Purely a guess here, but I think you might feel a transition leaning into turns with the Judge's larger squared off outer lugs. Also, with the lugs being on the taller side, they may give more than you'd like in turns. But this is all just an assumption without considering how the tire flexes under load, type of trail, etc. For most riders, the Judge would probably be just fine up front. The DHR2's outer lugs look like they round out a little more and aren't as tall.

 

The side knobs on all WTB tires are pretty rowdy.

Either way you're going to feel a transition leaning into turns with tires that lack intermediate knobs, that's just the way these tires are.

While the Judge might be optimized for rear use and braking traction, plenty of people like the DHR2 on the front.

Personally I like the Vigilante a lot.

 

IIRC Marco Osborne runs the Judge up front for hardpacked trails when he races, I seem to recall reading an interview or bike check where it was mentioned.

Personally, I don't think I could run it up front due to the lack of volume. The Judge is a huge tire but most of the size comes from the knobs and the casing is pretty small, it's a pretty harsh tire as a result and likes to bounce around more than I'd prefer, but I'd think it would do better on certain types of terrain than the Vigilante or Verdict due to the larger profile of the knobs. The Vigilante does OK on hardpack, but it does get a bit more squirmy than some others.

 

I am using the convict up front. I did consider the Judge, but it was either not available, or they did not have the width I wanted. So far, wet muddy, dry dusty and hard pack and the convict has been pretty solid so far.

 

I'm running tough 2.3 Vigis front and rear. HG front and FR rear. I also have a 2.25 TFR Trail Boss that I run in the rear. I like the Vigis for general riding altho the rear is getting worn. I have a Judge for winter but it's a beast of a tyre at 1400+ grams in a tough casing. It looks a lot like a DHR2 which I like as a front tyre but the weight would be killer.

 

It's a great front tire for those OK with the weight. I wish they would make it n a light casing. There's nothing rear specific about it. Handling is exactly what I want in a high grip front tire. You can feel the rolling resistance though compared to say a DHR, WTB verdict, assegai. It's one of if not the slowest front tires I've run but some of that would be helped with a lighter casing. I ran the soft compound too. I would love to double up the judge with light fast rolling up front, and tough fast rolling in the back.

I know this is an old thread, but WTB if you come across this, make your best aggressive tire in more than one casing please. Also, what's the deal with the verdict 2.5 measuring close to 2.7 while the judge is barely a true 2.4? odd pairing. I find the verdict too bouncy and vague because of the excessively high volume. I would much prefer double judges, or at least a verdict in a size that pairs better with the judge. A true 2.5 would hit the spot.

 

slimat99 - i've just ordered one for the front so will be running Tough Judges front and rear. I got it cheap £25 from Chain Reaction so couldn't turn it down - especially when RRP is £65. I like DHR2s F+R so assume this will be similar.

Agree that WTB sizing is a bit out. The 2.3 Vigi measures more like a 2.4 and the 2.5 Verdict measures 2.6. For me a 2.4 Vigi would be the perfect all round all year tyre - altho maybe with better side knobs.

 

the judge is not the best as a front tire, volume is considerably low compared to a vigilante/verdict. The cornering grip is pretty unreal though, felt like a DHR2 on crack, however i felt like because of the smaller volume, it conforms to the trail less which gives less overall grip even with the large knobs, also considerably more feedback through the hands.

 

I've had my first ride with Judges front and rear. I'm running Tough High Grip Judges. The trails are wet, muddy and slippery at the moment (Surrey UK) with lots of slippery roots. I seasoned a local trail that has a lot of off camber sections with root and lines you need to stick to make the corner. I'm 95ish kg and running the Judges at 16F/19R with no inserts. So far the Judge on the front feels great. Definitely not as much volume as a Verdict (Light) but I can run it a lot softer so probably getting similar levels of grip. It reminds me of a beefier DHR2 which I like as a front tyre. I like the solid feel of the Tough compared to the light Verdict. Currently i'm running it on my 140mm HT but will probably try on my 160/140 FS bike once things start drying up.