SimilarToThe distinctive pattern ofThe 26" ProwlerTires, but with more open spacing forThe 29er scene. WTB suggestsThisTire for moistTo dry, hardpackTo loose conditions. For 700c (29er) MTBs 726 grams "Race" levelTires feature lightweight casing and folding bead, DNA rubber.
Strengths: Low rolling resistance , great climbing, great cornering, does really well in rock gardens and drop offs. nice XC tire.
Weaknesses: sand seems to be the only real weakness it doesnt do as well as the exiwolfs I have for sand but its not as bad as some are making it out to be.
Bottom Line:
happy with the tire so far but haven't had it long enough to to notice it wearing fast like others have stated.
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Submitted by
Brandon Jaunarajs
a All Mountain Rider
Date Reviewed: November 24, 2012
Strengths: Practically puncture proof, roll well, good ride. Great for packed dirt and XC
Weaknesses: rear grip, rear wear. sloppy in sand and loose gravel.
Bottom Line:
I have had this set of prowlers for just under 500 miles. The front tire has held up pretty well and is at 50% tread. The rear tire is about bald. Now, part of this is due to my riding style. I tend to slide the back wheel quite a bit and I am a heavy rear braker. (Old school BMX pedal brake habit). I keep the pressures low (35-40psi) because any higher and I bounce off the bike. I paid $40 on eBay for a pair so I definitely think you get what you pay for and these were a great value. But now I am going to upgrade to some Nevegal's.
Strengths: Barely OK for hard pack and pavement.
Decent weight.
Weaknesses: Terrible on slightly loose and/or wet terrain.
Bottom Line:
I really didn't realize how bad these tires were until I removed my Ignitor and installed the Prowler on the rear. I forgot I made the switch and at first couldn't understand why my rear tire was not grabbing and sliding out from under me and this was on fairly hard packed terrain that I normally ride. The difference was dramatic. And you can also forget about it especially when things get wet. This tire will be going on ebay shortly with bidding starting at $1.
Submitted by
Jesusita
a All Mountain Rider
from Santa Barbara, California
Date Reviewed: March 29, 2012
Strengths: Good all around tire. Does well on hardpack and medium-loose stuff. Low rolling resistance. Have yet to puncture casing. Great climber.
Weaknesses: Not great with rocks. Wears out very quickly.
Bottom Line:
I really liked this tire; handles climbs well and can hang with frequent creek crossings. Not impressed with performance in super rocky or wet terrain and the tread wear was very quick. Probably won't run this on the trail bike anymore but I would recommend this tire to xc folks for the low rolling resistance good climbing ability.
Submitted by
tsefreeflow
a Weekend Warrior
from Arizona
Date Reviewed: July 23, 2011
Strengths: Great traction and rolling
Weaknesses: None yet
Bottom Line:
I was surprised by this tire. When I first looked at the tread and at it overall, it looked cheap and was expecting to replace it instantly. I was very pleasantly surprised as it performed better than the NN and Kenda that I have used in the past (26"). I have not had any near washouts like I have had with the others but this is also my first 29er, so maybe it has something to do with that. The only thing I dont like (cosmetic) is the fact that they only put the white lettering on one side. No big deal I just like the same look on both sides of the tire. I would most definately replace this tire with the same when it needs it. The wear seems fine for the few weeks I have been using them, but we will see with further use.
Similar Products Used: Schwalbe Nobby Nic and Kenda Nevegals
Bike Setup: 2011 Fuji Outland 29er all stock
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Submitted by
slick51
a Cross Country Rider
from new mexico
Date Reviewed: March 20, 2011
Strengths: light and fast
Weaknesses: weak case, rapid tread wear, burps
Bottom Line:
Purchased at lbs aware of mixed reviews. Always liked WTB stuff and still do, but this tire should be discontinued. Tire is very worn after only about 300 mi of, admittedly, rough and rocky single track. Yesterday, I noticed a lump in the tire (like a snake with a rat in its belly). Bead still intact and even on rim so I deflated, reseated, and re-inflated to confirm the tire was damaged. Apears that the case has failed. While it is not a ust tire and I am running it tubless, I've done the same on many other non-ust tires without a single problem and no burping. Stay away from the prowler, especially if you are tubless.
Submitted by
BeerBikeBerm
a Cross Country Rider
from Fort Collins, CO
Date Reviewed: September 12, 2010
Strengths: Good traction in the back. Low rolling resistance (just a bit more resistance than a nano). Feels and grips larger than it looks.
Weaknesses: Terribly fast wear. I'd wanted to give a review after a year, but this tire will be toast in another month. It has only lasted a few months! The center tread is only about a millimeter tall now, and it no longer climbs well.
Bottom Line:
Big fan of the classic Weirwolf LT and Nano tires.
However, WTB has something seriously wrong with it's latest rubber compound. They have worn faster than any other tires I've used. So far, I have worn through this Prowler, SL, and seen excessive wear on a 29er Wolverine and 26er Wolverine. Those tires won't last the rest of the season, and have only been in use for 3 months!
I really hope the latest production of Weirwolf LT and Nano Raptors do not use the latest rubber compound.
Submitted by
yourdaguy
a Cross Country Rider
from Newburgh, IN USA
Date Reviewed: June 4, 2010
Strengths: Low rolling resistance
Weaknesses: wet rocks/roots
Bottom Line:
If you want to use a MTB for an urban assault vehicle or commuter and still play in the woods with it; THESE are your tires. They have the lowest rolling resistance I have found in a MTB tire and are still reasonably good in the woods. They are a better rear than a front. And if you are willing to give up a little rolling resistance for more front grip you could run an Ignitor in the front.
That said the Prowlers are a good all around MTB tire but their weakest areas are wet roots and rocks, mud, and they do wash out some on the front. They pack up very easily with mud.
Their strengths are low rolling resistance, good climbing traction and good braking traction. They turn easily and hold a line well.
Similar Products Used: Stouts, Ignitors, Barros, Ardents
Bike Setup: Jet & Sir 9's X9 triggers/ X0 rd XT fd. All wheels are tubelss Arch's and Flows.
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Submitted by
mksj
a Cross Country Rider
from Tucson, AZ
Date Reviewed: May 21, 2010
Strengths: Very low rolling resistance, good tracking in sand, good rear tire traction for the size
Weaknesses: NO WARRANTY service, reliability, poor corning and side traction at steep angles, wear out quickly
Bottom Line:
I ride mostly fast (dry) fire roads/trails in the Arizona desert. I run 34 PSI in the front & 39 PSI rear. You can drop the front PSI to increase traction. This is my third and final set. The Good: Fastest rolling tire I have ridden on a MTB bike, easily ride one gear taller all the time. Decent grip when new, especially on the back, lasts about 6 months riding 3x/week. The Bad: Front tire grip when cornering, especially at speed or steep angles. Also tried the WTB Weirwolf 2.55 on the front, which greatly improved the traction and ride, but had increased rolling resistance and weight. I would use the Weirwolf if I rode slower or did only steep mountains. The Ugly: On the 3rd set of Prowler tires, I had the bead cord fail (broke) on the rear tire after the 2nd ride (I am 150 lbs), it was flat ground and I was in top gear. Had it been the front, it would have been ugly. The tire came off the rim and I had to walk home. I would call this a tire defect. Multiple emails to WTB @warranty, @info, called twice. NO response. Like the tire but will not buy anymore WTB products. 1 Chili for value because of poor support. Would be a great tire if it cornered better and didn't have reliability issues.
Bike Setup: Ellsworth Evolve 29er, Fox 32 F29, Shimano XTR group, I-9 hubs with Stan's Arch rims, Formula Oro K24 brakes, Thomson stem and seat post.
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Submitted by
ctbarron
a Weekend Warrior
from Annandale, VA
Date Reviewed: November 27, 2009
Strengths: Rolls well, sticks great in dry conditions, surprising volume for width
Weaknesses: Poor in wet/muddy conditions
Bottom Line:
This tires seem to be at their best on dry or "tacky" ground. I ran them in late summer/early fall on front and back and liked them a lot on the XC-type trails I ride. They stick really well in corners, yet have a good rolling speed as well. The Prowlers are one of the better combos of grip and speed I have found. Despite being 2.1", they seem to soak up a lot of bumps. They also do well in loose, gravely conditions.
Their weakness seems to be wet ground. I rode them on trails covered with damp leaves and through some muddy spots and the grip disappeared pretty quickly. The mud did not shed very well, either. I have replaced them for the winter with some bigger, stickier, slower tires but will use the Prowlers again when the ground dries.
Another minus: the price could be better. Either that or I need to find better discounts.
Similar Products Used: Maxxis Ardent, WTB Stout, Bontrager XDX
Bike Setup: Marin Palisades 29er
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Submitted by
SSRG
a Cross Country Rider
from wasatch front, ut
Date Reviewed: August 14, 2009
Strengths: excellent grip, good sidewall strength
Weaknesses: nit picking here, but - a bit narrow, growls on hardpack
Bottom Line:
as part of my quest to get the best 29er tire set up for wasatch summer conditions (dry, dusty, gravelly and ROCKY!) been using the prowler on the rear of my fully rigid, SS for about 10 rides. can run it at insanely low pressure - ~20 psi with a tube! - no pinch flats yet. and this thing grips like nobody's business. replaced s geax saguaro which is a decent tire until things get loose and it's huge. the prowler is a but smaller but due to the bomber sidewall i can get it to feel super plush even though the casing is a bit smaller. don't know what it's like in the mud (dry enough here that we usually don't ride the mud to much, it's a trail preservation thing) but in the rough and dusty conditions in the wasatch in summer this is a great rear tire.
Similar Products Used: mtn. king, saguaro, weirwolf
Bike Setup: fully rigid, SS, 29er
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Submitted by
ExigeS
a Cross Country Rider
from Maryland
Date Reviewed: February 21, 2009
Strengths: Fast, low rolling resistance, good in dry dirt and rocks, good in hard packed snow.
Weaknesses: Very poor handling in mud. In mud it grips ok going straight and ok uphill but if you want to turn HOLD ON! Reverse camber turns… forget it, no grip at all.
Bottom Line:
This is a very fast tire if it is dry. Grips well in Rock, hard packed dirt and loose dirt. It is durable. I have been running with tubes and have had no flats. I weigh 150 and run 30 PSI rear and 28 PSI front. It climbs great also. I ran this tire in a 14 mile hard packed snow race two weeks ago and won. If it is muddy please do yourself a favor and choose another tire for your ride. I have a buddy with the same tires on his bike and we have both wiped out while at speed and turning in mud.
