Canfield Brothers Nimble 9, WTB Trail Blazer 2.8/27.5 Wheels

With the addition of the 27.5 2.8” tires on the N9, you come out to about 12 mm shorter wheel height compared to a 29er, but what you do gain is a noticeable amount of wheel cushion from the taller sideways. For any hardtail rider on the fence or wanting a more compliant ride, this is a great option and I am already looking forward to more tires in this category!

First impression of the tire is the lack of tall knobs compared to more aggressive all-mountain offerings. But similar to “fat-bike” tire tread, overall aggressiveness of the tread places less of an impact on grip. You are not relying on tread for grip, more-so the larger volume of the contact patch. This tire hooks up reasonably well, even in the NW mud,

Even with our dropouts slammed all the way in, (16.25" CS length in this mode), we have plenty of clearance with the 2.8 tires.