Shedding 60g off the original ExiWolf 29'er tire, the biggest, meanest 29'er tire goes svelte--or as close to svelte as you're gonna get in a 29x2.3" monster tire. We love these tires, and if your frame has the clearance, this is the ultimate go-anywhere 29'er trail tire.
Submitted by
Salem Biker
a Weekend Warrior
from Salem Mass Date Reviewed: June 9, 2009
Favorite Trail:
Lynn Woods MTB Mecca
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$35.00
Purchased At:
Jenson
Strengths:
Much better then the Bontrager XDX that came with the Gary Fisher Cobia. Been riding for 15+ years, not a novice rider here... Went with a Cobia to stay away from Hydrua-leak breaks. Front and Rear, the rear I have no complaints. I have seemed to lose a little bit of traction, but that is only once in a great while on a very hard climb, or roots that are slightly wet. So, they have good grip in the rear. Run at 40 pounds. The fronts are OK, but still like to wash out in loose stones and dirt on hardpack berms. My training route has a great high speed down hill, that I have ridden 100's of times on the 26 and took it as fast as I dare. Now, I am scared of that corner on the 29er.
Weaknesses:
Cornering high speed on loose stones and sandy berms BITE, well actually they don't Bite, they wash out. I have tried some different tire pressures, but no improvement. I am actually considering turing the front tire around, and see if things improve. Has anyone had any luck on front tiers that they have turned around for better traction?
Bottom Line:
I would like to try a WTB Wierwolf, but not in a 2.5 size. I will wait to see if they make a 2.2 size. Also, I would love to see deep front tire treads. No one makes any 29ers with front deep treads. Why Not?
I would like to say, if WTB, decreases the diametere of the 29er tires so they can get deeper treads, it is a combination that would really help. Probably be the hottest selling 29er front tier, because no one is satisfied with 29er front wheel steering in loose conditions.
The Tire Manufacturer that can come out with a " Front ONLY" Tire that can corner, will corner the market on front tires... (pun intended)
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Submitted by
Ben
a Cross Country Rider
from Oak Ridge, TN Date Reviewed: May 5, 2008
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$40.00
Purchased At:
Local Shop
Strengths:
Cushion, strength, dry traction, lightweight
Weaknesses:
Poor in deep mud
Similar Products Used:
Exi Wolf, Rampage
Bike Setup:
Redline Monocog 29er, Bianchi Rita 29er (current)
Bottom Line:
I have ridden this tire in the regular and race configuration. This is not a do everything tire as it doesn't have the lugs for deep mud and crud. However, if you ride a mix of terrain and want a fast and durable tire, the ExiWolf is a winner. I read one poster's comments about there being better tires out there now. Well I've tried those "newer and better tires" and let me tell ya', newer does not equal better!
I'm 200#, was riding some Panaracer Rampage on my Monocog and felt like they were a good tire for a rigid bike, then I switched them to my Rita and they sucked! Went back to the ExiWolf on the Rita and it was love!! I think folks look at tires as being good or bad based on conditions, but there's more to it than conditions alone. You also need to look at rider style, terrain, and bike configuration.
The ExiWolf is the right tire for someone who is riding a hardtail, wants a firm rider (laterally), without losing the cush of a 29er. If I rode an area that gets muddy in the rainy season, I might switch out to a more lugged tire, but once things dried out I'd be back on the ExiWolf, it's a superior ride for roots, rocks, and firm conditions.
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Submitted by
Z
a Racer
from Wild West Date Reviewed: April 4, 2008
Favorite Trail:
the long singletrack one
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$25.00
Purchased At:
thE bay
Strengths:
Very good volume for a SS rigid setup. Great traction in most situations. Very durable casing. Works awesome with Stans tubeless setup in the thorny cacti environment I ride in...no flats! knock on my woody
Weaknesses:
Heavy but it's a trade-off, lower profile side lugs but I have not experienced too much reduced cornering
Similar Products Used:
IRC Notos-weak-donkey side walls...I've blown out 2 in less than a season...Bontrager Jones...not as beefy casing=more flats
Bike Setup:
Single speed rigid purple Rig29er warrior...providing both pleasure and pain :) Dos niner 1x9
Bottom Line:
Weight weenies suck it! If you drink beer and ride a rigid single speed purple warrior do you really need to care about another pound of weight. I don't...heck, most of us probably carry extra weight in our gut we don't think to complain about. The volume is awesome and the tire is super durable. I ride in a very rocky, thorny, cactus plaqued area and have never had a flat running stans... awesome tubeless compatibility by the way. For reference I'm 6'3" 200lbs and race the single speed class getting outstanding results with this tire...I've had flats with every other tire I've used...not this one KOW
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Submitted by
Fleas
a
from Cleveland, OH Date Reviewed: November 7, 2007
Favorite Trail:
dirt
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$15.00
Purchased At:
dark alley
Strengths:
Good cush. GREAT braking.
Weaknesses:
Limited lateral traction.
Similar Products Used:
Similar only in that they are 29er tires - Maxxis Ignitor
Bike Setup:
Full rigid, tubes, disc brakes, gears (many of them)
Bottom Line:
I have only used this tire on the front for more cushion with the rigid fork. I rode the same 10-mile loop - once with the Ignitor, once with the Exi. These tires were FANTASTIC under straight-line braking. They are not exceedingly heavy for their size. As compared to the Ignitor it replaced, it has better braking, but less cornering. When it does start to let go, it is very predictable. I had plenty of time to correct my line, but I could not ride the same line as with the Ignitor. The characteristics in mud are also very predictable. The additional volume made the tree roots feel quite small, which is why I bought them (and that I got them for cheap). I don't shy away from anything that's lower than my front axle and these tires made me feel like I could just plow over stuff. It's great for cush., great for braking, good for cornering.
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Submitted by
Bruce Brown
a Cross Country Rider
from Des Moines Date Reviewed: March 7, 2007
Duration Product Used:
More than 3 years
Price Paid:
$35.00
Purchased At:
Scheels
Strengths:
Large volume provided nice cush. Great tire for rigid bikes to add cush and for tooling around in dry conditions.
Weaknesses:
Breaks loose when pushed. Not recommended for any kind of wet or mud.
Similar Products Used:
Nanoraptors, Nevegals, XR's
Bike Setup:
I've used them on my KM and Sugar
Bottom Line:
I have never really found that I liked these tires as a choice. I actually purchased them on a trip to the Black Hills so I could have some more cush and run a lower psi to go over a lot of rocks. They were lethargic in the pine needles and trails, but that was okay because I was out for some casual rides. Still a nice choice for adding cush and running lower psi's on rigid bikes. I can't use it on the rear of my Karate Monkey due to clearance issues with the front derailleur. Sorry to say, they pretty much spend most of their time hanging on my garage wall these days since I also have Nevegals, Nano's, XR's, Karma's, Notos, Crows, Small Block 8's, Klaws, etc... .
I would recommend them for those running rigid and looking for some extra cush. Not a racing tire.
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Submitted by
Anthony
a
from Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada Date Reviewed: January 29, 2007
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Similar Products Used:
Panaracer Rampage, Maxxis Ignitor
Bike Setup:
Rigid Karate Monkey, Velocity Dyad/LX wheels
Bottom Line:
I originally bought my 29er with Ignitors. When I swapped out the rear tire for an Exiwolf, I immediately noticed a huge difference. More grip, less squirm and overall much better feeling, especially since I am 250+ and put a ton of weight on the back. Works great in the snow.
No complaints, I would give it 5/5 except that the Panaracer Rampage is just too awesome.
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Submitted by
Stefan Griebel
a Cross Country Rider
from Boulder, CO, 80303 Date Reviewed: December 21, 2006
Favorite Trail:
The Colorado Trail
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Price Paid:
$33.00
Purchased At:
Full Cycle, online also
Strengths:
High volume, fast rolling, tough casing. Can run ~20-23 psi and never pinch flat.
This is my favorite tire for rough and rocky conditions. I rode the entire Colorado Trail with Exiwolves front and back without getting a single flat. You can pump 'em up to 50 psi for a faster feel, or leave 'em at 25psi for a cushy ride. At low psi, these tires climb up dry rocks and roots like they're made of sticky rubber! They also seem to wear quite well, and I've gotten probably 1000 miles out of a pair. The only negatives I can think of are the extra weight (well worth it for a tire this tough), and the tendency to wash out on high speed, sandy corners.
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Submitted by
Slim Pickens
a
from Washington DC Date Reviewed: December 21, 2006
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$25.00
Strengths:
cushy, tough, fast rolling, cheap, good grip on rock/wood/dirt, lots of volume for frames w/o much tire clearance
Weaknesses:
heavy, packs mud, mediocre traction in loose conditions
Similar Products Used:
nanoraptor, motoraptor, nevegal, acx, klaw
Bottom Line:
This tire is voluminous but it fits in a fairly narrow frame. The short knobs concentrated on the crown mean the widest point of the tire is further from the bottom bracket than most, and it fits easily where a nevegal won't.
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Submitted by
GlowBoy
a Cross Country Rider
from Portland OR Date Reviewed: December 20, 2006
Favorite Trail:
Lost in oregon
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Price Paid:
$35.00
Purchased At:
WebCyclery
Strengths:
Big volume -- until the recent advent of the Rampage, Resolution, Nevegal and WeirWolf this was THE biggest 29" tire. Fairly low rolling resistance. Um, that's about it.
Weaknesses:
If things get wet this tire will slip and it will pack up. Both will happen in a hurry. Sketchy side knobs. Heavy.
Similar Products Used:
Bontrager XR, Bontrager ACX, Kenda Karma 1.9, Kenda Klaw, Kenda Khan, Maxxis Ignitor, Panaracer Rampage, Schwalbe Black Jack 1.9, WTB ExiWolf, WTB Nanoraptor, and too many smaller 700c tires to count.
Bike Setup:
- Surly Karate Monkey, currently 3sp hub commuter. - Vulture custom 29" SS EBB hardtail. - Lenz Sport Leviathan 29"x3" full suspension.
Bottom Line:
This tire became VERY popular when it came out a couple years ago because it was bigger than anything else available in the 29" world. Other than the volume and cush, the only real performance advantages are low rolling resistance and decent straight line performance in dry conditions. Just don't try to corner too hard in that dry stuff or you're going down, thanks to the lack of decent side knobs. Now that we have the Rampage, my Exi is headed for the classifieds.
Buy it if: well, don't buy it, period. Regardless of your intended use, there are now better choices available. The WeirWolf LT reportedly has comparable dry grip with bigger volume and lower rolling resistance. The Rampage grips at least as well overall with FAR better cornering and comparable rolling. The Nevegal reportedly grips better in all conditions and only rolls a bit slower. All three of these tires are as big or bigger than the Exi.
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