CX/Gravel Tire Test: WTB Resolute TCS Light 42

The WTB Resolute TCS Light/Fast Rolling is another CX/Gravel bike tire that received enough votes from our Pro Members to get tested. There have been quite some tests lately, and all of them come from the support of our members. The voting system also gives us a good indication of which tires are popular as we sometimes had a hard time selecting tires for the tests.

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On the WTB Resolute product page, the Resolute is described as "the ultimate all-weather gravel tire for those who believe there is one perfect tread pattern for all your rides. Truly all-season in nature, we call this our set-it-and-forget-it tire that keeps on keepin’ on".

When looking at the tread pattern, and our measurements, we think this describes the Resolute very well.

This is a test of the TCS Light/Fast Rolling version of the Resolute which has a similar design as the WTB Riddler (read our review), and WTB Nano (read our review) that we tested last year. These tires come with a 60 TPI casing that isn't the best performer in the puncture resistance tests. The compound is a "Dual DNA" compound which is a dual compound with harder knobs in the center and softer knobs along the edge of the tire.

Recently, WTB also released an SG2 version of the Resolute which comes with an extra layer of bead-to-bead protective material and is a big improvement over the "TCS Light/Fast Rolling" tires in terms of puncture resistance. See our WTB Byway TCS Light SG2 test for more info about the SG2 tires.

Manufacturer Specifications

Manufacturer Specs
Brand	WTB
Model	Resolute TCS Light
Year	2021
Supplied By	Bought in store
New or Used	New
Mileage	0 km
Price Range	High
Buy At	Ad Amazon.com
Manufacturer part number	W010-0681
TPI	60
Compound	Dual DNA
Bead	Folding
ETRTO	42-622
Specified Weight	460 grams
Max Air Pressure (psi)	60
Made In	Members Only
Available Sizes	42-622 (700x42c)

WTB Resolute TCS Light 42 Test Results

Size, Weight, and Thickness Measurements

Size, Weight, and Thickness Measurements
Specified Weight	460 grams
Measured Weight	484 grams
Measured Width Casing	42 mm (un-round)
Measured Width Tread	40 mm
Measured Height	39 mm (un-round)
Measured Knob Height Center	2.0 mm
Measured Knob Height Edge	2.0 mm
Measured Total Thickness Center (excluding knobs)	2.00 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	42 mm	42 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 (50 psi / 3.4 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 (42 psi / 2.9 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 (33 psi / 2.3 bar)	24.8 Watts CRR: 0.00743	28.6 Watts CRR: 0.00857
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 (25 psi / 1.7 bar)	27.6 Watts CRR: 0.00827	32.6 Watts CRR: 0.00977
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	20 Points
Total Puncture Score Sidewall	Members Only
Tread Puncture Force Sharp Needle	Members Only
Tread Puncture Force Blunt Needle	Members Only
Tread Total Tire Thickness	2.00 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	65 Points
Wet Grip Center	Members Only
Wet Grip Edge	Members Only
Measured Knob Height Center	2.0 mm
Measured Knob Height Edge	2.0 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 WTB Resolute comes in right in between the WTB Riddler and WTB Nano in nearly all of our tests. The main weakness of the WTB "TCS Light/Fast Rolling" tires seems to be the low puncture resistance of both the tread and sidewalls. Rolling resistance also isn't all that impressive for such weak and thin tires.

The WTB Resolute can be a good set-it-and-forget-it tire but only if you're not too worried about punctures. That does seem to be counter-intuitive to us as most people that don't want to worry about their tires also don't want to mess around with fixing punctures and leaks.

Only recommended if you don't worry about punctures, otherwise definitely get the SG2 version of the WTB Resolute our check our CX/Gravel overview page as you can find many tires that perform better in our tests.

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RATING: 2.7 / 5
TEST VERDICT: Recommended

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