WTB Exposure TCS Fast Tyre

The Exposure TCS Fast Tyre is designed for adventure/road according to WTB, and a pair of them in this 36mm width will turn your gravel bike, hybrid or all-road bike into a smooth-rolling machine on any hardpacked surface. Rolling resistance is great, and they feel supple too. Just put aside a bit of time to fit them though, as I found them a tight fit to get on the rims.

We are seeing road bikes such as the Mason SLR, the Fara F/AR, and the currently being reviewed J.Guillem Major coming fitted with large-volume tyres, ranging from 35mm to 47mm wide in these cases, and these are exactly the sort of bikes the Exposure is pitched at, especially in this 36mm size. That and the fact that you can easily convert your gravel bike into a road machine or make it more suitable for commuting on the tarmac. If you're after new gravel tyres why not check out our best gravel tyres buyer's guide, or our best road bike tyres buyer's guide for slicker rubber.

Weighing 424g on the road.cc scales the Exposures aren't exactly light compared to some others on the market. For example, a 35mm Panaracer GravelKing Slick TLC weighed in at just 309g.

That extra mass does blunt acceleration a bit, especially from a standing start, but that is offset by what I felt to be good rolling resistance. For such a large tyre they zing along the road and with its 120TPI (threads per inch) casing they feel reasonably supple too, a suppleness hardened just a little by the bead-to-bead SG2 puncture protection layer.

This layer is designed to keep deep cuts and holes at bay, and over the winter review period the tyres seemed tough enough to be used on hardpacked surfaces such as towpaths or shared-use paths.

The Exposures use WTB's Dual DNA compound. This has firmer rubber in the centre for durability and that reasonable rolling resistance, while the shoulders use a finely textured, softer rubber for improved grip in the corners.

The result is a set of tyres that gripped well even when both the tyres and the road surface were cold. They don't have the performance of a lightweight race tyre, but when you ask them to, they track well through the bends and give you plenty of confidence when you push on a bit.

One of my test routes has an off-camber chicane on a fast downhill, and in this section, I found the tyres positive even when they were firmly pumped up. I found they offered a decent level of bite on the asphalt, and when transferring the weight from one side of the tyre to the other without breaking traction as they passed through the firmer centre section.

Feedback levels are also good.

The main downside of the tyres is that I found them far from easy to fit. I tried them on a couple of rims with internal widths of 21mm and 23mm, and on both of these I had to really push the final section of the bead over with a tyre lever. These aren't tyres you want to run with an inner tube, as it would be very hard to fit without causing a pinch puncture.

The much better news was that after a week mounted on the rim the Exposures had stretched enough that they were easy to remove, easing my concerns over having to take them off while in the middle of nowhere to fix a puncture.

I have found that with lot of WTB tyres I have used in the past, especially those with tan walls, they weep like mad when you first fit them tubeless with sealant. I had no such issues with these, though, as once I'd inflated them using an Airshot no sealant came out of the sidewalls, and they maintained pressure with barely any drop over time.

Value

They are priced at £55 each, which is just a fiver dearer than the Panaracer GravelKing Slick TLC tyres mentioned earlier, which Hollis found tough, light and grippy.

If you want something light and fast at this size, the Challenge Strada Bianca tyre is a great choice as we've found each time we have reviewed various iterations and sizes. Dave was certainly impressed with the 36mm Challenge Strada Bianca Pro TLR when he put it through its paces, but you're now looking at £83 per tyre in this width. Even if it is a handmade classic that is a lot of money.

Conclusion

Overall, the WTB Exposures are a competent all-rounder. They are carrying a bit of weight which blunts acceleration, but for a tyre that is reliable over various surfaces I wouldn't say that is a dealbreaker.

Verdict

A bit weighty, but this is a smooth-rolling tyre that delivers confidence-inspiring grip levels