Tested: WTB Vigilante and Trail Boss Tires

We wrapped our 29 inch rims with WTB’s TCS Vigilante 2.5 “Light/High Grip” (FT) and TCS Trail Boss 2.4 “Tough/Fast Rolling” (RR) tires. The Pivot Firebird 29 was the chassis of choice for this review and on it, we took these tires everywhere. We put 400+ aggressive miles on them, from lift laps to long trail days and in all kinds of conditions. We put them through their paces to see what they could take. The following are the results from all that.

Strengths

Both the Vigilante and Trail Boss really bit in at aggressive angles

They handle a pretty wide variety of trail and conditions

The TCS casings are sturdy. No need for hesitation charging that rocky section!

Fast rolling, and aggressive tread patterns

Well positioned knobs that clear debris and grip in softer conditions

Good braking

Easy to set up tubeless with just a floor pump and still easy to get on the rim. (DT Swiss M1700 30mm ID rims on our test bike)

Weaknesses

A bit porky for trail tires

Not the tires for rock/hard pack

Knobs would fold with really hard cornering

Undercutting on side knobs happened pretty quick on both compounds

“Fast Rolling” means hard rubber and our Trail Boss tended to lose some chunks in the harsher terrain

Trail Boss tended to allow a little wheel spin under power

60tpi casings are not as compliant as higher tpi count tires

Trail Boss 2.4 is a pretty narrow 2.4

Highlights

Supportive and strong sidewalls

Very flat resistant

TCS tubeless ready

Aggressive but still fast rolling tread patterns

Available in 1 ply (Light) and 2 ply (Tough) casings

Available in many compound combinations to suit any rider in any terrain

Available in almost all sizes including 26”, 27.5” and 29” (Sorry 24” wheel Big Hit owners)

Weight: Vigilante 2.5 Light/High Grip - 1,192g (2.6 lbs.) // Trail Boss 2.4 Tough/Fast Rolling - 1,195g (2.6 lbs.)

MSRP: $83.95 (Vigilante) and $79.95 (Trail Boss) USD *As tested* There are many pricing options.

WTB have made these tires work great in many conditions. They are fast rolling tires that don’t lack in aggressive cornering ability. The taller and softer compound side knobs bite into almost anything you can imagine rolling a bike over. The casings are sturdy and provide cornering support. The casings did not squirm or fold over under heavy side loading at pressures between 25 and 27psi.

On The Trail

Right out of the packaging these WTB tires look aggressive. We immediately started fantasizing about the carve marks they were going to put in the dirt. There is a noticeable heft to them, but that meant we did not feel the need to add a cush core or Huck Norris to the works just to finish a ride without a flat. A little bit of heft is worth something if you can avoid a flat. Similarly priced Maxxis EXO casings and some other trail tires we’ve been riding and testing definitely need a little help from the inside to prevent pinch flats.

Mounting the tires up was easy and both tires seated on the first try (DT Swiss 30mm ID rims). We set them up like this: 25psi in the Vigilante 2.5 up front and 27psi in the Trail Boss 2.4 on the rear. These are familiar pressures that have been giving us a good balance of compliance and stability in most situations with most tires.

Out on the trail, the WTB tires provided predictable grip and a lot of it. Over the course of 3 months of solid testing and many different trails and terrains we were impressed with the grip and confidence that the WTB tires provided. The tall and aggressive cornering knobs looked like they were going to squirm and fold under pressure, but they did not. That is, until they started to wear. There was a noticeable degradation in the cornering support that came on pretty fast once the knobs started to undercut and wear. At that point, the tires were still predictable and still good in softer conditions, but they were much less confidence inspiring on rock and packed surfaces.

Throughout this test period, we only had one flat tire. The flat was well deserved and we would wager almost any “trail” tire would have flatted under the circumstances. It was a classic sharp rock hit resulting in a center tread casing cut. We have to mention it, but again, this flat was not caused by a weakness in the Trail Boss. The tire even finished the ride.

The “Tough/Fast Rolling” 2 ply casing and compound was provided for our Trail Boss tire that we dutifully mounted on the rear (WTB recommended). WTB is not at all wrong when they say “Fast Rolling.” This tire is fast. But with speed came a firmer compound in the tread. It’s great for tire wear but not so great for climbing grip. We noticed an increase in wheel spin on technical climbs and high torque situations with this tire compared to our more recent experience with Maxxis, Vittoria and others. But the rear tire does still look like it has life left in it after a lot of miles. That is the trade-off.

The “Light/ High Grip” 1 ply Vigilante was placed out front to keep us pointed in the right direction. This tire was still pretty fast rolling, even with the taller blockier treads and the softer compound. The harder it was pushed, the better and more predictable the bite was. If it lacked anywhere, it is in the transition from the straights to the corners. That moment right as you dive into the corner, just before the aggressive side knobs really get into the action. There seems to be a little dead space in the grip right at that transition. But if you trust it you will be rewarded with dirt in your shoe.

We keep going back to the tread marks in the dirt and shoes filled with roost and can’t help but crack a little smile. These are great aggressive trail and enduro tires. If you’re ok with replacing them a little more regularly to keep them sharp they are great in just about any situation.

Things That Could Be Improved

The quick drop in performance when the tires begin to wear is the first thing that comes to mind. The tall and somewhat narrow cornering knobs lost a lot of their supportiveness once they started to undercut. On the Trail Boss, especially the “Fast Rolling” compound, a revisit to the center tread to help with climbing grip would be helpful. It was not a bad climber, but it did give some more wheel spin than other tires we’ve tested recently. Finally, if we get deeper maybe weight would come up, but there is never a perfect answer there. It comes down to a sliding scale between do you want to flat more or do you want to deal with a little more rotating mass… We can’t think of a tire that has found the perfect balance and that may be because there isn’t really a perfect balance. If these WTB tires were lighter we would want to toss a liner of some variety in them for flat protection. Maybe we would save a little weight, but we would have added complication and expense.

What's The Bottom Line?

The bottom line is this: If your hard on your tires and find yourself changing flats a bunch, if you like to ride and corner aggressively and if you like the feel of dirt in your shoes, jersey and shorts from all the roosting, the WTB Vigilante and Trail Boss combo is for you. Just be aware that once they start to breakdown the performance of the tall cornering knobs drops off steeply.

Visit www.wtb.com for more details.

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About The Reviewer

Matt Fisher - Age: 38 // Years Riding 24: // Height: 6’ (1.82m) // Weight: 190lbs (86.12kg)

Matt discovered mountain biking in 8th grade. It was a welcome escape from becoming an overweight, TV-addicted adolescent statistic. After a long, slow climb through the downhill racing ranks as fitness and skills improved, he landed in the Pro class and was able to make a go of it for 8+ years, winning some local and regional races and qualifying to race as pack-fill in the World Cup Series. In addition to a lifetime of riding and racing bikes, he has worked his entire career in the bike industry, starting as a shop rat sweeping floors at age 15. From there he has held jobs as a mechanic, salesperson, sales manager, global warranty manager, tech manual writer, demo team manager and more. Now he is a trail rider who doesn’t turn pedals against the clock very often, instead choosing to spend his time seeking out new trails and adventures wherever he happens to be. He'll never giving up on going fast and playing in the margins.