My first experience with the tires from Wilderness Trail Bikes (WTB) was when I was writing my review about their WTB ByWay 40:
So when Kristina from Sport Import GmbH asked me if I wanted to test the WTB Resolute 42 my answer was of course YES! Where the WTB ByWay is a combi tire for hardpack exploration and gravel grinding while also providing noticeable efficiency on any pavement. The Resolute 42 is the ultimate all-weather gravel tire. Providing one perfect tread pattern for all your rides.
FEATURES:
- Widely spaced square knobs deliver consistent traction while shedding muck with ease.
- Performs well in all conditions, no need to swap tires based on the weather.
- Available in 650 or 700 sizes.
Putting it to the test
The chosen route for testing the WTB Resolute 42 was a route I found on Komoot near the city of Breda. I adjusted the start to have a better fit with the wind (always trying to ride with head wind first) so not starting in Breda but near Zundert. The total kilometers of the ride was 61,9 km with lots of road types and variation in payment, excellent to really test the tires.
| Road types | Pavement |
|---|---|
| Singletrack: 4,18 km | Unpaved: 19,4 km |
| Path: 20,8 km | Gravel: 5,49 km |
| Cycle way: 16,3 km | Cobbles: 450 m |
| Street: 774 m | Paved: 25,6 km |
| Road: 19,9 km | Tarmac: 10,8 km |
As you can see here in the table and pictures almost every road type was planned into this route and the WTB Resolute 42 was coping with it all very well. Regardless the underground the tire had grip or in the case of sand was floating on top of it.
As I am more into graveling I need to play a bit more with the tire pressure. As a road cyclist I am so used to pump up the tire as a rock that riding on low pressure, which this WTB Resolute 42 can handle very well, is still a bit awkward for me. But even with to much air in my tire the Resolute still feels very comfortable on even the rockiest pavement. You can really feel the difference between a 40 and 42 mm wide tire, something I would have never expected.
So my overall rating for this tire is 5 out of 5 stars. I really cannot find anything this tire cannot do!
Find more information about WTB on the site of Sport Import Gmbh here.
