Michelin Wildgripper Lite Tire Review
- Product:
- Michelin Wildgripper Lite
- What’s Good:
- Light, fast, day-glo green.
- What’s Bad
- Low tread, expensive, day-glo green.
I just got back from a great ride out in the Don Valley here in Toronto around the Brickworks and figured my old Wildgripper Lite tires could use a review. I've had a Wildgripper on the back wheel of my Kona hardtail for about three years now and I've ridden in varied conditions from snowy muck to dry baked earth to lovely lomey soil. For about $50 CDN each, these aren't the cheapest tires around but they're a reasonable option for all-around trail riding.
The first thing you'll notice with these tires is their alarmingly bright hue. They're ultra-bright light green. I kind of saw this as an attraction when I first purchased the tire, but now I think something a little more subdued might be welcome. Either way, it all comes down to taste and you can always buy them in simple black.
As an all-around trail tire, these are suitable but fall a bit short in more extreme conditions. These eat up hard packed dirt, light gravel, and moist soil. I do quite a bit of commuting type riding and the tires are very suitable. They've got a fairly low rolling resistence, so you won't hear that annoyingly loud buzzing like with larger knobbies just screaming your lost energy. After all, these are billed as race tires so this is to be expected.
I think I might have been asking a bit too much of these to perform in muck or extremely dusty ground. They're too slick in these conditions and you'll find yourself walking up steep sections when the going gets very dry or very wet.
I guess this review comes across as a bit wishy-washy. I'm not sure I'd get another Wildgripper Lite for the type of riding I do. My brother rides with the full Wildgrippers and while they're way too knobby for regular rode use, the confidence you feel on heavy gravel or other difficult conditions is impressive. I suppose the Lites get an overall OK rating from me, but not a stellar endorsement.
