CX/Gravel Tire Test: WTB Riddler TCS Light 37

The WTB Riddler is a gravel bike tire with low knobs in the middle and a row of aggressive big knobs on the side. The tread pattern makes this tire ideal for hard surfaces such as asphalt, hardpack, and gravel. The Riddler is available in the 37-622 size as well as the very large 44-622 size for gravel bikes with a lot of clearance.

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The Riddler consists of a single-ply 60 TPI tubeless-ready casing and a "Dual DNA" rubber compound. For this test, we tested the 37-622 version "TCS Light / Fast Rolling" with brown sidewalls. The Riddler is also available with black sidewalls but this should make no difference in performance.

Manufacturer Specifications

Manufacturer Specs
Brand	WTB
Model	Riddler TCS Light
Year	2020
Supplied By	Bought in store
New or Used	New
Mileage	0 km
Price Range	High
Buy At	Ad Amazon.com
Manufacturer part number	W010-0694
TPI	60
Compound	Dual DNA
Bead	Folding
ETRTO	37-622
Specified Weight	465 grams
Max Air Pressure (psi)	55
Made In	Members Only
Available Sizes	37-622 (700x37c) 44-622 (700x45c)

WTB Riddler TCS Light 37 Test Results

Size, Weight, and Thickness Measurements

Size, Weight, and Thickness Measurements
Specified Weight	465 grams
Measured Weight	446 grams
Measured Width Casing	35 mm (un-round)
Measured Width Tread	36 mm
Measured Height	33 mm (un-round)
Measured Knob Height Center	1.2 mm
Measured Knob Height Edge	2.8 mm
Measured Total Thickness Center (excluding knobs)	2.10 mm
Measured Total Thickness Sidewall	Members Only
All size measurements are taken at low air pressure on a 17.8 mm inner width rim.

Rolling Resistance Test Results

Rolling Resistance Test Results
Inner Tube	None (30 ml sealant) (current protocol)	Conti Cross28 (160 gr) (test protocol)
Measured Width	35 mm	35 mm
Rolling Resistance Real tire width in mm: 30-32 = 66 psi/4.6 bar 33-35 = 60 psi/4.1 bar 36-38 = 54 psi/3.7 bar 39-42 = 50 psi/3.4 bar 43-46 = 46 psi/3.2 bar 47-50 = 42 psi/2.9 barHigh Air Pressure (60 psi / 4.1 bar)	Members Only	Members Only
Rolling Resistance Real tire width in mm: 30-32 = 55 psi/3.8 bar 33-35 = 50 psi/3.4 bar 36-38 = 45 psi/3.1 bar 39-42 = 42 psi/2.9 bar 43-46 = 38 psi/2.6 bar 47-50 = 35 psi/2.4 barMedium Air Pressure (50 psi / 3.4 bar)	Members Only	Members Only
Rolling Resistance Real tire width in mm: 30-32 = 44 psi/3.0 bar 33-35 = 40 psi/2.8 bar 36-38 = 36 psi/2.6 bar 39-42 = 33 psi/2.3 bar 43-46 = 31 psi/2.1 bar 47-50 = 28 psi/1.9 barLow Air Pressure (40 psi / 2.8 bar)	22.8 Watts CRR: 0.00683	26.6 Watts CRR: 0.00797
Rolling Resistance Real tire width in mm: 30-32 = 33 psi/2.3 bar 33-35 = 30 psi/2.1 bar 36-38 = 27 psi/1.9 bar 39-42 = 25 psi/1.7 bar 43-46 = 23 psi/1.6 bar 47-50 = 21 psi/1.4 barExtra Low Air Pressure (30 psi / 2.1 bar)	26.2 Watts CRR: 0.00785	31.2 Watts CRR: 0.00935
The CX/Gravel section is a multi tire size section, air pressures have been adjusted to the measured casing width. All numbers are for a single tire at a speed of 29 km/h / 18 mph and a load of 42.5 kg / 94 lbs. Use the formula: RR (Watts) = CRR * speed (m/s) * load (N) to calculate rolling resistance at a given speed and load.

Puncture Resistance Test Results

Puncture Resistance Test Results (higher is better)
Total Puncture Score Tread	24 Points
Total Puncture Score Sidewall	Members Only
Tread Puncture Force Sharp Needle	6
Tread Puncture Force Blunt Needle	Members Only
Tread Total Tire Thickness	2.10 mm
Sidewall Puncture Force Sharp Needle	Members Only
Sidewall Puncture Force Blunt Needle	Members Only
Sidewall Total Tire Thickness	Members Only

Hard Surface Static Grip Test Results

Static Grip Test Results
Wet Grip Average	64 Points
Wet Grip Center	Members Only
Wet Grip Edge	Members Only
Measured Knob Height Center	1.2 mm
Measured Knob Height Edge	2.8 mm
Grip in points = coefficient of friction * 100 CX/Gravel grip test rim width = 23.0 mm
Wet Grip Test and Off-Road Tires (info)

Conclusion

The biggest advantage of the WTB Riddler is the tread with the large knobs on the side of the tire. The rolling resistance is not particularly low, but also not particularly high. The main problem with the Riddler is the low scores in the puncture resistance tests of both the tread and sidewalls. In both tests, the Riddler puts down the lowest scores of all CX/Gravel bike tires tested so far.

We give the Riddler a rating of 3 out of 5 because the performance is less but the differences are relatively small. The only deal-breaker we see now is the low puncture resistance that can be a problem if you ride a lot on gravel or experience punctures regularly. Better tires are available, please check our CX/Gravel overview page.

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RATING: 3.0 / 5
TEST VERDICT: Recommended

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