Thursday, January 6, 2011

Favorite Things: WTB Pathway tire

WTB's 32c Pathway tire has quickly become my favorite all arounder and winter tire.
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Prior to it's introduction I was a die hard WTB All Terrainasaurus man in winter. The All Terrainasaurus is no longer in manufacture, but was replaced by a very similar tread pattern on the new "All Terrain" model. While I still do believe that the All-Terrainasaurus is the best snow and ice tire in the 32c size available, the lower rolling resistance of the Pathway has won my heart over for year round use.

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I've been riding them on my Nature Boy since March, commuting, riding dirt, and even did a 100 mile gravel race on them. For me they are the perfect combination of tread and rolling resistance. If you pump them up to 80psi they handle like a road tire, if you drop them to 60 they flatten out and handle like a file tread cross tire. I liked them so much that I bought a set for my winter Big Block setup as well.

I feel like these are the perfect choice for me for winter. Many riders roll cross tires in the winter, but I hate riding them on pavement because they feel so slow. These have just the right amount of tread, but roll almost as fast as a slick. I haven't had any issues with ice or slipping, and they corner like champs.

The kicker is that they're fairly light and cheap as hell. MSRP is around $25. If you're considering these and are looking at the 38c model, be aware that they run huge. That 38 is going to actually measure out to around 43mm on a 24mm wide rim.