CX/Gravel Tire Test: WTB Byway TCS Light SG2 40

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  • WTB Byway TCS Light SG2 40
Performance compared to all other CX/Gravel tires
(100% is best)
Pro Members get 11-point radar charts



WTB Byway TCS Light SG2 40 road bike tire on a rolling resistance test machine

The WTB Byway TCS Light/Fast Rolling is one of the winners of last month's voting round. We want to thank our members again for signing up, supporting the site, and submitting their votes to steer us in the right direction. We've decided to test the latest SG2 version of the Byway TCS Light/Fast Rolling as this looks like the way forward at WTB -the non-SG2 version of the Byway has been discontinued.


Ad Buy WTB Byway TCS Light SG2 at Amazon.com


We've already tested both the TCS Light/Fast Rolling (non-SG2) versions of the WTB Riddler (read our review) and WTB Nano (read our review) a couple of months back. We found them to be reasonably fast tires but performance in the puncture tests was below par for both the tread and sidewalls. We can understand WTB's choice to beef up their tires with an extra layer of bead to bead puncture resistance material (SG2 - Slash Guard 2) as gravel tires need to handle very harsh conditions in some parts of the world.


Other than the new SG2 puncture resistance layer, there do not appear to be many changes when we compare this tire to the older non-SG2 version of the Byway. It still uses the tubeless-compatible 120 TPI casing and dual-compound "dual DNA Fast Rolling compound" that WTB uses on nearly all of their CX/Gravel tires.


The TCS Light/Fast Rolling is available in both a 40-622 and 44-622 version and also a 47-584 version. As our CX/Gravel section covers tires from 32-622 up to the 42-622 size, this is a test of the 40-622 version.


Manufacturer Specifications


Manufacturer Specs
Brand WTB
Model Byway TCS Light SG2
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 W010-0840
TPI 120
Compound Dual DNA
Bead Folding
ETRTO 40-622
Specified Weight 463 grams
Max Air Pressure (psi) 60
Made In Members Only
Available Sizes 40-622 (700x40c)
44-622 (700x44c)
47-584 (650x47b)

WTB Byway TCS Light SG2 40 Test Results

WTB Byway TCS Light SG2 40  mountain bike tire on a rolling resistance test machine

Size, Weight, and Thickness Measurements


Size, Weight, and Thickness Measurements
Specified Weight 463 grams
Measured Weight 462 grams
Measured Width Casing 36 mm (un-round)
Measured Width Tread 34 mm
Measured Height 32 mm (un-round)
Measured Knob Height Center 0.0 mm
Measured Knob Height Edge 1.8 mm
Measured Total Thickness Center (excluding knobs) 3.10 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 36 mm 36 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 bar
High Air Pressure

(54 psi / 3.7 bar)
Members OnlyMembers 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 bar
Medium Air Pressure

(45 psi / 3.1 bar)
Members OnlyMembers 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 bar
Low Air Pressure

(36 psi / 2.6 bar)
26.6 Watts
CRR: 0.00797
30.4 Watts
CRR: 0.00911
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 bar
Extra Low Air Pressure

(27 psi / 1.9 bar)
29.7 Watts
CRR: 0.00890
34.7 Watts
CRR: 0.01040
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

WTB Byway TCS Light SG2 40  mountain bike tire on a rolling resistance test machine
Puncture Resistance Test Results (higher is better)
Total Puncture Score Tread 49 Points
Total Puncture Score Sidewall Members Only
Tread Puncture Force Sharp Needle 10
Tread Puncture Force Blunt Needle Members Only
Tread Total Tire Thickness 3.10 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 66 Points
Wet Grip Center Members Only
Wet Grip Edge Members Only
Measured Knob Height Center 0.0 mm
Measured Knob Height Edge 1.8 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


  • WTB Byway TCS Light SG2 40
Performance compared to all other CX/Gravel tires
(100% is fastest - lightest - highest - strongest)

Pro Members get 11-point radar charts

The latest SG2 version of the WTB Byway TCS Light/Fast Rolling performs much better in the puncture tests of both the tread and sidewall when compared to the non-SG2 version of the WTB Riddler (read our review) and Nano (read our review) that use the same 120 TPI casing. The bad part is that the performance in the rolling resistance tests has been hit hard. We don't consider the WTB Byway a "Fast Rolling" tire especially when we take into consideration that this tire has a slick center tread which attracts riders that want a fast-rolling tire.


We're also confused by the size of this tire, the 40-622 version of the WTB Nano measured 39.6 mm wide on our 17.8 mm inner width test rim, yet the 40-622 version of the Byway SG2 only measures 35.7 mm wide. It looks like this is more of a 37-622 tire than a true 40-622. We're not sure if the Byway has always been this small or if WTB downsized the SG2 version. WTB indicates an optimal rim width of between 19 and 24 mm, and even on a 24 mm rim, this tire won't come close to 40 mm. Get the 44-622 version if you need volume.


Ad Buy WTB Byway TCS Light SG2 at Amazon.com


RATING: 2.5 / 5
TEST VERDICT:
Not Recommended


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