We’re getting back to the WTB heavy hitter, the Stout 29″er tire. As I have said before, this is the most agressive, heaviest tire in the 29″er ranks and it puts this tire in a class all its own because of this.
I was soooo hoping I would have had a chance by now to have these on a full suspension 29″er, but the one we did have in wouldn’t accept the Stout in the back. That left me to testing with hardtails for the duration, which isn’t all bad, but again- I feel this tire is a great pairing with a longer travel full suspension rig, of which, admittedly, there are not a whole lot of out there…….yet!
That said, I have not found that the Stout disappoints when the going gets tough, treacherous, or brutal. I know, in fact, that I haven’t begun to test the limits of this tire here in the Mid West. I figure that it would take a Rocky Mountain chunk ride to reach this tires breaking point.
So, where does that leave us? Well, I believe that in a search for ultimate tractability, your stop is here at the Stout, but for most of the riding around here, this tire is simply overkill. It is “over qualified” for most of what I have available around here. If you can get by the weight though, I have a good feeling about this tire as a front for a rigid single speed set up. If you want to keep things all WTB, maybe go with an Exi Wolf or Weir Wolf out back. Big, low pressure grip and cush out front in more rough conditions would be home on that sort of arrangement. In fact, that is what I am going to try soon.
Stay tuned for more on the WTB Vulpine next….
Hey GT,
Do you know if the Stout will fit an 06 MonoCog 29er? I built a Zion as my XC bike and switched my MC to Urban-assault/DirtJumping duty, so it would be cool to have something more burly than my Rampages.
Thanks
AC
FWIW, I’ve ridden the Stout a bunch in the rocky chunk, and it does NOT have a particularly sturdy sidewall for such a heavy tire. It also wears very quickly on slickrock. Sure, all tires get ground by the rock, but my rear was GONE after 6 high mileage days in Moab and Fruita. Never seen an 1100+ gram semi-slick before!
The good: It sticks like glue, and rides the chunk like a magic carpet at 26 psi. The climbing hookup is so exceptional that it elevated my tech climbing ability a full notch.
Conclusion: A new set will be on the bike for the Fall Moab/Fruita trip — but I’m still bummed that I poked through a sidewall on Amasa Back. Just bad enough that I didn’t feel comfortable booting it.