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Maxxis (Finally) Unveils Tubeless-Ready Mountain Bike Tires – UPDATED

Written by Tyler Benedict
35 Comments
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2013 Maxxis Ikon Tubeless Ready mountain bike tires
Maxxis adds sealant compatible tubeless ready mountain bike tires. Photo: Diana Kotas.

It’s been a long time coming, but Maxxis finally has official Tubeless Ready mountain bike tires.

Starting with the Ikon shown above, the tubeless ready lineup will initially consist of the Minion DHF, Minion DHR II and High Roller II, but only in select sizes for now. The Ardent is next up for the TR treatment and should be available soon.

Maxxis’ engineer Zach said there’s an extra layer added to the casing to help with air retention, and the bead’s a little heavier so it seats and seals better. Together, these features add about 50g to 60g (+/- depending on model and size) compared to the regular casing, but they’re still competitive.

UPDATE: The Ikon’s are in their CA warehouse now, shipping to distributors – QBP and Lambert have placed orders. The 650B Highroller II, DHF and Minion DHR II 26″ and 29er should be available in a couple months, others to follow. All will carry a meager $1 to $2 premium over the standard casing.

Complete size lists after the break, which include options for 26″, 650B and 29er…

MAXXIS IKON TUBELESS READY:

  • 3C – 26 x 2.2 (535g)
  • 3C/EXO – 26 x 2.2 (585g)
  • 3C – 29 x 2.2 (590g)
  • 3C/EXO – 29 x 2.2 (645g)
  • 2.35 widths coming soon
MAXXIS MINION DHF TUBELESS READY:
  • EXO – 29 x 2.5 (1015g)
  • 3C/EXO – 29 x 2.5 (1015g)
  • 26 x 2.3 and 29 x 2.3 coming soon
MAXXIS MINION DHR II TUBELESS READY:
  • EXO – 26 x 2.3 (780g)
  • 3C/EXO – 26 x 2.3 (755g)
  • EXO – 29 x 2.3 (855g)
  • 3/CEXO – 29 x 2.3 (825g)
MAXXIS HIGH ROLLER II TUBELESS READY:
  • EXO – 26 x 2.3 (835g)
  • 3C/EXO – 26 x 2.3 (840g)
  • EXO – 27.5 x 2.3 (865g)
  • 3C/EXO – 27.5 x 2.3 (875g)
  • EXO – 29 x 2.3 (910g)
  • 3C/EXO – 29 x 2.3 (920g)
Tyler Benedict
11,282 articles

Tyler Benedict is the Founder of Bikerumor.com, where he’s been writing about the latest bikes, components, and cycling technology for almost two decades. Prior to that, Tyler launched and built multiple sports nutrition brands and consumer goods companies, mostly as an excuse to travel and ride in new places.

Based in North Carolina, Tyler also loves the Vanlife & family adventure travel and is always on the lookout for the next shiny new part and off-grid adventure.

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don
don
11 years ago

If you run a Stans rim (or ringle) there is no need for a tubeless maxxis. Maxxis has been our gangs go to tire for a long time. They inflate with ease and i just did a set with a hand pump. Great tires and with EXC hold up to new england rocks and roots.

When does the patent run out on stan’s BST? Seems like tubeless tires will become a thing of the past when all the manufacturers can make rims that way.

I run the Ikon for racing and the ignitor for most everthing else.

don

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yesplease
yesplease
11 years ago

You have 29″ as all the sizes for the DHF’s. Thats not right?

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Tyler
Tyler
11 years ago

No typo, Zach said they had a lot of demand from 29er riders for that type of aggressive tire. Believe me, I thought the same thing and had to confirm.

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dogboy
dogboy
11 years ago

@don – As well as the standard folding Maxxis tires work with Stan’s rims, the TR tires work even better. I’ve run plenty of standard Maxxis tires with great success on Stan’s rims, but I’d choose the TR tires any day.

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Alex
Alex
11 years ago

As a Vancouverite awaiting his first 29er I can say that this is all great news.

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PROEDGEBIKER.COM
PROEDGEBIKER.COM
11 years ago

Looking forward for them to release 650b on the lighter models

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Pranklin
Pranklin
11 years ago

plenty of UST/stans/tubeless/whatever wheels work with non-tubeless ready tires. I still want tubeless ready tires.

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g
g
11 years ago

I sure hope those are just pre-production graphics because that is really gaudy

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Bog
Bog
11 years ago

These Maxxis TR tires really are THAT good. The small weight penalty is worth it unless you’re doing up a 100% weight weenie build. They allow slightly lower pressures, provide better traction, more comfort and much better sidewall support during hard cornering.

These tires are excellent when combined with a Stan’s rim and magic when combined with a proper UST rim. Inflation is very easy with a floor pump and bead retention seems to be on-par with full UST tires.

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Topmounter
Topmounter
11 years ago

Weird. I’ve been running Maxxis tires tubeless with Stan’s Rims for several years now without a hitch.

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a
a
11 years ago

wonder how these will compare with schwalbes tubeless ready offerings. my experience has been great with the stans schwalbe combo.

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dogboy
dogboy
11 years ago

@Topmounter – So have I, these work better.

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Oscar
Oscar
11 years ago

2.35 Ikons….nice.

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BT
BT
11 years ago

Maxxis needs more acronyms so they can cover the entire sidewall.

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Josh
Josh
11 years ago

Also excited for the 2.35 Ikons!

…But not as excited as I am to be able to get some Ikons that won’t develop the dreaded bubble-warts. I was running Maxxis tires tubeless for a long time, and finally got sick of having to toss them out early when the tires would develope bubbles due to sealant incompatibilities. Wasted many a good tire this way; will be a happy man if these play nice with Stans sealant.

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Al C.
Al C.
11 years ago

Pair those gaudy sidewalls with a Mavic rim with all the icons and it might just make you dizzy looking at it.

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herrow prease
herrow prease
11 years ago

STAY AWAY FROM MAXXIS TIRES WITH SEALANT. Here’s a 15page thread on why you should. Literally 15 pages of one example after another.

http://forums.mtbr.com/wheels-tires/maxxis-ikon-exo-29er-long-term-review-687188-13.html

Called the ikon blister or kenda-itis.

What stinks is they tried to say it was a bad batch but if you look at the thread it’s just been non stop. That brad maxxis support guy used to try to offer advice on that thread on how to get them warrantied, but I think it became too much for the guy. I never received mine, so i switched to specliazed who support sealant and never looked back.

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NonR
NonR
11 years ago

What’s the difference between tubeless and tubeless ready ?

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MissedThePoint
MissedThePoint
11 years ago

The Stan’s BST bead seat is bigger in diameter than UST. Geax TNT and WTB TCS tubeless ready tires fit extremely tight on Stan’s rims, if you can get them on at all. I wonder if Maxxis TR will become like that with the tweaked bead. Stan’s was designed for non-UST tires.

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Vincent
Vincent
11 years ago

I think that theses tires will have an UST spec bead.
There is no official NoTubes spec bead.

So they will be like Geax or WTB or Hutchinson, and mount very well on UST spec rims (mavic, WTB, Enve…).
People with notubes rims shall stick with the classical tubewith version, converted the old way

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Maxxis SUCK!
Maxxis SUCK!
11 years ago

I agree 100% with the above post from herrow prease – 03/06/13 – 5:04pm

STAY AWAY FROM MAXXIS TIRES WITH SEALANT, THEY WILL BLISTER AND FAIL!

I have several tires fail, and they do not support their customers or the tires, which are complete junk.

I’ll never ride Maxxis again regardless…

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dicky
dicky
11 years ago

Been using sealant (Stan’s and Slime Pro) for over a year now. No issues.

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bin judgin
bin judgin
11 years ago

been running tubes for 5 years with little to no problems.

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Jared
Jared
11 years ago

Since Maxxis tires are plainly labeled, as far as I’ve noticed, as not warrantied if used with tubeless sealant, I’m not surprised they don’t warranty them.

I’ve avoided any UST tire/wheel combos as long as possible and am far happier with Specialized options for tubeless combos in thorn/cactus filled areas.

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udder
udder
11 years ago

Maxxis Advantage on two bikes for over a year here with no warts. Using Stans and JRA Wheel Milk (Local stuff in the UK) on Stans 355 and Crest with no warts.
Having problems with a Schwalbe RR staying inflate on my 29er, however.
I suppose the plural of anecdote is not always fact, eh.

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cx_monkey
cx_monkey
11 years ago

I’ve been using the WTB sealant, (which I believe is Stan’s anyway?) and the German BOR stuff, in Ikons, Ardents, Minions and High Rollers – from expensive EXO casing 3C compound ones, right down to single ply wire bead cheapies. Not one blister, not one problem ever…

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Eric.NM
Eric.NM
11 years ago

I’ve run Ardent 2.4 and 2.25 29er tires on Stan’s rims for almost 2 years now. Zero issues at 26 psi for my 190 lbs. They work as well as my Specialized Purgatory & Eskar tires.

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Jake
Jake
11 years ago

Been using Maxxis tires with sealant (Ikon, Ignitor, Crossmark, Ardent) for a long time now and never had any issues. I’ve had more issues with Kenda’s pinhole-filled sidewalls than with any Maxxis product. Can’t wait to get my hands on the Minion 29×2.5s for the super-d bike I’m looking to build!

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don
don
11 years ago

My whole family has used ignitors, ikons on stans crest wheels for several years with stans sealant. Initially I had a sidewall tear several years ago on the first non-EXC Ignitor set I ever mounted tubeless. After switching to EXC versions I have had zero durability problems and have only replace due to wear with the exception of one ignitor blister in 2010. Didn’t even know that is was a problem others had till I saw these posts.

Maybe I’m lucky but the set-up has been bomber for us across a bunch of bikes riding technical northeast rock. If I had multiple issues with blisters I’d probably be a maxxis hater too. I loved Kenda tires but could not get them to work tubeless, mostly from a durability perspecitve (awesome with tubes) so tried the Maxxis on a recommendation from a friend.

100g of rotating weight is not trivial, especially rotating weight of a tire. I’m good with the weight weenie label with the exception that if it implies I’ll trade weight for function. I won’t. If you don’t race, don’t ride BST rims, then I can understand wanting a UST version. For me it’s a 100g of weight with no gain whatsover.

don

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talmage
talmage
11 years ago

I’m confused, what is the difference between tubeless ready tires and UST tires?

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Zach Overholt
Admin
Zach Overholt
11 years ago
Reply to  talmage

@talmage and @nonR Tubeless tires are completely air tight without the use of sealant and require a UST certified sealed rim bed for use without sealant. Tubeless read tires have a more aggressive bead like tubeless tires, but still need sealant to run tubeless and are typically lighter and more supple due to the non-UST casing. Tubeless ready also makes for easier to design wheels since the rim bed doesn’t have to be sealed – instead they usually rely on tape or plastic strips to seal the spoke holes.

FWIW, I’ve personally run many Maxxis tires (LUST, standard, EXO, etc) with Stan’s sealant without issue. But there are several manufactures of tires and rims that warn Amonia based sealants can cause damage so while we haven’t seen it, it doesn’t mean it won’t happen. Follow the instructions and deviate at your own risk.

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Jason
Jason
11 years ago

Does anyone know if the new Maxxis TR tires have a square shaped bead to mate perfectly with my WTB Frequency i23 rims (with square shaped UST bead hook)? Or do they have round shaped beads like all non-TR and non-UST tires?

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James
James
11 years ago

Hi I tried to mount some maxxis ikon exc exo 3c 29″ tyres onto mavic slr rims I could not get them to seal at all tried on my mates stans rims sealed straight away what I would like to know in will the tubless ready exc exo 3c ikons mount better and seal

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Dave D
Dave D
11 years ago

I loved the Ikon but gave up on them after having 5 of them develop the blisters due to running with stans sealant. At times the blisters would bubble up so big that they would rub against the fork. Maxxis did warranty 4 of these but I just couldn’t trust them anymore. I will give these tubeless ready a try for sure. I would love a 2.35 29er version for the front of my rigid!

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Jesse Edwards
Jesse Edwards
10 years ago

Late to this post, but excited to hear it. I’ve set up specilialized and schwalbe tires on stans rims (both tubeless ready) with great success. Only after slapping on some non-TL-ready ardent exos did I have a tire blow off the rim spectacularly. Now I’ll never run a regular maxxis tire tubless. That said, I thought the Ardent was a great tire, so I would like to get my hands on some of those when they come on the market.

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