The WTB Vigilante 2.8 tire is an aggressive All-Mountain design with an open tread pattern and large square lugs, and it offers excellent traction and braking. The 2.8-inch width is Meaty Beaty Big and Bouncy, and the newer 29er size greatly aids bikepackers, Plus tire aficionados, and anyone that wants a big aggressive tire with a wide footprint. The tire features their TriTec Compound, which utilizes three rubber compounds to provide different levels of traction, support, and durability based on their placement within the tread. It comes in single and dual-ply casing versions and is tubeless-ready.
The Vigilante 2.8 comes in 29″ and 27.5″ sizes in three different levels: Tough/High Grip, Tough/Fast Rolling, and Light/High Grip with Slash Guard sidewall protection. Both TCS Tough levels share an MSRP of $83.95 ($80.95 27.5″), while the TCS Light with Slash Guard level carries an MSRP of $72.95 ($70.95 27.5″). I tested the TCS Light with Slash Guard level version.
Features
The tread pattern has an alternating set of single and dual knobs down the center, and a staggered intermediate side knob between the shoulder knobs, and all of them are deeply sipped. The TCS Light/High Grip with Slash Guard version I tested weighed in at portly 1299 grams. It has an openly wide tread pattern with lots of space and has large square lugs that are fairly tall.
The TriTec system’s three rubber compounds provide different traction, support, and durability for the tire. The entire tread pattern is supported by a base of high durometer rubber (65A), which also transitions halfway into the height of the knobs and allows for the use of softer knob compounds. The top of the center knobs consists of a medium durometer compound (48A) to provide traction and durability without sacrificing rolling efficiency. In contrast, the outer knobs use the softest compound (42A) to deliver maximum grip and slow rebound. The Fast Rolling version uses a 65A base, 60A middle, and 48A sides. The Slash Guard technology on the tested single-ply TCS Light casing features a protective nylon insert spanning the entire sidewall to provide additional protection.
Impressions
I ran them tubeless since that is always my preference for any tire, as it offers a better feel, no pinch flats, and allows lower pressures to be run. I tested the tires with a huge variance of pressures but found the lower, the better, and tended to keep them at 17 psi, as that’s where they really started to purr and come to life.
The WTB Vigilante 2.8 is sticky, durable, and pliable. It has impressive characteristics, including traction, braking qualities, adhesion on rock slabs, and predictability in any condition or terrain. They’re a big heavy tire in any of their versions, with only decent rolling and acceleration characteristics, and are somewhat ponderous, especially on pavement. But the large footprint and volume and tractor-like tread design gives them superb traction, braking, and cornering on just about anything, including loose gravel and dirt, in wet or dry conditions. The open tread pattern meant the tire easily dislodged mud and snow.
When you toss the tires deeply over, they hook up nicely with their grippy soft side knobs, and they fly through big berms like they’re on a rail. Even when the front end would lightly wash out occasionally, it did so in a predictable manner, and you never felt a loss of control.
I have tossed them into some ugly terrain, everything from burly rock gardens to tree roots, and I have as yet suffered any sidewall’s tears or damage. The tread has been very durable, and though it has some normal wear, I didn’t get the usual side knob tears. I was quite happy with the TCS Light’s durability with its Slash Guard sidewalls, though if you want the extra beefiness, you can go with their dual-ply TCS Tough casing, but with a 100+ gram weight penalty. The TCS Light offers a more forgiving and supple sidewall for a better overall feel.
The TCS Light/High Grip and their TriTec compound combination offer a very pliable and conforming tire. When motoring up and down through gnarly terrain, including ledges, rock gardens, roots, and slabs, it offers great traction, composure, and steering. I used them in wet sand, gravel, and some mud, and they adhered to rocks and roots without any undue slippage. The extra width of the 2.8-inch tire never seemed to be an issue for handling and cornering, and I didn’t feel the typical bounciness and unwieldiness of a Plus-sized tire. They just felt like a slightly bigger and more aggressive tire, an extension of the 2.6″ Vigilante brethren. The increased volume offered a mild amount of suspension and helped calm trail chatter.
Bottom Line
The WTB Vigilante 2.8 is an aggressive All-Mountain tire with an open tread design and tall square knobs, and its wide footprint and volume offer superb traction, braking, and cornering. The pliable, sticky, and conformable TriTec rubber compound provides composure, control, and steering throughout any gnarly terrain.
The tire provides a perfect combination of a wide footprint, durable sidewalls, and open tread with a soft compound makes for an excellent big tire for loose conditions and rocky infused terrain. The 2.8″ width was greatly appreciated and never felt overly ponderous during use. They are big heavy tires and don’t roll that well, which will be noticed on the pavement.
Pros
- Sticky, pliable, and conformable tread and knobs
- Superb traction, braking, and cornering
- Durable
- Predictable
- Wide footprint and volume
Cons
- Only decent rolling resistance and acceleration
- Heavy
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