One of the biggest areas of growth for Maxxis recently would have to be the world of plus tires. Along with the rest of the industry, the fatter tires and the bikes that can run them are coming in fast and it doesn’t look like they’ll stop any time soon. And while the plus size bikes are gaining in popularity, the tires have taken a little longer to catch up to production. The trick seems to be balancing durability and weight so that you have a tire that isn’t a boat anchor but still can still hold up to the aggressive riding the extra traction inspires.
Now that Maxxis seems to have found the magic formula, their plus tire range is expanding to include the Ikon, Rekon, High Roller II, and the Minion FBR and FBF. At the moment not all tires will be offered in all sizes, but there will be options for just about every size imaginable including the 29 x 3.0″ monsters above right.
Utilizing Maxxis’ engineers in the U.S., tires are designed and engineered here in Suwanee at their Technology Center. Concepts are first drawn on paper, then transferred to a computerized design program, and 3D printed before molds are ever cut which allows the design to go through several changes before it is cast in rubber. Even then, prototype tires are tested extensively and possibly cut or tweaked until the desired result is achieved and it’s put into production. Part of that development cycle includes working with OEMs like Pivot Cycles to create tires that work well on their bikes and meet their needs for specification.
With a small army of Pivots at our disposal with various new and current Maxxis tires, I spent the most time on the Pivot Mach 429 Trail. This was mostly due to the fact that the bike allows for the use of both 29″ and 27+ wheels and tires. According to Pivot’s Chris Cocalis, the rear triangle was built to accept 2.8″ plus tires and when run in plus mode the BB drops 0.5″ compared to 29″ wheels and tires.
Not only was I able to test out a few of the newest treads, but I was also able to get back to back impressions of the two wheel sizes on the same bike on the same trail. In this case it was the P2 section of the Pinhoti Trail – a 335 mile trail that runs through Georgia and Alabama. Mulberry Gap Mountain Bike Get-a-way is positioned almost right on the trail near Elijay, Georgia, and is close in proximity to a number of other trail systems as well.
After riding P2 a few times to get acquainted with the dirt, the first real test run was with the 429 Trail set up with the new High Roller II 27.5 x 2.8″ plus tires and DT Swiss XM551 rims with a 40mm internal width.
From there it was immediately onto the Aggressors mounted up to 29″ DT Swiss XMC 1200 carbon wheels with a 24mm inner width. Admittedly this wasn’t a true scientific test, but it seems like a reasonable place to start to get an opinion on the two different tire sizes. After getting back to the cabin, the data on the GPS seemed to back up what I felt in my head. The 29″ wheels felt faster on the climbs which resulted in a faster average speed (10.2 vs 9.7mph), but the plus tires had a big advantage on the descent with a maximum speed that was nearly 5mph faster (30.0 vs 25.7). That’s even with riding the trail first on the plus tires, so you’d think I might have been faster on the downhills knowing the trail conditions better on the 29″ tires that day.
In reality, the High Roller IIs weren’t that much slower up the climbs but they did feel like it. But given how much more fun they were on the descents, it seems like a worthy trade. One thing is for sure, on the loamy, rooty, and sometimes rocky P2 trail I never felt like I got close to finding the limits of the HRII+’s traction. That made me think that the Rekon+ would probably be the perfect tire for the trail and would offer better climbing and may actually offer a higher average speed than the 29er. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to get in a third run on P2 with the Rekon+ tires that day to compare.
I’m continually impressed by what most plus tires will allow you to get away with on the trail, and my time on the 429 Trail plus is no exception. It’s important to keep in mind that tire pressure becomes even more critical on the plus side of things so if you’re planning on test riding one, remember to check the pressure. In Georgia I found that somewhere between 14-16 seemed like the sweet spot, but it will vary on your weight, trails, and riding style.
As far as the High Roller II+ is concerned, it looks like it will be a real option for aggressive plus sized riding. Perhaps on more wet and loose trails the Minion FBF/FBR+ would make sense, but the level of grip on the HRII+ was impressive to say the least.
Video by Tommy Penick
Between rides, the facility at Mulberry Gap made it easy to feel at home. Offering the ability to park for the day to ride trails, camp sites to use your own gear or camper, or even full cabins with hot showers, hot tubs, flush toilets, and bike/dog washes, you can basically choose your own adventure.
There is also incredible food. And Beer. Lots of beer. Terrapin provided the brews for the Appalachian Summit, but Mulberry Gap has an extensive selection of other brands for you to choose from.
Our time in Georgia and at Mulberry Gap Mountain Bike Get-a-way was short, but we will definitely be back.
