Teravail Drawpoint 29

The Teravail Drawpoint 29 is a trail/downcounty tyre that happily mixes straight-line speed with demanding tech abilities, and it encourages a playful attitude on dry trails. It’s way more grippy and confidence-inspiring than I could have imagined, and has seen me right through the winter as a front tyre. The Light Trail casing has proven itself tough, too – it’s earned a place as a mainstay on my short-travel bike.

Teravail Drawpoint 29 – Technical details

This is a tubeless-ready downcountry tyre with an emphasis on speed, flow and control, but it still has an aggressive edge. It could be described as the Teravail Camrock’s older, more edgy brother, as it’s designed to complement one of those on the rear.

This is only available in 29×2.4 size (the sweet spot for its intended riding) one compound (Teravail’s relatively soft Grip), but there are two colours (black or tan) and two casings to choose from. The Light Trail casing (tested) features a 120 TPI layer plus bead-to-bead puncture protection for a light, supple ride feel, while the Durable uses 1.5 60TPI layers for greater protection.

That single compound is actually variable. The Drawpoint uses a 52A durometer compound for the centre lugs, and a softer 45-48A for the shoulder lugs.

The Drawpoint turns up the traction over the Camrock, with a more aggressive tread and taller lugs for increased traction in the loose, wet stuff. The evenly spaced tread follows a linear pattern, and alternate ramped centre lugs have siping for a balance of low rolling resistance and braking grip. The transition lugs vary in size and are designed to facilitate a smooth transition into the tall, wide side lugs, which feature deep siping for confidence into corners.

The result is reasonably light at 825g.

Teravail Drawpoint 29 – Performance

I spent a lot of time on a pair of Teravail Camrock tyres last summer, but winter and spring demanded a bit more bite up front. That’s where the Teravail Drawpoint has slotted in.

I left the Camrock on the back on my short-travel 29er and chose the Lightweight casing for this test, as I was interested to see if it could feel as sprightly as the Camrock, but up its game in terms of grip. Especially in the wet.

With a good glug of Stans Sealant installed, fitting and inflation with my trusty Bontrager Flash Charger pump proved a doddle.

I wasn’t sure it would handle wet and claggy winter conditions, so I chose my rides carefully around very wet, slightly easier-to-shed type mud. My local trails mix in natural root and rock chutes too, plus long chattery descents and rocky climbs with tarmac transitions. I’ve been stoked on performance over the last few months out in the wilds, and I’ve no doubt it would fare fantastically at man-made trail centres too.

I’m no XC whippet, but the Drawpoint rolls fast – just what I’d expect from an XC/Downcountry tyre. It feels rapid across all surfaces, and it’s quiet too; even with the soft compound, there’s no annoying buzz.

The rounded profile encourages smooth and easy direction changes. In dry conditions the grip is brilliant and encourages a poppy, playful approach through tech and flowy trails, with a high level of predictability that encourages commitment. It’s confidence-inspiring, enough so that my riding has only been reined in by how fast I’ll actually dare go in the wet. The high side lugs are particularly good at holding fast over off-camber sections.

These have worn really well so far, and I can see this tyre staying up front for the duration – it’ll take something pretty impressive to usurp its position.

It’s certainly no lightweight if that’s what your style of XC demands, but given its prowess on tech and flowy trails, I didn’t find weight an issue at all. Especially as I’m constantly reminded of how much confidence-inspiring grip there is for carrying speed with.

Teravail Drawpoint tyre – Verdict

There are quite a few great options to consider up front for dedicated hard XC and downcountry riding. The Maxxis Rekon is an excellent front tyre I’ve run for ages, and it offers cracking grip in most terrain. It’s a weightier tyre and a little more aggressive than the Drawpoint, and not as rapid, but its advantage lies in the number of compounds and sizes available across both 27.5in and 29in. Pricing does depend on size and model, but as it ranges from £54.99 to £64.99 it’s always cheaper than the Drawpoint.

The Kenda Rush Pro is a versatile option. At £60 and 696g in 2.4in width it’s both lighter and cheaper, with a good balance of grip, durability and speed. It may be a little more race-focused and it prefers drier conditions, but it’s one to consider if weight is key.

The Teravail Drawpoint offers enviable levels of grip and speed, and it’s been a fit-and-forget tyre whatever the conditions. It’s seen me through a summer, winter and into spring, and I think it’ll easily make another summer too. It rolls fast: for my type of natural terrain riding, it suits my short-travel ripper perfectly.