WTB Verdict 2.5 TCS Tough High Grip 29 x 2.5in front tyre review

With tall and well-spaced tread blocks, the WTB Verdict offers confidence-inspiring grip in muddy and soft conditions.

There is a “Wet” version with even taller tread blocks, but I never felt this standard tyre lacking grip in the sloppiest conditions.

• Best mountain bike suspension forks
• Best mountain bike pedals

In fact, it’s up there with the Maxxis Shorty and Schwalbe Magic Mary for muddy conditions grip and, if anything, it clears a little better than the latter.

Braking and cornering traction are both outstanding in sloppy conditions and the large volume helps it stay a little higher through deep loam and soft dirt.

The rubber compound sticks to wet rocks and roots well too, though the rubber’s not as sticky as Michelin’s Wild Enduro. It performed similarly to Schwalbe’s Magic Mary in the Addix Soft compound in my wet tarmac braking distance tests.

On the trail, it has a comfortable, well-damped feel over rocky terrain, thanks in part to its large volume and stiff sidewall.

Rolling resistance is predictably on the slower side, even compared to aggressively-treaded rivals. In my roll-down tests it was just pipped by its closest rival the Schwalbe 2.6in Magic Mary, in terms of rolling speed.

Also, the tall tread blocks and relatively square profile make it slightly vague and unpredictable on hardpack turns at high lean angles, where the Schwalbe carves a little better. But if soft conditions traction is your priority, you can’t get much better.

• This tyre was tested as part of a group test. All tyres were tested back-to-back on the same tracks, keeping all other variables as consistent as possible to ensure our findings are as reliable and accurate as they can be.