WTB Resolute vs Nano...?

Hi, and thanks (in advance) for any opinions you can offer.

The Resolute gets rave reviews around here, but apparently runs a bit larger than its nominal 42mm width -- which will push the limit in my frame's rear triangle.

The Nano seems to run true to its 40mm width and so is a safer fit.

Can anyone compare their performance, so I can decide whether to take a chance with the Resolutes, or to just go with the Nanos?  This would be for gravel races in the Northeastern US, which have lots of steep loose climbs and often some singletrack, occasional mud, etc -- so, I need something with good traction and decent volume.

I don’t know about the Resolutes but I’m enjoying the ride on my RoveST running TCS Nano’s. Definitely climbs better and has a cushier feel than the file tooth Clement’s that came with the bike.  Sidewalls might not be as tough as the Resolutes but that’s always a trade off for lower weight. So far I’m loving these tires.
   

Thanks for that feedback, Glen. Actually, I think the Nano is a bit heavier than the Resolute – but nice to know that you’ve had a good experience with the former tire.

PS: I love that bar tape! I have something similar on one of my bikes. You don’t see it too often, which I like. 

Ahh, right’o on the weight difference.  I don’t do much mudding on this bike and the centerline on the Nano gives an advantage on blacktop.  It’s a nice balance for on/off road.  If you’re racing the roughs and you have the clearance the Resolute might be a better choice.

I have extensive experience with WTB’s various offerings, and I live and ride in the Northeast region (NJ/PA). If your concern about rear triangle spacing is major, my recommendation is not to do the 40C WTB Nano (my least favorite of WTB’s 700c gravel tire options), but instead to run their new 700x40c Venture gravel tires. They roll faster than the Nanos on pavement, ride more plush than either the Nanos or the Resolutes and grip better on pavement and dry dirt than the Resolutes as well. The Resolutes still grip better than the Ventures on mud, but the Ventures aren’t real slouches there, anyway. If you ride a lot of sand, it’s possible the Resolutes might be a little bit better also due to the slightly larger casing. If I had to rank the three tires on a scale of 10 overall for all surfaces considered, I’d give the Ventures a 9, the Resolutes an 8 and the Nanos a 5. I find the Nanos don’t roll nearly as well as the other two on pavement, definitely don’t grip half as well on pavement (sharp turns). They may be the best of the three on loam or loose dirt, but won’t match the other two on hard pack. It is almost certainly an issue of the Resolute and Venture having a superior compound over that of the Nano.

-Ed

EddNog wrote:I have extensive experience with WTB’s various offerings, and I live and ride in the Northeast region (NJ/PA). If your concern about rear triangle spacing is major, my recommendation is not to do the 40C WTB Nano (my least favorite of WTB’s 700c gravel tire options), but instead to run their new 700x40c Venture gravel tires. They roll faster than the Nanos on pavement, ride more plush than either the Nanos or the Resolutes and grip better on pavement and dry dirt than the Resolutes as well. The Resolutes still grip better than the Ventures on mud, but the Ventures aren’t real slouches there, anyway. If you ride a lot of sand, it’s possible the Resolutes might be a little bit better also due to the slightly larger casing. If I had to rank the three tires on a scale of 10 overall for all surfaces considered, I’d give the Ventures a 9, the Resolutes an 8 and the Nanos a 5. I find the Nanos don’t roll nearly as well as the other two on pavement, definitely don’t grip half as well on pavement (sharp turns). They may be the best of the three on loam or loose dirt, but won’t match the other two on hard pack. It is almost certainly an issue of the Resolute and Venture having a superior compound over that of the Nano.

-Ed

Ed, thanks for all of this info! Two questions:

1) How do you think the 700x40 Venture will do on steep loose climbs?
2) Do you have experience with this tire, or have you used the 650b version? I was a bit interested in the Venture, but it is not yet available in the 700x40 size.

Thanks again!

Koyote wrote:

Ed, thanks for all of this info! Two questions:

1) How do you think the 700x40 Venture will do on steep loose climbs?
2) Do you have experience with this tire, or have you used the 650b version? I was a bit interested in the Venture, but it is not yet available in the 700x40 size.

Thanks again!

1) This depends on how steep and how loose we're talking. If you're planning to hit  technical single track with really, really steep climbs on loam or mud, your best bet is still probably the more aggressive knobs on a Resolute. I find the Resolute performs better in those conditions than Nano because the tall center line tread on the Nano doesn't allow the rest of the knobs to the side to perform as well as they should, but I didn't encounter this problem with the Resolute despite it also having something of a center line tread design because the center line knobs on the Resolute are lower height, wider (so have more of forward/reverse direction bite than the narrow center line tread knobs of the Nano) and the entire tire profile is flatter on Resolute compared to the rounder Nano profile. I think the Venture would perform somewhere in between the Nano and the Resolute in this situation, depending on how wet it is. If it's dry loam, the Venture should perform very well due to the also quite flat profile and the micro tread knob design, but for wetter/muddy and steep climbs, they will likely pack up. The center line tread is solid on the Venture, but it is very low height and even with the microtreads that branch off of it, so it doesn't really affect the ability of the rest of the tire to grab, unlike the overly tall center line on the Nano.

2) I am currently running the 650x47 version of the Venture (early adopter). I am considering swapping to either the 700x40 or 700x50 versions instead so I can run that tread design and compound on one of my multiple sets of 700c wheels that fit my Felt Broam. This way I can free up my one and only set of 650b wheels to try out something bigger, like the Sim Works Super Yummy tires (which look...well, super yummy). It's too bad your rear triangle is a restriction, because it sounds to me like the overall best option for you is Resolute.

All that being said, I think you should seriously consider Rene Herse's Steilacoom: https://www.renehersecycles.com/shop/components/tires/700c/compass-700c-x-38-steilacoom/

-Ed

Ed, thanks for the follow-up post. I would consider the Rene Herse tire, but I balk at paying $85 for a bike tire. For that much money, it ought to pedal the damn bike for me!

I can squeeze a Resolute in my rear triangle, but would probably only have about 4mm clearance on each side of the seat stays. Will have to think about that.

Koyote wrote:Ed, thanks for the follow-up post. I would consider the Rene Herse tire, but I balk at paying $85 for a bike tire. For that much money, it ought to pedal the damn bike for me!

I can squeeze a Resolute in my rear triangle, but would probably only have about 4mm clearance on each side of the seat stays. Will have to think about that.

Ah, I see. Well, for what it's worth, if you don't plan to ride much in mud, my personal opinion is that down to 3mm is still pretty safe for bikes ridden only in the dry, sand, or wet pavement, but if you do plan to ride in mud often, you may want that additional clearance (or if you ever plan to run fenders) because of how mud packs up.

-Ed

I have the Nanos on my Topstone and love  them for my local mix of gravel,  fresh pavement,  and good old fashioned Michigan pothole-laden roads. However, at 40 PSI they measured out at about 43 mm.