A tyre for Wet Loose Conditions? Great value, great performing rubber for anything loose.
- Brand: Nutrak x Vee
- Product: Snap WLT 2.35 tyre
- Price: £59.99
- From: Freewheel
- Tested by: Benji & Ross for 3 months
Pros
- Super accurate loose condition tyre
- Great value
- Surprisingly good wear life and not-awful rolling speed
Cons
- £10 more than its nearest rival
- Er…
This tyre is made in Thailand by Vee Tire Co. Who also make the Grappler Mid Spike tyre for E-Thirteen – which is seemingly exactly the same as this Snap WLT, so feel free to take this review as being relevant to the Grappler Mid Spike (should you find one on the sale for less than its £69.95 SRP).
If you’ve not used a Vee brand tyre for a few years, you may wish to revisit them. Vee has done a lot of rejigging of its compounds and casings since 2022 ish. The confusingly named ‘Full 40’ rubber is actually 42a.Soft enough for most applications. The 1.5 ply casing uses more threads-per-inch (90TPI) compared some all-out DH tyres too (which typically have 60 TPI).
There is also a nylon layer bead to bead and a reinforcement layer in the sidewalls (to ward off rimming-out). This does make for a 1,250g weight. It also made for a tyre that rides rather ‘stiff’ and pingy for the first few rides at least. More about that later.
The Snap WLT is something along the lines of ‘cut’ mud spike. Something like Specialized Hillbilly or possibly the Maxxis Shorty. In other words, the knobs aren’t as tall as a mud spike (such as a Schwalbe Shredda or classic Maxxis Wet Scream). This means it should be less unpredictable and deflecty on rocks/roots etc compared to a full mud spike.
The tread/knobs is arguably slightly more sophisticated than a motocross-style mud spike. There’s a bit of angling and direction to the centre knobs in particular. And the cross-shaped siping on all of the knob tops no doubt assists with firmer surfaces, as it splays out to help traction and minimise deflection.
In fact, it’s arguably the sort of tyre that can be run all-year as a UK front tyre given the right rider and terrain (basically loam-addicts). Especially in the Full 40 (42a!) compound, as it’s not actually that slow-rolling as you may think. The Snap WLT should stand for Wet or Loose Tyre, not Wet & Loose. It can do either, or both.
It can’t really do wet rocky terrain but that’s not its remit. There are other tyres for that. Usually with shallower, less gappy tread and in 40a compound (MaxxGrip Maxxis DHR is my suggestion).
On terrain that’s predominantly dirt, the Snap WLT is a great tyre. It does seem to take a while to for the casing to soften up (like a new pair of jeans). The first few rides on the Snap WLT were rather ‘pingy’ and unpredictable. So it is worth persevering as the tyre gets a whole lot suppler and confidence inspiring once bedded-in.
Is it better than a Specialized Hillbilly? That’s the $64,000 question. Or £60 question anyway. Oof, that is a hard question. It still think the Hillbilly has the edge in terms of all-out traction and damped feel (in T9 Grid Gravity casing at least). And there’s more options of Hillbilly (T7 compound, Grid Trail casing etc) so more choice for different riders. But for my money, the Snap WLT feels more accurate and can arguably be pushed/leaned for than the Hillbilly. The Snap WLT also seems to have longer lasting rubber. As such, you’re sooo enduro – and/or on a ebike – I’d go for the Snap WLT.
Verdict
The Nutrak x Vee Snap WLT mid-spike is anything but mid. It may be £10 more than its obvious rival (Specialized Hillbilly Grid Gravity T9) but it’s more accurate in demanding terrain and the rubber has better wear life. The Snap WLT works in all kinds of loose terrain (dry and damp) so its more of an all-rounder front tyre than you may think. Having said that, the edge (literally) it has over rival tyres is most clearly experienced when it’s wet out there. Recommended.