Before heading off on a tour around the uk, I purchased some WTB Riddler 700 x 45c Light Fast Roll tires for my Surly Long Haul Trucker. I was previously running some standard Schwalbe Marathon touring tires. But this time I wanted some wilderness style tires as I am loving exploring out in forest trails and gnarly dirt tracks.
After some research I come across these Riddlers and thought you know what I am going to get the 45c, (probably the widest I could fit on my LHT) and give them a crack.
So what riding did I experiment these tires on? And how have they hold up?
So first, a quick run down according to WTB about these tires. They are best suited to CX, gravel exploration, dirt touring, dry to damp condition and hardpack to sand. They are essentially built for unfaltering speed through a wide range of conditions. The higher rubber on the outer edges of the tire provide you with some extra grip in the corners, which meet a low-profile center tread.
My first adventure on the Riddlers was a short 202 km bikepacking trip along the Goldfields Track from Bendigo to Ballarat. Which has some nice and fun, gravel and single track wit some roads. Essentially this was a trip just to test them out before heading over to the UK. They felt pretty good, and handle very well on the gravel, providing traction and efficiency. And in the Uk we rode from Paris to up north of Scotland to Thurso, hugging the east cost all the way up north. Then I did some extra Km’s, catching a train, and riding all the way to Dublin. I am not sure exactly how many KM’s I covered in the UK. I just did some quick math. So in total these WTB Riddler tires have held up to 2,500 km in total. And they probably have another 500 km or so in them.
Now that I see the number that is not bad. Considering they are not considered the best bicycle touring tires that some cycle travellers have had last them for up to 10,000 km.
As I mention in the “keep these things in mind” section, the rear tire is fairly bald. And it seems as though the wore down quicker then I was expecting. They are also starting to crack.
The WTB Riddler tires are 45 mm, as stated on WTB website. Weighing in at 478 grams. It is a little on the chunky side. So if you are concerned about weight you may want to run these tubeless. WTB recommends a rim with a internal diameter of about 20 mm.
It is a tubeless ready tire, with a optimised centre tread pattern providing fast rolling performance. Kind of a tighter square pattern in the middle, with chunky knobs on the sides.
Great Things About The WTB Riddlers
- The tan sidewall tire just looks so good. Now wishing I got them instead of the standard black tires.
- The plumpness of the tires help provide comfort on rocky terrain. It was also really good with putting up with me practising wheelies on my loaded Surly.
- I feel the larger knobs on the side of the tires provide some extra grip when climbing up loose rocky hills. Giving something to push into while climbing.
- Again the traction of these tires are great.
- I hear also the suspension provided from these tires while running a tubeless setup. Makes these tire feel super comfortable.
Not So Great Things About The WTB Riddlers
- The weight of the tires make them feel a little sluggish on road conditions, compared to something like the Gravel King. Due to the extra tread and added rubber it will slow you down on road surfaces.
- Tubeless installation can be tricky to do. If you rims are not tubeless ready you may run into some problems mounting these tires.
- At 45 mm it is a tire that is fairly wide. I had no clearance issues on my Surly LHT. But it is something to look into for your rig, and see what the recommended max tire clearance is. As they might not fit. My Surly LHT was pretty close, running about 4 to 5 mm clearance on either side of the tire. On something like a Salsa Warbird the clearance is so tight at the rear, that any muddy conditions would mean blocking up the back.
Keep These Things In Mind
- You should probably consider runnig a tubeless setup on these tires. As you ride and wear down the “low-profile center tread” you can expect punctures if you have a tube setup on the Riddlers. This could be user error on my behalf but I got around three punctures on my UK tour with these, as I was running tubes.
- I guess I was expecting too much from this tire. Regarding longevity, the tread didn’t hold up to how I was expecting. The rear tire ended up being almost bald after my month long trip (around 2,300 km). And I am now running the more worn down tire at the front, to get the most out of them. But then again, 1 month or a short adventure, per set of tires if actually not too bad.
- If you want to run tubeless you will need to make sure that your rims a tubeless compatible. You might be able to get by with non tubeless rims. However the side walls on these Riddlers are quite high. Which add extra comfort on trails but becomes a little difficult when fitting a tubeless setup with non tubeless rims. You may need to add heaps of tape to ‘seal the deal’.
- These tires seem to be better for bike adventures that are going to entail around 80% gravel to 20% road conditions. If you are looking more towards 50% of each riding condition. Which is what my UK tour was more like I probably would have been better of with a set of Gravel King’s.
Different WTB Riddler Options
WTB
WTB Riddler 700 x 45c Light Fast Roll (tan sidewall)
$51.95
WTB
WTB Riddler 700 x 45c Light Fast Roll
$51.95
WTB
WTB Riddler 700 x 37c Light Fast Roll (tan sidewall)
$51.95
WTB
WTB Riddler Light Fast Rolling Tire, 700x37cm
$49.90
Features
- Aggressive cornering knobs meet a low-profile center tread.
- Riddler 37 an excellent choice for gravel grinding or dry cyclocross courses.
- Riddler 45 an excellent for rough gravel ride or drop bar bikepacking
- Available with black or tan sidewalls.
Final Thoughts
If you are looking for a tire that you can put on your steed, to mainly shred gravel and single track, then these tires would be a great option. But you will need tubeless compatible rims if you are wanting to run them tubeless for the best results. Make sure to measure you bikes clearances before purchasing. The roll fast and provide some great traction on the dirt. Recommended if you just want to go bikepacking in the mountains.
WTB Riddler Gravel Tires
$51.95
Pros
- Tan wall looks great
- Plumpness provide extra comfort
- Traction and extra grip on rocky terrain
- Perfect for gravel, not so good for road
Cons
- Sluggish on road
- Tubeless installation can be tricky
- Potential clearance issues
- Wear down quicker than I thought
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