Heads up! WTB is giving away three sets of TCS tires to three lucky purchasers of the all new Frequency TCS rim. All you have to do is buy a pair of frequency rims then post a picture of them built up on our Facebook page between February 27, 2012 and March 2, 2012 telling us what tires you want and why. Offer not valid with other promotions. WTB will select three of the picture submissions after March 2, 2012 for the winners.

In case you havn’t heard the hype, check out what our friends at MTBR have to say:

CupOfJava,

“Building: these rims are probably one of the easiest to work with.”

“On a scale of 1-10 I rate the Flows a 10 and [the Frequency rims] a 10.5.”

4slomo,

“I am completely impressed by the quality of these new rims.”

“very nice design details”

loC,

“MTBR forums call them comparable to Arches but says they’re stiffer and ‘harder’ (don’t dent as easily).”

Looking for a good time this weekend? Come check out the SF Bike Expo and swing by the WTB booth to see new WTB product, hang out in the TCS lounge, and drink some beers. This show is all things bicycle from, the Original Scraper Bike Team, to the AT showdown, to the massive bike swap. WTB will have some sweet deals on our 2011 demo bikes.

WTB racers Jerome Clementz (WTB/Cannondale/Fox), Fabien Barel (Mondraker) and Mark Weir (WTB/Cannondale/Fox) finished first, third and fourth in the third annual Trans-Provence Enduro Stage Race last week using WTB products. The race featured twenty-six primarily downhill single-track stages over a seven-day period, starting near the town of Gap in the South of France, and winding its way nearly 200 miles farther south to Monaco, with over 3100 feet of climbing, and 5000 feet of descent.

Clementz and Weir utilized WTB’s new All-Mountain Casing Tubeless Compatible System (TCS) Bronson 2.3 and Wolverine 2.2 tires and Stryker TCS Wheelsets to stay at the front of the pack throughout the week. TCS wheels, rims and tires provide the only UST-Certified Sealant-based System on the planet.

“This race was an awesome once-in-a-lifetime experience,” states Weir, “we all ran our new TCS tires with ‘InnerPeace’ sidewalls. They feature a butyl liner that is lighter than UST tire sidewalls, andprovides excellent puncture protection and stability when we are hitting it hard! It was so fun to ride from stage to stage with your competitors and then put the gas down all the way to Monaco.”

All three racers use WTB’s extensive range of saddles as well. Former World Downhill Champion Fabien Barel uses a classic Silverado, while Clementz and Weir are riding on the new-for-2012 Volt SLT.

After a quick stop in Germany, Team WTB piled themselves, two bikes, two wives and a baby for a nine-hour van ride to Vars, France—a few days before the French Enduro race was set to begin. And because French Enduro races strictly prohibit pre-riding the courses, the team resorted to hiking and riding some of the nearby trails to get a feel for the terrain—an important factor for guys with one set of wheels! Check out this link to see how the guys built their TCS wheels on the fly with only a hand pump, a tire lever, and a hotel cup. Maybe Gus helped a little too…

TCS with Moeschler and Weir from WTB on Vimeo.

French Enduro Series—Vars

Weir and Moeschler competed as individuals on three different courses that took roughly 15-20 minutes to descend depending on the course: 2,738 feet (morning course), 3,162 feet (afternoon course), and 1,332 feet (evening course). Because they needed an all-around good tire for varying conditions that could perform on rock, shale, wet grass, as well as hard pack, the guys opted to run the Bronson 2.3 All Mountain TCS tires. With no flats, the Bronson turned out to be the go-to tires that held their own on both days of the race that involved 11 runs (seven on Saturday and four on Sunday).

With the bikes and bodies in check, the guys were primed for a good race. However, after their first run, it appeared they were following the course a touch closer than the competition and it was reflected in their finishing times. The locals promptly advised them about not “cutting the course enough.” That in mind, the next run was faster, despite the magically appearing course tape in sections where there hadn’t been on previous runs. By Sunday, Weir was riding fast and finished the day in second place (sixth overall) with Moeschler in the top 20.

See you tomorrow with Part Three of our tale…