WTB ByWay 40 – Review

When Kristina from Sport Import GmbH asked me which Wilderness Trail Bikes tire I wanted to test I checked their website and I did some comparison. I found the following text on the Byway:

It is for days of endless hardpack exploration and gravel grinding while also providing noticeable efficiency on any pavement linking it all together. A swiftly smooth centerline is paired to a textured intermediate section that provides a seamless transition onto small outer knobs for unwavering traction in loose dirt and gravel. Prominent outer knobs also extend down the sidewall to provide an additional level of defense from roadside unpleasantries of all shapes and sizes.

Reading this my choice was made easily because most of the roads around my house are predominately payment. Further I planned a big road trip from Rotterdam to Groningen which was about 200+ km and I could use less resistance as possible (unfortunately the trip was cancelled due to COVID).

I can hear immediately hear you think but what about offroad? Because a gravel bike is not made for payment only! You are absolutely right about that and that is where the WTB ByWay excels. While the centerline is smooth the outer knobs has enough grib for off road circumstances. I used the tires on single trails, sand paths, forrest underground (both dry and wet) as well as uneven rocky roads and in all cases the tire performs really well. Of course the tire pressure is an important part here.

Assemble the tire can be a bit of a struggle because the walls of the tire are very tough but with patience and good grip there is nothing preventing you to fit the tire on your wheel. I would recommend to use some gloves as this give you a little more tension on the last part of the assembly.

Here you can find a small video of the tire behaviour on an uneven brick road. As you will see even when steering with one hand the tire has grip and finds its way over the bricks. It behaves controllable on low as well as high speeds.

WTB ByWay 40 in action on some brick road

WTB ByWay features:

  • Smooth centerline for efficiency with diamond shaped outer knobs for grip in the dirt.
  • High volume tire enables comfortable ride.
  • Dual Compound rubber means a fast rolling tire with great corning traction.

The WTB ByWay is for me the perfect tire that did not let me down in any of the 600+ km I currently run on them. So kudos to WTB !

Find more information about WTB on the site of Sport Import Gmbh here.

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