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WTB’s CZR I30 wheelset touts some hefty claims with their line of carbon rims, but most importantly a lifetime “while riding” rim replacement policy. It’s a quite handy thing to guarantee because, don’t you just know it, Spencer Harding broke a carbon rim again. Below, Spencer outlines the ins and outs of the WTB CZR i30 wheelset, where it stands in the field or carbon wheelsets, and how the WTB rim replacement process works.
Our Radar Roundup compiles products and videos from the ‘net in an easy-to-digest format. Read on below for today’s findings…
We’re running with an alternative format for this week’s Vintage Bicycles feature! It’s one we hope you enjoy as it was penned by the original owner of this stunning singlespeed WTB Phoenix, Jacquie Phelan. Jacquie was an early MTB pioneer in the Marin constituency and along with her racing accolades is, perhaps, most known for starting the Women’s Mountain Bike & Tea Society (WOMBATS). In her own words, she hasn’t retired from racing and still loves to mix it up on two wheels. Read on for her retelling of how this bike faired at the 2008 Napa Single Speed World Championships (SSWC)…
Marin County was a bustling time for the early mountain bike scene from the late 70s and well into the 80s. Names like Tom Ritchey/Gary Fisher/Charlie Kelly at the MountainBikes store, and Joe Breeze, Charlie Cunningham, and Steve Potts psychically and physically shaping the future of the then-fledgling sport with their fire-road ripping designs, torches and tig welders.
We’ve reported on Cunningham and Potts’ involvement in Wilderness Trail Bikes (known widely as WTB) over the past few years along with Mark Slate. In 1983, Cunningham, Potts, and Mark Slate founded WTB, and the trio began developing components in Marin, leaning on both builder’s fondness for innovation and exquisitely unique craft. While Steve loved to shape tubes with brass fillets, focusing on the form regardless of weight, Charlie would tig aluminum and shave grams anywhere he could. The two made for a dynamic duo of constructeurs.
By the time 1985 rolled around, mountain bikes were a legitimate tour de force within the bike industry. Even though they gravitated towards completely different frame materials and processes, Cunningham and Potts were credited with crafting some of the most iconic bikes of the era and still found the time to collaborate and share ideas.
As with many of the influential characters and pivotal moments in the early days of the almighty mountain bike, collaboration was key, and sometimes, it took two talented individuals to make a single bike…
Our Radar Roundup compiles products and videos from the ‘net in an easy-to-digest format. Read on below for today’s findings…
Our Radar Roundup compiles products and videos from the ‘net in an easy-to-digest format. Read on below for today’s findings…
Our Radar Roundup compiles products and videos from the ‘net in an easy-to-digest format. Read on below for today’s findings…
This entry from our Vintage Bicycles series is my personal favorite bike I’ve shot thus far. It’s not often you find such a clean and pristine example of a 1980s Potts Signature, complete with WTB dirt drops, a LD stem, and a full WTB/Suntour Grease Guard kit. Today we’re stoked to feature this gem with words by the Vintage MTB Workshop‘s Tasshi Dennis so read on below for more!
I’m sure most of you are familiar with WTB. They make tires, sealant, saddles, grips, and more, currently. Yet, WTB began as a much different brand, with its line of Grease Guard hubs, headsets, brakes, tires, forks, and yep, even bicycle frames! Started by Mark Slate, Steve Potts, and Charlie Cunningham, WTB has helped shape the mountain bike industry we know today. We already looked at the Banana Slug, which was used to display early WTB components and to showcase Steve Pott’s work but today we’ve got something different… One of the lesser-known WTB frames is the Wildcat, and today we look at a one-off prototype with words by Noah, a lifelong collector and fan of Wilderness Trail Bikes…
This is the 5th time in a row that Sierra Nevada Brewery have asked us (PAUL Component Engineering) to build a bike for them to show off at the Sea Otter Classic in Monterey, which kicks off this week. So, we must be doing something right!
Our Radar Roundup compiles products and videos from the ‘net in an easy-to-digest format. Read on below for today’s findings…
Piggybacking on our recent news that WTB is keeping 29/27.5+ tires in its catalog, we wanted to plug – sorry, bad pun – the brand’s new Tubeless Tire Sealant.
For a company that is probably best known for its tires, WTB cares about keeping you rolling across all aspects of wheel-related goods. This is evident in its wheel development, rim tape, valves, tires, and now its own Tubeless Tire Sealant. It only makes sense that the brand would want to encapsulate its products under the TCS System umbrella. Now, not all sealant is created equal, and while everyone has their favorite sealant to use but WTB is doing something unique with its sealant so let’s check out what details make it different…
So there’s been a lot of chatter on this website about the availability of 29×3″ tires and I can finally share what WTB‘s 29+ offering will be later this year and into 2022. The official word from WTB is that 29×3 is here to stay, with the following coming in soon:
-Ranger 2.8 x 27.5″ TCS Light/Fast Rolling 60tpi Dual DNA SG2 tire
-Ranger 3.0 x 29″ TCS Light/Fast Rolling 60tpi Dual DNA SG2 tire
-Vigilante 2.8 x 27.5″ TCS Tough/Fast Rolling 60tpi TriTec E25 tire
If you’re like me, who invested in a 29+ tourer, you can breathe a sigh of relief. Many thanks to WTB for believing in us chonky weirdos. xo
Also, you don’t need to do anything at the moment but be patient. They’re hoping the 29×3″ Rangers will land in December so you don’t have to email them or anything…
Enjoy the weekend!
Many of you are obviously familiar with the brand WTB, or Wilderness Trail Bikes. They make awesome tires, saddles, wheels, and other accessories but for a long time in the decade following the birth of mountain biking, they made all sorts of bicycle components including headsets, handlebars, bottom brackets, frames, and more. We reached out to Mark Slate, one of the founders of WTB for his thoughts on one of the most iconic bikes to leave the WTB and Steve Potts workshops: the Banana Slug, Steve Potts #45. I documented this wonderful dream bike – don’t you want one? – this was a joy to shoot for our Vintage Bicycles feature and I am honored to have Mark’s thoughts on it here at the Radavist. Read on for Mark’s words and Steve’s handiwork below!
Looking for a more affordable gravel or mountain wheelset? Well, WTB’s new CZR line is now available with wheels starting at $749.95 for the front and $849.95 for the rear in both the mountain and gravel configurations.
You might recall a few years back, WTB had an extensive MTB and gravel wheel lineup. Well, after a few years hiatus, it’s back, a bit more dialed, with a bit more options. The Proterra wheel lineup is hand-built in California and has something for just about anyone’s needs. On the 29er and 27.5 MTB side, the light option is a 27mm wide rim with alloy nipples, while the tough is 30mm with brass nipples. Both wheels use 3-cross spoke lacing. Meanwhile, the gravel options come down to a 700 or 27.5 Proterra light in a 700 x 23mm rim or a 650 x 25mm rim. You’ll most likely be seeing these wheels in an OE application, rolling out under familiar bike models from big brands but should you be on the hunt for a $295 wheel, they do look like a great option. See more at WTB.
A little while back, our friends at Swift Industries worked with Kona to create a collaboration Rove ST Special Edition touring bike. If you recall this project’s release, it looked really appealing for those wanting a classic touring bike package with bags and everything, ready to hit the road.
My bud Kyle Klain picked one of these up from the Broken Spoke here in Santa Fe when they first dropped. It’s been his bikefishing mobile and commuter before upgrading a few crucial components this year. To test out my new camera setup (more on that later) I met up with Kyle at his office and took his bike for a quick shoot…
WTB’s had carbon rims before but they were nothing like their new CZR rims. These rims are designed with a bit of flex to help you maintain trail connectivity, have reinforced spoke holes, utilize TCS 2.0 tubeless technology, and are available in i23 and i30 inner widths for gravel or MTB riding.
Specs:
-Reinforced spoke beds, proven 4D angled spoke hole drilling and an asymmetrical design…all the necessary ingredients of an incredibly durable rim.
-Two internal width options… 23mm for the gravel-centric and 30mm for the mountain-focused.
-When compared to the competition, lab tests proved our CZR carbon rims to be overall lighter, stiffer and more impact resistant. To be precise, our CZR i23 rims were 38% more impact resistance than their direct competition while our CZR i30 rims were 10% more impact resistant.
-Original owner benefits from a Limited Lifetime Warranty against manufacturer defects in additional to a No-Questions-Asked crash replacement policy which offers a replacement rim at 50% off MSRP.
-Retail $569.95
See more at WTB.
