North Hollywood, California-based Niner Bikes has partnered with Wilderness Trail Bicycles (WTB) to develop the Niner exclusive WTB Kodiak 29 x 2.5-inch downhill tyre.
The US$49 Kodiak weighs 1,400g each, and is made from 50 Durometre rubber with 27 threads per inch for pinch flat protection and sidewall stiffness, according to WTB.
“This tyre is the result of our desire to offer the longest travel, burliest production 29er mountain bike, and WTB's help with the project has been invaluable,” said Niner co-founder Chris Sugai. “WTB knows that there are a ton of riders out there that want a 29er with freeride and downhill capability, and their willingness to step up and be the first to make a wire bead, dual-ply 29er tyre shows that their passion for the big revolution is genuine.”
According to WTB's spokesman Dain Zaffke, the Niner partnership may be the Mill Valley, California's second exclusive deal, the first being with Gary Fisher Bicycles and the early WTB Nanoraptor tyre.
"We've spent 2-1/2 years working with Niner on the Kodiak tyre," Zaffke told BikeRadar. "We've been working with the company since they started, sharing booth space at Sea Otter and Interbike over the years.
"It takes a lot of communication between a bike company and a tyre maker to get it right, which I feel we have with the Kodiak. It's good to see 29ers taking off like they have recently; every season the geometry gets more dialed in," he added.
Niner's W.F.O (whch stands for Wide, Full Open) 9 model offers 140mm/5.5 inches of full-suspension travel, with ample room for the Kodiak tyres.
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