WTB Byway 700x44C Road Plus TCS, Tubeless Ready, Black

Where the Exposure is a road tire that tolerates gravel, the Byway is a gravel tire that does not slow you down on pavement. The step up from 36mm to 44mm is not just more width — it is more capability, more comfort, and the confidence to point the bike at terrain that would give a narrower tire second thoughts. For the Passage Pro rider running 45C clearance, the Byway 44 is the tire that uses the frame's full potential.

Three Zones, One Tire
The Byway's tread design is the most thoughtfully engineered element of the tire and the reason it works across such a broad range of surfaces. A slick centreline rolls efficiently and quietly on pavement — no knob drag, no noise, just forward motion. Angular hatching transitions outward from the centreline, providing a textured intermediate zone that grips on hardpack and gravel under power without interrupting the smooth centreline feel. Consistent, more substantial outer knobs extend down the sidewall for cornering traction on loose dirt and gravel, and sidewall puncture protection against the rocks and debris that gravel descents produce at speed. Three distinct zones in one tire — pavement, hardpack, and loose gravel all handled in a single compound.

Dual DNA Compound: 60a Centre, 50a Sides
Dual DNA means two rubber compounds in a single tire — a firmer 60 durometer rubber in the centre for durability and rolling efficiency, a softer 50 durometer on the shoulders for grip and traction when the tire leans. The harder centre wears slowly on the pavement sections that make up the majority of most rides. The softer shoulder bites into loose surfaces when it is needed. The same compound logic WTB uses across their performance mountain bike range, applied to a gravel tire.

Road Plus TCS: Tubeless Ready
The Road Plus TCS casing is sealant-optimised for tubeless setup — a lightweight single-ply 60 TPI construction with a folding TCS aramid bead that seats and holds reliably on tubeless-compatible rims. Run tubeless at 25–40 PSI for maximum traction, minimum rolling resistance, and the self-sealing protection against small punctures that tubeless provides. At 44mm with a tubeless setup at lower pressures the Byway becomes a genuinely plush, fast-rolling tire that absorbs rough terrain in a way that narrower tires cannot.

479g: Light for the Size and Capability
At 479 grams the Byway is competitive for a 44mm gravel tire with this level of tread development. Not a racing weight tire — a tough, capable all-day tire that does not add unnecessary mass.

The Passage Pro Tire
The Byway 44C fits the Passage Pro's 45C maximum clearance with a comfortable margin — the correct size to use the Pro frame's wider clearance meaningfully. The 36mm Exposure is the right tire for the Passage Gravel rider who spends most of their time on road and smooth gravel. The Byway 44 is the right tire for the Passage Pro rider who is going further off the beaten track and wants a tire that genuinely handles what they find there.