Prior to it's introduction I was a die hard WTB All Terrainasaurus man in winter. The All Terrainasaurus is no longer in manufacture, but was replaced by a very similar tread pattern on the new "All Terrain" model. While I still do believe that the All-Terrainasaurus is the best snow and ice tire in the 32c size available, the lower rolling resistance of the Pathway has won my heart over for year round use.
I've been riding them on my Nature Boy since March, commuting, riding dirt, and even did a 100 mile gravel race on them. For me they are the perfect combination of tread and rolling resistance. If you pump them up to 80psi they handle like a road tire, if you drop them to 60 they flatten out and handle like a file tread cross tire. I liked them so much that I bought a set for my winter Big Block setup as well.
I feel like these are the perfect choice for me for winter. Many riders roll cross tires in the winter, but I hate riding them on pavement because they feel so slow. These have just the right amount of tread, but roll almost as fast as a slick. I haven't had any issues with ice or slipping, and they corner like champs.
The kicker is that they're fairly light and cheap as hell. MSRP is around $25. If you're considering these and are looking at the 38c model, be aware that they run huge. That 38 is going to actually measure out to around 43mm on a 24mm wide rim.
4 comments:
Thanks for the recommendation -- I'll look around for one.
Fishing for advice: Right now I'm running a 35 in rear and 28 up front, both treadless road touring tires. I'm in Washington, D.C., and our winters aren't horrible, so I was thinking of just getting one WTB Pathway -- money is tight for me and my other tires have a lot of life left. (The last two winters I ran cyclocross tires.)
It'd be preferable to have two, surely, but if I were to only buy one, should I put it on the front or the rear, do you think? (If I go this route, my other tire will be the 35.) Or would it even much matter?
Thanks again.
if you were considering getting one, i would just throw it up front and keep yer 35c slick in the back.
over here in the terrible tundra of north dakota, i run a winter studded in the front and a 35c pretty-much-a-slick in the back and get around quite fine.
Not so much a fan of the 38, I feel it contributed to my "incident" at the Bilenky Junkyard race that rendered me virtually useless (broken thumb). It doesn't corner as well as the 32. But I do like the 32, I feel it runs a bit small (30ish on a 19/20mm rim) so it fits easily on many bikes.
I'm rocking the 700c WTB pathway, 38 on my new Salsa Fargo that I am taking across the United States form San Francisco. Glad to hear that some tires designed in California work well in the snow on the East Coast. Love the blog! Check out mine: uponward.wordpress.com
Happy Riding,
Jeff
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