WTB Vulpine in the 2026 Gravel Tire Group Test

With its fine, closely spaced tread, the WTB Vulpine gives the impression of providing the perfect blend of grip and speed. WTB themselves describe it as a true all-round weapon. But does the tire really perform like a Swiss Army Knife across the board, or does the blade go dull the moment it hits loose gravel?

Behind the Vulpine is WTB, a brand that has been part of the bike industry since the early 1980s, evolving over the years into a full system provider with tires, tubeless solutions and wheels. The company has also built up a broad gravel tire range since 2020.

In this group test, several models from WTB’s eight-strong gravel line-up are represented, including the Vulpine, Vulpine S and the WTB Resolute. The Vulpine immediately stands apart from the rest: its tread is closely spaced, yet defined by relatively tall knobs. In the centre, an open ridge forms, made up of similarly tall, wide blocks. The tire is not a classic semi-slick, but rather its own distinct interpretation of the concept, aiming to combine speed and grip.

An All-round Weapon? The WTB Vulpine in the 2026 Gravel Tire Group Test

WTB markets the Vulpine as an “all-round weapon” and “race-oriented” tire, but that claim didn’t hold up very far in our testing. On hardpack and rough asphalt, it still performs well: the tightly packed centre knobs act almost like a continuous tread, and once up to speed it holds that pace quite comfortably. Acceleration, however, feels sluggish, which is also reflected in the lab results. At 20.2 W of rolling resistance, it sits around 5 W above average. Its weight of 579 g, only 9 g over the test mean, is clearly not the main issue.

The crisp turn-in characteristic that makes the tire enjoyable to ride on hardpack and asphalt becomes a challenge on loose surfaces. Here, the character changes noticeably, and the dense tread starts to work against it. The tire tends to float – it struggles to track cleanly on loose gravel, and is pushed outwards in longer corners. The tightly packed pattern simply doesn’t bite into coarse gravel effectively, though it does maintain decent traction on sandy and damp ground. At the same time, comfort falls short of our expectations, with the Vulpine’s firm ride transmitting impacts directly to the rider.

Puncture protection is also not where this Swiss Army knife would like it to be. Both tread and pinch-flat resistance sit below average, increasing the risk of mechanical issues and unwanted stops. On the plus side, handling the WTB Vulpine is straightforward: installation is tool-free, and the tubeless setup seals quickly and reliably.

Conclusion on the WTB Vulpine

In the end, the WTB Vulpine is a bit like a Swiss Army knife that could do with a fresh sharpening – on paper, it can do anything, but in reality it’s not suitable for any serious work. It impresses with its liveliness and agility on fine hardpack and tarmac. Once the surface turns to loose gravel, its closely packed tread starts to feel more like that of a semi-slick, without fully delivering the benefits you’d expect on hardpack and asphalt in return. Efficiency is lacking, and comfort is also on the low side.

Tops

• good smooth rolling once up to speed

Flops

• tends to float on gravel
• semi-slick capability, without the efficiency benefit

Made in China | Size (ETRO) 45-622 | Width in mm¹ 44,2
Height in mm¹ 41,03 | Weight 579.4 g | Price € 59.95
¹measured dimensions at 1.75 – 3.0 Bar, depending on tire width

More information at wtb.com.

The Testfield

This tire was tested as part of the Gravel Tire Comparison Test 2026 – an overview of this comparison test as well as all other tested gravel tires can be found in the comprehensive comprehensive Gravel Tire Comparison Test 2026. For the top models in the racing category, you should take a look at the Race Gravel Tire Comparison Test 2026.

Challenge: Getaway XP | Gravine XP
Continental: Dubnital | Terra Adventure | Terra Competition | Terra Hardpack | Terra Speed
Goodyear: Connector Inter | Connector Speed
Hutchinson: Caracal Race
MAXXIS: Rambler | Reaver
Michelin: Power Adventure | Power Gravel
Pirelli: Cinturato Gravel H | Cinturato Gravel M | Cinturato Gravel S
Rene Herse: Corkscrew Climb TC Semi-Slick
Schwalbe: G-One RS Pro | G-One RX Pro | G-One R Pro | Thunder Burt | G One Overland Pro
Specialized: Pathfinder TLR | Tracer TLR | Terra TLR
Vittoria: Terreno Pro T30 | Terreno Pro T50 | Terreno Pro T60
WTB: Vulpine S | Vulpine | Resolute

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Words: Julian Schwede Photos: Jan Fock