Maxxis Tires – Which bike tire is best for you
There are so many Maxxis Tires to choose from so we’ll help you decipher the options.
Maxxis Tire domination
Lately, Maxxis Tires has been on a roll, releasing hit after hit. They’ve done it by taking the momentum of their runaway hit, the Maxxis Minion and releasing many new tread designs in many new sizes. In our recent survey, 51% of Mtbr readers said they intend to buy a Maxxis tire next. Tenacious grip, fast rolling, wide, Plus, they just keep pumping them out.
The line-up – Click to jump to that tire
Maxxis Minion DHF and DHR – If you like to have fun
Maxxis High Roller II – Ride on loose
Maxxis Aggressor – Need to pedal up the big mountains
Maxxis Ardent – Climb, descend and enjoy singletrack
Maxxis Assegai – If you like to descend
Maxxis Rekon Plus – If you like Plus tires
Maxxis Ikon – If you like to go fast
EXO, WT, 3C – What do all the Maxxis acronyms mean?
Maxxis Minion DHF and DHR – If you like to have fun
An iconic song states: “30psi in my minions i don’t care about your opinion”
What is it
A parody song by IFHB films came out with the lyrics, “30psi in my minions i don’t care about your opinion.” This captures the domination by the Maxxis Minions as it came out as the right tire for most aggressive riders. As riding styles changed and riders started descending harder and going beyond their safety envelope, the Maxxis Minions had their backs. It had had massive, siped cornering knobs and it had good, predictable transition knobs. One had to trust the cornering knobs as one transferred from the center but it cornered well, steered well, braked awesome and it climbed good enough.
Pros
- Amazing, predictable cornering
- Brakes very well
- Rolls good for what it is
Cons
- Can wear quickly in very rocky terrain
- There’s a moment of uncertainty when transitioning to side knobs
- Price is steep
Bottom Line
This is the king of all tires today. It’s more of an All Mountain, aggressive tire but if you’re not racing cross-country, then put more than you need as a security blanket to protect yourself from crashing. The DHF is more of a directional tire to help you hold your line. The DHR has more center knobs for legendary climbing traction and braking prowess.
Rating: 5 out of 5
Price: $70
Full Review: https://www.mtbr.com/product/tires-and-wheels/tire/maxxis/minion-dhf.html
Minion DHF Hot Deal: Shop Here from Chain Reaction
Minion DHR Hot Deal: Shop Here from Chain Reaction
Minion DHF Hot Deal: Shop Here from Amazon
Maxxis High Roller II – Ride on loose
Good in mud and good in duff
What is it
An open and aggressive tread design gives the High Roller II excellent soil penetration and mud-clearing ability. A square profile provides a solid, consistent feel across the knobs. Modified knobs on the shoulder and center improve braking performance and traction on hard surfaces. An excellent choice for technical, loose terrain. The High Roller II is available in trail, enduro, and downhill specs.
Pros
- Mud shedder
- Good on gravel
Cons
- Slow rolling
- Overshadowed by the Minion and other Maxxis tires
Bottom Line
The High Roller IIs are a little hard to figure out. The Minions seem to do everything better. But if one has very loose gravel/marble type terrain, the High Roller II’s answer the call since they’re able to dig in through the clutter. Mud performance is good too since it’s very open and sheds mud well.
Rating: 4 out of 5
Price: $55-$85
Full Review: Mtbr User Reviews
Hot Deal: Shop Here
Hot Deal: Shop Here from Amazon
Maxxis Aggressor – Need to pedal up the big mountains
Rear tire duties is where this excels.
What is it
The Aggressor is designed for high-speed modern mountain bike trails. Advanced knob shaping creates extra gripping edges, and reinforced side knobs offer enhanced stability when cornering at speed. An all-around trail tire excelling on everything from loose cross-country race courses to heavy all-mountain riding.
Pros
- May be the ideal All Mountain rear tire
- Brakes well and climbs well
- Rolls well
Cons
- Not good as a front tire
- It’s more of a supporting actor than a lead
Bottom Line
We didn’t think much of this tire until it came OEM on our Ibis Ripmo. It is then that we saw the light as it was rear only and mated with Maxxis Minion DHF front tire. What resulted was a combination of tenacious front grabber and a plaful rear roller. This rear tire allowed the Minion to change direction up front while the rear took care of climbing and pivoting duties. The bike could now climb 5000 feet semi-enthusiastically and still descend with authority. Braking was good so no confidence was lost.
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Price: $79
Hot Deal: Shop Here
Hot Deal: Shop Here from Amazon
Maxxis Ardent – Climb, descend and enjoy singletrack
The old Ardent has been complemented by the Ardent Race for more speed!
What is it
An aggressive tread in high-volume casing, designed with great traction in mind. The Ardent doesn’t forget the racer with large block-style side knobs offering numerous edges for high-speed cornering. The center tread, while ideal for braking and accelerating traction, also features ramped knobs to minimize rolling resistance. With a wide variety of size offerings, the Ardent captures every mountain rider’s needs.
Pros
- Fast when rolling resistance is the enemy
- Ardent Race is even faster
- Rubber quality and size options are better than most of the XC competition
Cons
- Mediocre climbing traction
- You better watch your corner lean
Bottom Line
If you are XC racing for glory whether it’s competition, Strava or bragging rights, then Ardents are your weapon.
Rating: 4 out of 5
Price: $45
User Reviews: https://reviews.mtbr.com/review-maxxis-ardent-exo-27-5-tire
Ardent Hot Deal: Shop Here
Ardent Race Hot Deal: Shop Here
Ardent Hot Deal: Shop Here from Amazon
Ardent Race Hot Deal: Shop Here from Amazon
Maxxis Assegai – If you like to descend
More grip…when you touch down
What is it
Greg Minnaar’s charter: minimize “oh shit moments” on gnarly terrain. The side lugs are reminiscent of the original High Rollers, adding horizontal and vertical siping for grip. Center lugs are similar to the DHR II and DHF, plus transition spikes to reduce the vague point DHF riders are experienced with. In other words, massive lugs.
Pros
- Big traction
- Holds its line through roots
- Smooth transition from sliding to hooking
- Breaks and reengages smoothly
Cons
- Trail compounds not available until late summer
- Rolls fairly slow (need trail compound to really compare)
- Hard to break loose (as a rear tire)
- Pricey at $90
Bottom Line
While other tires will leave you broken on the ground, the Assegai will keep you upright. It’s far from the fastest tire around so front tire use what we advice. Mud, and slippery and unpredictable conditions are its domain. It’s got your back.
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Price: $90
Full Review: https://reviews.mtbr.com/maxxis-assegai-tire-review
Hot Deal: Shop Here
Hot Deal: Shop Here from Amazon
Maxxis Rekon Plus – If you like Plus tires
The Rekon is an impressive Plus tire especially when tasked with rear tire duties.
What is it
The Maxxis Rekon+ is billed as an aggressive trail tire inspired by the Ikon+ for intermediate and technical terrain. Wide knobs down the middle provide control under braking and L-shaped side knobs assure support when carving loose turns.
Pros
- Reasonable weight for a plus tire
- Accelerates quickly
- Fast rolling on mixed conditions
- Good sidewall protection
- Impressive grip on rocks and roots
Cons
- Expensive
- Narrower than advertised
- Accelerated knob wear
Bottom Line
Bottom line, the Maxxis Rekon+ is a fantastic tire for riders that like to go fast and appreciate a little extra grip. The tire is an excellent option for cross country riders looking to add some trail capabilities to their tire arsenal without adding too much weight or adding rolling resistance. And while it’s narrower than claimed and I did notice some knob degradation near the end of this test, performance did not change. So while the Maxxis Rekon+ is on the pricier end in this tire category, it offers a full range of performance advantages and terrain capabilities that arguably make it worth the price of admission.
Rating: 4 out of 5
Price: $111
Full Review: https://reviews.mtbr.com/maxxis-rekon-review
Hot Deal: Shop Here
29 x 2.6 Hot Deal: Shop Here from Amazon
Maxxis Ikon – If you like to go fast
The well-defined and closely spaced center knobs help keep speed high, while taller, more widely spaced side knobs dig in during hard cornering.
What is it
Billed as Maxxis‘ most versatile cross-country tread pattern, the Maxxis Ikon is designed to work on just about any trail condition outside apocalyptic mud. This race ready tire has a high-volume casing and fast rolling tread layout where a well-defined and closely spaced centthe er helps keep speed high, while taller, more widely spaced side knobs dig in during hard cornering. Construction is 120tpi with a triple compound and EXO protection.
Pros
- Performs well in wide variety of conditions
- Impressive sidewall durability
- Good braking traction
- Performance enhancing siping on all knobs
Cons
- Narrower than advertised
- Some premature side knob wear
- Not as fast as some tires in this test
- Second most expensive tire in test
Bottom Line
Bottom line, while not the fastest tire in this test, the Maxxis Ikon is arguably the best overall tire among the group if you’re looking for an option that won’t slow you down on XC race day, but can also hold its own on more aggressive trail rides. Indeed, I’d even consider mounting a fatter version of this tire on the rear wheel of my trail bikes because it will roll reasonable fast on long climbs, but not be too sketchy on the way back down.
On the Mtbr Park Tools DS-1 Electronic Scale the Maxxis Ikon weighed 640 grams, which is equal to claimed weight.
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Price: $77
Full Review: https://reviews.mtbr.com/maxxis-ikon-review
Hot Deal: Shop Here
Hot Deal: Shop Here from Amazon
Maxxis Acronyms
Every tire manufacturer seems to have their own acronyms that refer to their special tire manufacturing powers. It’s a maze of terminology but they basically refer to how the rubber knobs are constructed and how the sidewall or casing is constructed. Here’s our guide to the Maxxis terminology:
EXO – This is a cut-resistant, densely woven casing material added to the sidewalls of tires. This is light and flexible so the tire still conforms to terrain and maintains good grip.
DD – DoubleDown is dual-ply tire casing where two 120 TPI casing layers reinforced with a butyl insert provide the enduro racer with the support and protection of a downhill tire, but in a lighter package.
3C – Maxxis 3C Triple Compound mountain technology uses a harder, longer lasting base layer and two progressively softer top layers in order to optimize traction and stability.
WT – Wide Trail (WT) construction optimizes the tire’s tread layout and profile on today’s modern, wider rims of around 35mm.
We’re sure we didn’t get them all. What are your favorite Maxxis Tires?
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