Review: 700 X 45mm Vulpine S - 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.

The Vulpine S  tires are WTB's newest tread design for gravel riding. They are a modification of the Vulpine design, with a slick central tread and the Vulpine's smaller knobs out on the shoulders. If you have missed my previous posts on this review, you can start catching up by clicking HERE. 

In that last update I speculated that the reason I may have been feeling that the Vulpine S was smoother and more forgiving than the Vulpine, (also being tested), was that the Vulpine S tires were mounted to my BERD spoked carbon wheel set. Those BERD spokes are claimed to have a 200% better damping capability than a stainless steel spoke does. So I figured I had better swap out tires to make sure that the wheels weren't what was coloring my impressions of the Vulpine S. 

I decided to swap the tires then and chose a set of Roval carbon wheels which have a narrower inner rim dimension than the previous wheel set. At about 21mm inner rim width, I was expecting the tires to be measuring out narrower on these rims than the almost 46mm that they measured out to on the wider rims. However; the difference was negligible at 45.3mm. Slightly narrower, but nothing to concern myself over.

Now I was running the Vulpine S on wheels more akin to what many folks might be using. Especially due to the more traditional spoke choice. These wheels are not particularly forgiving either, and in total, with all the changes, the ride quality was different. Now these tires feel more like the Vulpine tires, which I happened to have swapped over to the BERD wheel set. I'll have the results on that swap in my final Vulpine review coming up, but you might guess the outcome already!

Back to the Vulpine S. It is a fast tire no matter what rim you use the tire on, as long as it is a reasonable choice. The tire spins up fast, coasts a long way on harder surfaces, and is decently smooth, but it was really quite apparent that those BERD spokes have a very pronounced effect on ride quality. The Roval wheels feel harsh in comparison and the tires cannot be blamed for that. 

I see no alarming wear issues and I think this aspect of the Vulpine S is normal. So, is this a good tire? The answer to that is, as always, dependent upon what your expectations are. If you are looking for a tire that does gravel well, is fast, and excels (for a gravel tire) on pavement, then yes - the WTB Vulpine S is a good tire. If, however, you are looking for a gravel tire for what amounts to XC MTB riding, then no - the WTB Vulpine S is not a good tire. 

Final Word: 

The Vulpine S is a great tire for Mid-West gravel if it isn't fresh and deep all across the road. Even then it will handle it and my only complaint there is that the tire has a tendency to lose lateral grip a bit more than some other more treaded tires. 

WTB positions this tire as its gravel racing choice. I think that is right on for many courses and roads, but there are some events where this tire may not be good from a grip and cornering standpoint due to its minimal tread design. I would have no problems running this tire anywhere in the Mid-West, at Mid-South, or on roads that were mostly smoother dirt as far as racing goes. 

However; I think another excellent use case for the Vulpine S is for that rider that does a lot of mixed surface roads where pavement is a large portion of the riding. This is the tire that will get you out of town efficiently and once out on the dirt roads, it will handle fine. As long as fast cornering on looser dirt or loose gravel is not a big part of the ride, I think the Vulpine S is a tire to consider strongly for all-road use. 

And just to close out here, yes - Those BERD spokes are the real deal. They are eye-wateringly expensive but I have not ridden anything else that comes close to damping out vibrations like BERD spokes do in a wheel set. Highly recommended.

Review: 700 X 45mm Vulpine S

 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.

 I did a review of the three new WTB tires back in early July and now I want to break down the review into parts focusing on each tire in the release.This time I am going to focus on the Vulpine S 700 X 45mm tires. Two weeks ago I updated the 700 X 50mm Resolute review. You can check that out HERE. Last week I updated the 700 X 45mm Vulpine review HERE. 

This is the new tire of the three I am looking at. WTB has had Vulpine tires before, but the "S" variant did not exist, until now. You can also get the Vulpine S in a 40mm width, but I have the 45mm tire here. Currently it measures 45.4mm and 46mm on 25mm internal width rims. 

The Vulpine S is distinguished from the Vulpine by its smooth center track on the tread. Otherwise it looks fairly similar to the 45mm Vulpines I have here. Both tires feature WTB's dual compound rubber and their "SG" (Slash Guard) sidewall protection. There is no puncture protection under the tread cap. By the way, all the details on the three WTB tire models I have here can be found in the introductory post HERE.

I haven't run the Vulpine S tires for several weeks up until recently because I wanted to distance myself from my initial take on the tires. At first, I was fairly enamored of the ride quality and speed the Vulpine S tires had. But could that have been just because I was excited about this new model? 

The Vulpine S excels on smaller sized gravel, hard pack roads, and hard dirt trail.

The first ride after the long break did nothing to change my initial take on the Vulpine S. It is still a fast tire, it still has a very damped quality to the ride, and it still is fun to ride. I thought about how much better this tire feels to ride versus the Vulpine and Resolute and all I can come up with are two things: One is the wheel set I chose to mount the Vulpine S on which has Berd spokes. These spokes do damp the ride and have a very different feel compared to steel spokes. Second: This set of tires is just different. 

What I am going to do next is peel off these tires, mount them on an aluminum rimmed wheel set, and then see what happens. If the tires still feel amazing, it will have to be that these tires, and maybe just this set, are great performers. 

Right now though, these have become my favorite tires to ride. They have their quirks though. This tire hunts around a little bit in deeper, looser dirt, sand, and gravel. Wet dirt, really wet pavement, and mud? Nope! The tread isn't up to those surfaces. Keep the Vulpine S on dry terrain and it does really well. 

It has a drifty quality sometimes when pushed a little hard into corners on dirt or finer gravel. That style is not 'my style' of riding, necessarily, but if you are into that and like to live on the edge of traction in corners, the Vulpine S might prove to be a fun tire for you. 

I could see a mixed tire set up using the Vulpine S as a rear tire. Keeping things all WTB here, I might suggest trying the 700 X 50mm Resolute up front matched up with this Vulpine S tire. Especially if you were riding buff single track. That sounds like fun right there. 

But extreme riding styles aside, this tire still strikes me as the "all-road" tire in the WTB range. I used to feel that way about the Byway, and I still might, it's just that I have not ridden a Byway in ages. Both those WTB models are similar in ride feel and performance though, and I recommend either for a 'mostly paved' gravel tire.

Stay tuned for a final verdict late in the Summer.

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.