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WTB takes the Byway with new dirt-ready 47mm Road Plus tire

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WTB is heading even further off the asphalt with their latest addition to the Road Plus segment that they have essentially cemented with their excellent Horizon tire. When they introduced the Road Plus concept last year, even as a lover of wide tires on the road and ‘all-the-gravel, all-the-time’ I didn’t really take it seriously. I guess I was thinking that few cyclists would appreciate the extra flotation and ability to run really low tire pressures that the fat 650b format provided. But after a bunch of time on the Horizon I’m sold. And now WTB are coming back with the same casing and more grip in a new 47mm wide, tubeless compatible Byway tire for those of us more prone to taking our road adventures further afield…

photos courtesy WTB

WTB calls the Byway a ‘dirt-centric’ road tire. While the Horizon was about letting rides feel comfortable to stray from the asphalt every once in a while, the Byway is about getting off the pavement as quickly as you can. As WTB puts it, the Byway was developed “for riders who prioritize dirt and gravel, yet find themselves on paved roads to get there”.

The new high-volume Byway doesn’t stray completely from the road – it is Road Plus after all – and gets three distinct tread transitions to suit all types of road surface.

A smooth center provides fast rolling, especially at higher (think 50+psi) pressures, with small angled sipes to deform to irregular road surfaces. Then four rows of pyramids form a transition file tread zone to maintain traction and control when the road surface starts to break up and get loose. Then lastly a set of openly spaced shoulder knobs finish it off for grip when cornering in loose terrain at lower pressures (think <30psi), and are long enough to offer a lot of support even when cornering on hard surfaces.

The key to those three (or maybe four) tread zones is that in profile the transition from one to the next is smooth, but they open up as you move away from the center. That should mean that it will feel predictable when you lean the tire in turns whether on hard or soft surfaces (a characteristic not all mixed tread designs share).

The Byway shares the same supple Lightweight folding casing as the Horizon before it, and gets the same TCS tubeless ready construction for what should be a familiar ride feel. It does benefit from a bit of added protection by way of those long extended should knobs which WTB claims should deflect sharp rocks before they make contact with the sidewall.

Like the Horizon, the 650b Byway goes for a 47mm width so that it ends up the same outer diameter as a 28-30mm tire on a regular 700c wheel. That was intended to ensure compatibility with a wide range of road, gravel, and cross bikes out there already (much like 27.5+ was with 29ers), but it seems that more bike companies have started to catch on building bikes for the Road Plus concept. WTB maintains a helpful list of frames currently ready for Road Plus tires.

The WTB Byway is a one-size only tire at 650 x 47c, with preproduction tires weighing in at 535g a piece. Just like its Road Plus sibling, the Byway will sell for $68. The tires are available as of today, shipping out of WTB’s California warehouse.

As a finishing note for those heading to Trans Iowa April 30, WTB will be gifting all finishers with a set of the new Byway tires, apparently as well as 37 & 45mm Riddlers.

WTB.com

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silverlining
silverlining
7 years ago

Sounds interesting, and looks fun. It’s always good to have options. I’d give them a try on my Crux, but noticed they didn’t list that Specialized frame on their compatibility chart.

ascarlarkinyar
7 years ago

Road plus? Or mtb minus, or just a commuter size tire. But cool rode will not ride it if you call it that. Labels sheople. Labels are everything.

I have been riding 42mm to 50mm tires on my commuters since the 70’s…..lol

Alex
Alex
7 years ago
Reply to  ascarlarkinyar

Have those commuter tires been tubeless compatible, nice rubber compound, and weigh 535g? You should be stoked about something like this, it’s the evolution of what you are talking about.

Kernel Flickitov
Kernel Flickitov
7 years ago
Reply to  ascarlarkinyar

I don’t know that I’d be to proud to boast about clinchers from waaaay back when, @ascarlarkinyar. They used to have the ride feel of an old garden hose.

Crusty Dungbunker
Crusty Dungbunker
7 years ago

…and since they are WTB’s, they might hold air for a few days or a few hours. How do you know? It’s all part of the fun.

Kernel Flickitov
Kernel Flickitov
7 years ago

Interesting. Just since the beginning of the new year I’ve must have set up close to 200 various WTB tires tubeless with no issues. What rim are you on?

lop
lop
7 years ago

My personal WTB Horizon tires have been remarkably consistent with air pressure. I top them off every few days, just because, but rolling around at ~27psi, they’re fine and have never once lost significant pressure.

doug
doug
7 years ago

Just stop it.

tim
tim
7 years ago

What about a Mr Pink? They clear a 32c (700) no problem & these are equivalent to 28-30c???

Kernel Flickitov
Kernel Flickitov
7 years ago
Reply to  tim

What was it about.. “so that it ends up the same OUTER DIAMETER as a 28-30mm tire”.. that you didn’t understand? And btw, how the hell are you going to fit 47mm wide tires in rim brake calipers?

Brown Powdingle
Brown Powdingle
7 years ago

And what bike with rim brakes would have the space to fit these anyway? Obviously these are only going to be fitted to disc frames with the clearance

typevertigo
typevertigo
7 years ago

I think this is with regard to WTB’s website list of frames compatible with Road Plus tires. I noticed there are quite a lot of omissions, such as a few cyclocross bike models which are already known to easily swallow a 700C x 40 mm tire (e.g. Giant TCX).

I appreciate WTB providing the list but maybe it’s not quite as comprehensive as it should be – especially for people who aren’t very technical and won’t know the details of tire widths.

satanas
satanas
7 years ago

^ Use big ones, i.e., Tektro R559, Paul Racer, GC700, etc, should work, but really these are intended for disc brakes.

Bigschill
Bigschill
7 years ago
Reply to  satanas

runnin’ the Horizons on my 650B custom with Paul canti’s Would work with some Rawlands and Rivs.

BigPlant
BigPlant
7 years ago

I’ve been riding a set of these for a few months now, really good tyres. No problems with them being tubeless, they seated really well first time.

On gravel / dirt they’re really good. you get a good feeling when the nobbles kick in.

Would recommend getting a set when they come out if your rides mix tarmac and dirt!

stefanroussev
stefanroussev
7 years ago

Just ride a 29er with 2.0 tires. Now you have MTB bike and a gravel bike.

The DarKris
7 years ago
Reply to  stefanroussev

There’s a reason why it’s a 650bx47 tire and not a 29×2.0 inch tire. The point of “Road Plus” Is to allow drop-bar road/cross/gravel bikes with enough clearance to have a wider volume tire without completely screwing up the bike’s geometry.

Plus the whole “just ride a MTB” argument for someone primarily riding paved and gravel roads is just silly.

Evan
Evan
7 years ago

That’s completely different. A mountain bike will never feel like a gravel bike and vice versa. It’s the same as the difference between road and cross.

Jimbo
Jimbo
7 years ago

These tyres rule. That is all I have to say. Apart from the I25 rims they’re on also rule.

deanaaargh
deanaaargh
7 years ago

Can I please have it in 700cc

Darren Biggs
Darren Biggs
7 years ago
Reply to  deanaaargh

This is same tread as their 35mm explore tires I have been running those for gravel.

meowmix093284
7 years ago
Reply to  Darren Biggs

You mean their 34c Exposure tires?

Darren Biggs
Darren Biggs
7 years ago
Reply to  meowmix093284

Correct yeah those. Same tread.

Phil
Phil
7 years ago

How well would these serve as daily clinchers? (ie not tubeless) Can you get them off and on without a jackhammer?

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