A lot of us are die hard tire brand loyalists. Maxxis people will hardly venture out to try other brands. Whatever works, works I guess. But what if I were to tell you that venturing out will lead to a gold mine? It's not often this happens but am I glad I did.
First things first, I have the Verdict Light/High Grip 29x2.5 mounted on 30mm rims. Knob to knob, it measures close to 2.7 inches with my measuring tape. 1150 grams. The Judge 29x2.4 Tough/Fast Rolling measures just a smidge above 2.4 knob to knob with 30mm rims. 1400 grams. The Verdict is definitely oversized and very, very high volume. I was kind of afraid that the immense size would take feedback away compared to the true to size 2.5 tires I'm used to, but they don't. They are also tall. The Judge is true to size and comparatively speaking, looks puny compared to the Verdict.
Verdict
1150 grams isn't light. It's not a dual-ply so it's more comparable to single-ply 'enduro' tires and EXO+ in Maxxis speak. So you know how the Vigilante's knobs then to squish and smear when going flat out? The Verdict's don't. They maintain their form much better and don't exhibit the same traits as the Vigs. They just dig in and claw their way around. At first, I ran it with 21 psi. I found it bouncy and a little wandery. I took it down to 20 psi and boom. Perfect. Crazy how 1 psi can make such difference. It's a very aggressive tire that needs to be weighed(body position forward) to produce the best results. If you're lazy and leaning back, you're wasting rubber and not using the tire to its full potential. In flat corners(even with all the fallen leaves now), I can lean this thing over pretty deep and it wont give. I can also 'feel' it gripping. In berms, well, any tire does well in berms to be honest. It's a supported corner.
When losing grip, the sensation is similar to the DHF in that you lose grip immediately, and maybe get it back. But in the Verdict's case, grip always comes back. Braking is comparable to the Vigs. Maybe just a smidge better. As far as steering goes, it feels like a 2.5 despite its massive size. It still provides loads of feedback and the quick steering I've grown accustomed to with 2.5 and smaller tires. But I'd prefer true-to-size tires, TBH. The knobs are widely spaced so it'll shed mud and muck well. Rolling resistance, not sure. It's a front tire so it's not super noticeable compared to the rear. I notice the weight a lot more.
Judge
The Judge, I'll say is probably the best rear tire I've ever used as far as outright grip and braking goes. This thing is robust. Like it seems like it's built tougher than the other WTB Tough Casing tires. Tough Casing is like Maxxis DD. But tougher and heavier. The knobs are massive. I ran this at 24-25 psi with no changes made. No squirming and squishing with this one. And the grip they provide is phenomenal. Rolling resistance combined with the 1400 gram weight... well, you'll be riding with a gear easier than you normally would in some circumstances. Compared to the Trail Boss, the side knobs don't squirm. They're solid when cornering. Just like the Verdict, off camber and flat corners are no match. Lean the bike over, trust the tires, and watch as you take that corner faster than you normally would. Those massive side knobs just dig and shovel in to the dirt.
Climbing up tech, it'll claw its way up there as long as you're on the right gear. I've cleared some techy climbs I haven't before with the Judge. Braking is amazing. You can feel it digging in as soon as you depress the brake lever. Very confidence inspiring to say the least. When it loses grip, it does so in a very controlled manner. It'll drift ever so softly, and then ever so softly regain its grip again. Reminds me of how the Magic Mary does when it loses grip. If you can do this at will, you can tighten your line without losing speed. It's a great feeling. The knobs are tighter packed, so it won't shed muck as well as the Verdict. As far as ride quality goes, it's firm and supportive. Not at all bouncy or harsh.
Conclusion
I feel that these 2 combined offer one of the grippiest(if not the most) combinations out there. With the weight and rolling resistance, this is most definitely a gravity oriented setup. It's not for everyone. For a faster rolling setup, the Vigilante/Trail Boss or Verdict/Trail Boss is a better fit. The addition of the Judge takes it to another level. I wouldn't pair the Vig with the Judge because I feel the Judge provides more outright grip than the Vig. I prefer to run a grippier front like everyone else. I don't use inserts, nor do I ever intend to because I can just get tougher and heavier tires that provide the cut and slash protection I need. So these heavy and robust tires fill that niche.
WTB is nowhere near as big as Maxxis is. But I'm glad they're making robust, heavy duty, and competitive tires. Mountain biking's best kept secret are these. So try them out if you can handle the weight and rolling resistance.
First things first, I have the Verdict Light/High Grip 29x2.5 mounted on 30mm rims. Knob to knob, it measures close to 2.7 inches with my measuring tape. 1150 grams. The Judge 29x2.4 Tough/Fast Rolling measures just a smidge above 2.4 knob to knob with 30mm rims. 1400 grams. The Verdict is definitely oversized and very, very high volume. I was kind of afraid that the immense size would take feedback away compared to the true to size 2.5 tires I'm used to, but they don't. They are also tall. The Judge is true to size and comparatively speaking, looks puny compared to the Verdict.
Verdict
1150 grams isn't light. It's not a dual-ply so it's more comparable to single-ply 'enduro' tires and EXO+ in Maxxis speak. So you know how the Vigilante's knobs then to squish and smear when going flat out? The Verdict's don't. They maintain their form much better and don't exhibit the same traits as the Vigs. They just dig in and claw their way around. At first, I ran it with 21 psi. I found it bouncy and a little wandery. I took it down to 20 psi and boom. Perfect. Crazy how 1 psi can make such difference. It's a very aggressive tire that needs to be weighed(body position forward) to produce the best results. If you're lazy and leaning back, you're wasting rubber and not using the tire to its full potential. In flat corners(even with all the fallen leaves now), I can lean this thing over pretty deep and it wont give. I can also 'feel' it gripping. In berms, well, any tire does well in berms to be honest. It's a supported corner.
When losing grip, the sensation is similar to the DHF in that you lose grip immediately, and maybe get it back. But in the Verdict's case, grip always comes back. Braking is comparable to the Vigs. Maybe just a smidge better. As far as steering goes, it feels like a 2.5 despite its massive size. It still provides loads of feedback and the quick steering I've grown accustomed to with 2.5 and smaller tires. But I'd prefer true-to-size tires, TBH. The knobs are widely spaced so it'll shed mud and muck well. Rolling resistance, not sure. It's a front tire so it's not super noticeable compared to the rear. I notice the weight a lot more.
Judge
The Judge, I'll say is probably the best rear tire I've ever used as far as outright grip and braking goes. This thing is robust. Like it seems like it's built tougher than the other WTB Tough Casing tires. Tough Casing is like Maxxis DD. But tougher and heavier. The knobs are massive. I ran this at 24-25 psi with no changes made. No squirming and squishing with this one. And the grip they provide is phenomenal. Rolling resistance combined with the 1400 gram weight... well, you'll be riding with a gear easier than you normally would in some circumstances. Compared to the Trail Boss, the side knobs don't squirm. They're solid when cornering. Just like the Verdict, off camber and flat corners are no match. Lean the bike over, trust the tires, and watch as you take that corner faster than you normally would. Those massive side knobs just dig and shovel in to the dirt.
Climbing up tech, it'll claw its way up there as long as you're on the right gear. I've cleared some techy climbs I haven't before with the Judge. Braking is amazing. You can feel it digging in as soon as you depress the brake lever. Very confidence inspiring to say the least. When it loses grip, it does so in a very controlled manner. It'll drift ever so softly, and then ever so softly regain its grip again. Reminds me of how the Magic Mary does when it loses grip. If you can do this at will, you can tighten your line without losing speed. It's a great feeling. The knobs are tighter packed, so it won't shed muck as well as the Verdict. As far as ride quality goes, it's firm and supportive. Not at all bouncy or harsh.
Conclusion
I feel that these 2 combined offer one of the grippiest(if not the most) combinations out there. With the weight and rolling resistance, this is most definitely a gravity oriented setup. It's not for everyone. For a faster rolling setup, the Vigilante/Trail Boss or Verdict/Trail Boss is a better fit. The addition of the Judge takes it to another level. I wouldn't pair the Vig with the Judge because I feel the Judge provides more outright grip than the Vig. I prefer to run a grippier front like everyone else. I don't use inserts, nor do I ever intend to because I can just get tougher and heavier tires that provide the cut and slash protection I need. So these heavy and robust tires fill that niche.
WTB is nowhere near as big as Maxxis is. But I'm glad they're making robust, heavy duty, and competitive tires. Mountain biking's best kept secret are these. So try them out if you can handle the weight and rolling resistance.
