Going Beyond WTB Resolute (Fast Rolling Knobbies)

I've put in quite a few miles on my set of 42c WTB Resolutes set up tubeless, and I love them. The one thing I wish for with them is more width, but WTB doesn't offer anything bigger than 42mm with this design. I've done some digging around, and discovered that there are wider options in Road Plus format (650x47). Namely, Teravail's Rutland and Rene Herse's Juniper Ridge TC.

I'm curious if anyone here has had any experience with or owns a set of either the Rutland or the Juniper Ridge and can provide an opinion of the tire, especially if you've also experience with WTB's Resolutes. Personally, I've seen that Compass (Rene Herse) tires are more...leaky, when set up tubeless, but that was before they came out with these new Endurance casings that supposedly work better tubeless. As far as Teravail tires go, I have a set of their Coronado 27.5x3.0 tires set up on my trail bike and I love them. They hold air impeccably, and there is absolutely zero weeping of sealant anywhere. For those reasons alone, I am interested in the Rutland over the Juniper Ridge, but then there is an additional caveat--I already have a set of WTB Ventures set up on my 650b wheels, and am also having a difficult time deciding if I should just keep riding those for now, or seriously consider the Rutlands as an update. I wonder if the Ventures will roll faster or slower than either the Rutland or Juniper Ridge on pavement. I do ride 80% pavement, but the 20% off-pavement riding that I do is not always nice and dry, so I feel like the Ventures are a liability (in case of mud) in a way that the Juniper Ridge or Rutland would not.

Any advice or other discussion on these tires is absolutely welcome!

-Ed

I have the Rutland 700x42, which actually runs a bit narrow and measures about 39mm on 21mm internal rims.  The Rutland is a good offroad tire, but is too aggressive for any real paved riding.  The Resolute, on the other hand, measures a bit wider and rolls much better on pavement.  In my opinion it's the best all around gravel tire right now.  Sorry, that's all I can add, but figured I'd give you the data point.

clarksonxc wrote:I have the Rutland 700x42, which actually runs a bit narrow and measures about 39mm on 21mm internal rims.  The Rutland is a good offroad tire, but is too aggressive for any real paved riding.  The Resolute, on the other hand, measures a bit wider and rolls much better on pavement.  In my opinion it's the best all around gravel tire right now.  Sorry, that's all I can add, but figured I'd give you the data point.

Thanks! This is exactly the kind of info I was hoping for. It’s a shame the Teravail Rutland doesn’t roll as well as Resolutes on pavement. That leaves the Rene Herse knobbies that look similar to the Resolutes as the only alternative. I will have to get a feel for how the Ventures roll on pavement before deciding if I’d rather try the Juniper Ridge (and they’re not cheap!).

-Ed

Yeah and unfortunately I don't have any 650 stuff so I can't really help regarding what's available.  Can your bike fit 700x50?  There are some options out for that size, from Donnelly and WTB I believe.

clarksonxc wrote:Yeah and unfortunately I don't have any 650 stuff so I can't really help regarding what's available.  Can your bike fit 700x50?  There are some options out for that size, from Donnelly and WTB I believe.

I’m running 700x48 slicks right now (Soma Supple Vitesse 48, SL front and EX rear, on a Felt Broam frame) and there’s plenty of room, so I see no reason why 700x50, even knobby, would be an issue, other than potential toe overlap (I already had to adjust my cleats all the way forward on my shoes and slid my saddle back the same amount to pull the shoes back and away from the front wheel when clipped in to keep my shoes from hitting the wheel on sharp, low-speed turns). I’ll take a look again at Donnelly, but the WTB option is still Venture, just in 700x50. The thing with Donnelly in my past investigations, I didn’t see anything from them that could roll as fast as Resolute while still having equal or better grip in mud, at least not in a size wider than 42.

-Ed

EddNog, have you looked at the WTB Riddler 45? I think the tread is similar to the Resolute. 

Related question: What was the actual width of your Resolutes, and what is your internal rim width? If you happen to know, that is. 

Koyote wrote:EddNog, have you looked at the WTB Riddler 45? I think the tread is similar to the Resolute. 

Related question: What was the actual width of your Resolutes, and what is your internal rim width? If you happen to know, that is. 

I’ve run a Riddler 45c on the rear with a Schwalbe Thunder Burt in the front (was testing a Lauf fork on my old gravel bike) and found that setup to neither grip as well off-road nor roll as fast on pavement as a pair of Resolute 42c. I have to think it’s due to the difference in compound between the Riddlers and the Resolutes.

Width of the Resolute on a 17mm wide inner-width rim (Alex ATD470, stock wheel from my Jamis Renegade Exile that I upgraded to the Broam from) inflated to 35psi:

Koyote wrote:

 Thanks for all of that info, Ed.

 

I can’t recall if you mentioned it, but you may want to look at the new Rene Herse Hurrican Ridge tire in 42 mm. 

I am definitely aware of Hurricane Ridge; I don’t see it as worthy of the cost to upgrade from the Resolutes to the Hurricane Ridge as they will not be significantly bigger. If Rene Herse came out with a 50mm version of that tread for 700c rim, I’d probably be all over it. As of now, that’s why I’m considering the Juniper Ridge, which is close at 48mm. I have my choice of multiple wheel sets for my Broam (one set of custom WTB i23 650b rims laced to DT Swiss 350 hubs which I am testing out the WTB Venture Road Plus tires with, one set of Boyd Altamont Lite 700c wheels that I am currently running with the Soma Supple Vitesse 48s, a set of American Classic Hurricane Disc wheels that have nothing mounted on them yet or the stock Devox tubeless 700c wheels that came with my Broam).

-Ed

Koyote wrote:

 Thanks for all of that info, Ed.

 

I can’t recall if you mentioned it, but you may want to look at the new Rene Herse Hurrican Ridge tire in 42 mm. 

By the way, here’s how much space I still have on the Felt Broam even with 700x48mm slicks:

Pictures with measurements of clearance with 700x48 tires (Soma Fab Supple Vitesse 48 SL at 30psi front and Supple Vitesse 48 EX at 40psi rear):

Rims are Boyd Altamont Lite (19.86mm inner width).

Rear first:







Front:





-Ed