WTB Trail Boss Tires

Probably will not buy this tire again for Santa Cruz CA riding.  Definitely not a good Lake Tahoe tire.

This would be a great fast rolling tire for a hardtail  on dry hard-pack.  It corners well and doesn’t loose much traction when climbing hard.

Going downhill in loose conditions this tire breaks loose and floats way to easily.  My go to tire is a DHR2 so I gladly prioritize traction over rolling speed.  While this tire is fun to fool around with, it’s downright dangerous at hi speeds in the loose.  Breaking traction is bad in soft stuff, and cornering traction is weak in soft stuff like sand and loam. 

To touch on the durability basically one 20mile day in Tahoe destroyed the knobs on these tires.  Tahoe is basically deep sand, and a lot of granite rock, and the Trail boss is not great for either.

Santa Cruz CA where it’s mostly loose loam and lots of roots, but few rocks, the Trail boss is okay.  At race speeds it’s sketch, unless your Jeff Kendal l-Weed. For a SS tire maybe the minion SS(still a goodie) 

Keep Riding!

If your 29er will fit a larger than normal tire, then the Trail Boss should be at the top of your list. After being in search of a great all-rounder for many years, I feel like the trail Boss is the one. The TCS Light/Fast version has proven to be tough enough in the side walls, yet offer a resilient ride through a wide pressure range. It has an acceptable rolling resistance yet not loose traction on the climbs before my ability. The cornering is very predictable and bites when you need or work in controllable drift if you push it. For a frame of reference, I am using this tire in conjunction with a WTB i29 Asym rim on a steel hardtail.

If you have ever ridden in the desert, you know that there just never seems to be the right tire. Tires that are tough with good sidewalls have huge lugs and roll like a tank. Tires with low lugs are so flimsy the razor sharp rocks and spiny cacti kill them in a few rides. When I was riding 26" wheels I had found a few tires that help up to these conditions well, but when I got my new bike with 27.5" wheels I struggled to find some tread that would last. I went through Hans Damphs, Continental Xkings, and Nobby nics. I spent the entire InterBike show in September looking at tires that I thought would hold up to the conditions that I ride in.

I was impressed when I went to the WTB booth and saw their new line of tires.  I liked the combinations of rubber and sidewall protection they were offering.  After all this searching I decided to try a set of the Trail Boss tires, thinking that the combination of low nobs and edgy side lugs would work well.  I chose a 2.4 light fast rolling for the front, and a 2.25 tough fast rolling for the rear.  I chose the "tough" casing because I have a tendency to pinch flat tires on ledges.

Mounting and Initial Impression

When I unpacked the tires I was impressed with the feel of them right away.  The front tire with the light casing felt sturdy and there was no sense of flimsiness to it.  The rear with the tough casing was impressive.  Just holding it in my hand i could tell that I could take on any line up on the Cowboy Trails without fearing a pinch or tear. 

The front tire mounted easily onto my Atomlab Suprelite wheels.  A little Stans and a shot of air from the compressor and it was good to go.  The rear with the narrower profile and stiffer casing was a bit more of a chore.  It required the use of some DH tire levers and a few air up let the air out's to get it to seat right. The internal width of my rims are only 22mm so this does add to the problem a bit.  If your rims have a wider internal profile it will most likely be easier. 

The profile looked spot on on both tires.  The 2.4 has a large volume but not quite as high as a 2.35 Hans Damph.  What really surprised me was how high volume the rear was.  It has to be the highest 2.25 tire I have seen.  In fact you have to look close to tell that the front and rear tires are different sizes.  I run 21 p.s.i. in the front tire and 27 p.s.i. in the rear.

Performance

After seeing the tires mounted I had high hopes that these were going to be the tires I was looking for.  For my first ride I rode Church Rocks, which is a combination of Moab style slick rock and sand.  The tires hooked up well and the high volume helped smooth out the chatter.  Also the tires rolled much faster that I anticipated. For my next ride I did one of my favorite loops, the 20 mile Goulds Wash to JEM trail.  This trail is mostly hard pack with a lot of hard corners.  I was pleased with the way the tires held their edge and roll over was minimal even with only with 21 pounds in the front tire. 

After riding the smooth flowy trails for I few days I was anxious to get back on the chunky trails of Las Vegas to see how they would hold up.  On the Bears Best trail system (my primary riding location) they have taken everything I can throw at them.  The cornering of the Trail Boss is excellent, much better than a Hans Damph.  The side nobs are stiff and hold your line like a chihuahua humping its favorite toy.

The Trail Boss tires are not perfect.  They do leave a bit to be desired in terms of braking traction, but nothing that is a deal breaker.  I have not ridden them in loamy conditions, but there isn't much of that around here.  

Durability

To date the tires have over 300 miles on them and they are going strong.  I would anticipate I have more than half of the tires life left.  The side walls are holding up better than any other tubeless tire I have owned (except for possibly a Kenda Nevgal), and the side nobs on the rear tire are holding up to hard braking and cornering (another problem I have with tires).  I have had no issues with pinch flats and no spines have caused any catastrophic failures.     

Bottom Line

This is a great desert tire!  If you ride in the SW USA and find that the popular tire's out there just don't meet up with your needs, give these a try.  Sedona, St George, Hurricane, Las Vegas, Phoenix, these tires are for you!