“Setting the bar for protected tires at competitive weights, all WTB gravel tires measuring at least 37mm wide are now available with a 120tpi casing and all-new SG2 puncture protection. This new protection layer is a lightweight, ultra-thin nylon insert that provides bead-to-bead coverage to ensure all surfaces of the tire are provided with an additional level of defense against punctures. As events become progressively rougher and cyclists pedal farther, gravel gets tougher. It only makes sense for gravel tires to become tougher as well.”
“Exactly how much more durable are they? Lab tests show the addition of our bead-to-bead SG2 puncture protection layer provides 33% more sidewall protection and 17% more tread protection than our standard 60tpi offerings without SG2. The nylon fibers of the bead-to-bead insert also have a uniquely flat profile, which reduces the amount of rubber needed to fill the gaps between fibers compared to traditional protection layers with round fibers. The increased fiber-to-rubber ratio helps to increase puncture resistance while the reduced rubber content minimizes weight and improves the liveliness of the tire due to decreased overall casing thickness. While SG2 is primarily a puncture protection layer, its tightly woven fibers also improve air retention, which prevents seeping at the sidewall and helps maintain pressure between rides.”
“Rather than simply adding a layer of puncture protection to our 60tpi gravel tires and calling it good, we set out to increase durability while also improving ride quality and minimizing weight,” explains Clayton Wangbichler, WTB’s product marketing manager. “Not willing to settle for anything less than optimal, we analyzed lab test data and put thousands of miles on a myriad of different casing and puncture protection configurations before we finalized our current specifications.”
“WTB’s new protected gravel tires are available exclusively with black sidewalls and only see a weight increase of 5-10% over their 60tpi counterparts without puncture protection. This translates to a 15-50 gram increase in weight, depending on the width of the tire.”
Video Review
To examine the validity of some of these claims, JOM of the Gravel Cyclist crew weighed the new tyres versus their old counterparts, determined their ease of use for mounting onto wheels, and made several attempts to puncture them when riding.
“All the renowned 60tpi tires that gravel cyclists have come to trust in years past are still available with an MSRP of $59.95, while all SG2-protected 120tpi gravel tires have an MSRP of $69.95. The entire gravel tire line is currently in stock and can be ordered from your favorite local bike shop or WTB.com for cyclists in the USA.”
Yaaayyyy! This SG2 looks marvelous. I Love the WTB tread patterns, but their fragile casings have sent me looking for stronger gravel tires in the past.
Regarding the weight on the Resolutes. I guess it’s not a straight up comparison when one is tan sidewall and the other is black., but that’s still a pretty big jump. Still worth it for me though.
100 gms heavier and sounds like the extra material is potentially holding down the volume a little on the Resolute…… they usually grow some over time, but my standards are 44mm dead on mounted on 23mm internal rims and these swelling 2mm more may be a ….stretch, literally.
If they had been only 50 grams heavier might not have been able to withhold the credit card. Standard Resolutes are a gem, and would be nice to have something like this for gnarlier courses.