WTB Vigilante Tire [Rider Review]

Our "Rider Review" article series features the honest reviews from verified purchasers of Worldwide Cyclery. They contain the photos, thoughts, feedback & overall review you are looking for. 

With so many tires to choose from these days, it can be hard to pick one that is right for you. Thankfully, WTB makes a bunch of awesome mountain bike tires with easy to understand labels like "High Grip" and "Fast Rolling." Our friend Doug recently got himself a Vigilante tire and loves the grip. Read on for more!

Overview

I decided it was time to replace my worn-out WTB Vigilante 27.5 x 2.3 front tire to take maximum advantage of the great trail systems we have in the Austin TX area. I've always loved the Vigilante as a front tire, given its versatility in handling hardpack, mud, mixed rock/hardpack, gravel, solid limestone, etc. I also wanted to try the wider 2.5 version being offered by WTB (they also offer 2.6 and 2.8 widths), believing that it would provide improved stability on the wide variety of trails and terrains that I typically encounter locally.

Once I confirmed that my front fork could accommodate the wider Vigilante, I then had to decide on the casing. My worn-out Vigilante 2.3 was the Light, Fast Rolling version, but I decided to try out the Tough, High Grip version based on what I read about it on the WTB website and related reviews. I thought the Tough, High Grip version would be a better choice for the type of trail riding I'm currently doing, plus I was just curious to try a different casing on a tire that I've enjoyed over the years. The Vigilante 2.5 also has an updated tread pattern as compared to the 2.3 that I was replacing, which includes larger and taller knobs. This tire also comes with WTB's new TriTec compound, which is supposed to provide better traction, support, and durability. One thing I want to mention is that the WTB website says the Vigilante 2.5 and 2.6 are "optimized for use with i29 rims". I have i25 rims so I checked the Tire & Rim Fit Chart on the WTB website to confirm that this particular tire was compatible with my rims before I ordered it. Unfortunately, there's no explanation on that chart what WTB means by "optimized".

Once I received the tire from Worldwide Cyclery, I didn't waste any time installing it. The installation was really easy, which has been true with any WTB tire I've installed on my WTB rims. I don't have a lot of experience with installing tubeless tires on different brands of rims, but I've found the WTB tires to generally be very easy to seat the bead, and I can usually do it with a regular hand pump without the need for an air compressor.

I've been riding with this new tire for over a month now on a variety of terrains and am really pleased with the results. 

The combination of a wider tire coupled with WTB's advancements in casing, tread, and grip all contribute to better overall control and stability as compared to the Vigilante 2.3.

I'm finding that I'm more confident in taking sharper corners than I was previously, so I'm pleased with the Tough, High Grip casing and updated tread pattern. In particular, I found that the tire sheds mud pretty easily. Any effect on rolling resistance isn't something I've noticed, but I don't do many flow trails or pure downhill runs anyway. However, this may be a factor to others when deciding on the High Grip vs. Fast Rolling casings on a front tire.

Final Thoughts

All in all, I am very pleased with the new Vigilante. I am running the Vigilante 2.5 with the WTB Trail Boss 2.4 (Tough, Fast Rolling) on the rear, and I'd definitely recommend this combination to others.