WTB Riddler Tire Test
Wilderness Trail Bikes has been around a long time. They came to creation in Marin county what many consider to be the possible birthplace of Mountain Biking. The scene in the late 1970's and early 1980's was much different in Marin. The times have changed and WTB has evolved and is now making tires, saddles, grips and their own rims. We gave them a call to get a some tires to test out. Our terrain is about 85% rock with spatterings of soil the dusty kind with no traction and marbled out high speed loose trails with no berms. It takes a hell of a tire to perform well in San Luis Obispo. Using a semi slick on the back helps get me up the hill a bit easier so The Riddler was the rear tire we chose to use first.
"WTB was founded in Marin County, California in 1982, fueled by the need to create durable and reliable mountain bike-specific equipment. Back then mountain biking was a new and burgeoning sport, and mountain bikes weren’t much more than cobbled-together oddities. The original WTB crew was captivated by the experience of riding bikes on dirt trails, and they started creating more durable and functional components for their own bikes. Soon, local frame builders sought to outfit their bikes with WTB’s high-end components. WTB was able to turn our passion for bikes into a successful business.
Today WTB is a global enterprise; our innovative components are used for trail riding, transportation, recreation and elite racing across the globe. After 30 years things have changed a bit here at WTB–our little garage has morphed into a real office and the bikes we ride and the components we make have evolved to meet the needs of today’s riders, racers, and commuters. What hasn’t changed is our passion for cycling and our commitment to providing the cycling community with durable, reliable, high-performance components."
We contacted WTB to get ahold of some of their latest tire offerings. A week later we had a box with Vigilante, Riddler and Breakout tires to test out. We are running The Vigilante tire as a front tire with The Riddler as the rear tire. Many riders in our area have been raving about The Riddler since it first came out. Our terrain is very rocky, dry and loose. Basically for ten months out of the year you are riding on marbles.
"Born from the need to race in European enduro events, the Vigilante is our premier aggressive All Mountain tire, and first choice for Team WTB’s Mark Weir. The square-lugged, open-tread pattern offers stability in loose or wet terrain, while the stiff outside knobs grip at lean angles like nobody’s business. With Dual DNA (TCS) and Gravity DNA (Team Issue) rubber, this is the tire to ride when you are giving it your all."
Mounting the WTB Riddler was a snap. We did it with a floor pump and without using soap mounting them to 30mm rims!The Easton ARC did ever so slightly flatten out the Riddler's tread profile BTW. We had the 27.5 2.4 TCS Tough Fast Roll casing our tire weighed 1060 grams. That is a bit more than advertised but we have seen DH tires vary by 200 grams! If you are that worried weigh each tire in the store before making a purchase.
WTB Riddler Features
Our first ride on the Riddler was on a trail that we ride every week. It is about 700 feet to the top and getting back down it takes around 4 minutes. There had been a good deal of rain the last few weeks so our soil that usually feels like you are riding on ice was actually providing decent traction. Entering the first few turns I was shocked how much bite the tire was offering both in braking and while being leaned over. I was a bit worried with it being a semi slick. The soil around here is clay based and packs up quick! The fourth turn on this trail is a severe off-camber left hander that is very sharp about 120 degrees the front of the bike offered copious amounts of grip and i just got the Riddler to brake loose with a hard pull on the brakes. We are running 203mm rotors and Hope Tech 3 V4 brakes and The Riddlers resisted breaking loose in shocking fashion.
The next trail is about 900 feet to the top. Fast times going down are about 2:30 or so. This trail has a rock garden that is about 300 yards in length. After that you enter the trees and begin riding on a hard pack dirt. This section is very fast and filled with fast gradual turns. I was running 25 PSI on the front tire and just below 30 on the rear. Even though we had the fast roll version the rear tire offered very good traction in the baby heads. Lower down the trail the Riddler did well in the high speed hard pack.
San Luis Obispo is know for having fast loose and rocky trail. That was what the next trail is know for. I can do it in 9 minutes the record is in the low 7 minute range. On this trail you can easily get up to 30 mph on the top section. It is fire road width and filled with good size embedded rocks (the kind that pinch flat) and for good measure these are coated with smaller loose rocks to make it extra slippery! I pinged my rim a few times hard and the tires had no issue. There are a few corners that are long and off camber and when riding an aggressive trail bike you need to be pressing the front end down. WTB seemed to have done a good job with The Riddler they offered good traction on the loose rocks. I know the sticky version would have been even better. These are semi slicks so ruuning a full tread tire would have offered more grip over the loose stuff.
There is a trail in town that is short and pretty rocky. Not exactly Santa Barbara rocky but has some good size rocks in it. The rocks here range from golf ball up to beach ball in size. They are almost all round so it can be fun to bounce through them. Tires that are super sticky will allow a rider to cut edges off of these rocks easily. The WTB Riddler was almost able to do this. Having aggressive side knobs helped the tires stick to the rocks. Riding large rocks like this is not very challenging for the modern tire to get good traction on. This is more a test of its ability to avoid pinch flats. It slid off of some of the smooth rounded rocks and others it held enough traction to let me glide over an edge. Overall the tire did very well and in fact I got one of my fastest times down this trail and I had not ridden it in almost 6 months!
Being close to the ocean provides us with trails that are more sand based. These are great to ride post rain or even during the rain. I went out here and made my way up the hill it is about 800 feet to the top. fast riders can get down in under 8 minutes it usually takes me 9 minutes. This trail is very fast to start then you drop down into a valley and it is filled with turns and rocks. Lower down you are floating on top of a fine sand layer and things can get twitchy at speed. The WTB Riddler did well on this sand filled trail when it was wet. The tire held traction in the turns and had no issues crushing over the rocks. Lower down it floated its way over the sand without issue. I went and road this during a heavy downpour and the tires worked incredible in these lower sandy turns BTW. When the trail dried out a bit they began to fight the trail for traction while using the brakes and not being leaned over.
Conclusion
Overall I was impressed with The WTB Riddler tire. It worked well as a rear tire on our traction deprived trails. They did a good job making a tough casing that will tolerate low PSI and not tear of flat easily. The tire did well in rock, hard pack and decent sandy trails. I also did some riding when it was pretty wet out and it did decent in light mud as well.
It rolls pretty fast and has good grip once you lean the tire over. Deciding if the rolling resistance benefit if worth the traction decrease in straight line braking will largely depend on your soil and riding ability.
This isn't the lightest tire out there some other companies offer tires around 900 grams but you have to ask yourself if a 200 gram savings is worth a flat or destroyed rim. WTB does make a lighter version if weight is a big concern for you. Having a tire that sticks in varying terrain is great. This is a tire I would highly recommend to a friend. Down the road when looking for a semi-slick rear tire The WTB Riddler will be on the short list.
WTB Riddler Questions
1. Give us a “quick” history of WTB.
Started early with the idea of doing what was not already done. Making parts to provide for complete bikes led to surplus production and bike shop sales. Maturing markets took WTB from designing for others to promoting the WTB brand and production in Asia for OE and replacement parts. The soul has never been lost though the price point pressure is high.
2. What goals or concerns did you have when designing the Riddler?
Rolling fast on the straightaways, while still having the ability to dig in while corner. Those were the two primary goals when designing the Riddler. We found that, in certain conditions, ensuring traction with the tire upright required only a minimal amount of tread prominence along the centerline of the tire. In an upright position, with the rider's weight directly over the centerline, we didn't need tall knobs to keep the tire from sliding. Yet, of course, the knobs were still needed on the outer edge to deliver bite when the tire was leaned over.
3. Was weight, reliability or traction the biggest concern?
Though we wouldn't say that weight was specifically our biggest concern, being fast rolling and minimalistic was the focus. We aimed to reduce rolling resistance and increase speed without sacrificing traction where it is needed most. With the Riddler 2.25 275" TCS Light tire coming in at only 780 grams, it's amazing how much grip it delivers while still being a resilient tire.
4. Who created the tread design?
WTB has a variety of people that have an influence on how the various tread patterns produced get done. In order to ensure we approach the design from numerous angles, we never leave the design process up to a singular person. In this case, Evan Smith, WTB's product design engineer, teamed up with longstanding WTB athlete Nathan Riddle to create the tire. Riddle came to us with specific needs for a tire that hooked up on race day without slowing the pace. Riddle was such a driving force behind the Riddler than it was a clear choice to name the tire after him. Click here for a more in-depth story behind Nathan Riddle's involvement with developing the Riddler.
5. What widths is the Riddler available in?
For 27.5-inch versions, the Riddler is available in both 2.25 and 2.4-inch widths, while the 29-inch version is currently available solely in the 2.25-inch width. While all Riddlers are available with a TCS Light / Fast Rolling casing, the 27.5" 2.4 version is also available as a TCS Tough / Fast Rolling version.
6. What about a tire with multiple durometers? (60/42)
The Riddler is in fact dual durometer. Initial production tires of the Riddler were 60/50, though we've since made a running change to 60/45. With a tread pattern as specific as the Riddler, using a dual durometer rubber compound is the only way to go when you're combining a fast rolling design with meaty knobs.
7. When will a fat bike win an EWS race?
When it all freezes over and flotation is the only way to make time and speed.
8. What would help the bike industry the most? ($, lowering cost, more trail access)
More people on more bikes more often in more places. If the bike industry makes more money, it will most likely put it into product technology and marketing. Most companies won’t spend a large part of the profit on advocacy, as WTB does. We spend so much on bike advocacy that it actually harms our business at times. Lowering cost is a human rights issue. We don’t support low quality of life for the people who make bike parts and nor should anybody else. Lack of trail access can make it hard, or impossible, to ride mountain bikes in an efficient manner. You see this in areas where the only way to get in a good ride is to jump in the car and drive hours. You basically have to take a half, or whole, day to go on a decent ride when driving is involved. Easy access to trails for everyone will allow bike sales to flourish.
9. Who is the better rider Nico, Tomac or ACC?
If you ain’t first, you’re last! Let the results do the talking. We are not fit to judge. Better yet, ask each of them about the other.
10. How is the hiker/biker conflict in Marin these days?
Cooled out for the most part. The best interaction is none at all. In the last couple of years we’ve seen a lot more public discussion between both parties on the issue of trail access, and how to best share the open space that we all enjoy. Facilities like the Stafford Lake Bike Park opening up provide great opportunities to showcase our cycling community, as well as teach up-and-comers bike skills and trail etiquette. We think things will only improve given the amount of cyclists in Marin, it just takes time and careful planning.
12. What is with all the new “standards” the last 5 years?
Improving the breed requires vigilance. Standards do not become “standard” unless they are worthwhile. And just like science they are only as good as the current best effort and knowledge.
13. Can America make a race organization that will surpass the UCI? Like real payouts and corporate sponsorship?
That is doubtful, for now. Mountain bike riding is increasing in the states, mostly due to NICA (National Interscholastic Cycling Association), which is getting the next generation of riders on bikes. In turn, more parents and family members of these youth are getting on bikes as well. This builds fans of the sport, and fans of racing, which will ultimately feed America’s hunger to have more high-level races on our home turf and increase support for the organization of a solid cycling federation. Surpassing the UCI is a hefty goal, but thinking bigger is how we get outside the box.
14. Anything you want our readers to know about the Riddler?
650b, Riddler Test, Semi-Slick, WTB Riddler, WTB Tire Test |
Devinci Django Test
;)
The mountain bike market as we know it has changed and become much more specialized over the last five years. Bikes are now broken down into very specific categories and the only bike that now seems to cover two genres is the Enduro bike. It is a climber as well as a descender with a stronger emphasis on going down.
Devinci released the Django as an aggressive trail bike. these are shorter, lighter version of their Enduro counterparts. These bikes will climb better and be a bit easier for longer rides in general. They do however give up a fair amount of comfort once trails get rocky and rowdy!
We took a break from the longer travel Enduro bikes and decided to test out Devinci's go at a short travel all mountain slayer the Django. it was noticeably lighter than our last bike and was a full factory build. We had to get used to Shimano brakes and drive train again but that only took a few rides.
Devinci History
"Aluminum was the seed that set a two-wheeled revolution in motion, when Devinci Bikes landed in Chicoutimi, Quebec, more than 25 years ago. From road to race to carbon and dual-suspension line-ups, today Devinci stands as a global frame-manufacturing leader, home to cutting-edge R&D facilities and a top engineering squad committed to the ultimate ride.
Its story starts in 1987, when Devinci began life as Da Vinci (as in Leonardo), a company envisioned by two local engineering students. Soon after, road biking entrepreneur, Felix Gauthier, entered the mix. By 1990 he had purchased half the company, swapped vowels, and Devinci proper was born.
From the outset it wasn’t always smooth roads for this fledgling Canadian-born brand. Perfecting the heat-treatment processes was a game of trial and error. Money was tight, distribution channels were slim, and when a costly new oven threatened to break the bank, Gauthier and his team combined ingenuity and talent to build one themselves. With a growing set of tools and skills in place, Devinci went to work cooking more bikes. By 1993, distribution had expanded, Gauthier had taken sole ownership of the business, and Devinci moved from its modest 800-square-foot home to one four times the size.
Brainpower was corralled; designers and skilled technicians were sourced; R&D was ratcheted up, reinforcing a commitment to quality and performance. From Canadian market exclusivity, Devinci branched worldwide, expanding its road repertoire to include an array of women-specific rides, hybrids, XC standouts, ergonomic cruisers, and a World Cup winning dual-suspension mountain bike lineup—featuring Dave Weagle’s patented Split Pivot technology.
Today Devinci’s creative engine revs under one roof. This includes a state-of-the-art on–bike testing system, which measures every stress and strain in real life situations. Changes to a particular design can be prototyped, tested, tweaked, and re–tested in days rather than weeks.
This detailed ethos equates to value and efficiency, as well as industry-leading quality control and R&D efforts poured into every bike launched at Devinci HQ."
Devinci Django
"Freedom on the bike is all about breaking from the starch and sending it into the dirt-sphere with power, speed, and finesse. Devinci’s new Split-Pivot Django actualizes those aspirations on the trail, with an optimal blend of 130mm front/120mm rear suspension. Surefooted 27.5 wheels enhance traction on wet, slippery surfaces and deliver appreciated stability. And alloy and carbon frame architecture augments punchy acceleration with precision handling and a lively overall feel. Whether sticking fierce, fast descents or finding optimal flow over upturned environments, Django seizes the opportunities ahead. Its lifetime warranty fuels the advance. *Image may not show accurate specifications. Please refer to specifications below."
Django XT Build Kit
- Carbon DMC-G 120mm
- RockShox Pike RCT3 27.5 Solo Air 130mm
- FSA Orbit 1.5 Zero Stack w/SL bearing
- RockShox Monarch RT3 7.25x1.75 DB High Volume Eyelet
- Schwalbe Hans Dampf 27.5x2.35" Trailstar SnakeSkin TL
- Schwalbe Rock Razor 27.5x2.35' Pacestar SnakeSkin TL DT
- Swiss X1700 Spline 27.5 15x100mm
- Shimano RT81 180mm Centerlock Shimano XT M8000
- Shimano RT81 160mm Centerlock Shimano XT M8000
- 11s Shimano XT M8000
- RaceFace Next SL 30T
- Shimano 11s 11-42T
- Shimano 11s
- Race Face Next ¾ Rise 31.8mm 725mm
- Race Face Turbine 31.8mm
- SDG Bel-Air Rock
- Shox Reverb Stealth 125mm 31.6mm
- Alloy CNC 37mm Black
- Devinci Performance w/lock-on
- 12.38 kg / 27.29 lbs
;)
Devinci Django Frame Features
- 5th generation of all mountain Split Pivot frame. New geometry with a top tube 20 mm longer on all sizes to fit a wider range of customers
- Tapered head tube Precise control and the best strength-to-weight ratio in the business
- Lower stand-over height Delivering prime stand-over fit, and a super-low center of gravity for enhanced handling
- DMC-G Devinci monocoque carbon. Lighter, stiffer, more responsive. Featuring EPS molding with T700 carbon fiber
- Ultra-short chainstays Pin-it acceleration, combined with superior driver's seat handling
- Split pivot Suspension system. Separates acceleration forces from braking forces for synchronized feel
- AXIS & FRG ADJUSTABLE Perfect balance, minimum unsprung mass, and prime hi/lo geometry adjustment for perfect settings
- Boost 148 standard Stiffer rear wheel
- Internal cable routing Protection from elements. Deluxe, aerodynamic styling
- Asymmetrical construction Milking the most performance out of every frame angle, improved torsional stiffness
- 27,5 dedicated 2.35'' maximum tire clearance
- Increased bottom out force Increased progressivity for improved bottoming out forces
- CUSTOM TUNED REAR SHOCK
Split Pivot Suspension
"SPLIT-PIVOT is a newly patented Dave Weagle suspension system for high performance bicycles, where traction, efficiency, maneuverability, and frame stiffness are important factors on the track and trail. Shaped by DW's competition proven engineering, SPLIT-PIVOT offers true performance advantages over single pivot bikes, with a ride that's sure to make you smile.
- SPLIT-PIVOT's [concentric dropout pivot] is the heart of this new design. The [concentric dropout pivot] and Dave Weagle's engineering allow for performance features that no single pivot can duplicate.
- SPLIT-PIVOT separates acceleration forces from braking forces in the suspension The system reduces excess suspension compression due to acceleration forces, and at the same time reduces excess compression due to braking forces.
- Braking neutrality can be tuned independently of acceleration characteristics, and leverage rate curves can be tuned to meet the needs of the application.
- SPLIT-PIVOT can be engineered to build lightweight frame structures without resorting to exotic materials or tube shapes.
- Featuring 12mm thru axle, QR 12mm axle, or 10mm vertical QR possibilities, plenty of stock wheels fit the design.
- Bottom Line: SPLIT-PIVOT is a patented DW suspension that can be engineered to offer a ride that will make you want to be on your bike more often."
Devinci Django Geometry
The first trail climbs about 700 feet in just over 1 mile and I could tell The Django had a 5 lbs weight savings over the bigger bike. It's overall platform felt much stiffer as well and a bit less forgiving while climbing. I was only a minute behind my normal time of 18 minutes to get up which is not bad considering how much time I had off.
Once at the top I strapped on my bell and goggles and got ready to drop in. The first part is high speed and fire road width with a good scattering of rocks. I could tell right away The Dgango was a bit less forgiving when hitting bigger rocks than the past bikes we have tested. It was time to hop over these instead of just steam rolling them like we do with the bigger bikes.
The trail takes a hard left through rocks and enters a very high speed off camber single track section. there are some large rocks here you dodge and weave your way through. After that it goes right back across the mountain through some ruts and up and over a steep roller that acts as a G-out and typically uses most of a bikes suspension when hitting it at speed.
This trail is somewhat smooth compared to others in the area. I was able to get within a few seconds of my fastest time on my second time down the trail so this is a bike that inspires confidence.
Overall the bike seemed to provide a solid pedalling platform. Whether standing or sitting the bike bobbed very little we ran it in pedal mode on the rear shock about half the time. On a few occasions on the descents we left the shock in pedal mode just to see how it would feel and honestly you couldn't tell except for the small bump sensitivity.
The Devinci Django proved to be a more trail oriented type of bike. It's shorter travel and firm suspension stroke begged for smooth line choices and pumping your way down the trail to keep up the speed. Having ridden the more aggressive Enduro bikes recently what we came away with was that The Django can make for a rougher ride over rocky terrain. Smoother terrain and flow based trails are where The Django shines. It can carry speed and cover terrain very quickly with a skilled rider behind the bars. The Split Pivot Suspension designed by Dave Weagle feels good. Setting up the bike was pretty easy. We actually didn't need to add any rings into the rear shock. We ran between 25%-30% of sag on the bike. It was very progressive and we never had an issue with excessive bottoming out on the trail.
Riding The Devinci Django it became apparent that Weagle's design goals of a stiff, efficient and neutral braking frame have been achieved with The Django. I weigh 220lbs and can usually detect frame and wheel flex pretty fast. The Django felt very stiff and gave a very neutral braking feel. Acceleration, and climbing while providing a firm pedaling platform is something the Django does well. The tradeoff is that the bike provides a stiff ride on the way down and you have to be hauling ass to get the suspension to soak up the smaller stuff. This won't bug most riders but it should be noted. If you live in Santa Cruz or flow filled Nirvanas then it won't be an issue.
The Devinci Django is a fast bike it wants to be pressed into the turns and pumped out of them. Tires are something that can get chewed up around here fast. The trails are very rocky so we yanked off the back tire and ran a GRID casing Specialized to play it safe. It added some weight but was well worth it. With our Hope flat pedals our XL complete bike weighed 31lbs.
Conclusion
Overall we liked The Devinci Django with its short travel can do attitude. It was very playful and poppy, a bike you could launch off or over anything to big to run over. Carrying speed helped to keep the suspension active and absorbing all the terrain passing under your tires. Pumping your way down while avoiding the big stuff will keep you covering ground in a hurry.
People looking for a short travel aggressive trail bike that can handle 50 mile days and descend most terrain easily will love The Django. It provides a stable pedalling platform in a stiff chassis. Rider input is instantly translated into bike movement overall it is a very lively ride. Devinci did a good job with the bikes overall geometry. We ran wider bars and beefier tires to avoid sidewall tears.
It has been close to a decade since I have ridden a Shimano drivetrain and I was surprised by how will the XT 11spd worked. It clacks much harder between gears than SRAM stuff does so that took a bit of time to get used to. Overall the build was good. One thing worth replacing would probably be the wheels just beat the hell out of them and swap them for something wider and stiffer down the road.
There are some very rocky tails in this area and that is when you will notice the short travel of the Django. Hitting that stuff at speed transfers chatter into the bars and pedals. This was the only time we found the short travel holding us back. Overall it's agressive geometry, great suspension and stiff chassis make The devinci Django one hell of a fun ride.
We would reccomend The Django to a friend looking for a short travel bike. If they are looking at XC bikes I would suggest they check one of these out. If they already own a DH bike but want something to train on the Django could be the answer! Shortly after we got the 650b bike Devinci announced The 29" Django which should prove to be a bit better as smoothing out rough trails. Another bike sporting a Dave Weagle suspenion system that is awesome imagine that......
Devinci Django Questions
1. Give us a Devinci history lesson.
http://www.devinci.com/company/index.html
2. How do bikes go from ideas to production at Devinci?
https://freehubmag.com/videos/made-love
3. How did the idea for The Django begin?
With the Troy being updated with a burlier frame and now being more at the All-mountain crowd, it left a space for a new bike in our offering. Being based on the east coast, we wanted a bike that would be punchier than the Troy to handle the rolling terrain that we have here. That’s when we decided to go with a smaller travel bike (120mm in this case) that would remain very capable but would give a better punch.
4. Was it a hard choice to decide on a 120mm travel bike for you guys?
No, as previously said, this falls naturally in our lineup.
5. What where some of the main features you guys wanted in the Django when you were laying it out on paper (computer)?
We wanted a bike that feels more capable than the typical 120mm bike but also that feels very lively. A bike that makes the climbing less painful and bring some fun to it. True to Devinci’s design, we wanted to have short CS and low BB as well as low stand over height to make sure the bike is fun to ride.
6. Did you achieve all the elements into the final product?
We did and we are stoked on the final product. No need to say that this bike has been the ‘go to’ option for many of our staff.
7. Any updates you guys are looking to do to the Django in the near future?
The Django saw a few spec change for 2017 like dropper post and wide bars on all models, including entry level. Other than that we are pretty stoked on the bike.
8. Care to elaborate on geometry used on the Django?
We wanted something that feels capable but remain nimble and fun. So short CS, low BB, HA that enable to handle the steeps while remaining lively on the trail.
9. Rocky or jump filled trails?
Jump filled on the 27.5, Rocky on the 29er.
10. Where are your carbon bikes made?
Aluminum are 100% made in Canada. Carbon bikes are designed, tested, assembled in Canada but frames are manufactured in Asia.
11. Who is the best Mountain Biker ever?
Stevie Smith
12. Any new bikes you want our readers to know about?
All our 2017 models are now online, check it out !
13. What do you think about all the new standards that have popped up in the last 3 years?
As long as it makes the ride and the bikes better it’s worth it. However it is definitely a challenge for us in terms of frame conception and parts spec.
14. What would make the bike industry better?
More trails and more people to maintain them.
15. Will Devinci be making a long travel 29” anytime soon?
Only future will tell.
16. Anything else you want to get across to the readers?
Have fun on the trails !
650b, Devinci Bikes, Devinci Cycles, Devinci Django, Django Test, Enduro, Mountain Bike, Trail |
