Having just got a new XC eMTB, I wanted an aggressive XC tyre for Dartmoor winter riding, in which capacity the Wild XC does an excellent job (though Dartmoor is not at its absolute wettest, right now), but the real surprise was my Thursday evening coaching session. I don’t mind admitting that I was left feeling a little bit like I’d brought a knife to a gun fight, when Drew, who was leading the ride, suggest we head to a steep, tech woods. I was even more nervous when he took us to a part of the hill I’ve never ridden before, in the dark too! Despite the steep, slippery, multiple switchbacks, the Wild XC tyres did brilliantly well and never left me wanting for more traction, on either the ups or the downs. I was really impressed with the levels of grip, running 2.35” front and rear, at 17/19psi. I wasn’t as fast as if I were running Wild Enduros, but I was really pleased with how confident the grip felt. This is terrain where I would never have thought to run XC tyres!