With the rise of eMTBs and the continued progression of enduro and downhill riding, WTB decided it was time to address all that increased wear and tear with their toughest tires yet. Their new SG1 casing is the strongest and most durable option they’ve ever released.
The SG1 casing will be offered on WTB’s Trail Boss, Vigilante, Judge, and Verdict MTB tires. The new casing further increases the durability of WTB’s dual-ply ‘Tough’ casing option. WTB has also updated both their High Grip and Fast Rolling compounds to offer better longevity, puncture resistance, and wet weather traction.
I’ve had the Verdict and Judge tires on my bike for a few weeks now, and I used WTB’s tubeless sealant and Max-Flow valves to set them up. Check out my initial impressions of the tires and accessories below.
SG1 Construction:
While designing the new SG1 tires, WTB set out to strengthen the most vulnerable areas of a tire. The new SG1 casing adds extra protection under the tread and in the sidewalls. To fend off thorns or sharp rocks, an extra layer has been added below the entire tread cap for additional puncture resistance.
For added sidewall and bead protection, WTB has tripled the height of their Inner Peace technology layer found on their existing Tough casing tires. The new design is called IP+, and it offers extra bead protection and supports the sidewalls without sacrificing tread compliance. The new IP+ layer provides 15mms of added protection to the bead/sidewall. This reinforcement allows riders to run lower tire pressures for increased traction and comfort, but without losing tire stability in corners or during harsh compressions.
WTB says ‘We would rather not flat than think about the extra grams” and that is an apt summary of what kind of rider these tires are aimed at. The SG1 tires are comparable to downhill tires, and toughness is the name of the game here!
All models of the new SG1 tires feature tough 60TPI dual-ply casings, and they are all tubeless-ready. MSRP for all models is $89.95.
Updated Rubber Compounds:
WTB has updated both their High Grip and Fast Rolling compounds for the new SG1 tires. The new High Grip compound is used for the Judge, Verdict, and Vigilante tires. The Fast Rolling compound is featured on the Trail Boss.
WTB created these new compounds by toying with the ratio of natural and synthetic rubbers in the tires, and by finding an ideal balance between carbon black and other reinforcing agents.
The resulting compounds are less slippery when they get wet. WTB points out that they haven’t created an overall tackier rubber, rather the compound specifically retains wet traction better than the outgoing rubber. Adjusting the reinforcing agents also made the new tires more resistant to wear and punctures.
WTB’s Tritec construction offers three rubber compounds within all the SG1 tires: Firm rubber for the center lugs to boost longevity and efficiency, soft side lugs for optimal traction, and a third compound layered under the tread.
Model Lineup:
Judge and Verdict Tires:
I received a set of the Verdict and Judge tires for testing. Here’s a close look at the tread patterns, specs, and how they rode on the trails.
The Verdict is intended as a front tire and comes in a 2.5” width. This tire is optimized for rim widths between 25-35mm. The Verdict is designed to perform in all kinds of conditions, from dry/loose/rocky to wet/muddy. WTB rates the Verdict 5/5 for grip and durability, and 2/5 for speed.
The 29×2.5” Verdict tire weighed in at 1388g.
Designed as a rear tire, the Judge comes in a 2.4” width. It is optimized for 29-35mm wide rims. Like the Verdict, the Judge tire aims to excel in various surfaces and conditions including dirt, rocks, loose conditions, and wet weather. The Judge offers the same ratings as the Verdict, with 5/5 for grip and durability and 2/5 for speed.
You might notice between the lugs on the Verdict and Judge tires there are smaller dimples on the casings. These small bumps help break the surface tension of mud, encouraging it to shed off the tires as you ride.
This Judge is a little heavy-handed, with the 29×2.4” model hitting my scale at 1577g!
Ride Impressions:
I installed the Verdict and Judge tires on my enduro bike, so I did climb with them on every test ride. While the weight of these tires is a definite downside for climbing on non-electric trail/enduro bikes, their grip was impressive. On dirt sections of trail, they were predictably grippy, but I was happy to find excellent traction while climbing up roots, smooth slabs, and off-camber rocks too. I got away with a few instances where I thought I might spin my rear tire, yet I just kept rolling.
Being a lightweight rider, I would not run these tires for trail riding on an unassisted bike. Their weight and slow roll are very noticeable while climbing. That said, if I were a heavier rider with a penchant for wrecking rims, or if I had an eMTB where weight is less of a factor, I would accept the weight in exchange for the traction, toughness, and protection they provide. On a downhill bike, I wouldn’t think twice about running these tough, grippy treads.
As for descending, two things stood out about the Judge and Verdict tire combo. First is their grip, which again was excellent on all trail surfaces. The second was the robust feel of the sidewalls. Compared to a trail-grade casing there is an obvious difference in how these tires resist harsh impacts.
As far as dirt, the Judge and Verdict tires had it pretty easy as I had fall conditions during my testing. In damp to wet conditions the tires gripped the trail with ease. Even knowing the dirt was good, the SG1 tires were grabbing nicely and railing me around corners with a firmly planted feel. On that note, the round profile of the Verdict front tire leaned nicely and predictably into berms.
My local trails still had some loose, dusty sections and in these conditions, the tires provided great braking response. The big lugs on both dig into the trail and make it easy to scrub a lot of speed quickly.
What impressed me more was how well the SG1 tires gripped roots and rocks. Even in wet conditions, I always felt solid while skipping over rooty sections of trail or rough rocky terrain. It was easy to hold a straight line through rough stuff, so I believe WTB is on to something with their moisture-friendly rubber compounds. In dry conditions, I had no problem creeping down rock slabs and keeping my speed under control.
The SG1 sidewalls are noticeably stiff compared to trail casings, and you can feel an obvious difference when facing harsh impacts or big compressions. I could easily see some riders removing tire inserts with these tires, as it would take a nasty blow to push through the sturdy sidewalls and threaten your rim. However, the stiff sidewalls don’t seem to affect traction negatively. At my usual tire pressures, I never felt the tires bouncing off rocks and roots instead of grabbing onto them, but I did try one ride at 2-3 psi less than normal. At slightly lower pressure the tire still felt perfectly stable and supportive, and overall traction was excellent.
With a short time frame for pre-launch testing, I got a good impression of the Verdict and Judge tires’ ride qualities but cannot comment on their longevity or long-term durability.
WTB Tire Sealant and Max-Flow Valves:
WTB supplied me with a bottle of their tubeless tire sealant, which I used to set up the SG1 tires. This synthetic latex sealant seals punctures up to 6mm, should stay fresh for several months, and works into below-freezing temperatures.
WTB’s tubeless tire sealant recommends 3-5 ounces for MTB tires up to 2.5” wide. I used 4 oz in my tires, and both are hardly losing any pressure between rides.
WTB’s Max-Flow tubeless valves offer a large bore diameter for increased airflow and Max-Flow bases that work with tire inserts. The included aluminum caps include valve core removal tools.
So far I’ve had no clogging issues with either Max-Flow valve. While they offer plenty of airflow for topping off tires, I did have to remove the valve cores and use a shop-quality air compressor to get enough airflow to seat the stiff beads on the SG1 tires.
I don’t love how the valve caps screw onto the valve core’s threads rather than the valve stem. This just opens up the possibility of loosening the core by accident. As long as the valve core is tight and you don’t crank the caps on you should be fine. I will say the tiny bit of knurling on the caps helps you get a grip on them!
WTB’s new SG1 tires are now available online and at dealers across Europe and the USA.
