why no love for the wildgripper?

[Archangel]

I had a set of 'Comp S Light' variants on my Spesh Enduro. A light and fast-rolling tyre - great on dry but like many have said, very slippery on wet weather...
My wife has a newer incarnation (same tread) on her Spesh Epic and those are aptly named 'XCR Dry'.

 

[dbmtb]

They are a very terrain specific tyre. Not something I'd want to use on wet rocks or in boulder fields - but for woodland use in Denmark,and when I was racing, I was very happy with them.

I also ran a combination of Sprint-S semi-slick rear tyre with a Lite S front tyre and it was a superb combo for the autumn.

 

[Wold Ranger]

Michelin

Make crap car tyres, even worse bike tyres, atrocious things, tried a set bitd and spent all day falling off! Hutchinson Python and Piranha from the same era, were a far better tyre, nigh on puncture proof, hard wearing and gripped really well.

 

[Pickle]

Had an orange pair on my RTS for years. Loved them. No complaints.

But, at the end of the day, tyres are like women......all very much personal taste as to what floats ya boat

 

[Bike Hoarder]

tyres are like women......all very much personal taste

 

[Xesh]

The other problem with the green Wildgripper was that a lot of them were made incorrectly. Apparently the casing was made too thin on the first batch and they kept tearing. I remember, bitd, that we ended up replacing all the ones we sold because of this. Needless to say we avoided the tyre from then on.

 

[hondamatic]

I had a set from my friend, and always thought they were good tires with really nice soft rubber. I remember them being soft in loam, and good in the wet!? But the knobs shredded on a few rocky rides, and then the casings wore out, so it was game over. Think they're still somewhere in my parents' garage.

I had a black-treaded Michelin Sprint S (semi-slick) from the same era and really liked it. It gripped really well for a semi-slick yet it rolled really fast - was a great rear tire for hardpack. After it wore I used it on my commuter. I remember that the casing was very fragile and I had a few flats with the tire.

Growing up at the time (I was 16 in '99), I thought green Wildgrippers were cool as hell - and not bad tires. I wish Michelin still made them.

 

[GoldenEraMTB]

They are a very terrain specific tyre. Not something I'd want to use on wet rocks or in boulder fields - but for woodland use in Denmark,and when I was racing, I was very happy with them.

I also ran a combination of Sprint-S semi-slick rear tyre with a Lite S front tyre and it was a superb combo for the autumn.

Of all the statements in this thread...I'd agree with this one the most.

Except for the Denmark part...never been there, unfortunately

 

[T'boo Ted]

I picked up some wildgripper lite s kevlar jobbies from LBS that someone didn't want as OE for cheap and LOVED them, well the back one, the front i hated witha passion, went on to get the same in green (but this time $90) and loved it still, then proceeded to buy every one I could find anywhere, the steel beeded green ones were crap, but I still have 1 left on my spare bike and have just taken off the last kevlar one to have a spare emergency tyre... so I love them (still have a new front one in package for the 24 hour race spares)... currently use the XR, XC something, not as good...

 

[Carlos the Slackal]

Seeing as you all hate them.....give me your green Wildgripper Sprints, amber wall. The semi-slick ones. All of them.

Thanks.