alive. The ride was calmer on gravel, almost totally so, and the damped nature of the casing shown through where before it was just like any other tire. 

Now was that all air pressure, or was it the casing breaking in? I have a hunch it was a bit of both things. I don't believe it was all air pressure, because I only went down around 5 psi, but something got better, and it would make sense that part of the reason why is the casing breaking in. It would also go along with the stretching factor I was told about initially as well. 

On smoother gravel, this tire is amazing. Fast, supple, and just a lot of fun to ride. But even when the gravel gets a little chunky and loose this tire handles it well and the combination of the right air pressure, (whatever that ends up being for you) and the way the 120TPI casing works is a great thing. I fully expect to find a similar thing with the Vulpine 45mm tires, but perhaps at the cost of a little lower rolling resistance.

So Far... The Vulpine S is that racing, go-fast tire that WTB was missing in its range and it is a welcomed addition. When things are smooth, dry, or paved, this tire shines. But even a bit of looser crushed rock is okay if you use air pressure to adjust for that. 

I find it interesting that WTB saw fit to release a 45mm variant of this new tire. It speaks to WTB's awareness of what is happening in gravel events. Not that long ago this tire would have been released as a 38mm, maybe a 40. But with racers realizing the benefits of wider tires and with manufacturers being able to deliver with product that not only is wider, but remains light and is durable? That's amazing to my mind. 

Of course, we'll see how the Vulpine S holds up, but so far? This tire is rising to the top of my "best gravel tires" list very quickly.

Gravel Grinder News: WTB Introduces Three New Gravel Tires

WTB's new gravel tires in their new "Zero-Plastic Packaging".

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. 

 Today WTB has announced three new gravel tires to flesh out their wide range of current gravel tires further. Added to the range are a wider Resolute at 700 X 50mm, a wider Vulpine at 700 X 45mm, and a new variant of the Vulpine called the Vulpine S at 700 X 40mm and 700 X 45mm. 

I'll breakdown the tech specs on each tire and in following posts, I will give you my riding impressions on each tire so far. WTB sent out these tires in late May, so I have had plenty of time on them all. 

Vulpine S:

 First, let's get into the new Vulpine S, a race oriented gravel tire. This is a variant on the popular Vulpine gravel tire which has been out for a while now in 700 X 36mm, and 700 X 40mm widths. The Vulpine S has a slick central tread area with those small, rectangular knobs that gradually increase in size and become more squarish off on the shoulders. 

The tire features WTB's Dual DNA compound with a harder rubber down the center and softer rubber in the shoulders of the tread. The casing is 120TPI and features WTB's SG sidewall protection. The TCS tubeless ready casing can be set up tubeless with sealant or with tubes. 

This tire is available in the 700 X 40mm or 45mm widths in either tan wall or black wall casings. 

First Impressions: The Vulpine S tires I received were in the 45mm width. In the messaging from WTB, I was told to expect all the models I was sent to not measure at their stated width until after they had stretched out for a bit. True to form, the Vulpine S when mounted to my 24mm inner width rims came out at slightly under 45mm. However; they now are measuring at 45.4mm/45.8mm. 

My samples weighed in at 561gm/559gm each. This is very competitive for a tire with such a wide casing and for having sidewall protection. This tire retails for $69.95 each.

The Vulpine S seemed to have a rounded profile as well, not the typical WTB slightly flattened crown as with several of their gravel tires. I'll have more on the ride and performance in my follow-up post. 

Resolute 700 X 50:

This tire is the widest Resolute ever offered. The 700 X 42mm Resolute has been a favorite of mine for years and was developed after tire testing by WTB at my old Trans Iowa event a decade ago now. It is the "all-rounder" gravel tire meant for all conditions, wet, dry, hard pack or softer roads. 

The casing is a 120TPI one with the Dual DNA compound. However; this tire has WTB's SG+ casing which has a bead-to-bead puncture protection layer. 

Samples weighed in at 608gm/609gm each, which for a claimed 50mm tire is pretty outstanding. However; this tire has not shown the claimed proclivity for stretching out to size that the other two models I received have shown. The latest measurements I am seeing on this tire are 48.7mm/48.8mm. These are mounted on 24mm internal width rims as well. 

The Resolutes carry a $69.95 price tag for each tire. 

First Impressions: Besides the disappointing width these tires are just like an old friend to my mind. That slightly flat crown of the Resolute 42mm tire is here and that translates to a great, stable ride on loose crushed rock roads. More on the Resolute 50mm tires in my follow-up post. 

Vulpine 700 X 45mm:

When WTB released the second version of the Vulpine tire I was duly impressed, but when I asked about a wider than a 36mm version, I was told it would be awhile. Then there was the 40mm Vulpine. Better, but..... Again, WTB said to wait. Someday that wider Vulpine would be here. Well, now I have it in hand and it is a nice tire! 

Like the Vulpine S, this tire has the SG sidewall protection, a 120TPI casing, and the Dual DNA rubber. The center tread is the traditional Vulpine pattern here though, and that means more grip. 

The Vulpine in the 45mm width weighs a tic more than the Vulpine S and comes in at 571gm/580gm each for my samples. True to form, as with the Vulpine S, these tires did stretch to size and are currently 45.1mm each in width on 25mm internal width rims. 

The Vulpine 700 X 45mm tires are also $69.95 each and come in black wall or skin wall casing. 

First Impression: This tire was highly anticipated by myself and others I know, but my enthusiasm is somewhat dimmed now, only because the Vulpine S is a faster tire than this model and suits my conditions a bit better. That said, this tire is really good and if it weren't for the "S" version, I'd be crazy over this model. Spoiled I am..... 

WTB now uses packaging made from 100% recyclable materials.

 Overall Observations:

WTB has really upped the ante with their new Vulpine S offering and these wider versions of the Vulpine and Reso are great. I will only say that the lack of a true 50mm width on the Reso is a bit disappointing, but maybe my sample is an outlier here. Let's hope so. That 50mm width is a popular size these days and is a width I think will be in demand from riders for quite some time. With newer gravel bikes being designed around such big tires, my hope is that WTB hit the mark with the Resolute and that I just got a set that is odd for some reason. 

Overall, all three models have had excellent air retention characteristics and have been showing no oddities in usage. Installation of all three, on different rims, was typically late-model tubeless. Meaning that I was able to use a floor pump to set them up and things went pretty well. 

As for what I am using for air pressures, I have not gone above 40 psi, and that only to set up the tires. Riding pressures have been at anywhere from just above 30psi to the upper 30's but I have found the lower half of the 30's to be a good place for me. Your mileage will vary there, so take my settings as a guide, not a hard and fast rule for you. 

And I have to mention the packaging, which is plastic-free and 100% recyclable. Kudos WTB! I love that they did this. 

So far, I am in love with the Vulpine S, but you can learn why that is and more about the other tires in my next post following this one.