Although compounders play a key role in determining the properties of a tyre, they rarely emerge from obscurity. Wolfgang Arenz is the man behind the well-known MTB compounds such as Black Chilli, Gripton and Addix. Since last year, the rubber professor from the Sauerland region, as he is known, has been working with Wolfpack own tyres. And we do this through direct sales.
Interview Wolfgang Arenz (Wolfpack)
BIKE: What are the biggest challenges in being able to compete with the big players on the market with your own product?
Wolfgang Arenz: I am definitely competitive. I have found a good tyre manufacturer that produces top products of very good quality and already knows me from my time at Continental and Specialized. That makes working together a lot easier. With Astana and Mitchelton Scott, two UCI World Tour teams are already riding on my tyres, which confirms how well the tyres work. (Mitchelton Scott now use Pirelli tyres, editor's note).
Are you a material sponsor for the two teams? How can you afford it?
No, the two teams are so convinced by the products that they even buy the tyres.
Do you also have a few well-known professionals in the MTB sector who already ride your tyres?
I have a few riders who ride my products and test them extensively. However, I don't have a large team at the moment. I am much more closely networked with road racing.
What makes a good mountain bike tyre?
I think the tread plays the biggest role in an MTB tyre. If I had to give a percentage, I would say that the tread accounts for 60 per cent, the rubber compound for 30 per cent and the casing for around ten per cent.
Your tyres cost around 40 euros both in direct sales and in specialist shops. How do these relatively favourable prices come about?
I want to establish a fair price in the market in order to strengthen the small dealer around the corner. They sometimes buy parts at higher prices than the big online retailers offer. That's why I won't be staggering my prices depending on the quantity purchased.
The cross-country combination from Wolfpack in a practical test
Wolfpack recommends for cross-country bikers: the "Cross" at the front and the "Race MTB" at the rear. We rode the tyre combination on a hardtail and a trail bike for around 800 kilometres. In terms of rolling resistance and weight, the 29er tyres can't keep up with the best on the market. For comparison: A set of Schwalbe Racing Ray and Racing Ralph tyres weighs 625/622 grams in 29x2.25 inch. However, the Wolfpack tyres roll very quietly and are easy to fit tubeless. The Race MTB on the rear wheel provides good traction, even on loose surfaces and muddy ground. We were surprised by the impressive grip of the rubber compound. Even with wet roots or stones, the sporty Wolfpack tyres are not at war. A breakaway is signalled early on. During our entire test on a wide variety of surfaces, we didn't have a single puncture. This speaks for the good puncture protection of the ToGuard compound, which Wolfpack uses in all three of its MTB tyres on offer to date.
Technical data on the Wolfpack Cross/Race MTB tyres
- Weight: 738 / 706 grammes
- Size: 29 inch
- Width: 2.25 / 2.2 inches
- Price: 39.99 euros each
- tubeless ready
- Rubber compound/puncture protection: ToGuard Compound
- Selected specialist retailers and direct sales via www.wolfpack-tires.com
Test conclusion
Due to the convincing grip and good puncture protection, we see the 700 gram tyres from Wolfpack more on trail bikes than on race bikes. However, Wolfgang Arenz is currently developing a fast race tyre (MTB Speed). We are excited!
Update: According to Wolfgang Arenz, the current Race MTB models are now 639-660 grams lighter than our test tyres.
You will soon be able to read a large tyre comparison test with the latest Wolfpack tyres including laboratory data in BIKE.
