Home > Bike Types > Mountain Bike

Maxxis Severe Tire for Wet XC Rolls Out with Faster MaxxSpeed

maxxis severe xc tire for wet conditions with new maxxspeed compound faster rollingCredit: @jamesstokoephoto
8 Comments
Support us! Bikerumor may earn a small commission from affiliate links in this article. Learn More

Maxxis has released a new wet weather specialist for XC racing; the Maxxis Severe. Taking the place of the now downcountry-oriented Forekaster, the Severe’s spiky tread pattern (for XC) on a 2.25″ carcass steps up for those sopping muddy race weekends.

Announced in conjunction with the new cross-country mountain bike tire is a new, faster-rolling MaxxSpeed Compound, said to confer a 25% reduction in rolling resistance as compared to the outgoing 3C MaxxSpeed, with improved wet grip to boot. It benefits the new Severe tire, as well as the other XC MTB specific tires in the range: the Rekon Race, Aspen and Ikon.

maxxis severe tread pattern xc mtb tire wet conditions wide spaced knobs
The Maxxis Severe runs a 120 TPI casing with EXO sidewall protection. Credit: @jamesstokoephoto

Maxxis Severe Tire for Wet XC Racing

A shift in the Forekaster’s niche toward downcountry and light trail riding had left something of a hole in Maxxis’ range of XC tires for a narrow, lightweight wet weather specialist. The Maxxis Severe announced today fills that hole with a less cluttered tread pattern, with tread blocks well-spaced to allow each one the space to bite into soft, wet ground.

The Severe Tire is available in both 29″ and 27.5″ diameters, both at 2.25″ wide. It runs a 120 TPI casing, and weighs a claimed 745g in the 29″ x 2.25″ option. That’s a whole 200g lighter than the 60 TPI 29″ x 2.4″ Forekaster.

This wet conditions tire is still a good bit heavier than the 29″ x 2.25″ Aspen aimed at dustier terrain (claimed 691g) but comparable to the semi-slick Rekon Race tire which weighs a claimed 737g in 29″ x 2.25″.

maxxis severe sc mtb tire alongside ikon rekon race aspen tread comparison
Nino and the SCOTT-SRAM Team were instrumental in the development of the new MaxxSpeed Compound that is rolled out across all four of these tires; all have a 120 TPI casing and EXO sidewall protection. Credit: @jamesstokoephoto

The tread pattern of the Maxxis Severe tire is quite distinctive, with the center tread blocks walking a fine line at the apex of the tire. That leaves a substantial gap between the center tread and the next set of shallow, smaller tread blocks positioned slightly inboard of the edge. That space will allow the tire to shed mud more easily in comparison to a tire with a more cluttered tread pattern, like the Ikon or Rekon Race.

At the edge, we see two sets of squared-off tread blocks, the outermost of which is substantially larger and taller to command grip in soft, muddy turns. Between those two sets of tread blocks we see raised portions of the mid-tread, oriented perpendicular to the direction of travel, presumably in a bid to add extra grip when cornering hard. The tread blocks all see some siping, a feature introduced to give a given block more flex.

maxxis severe mtb tire for wet conditions tread pattern detail

New, Faster MaxxSpeed Compound

Maxxis has also renewed its MaxxSpeed Compound for 2024, improving rolling resistance over the previous 3C MaxxSpeed Compound by a claimed 25%. It is also said to offer improved grip in the wet, a point that is particularly significant for the aforementioned Severe Tire.

Credit: @jamesstokoephoto

The Maxxis Severe, Aspen, Ikon and Rekon Race tires will feature the faster-rolling MaxxSpeed Compound. We are told that, over the course of a ninety-minute XC Race, the new MaxxSpeed Compound can save a rider up to a minute. It may not surprise you to learn that Nino Schurter and Rebecca Henderson racked up World Cup wins aboard their MaxxSpeed-equipped race bikes last season.

The new MaxxSpeed Compound is not a combination of three separate rubber durometers, but Maxxis don’t specify how many different durometers are in there. What they do say is that the MaxxSpeed Compound borrows technology from their road-racing tires, now with silica utilized as a filler in the rubber polymer. They say this has created a compound that performs better across the board compared to the old 3C MaxxSpeed.

maxxis ikon 2024 maxxspeed compound faster rolling 20%
Credit: @jamesstokoephoto

The following Maxxis Tires will benefit from the new MaxxSpeed Compound: Aspen 29″ x 2.4″ (770g), Rekon Race 29″ x 2.4″ (825g), Ikon 29″ x 2.35″ (835g), and the Severe 29″ x 2.25″ (745g).

“XCO racing is more competitive than ever. The new MaxxSpeed compound rolls faster and grips better than before, giving me an edge over my rivals.”

Nino Schurter

Pricing & Availability

The new Maxxis Severe Tire retails at $93 USD, as do all of the new MaxxSpeed Compound-boasting XC Tires mentioned above; the Aspen 29″ x 2.4″, Rekon Race 29″ x 2.4″, and the Ikon 29″ x 2.35″.

maxxis.com

Subscribe
Notify of
guest

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

8 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
luke hlavenka
luke hlavenka
11 months ago

they all got so much heavier?

MsC
MsC
11 months ago

That looks a lot like the Specialized Fast Trak 29×2.35

Owen
Owen
11 months ago

By wet weather do they mean mud, wet rock, wet grass? To me the maxx speed compound is not the right choice for wet hard surfaces

Owen
Owen
11 months ago

Are we another Conti cross king?

Nick
Nick
11 months ago

Hot take no one asked for: there’s too many options in Maxxis’ lineup for me to understand or want to try at nearly $100 a pop. As much its cool that Maxxis has so many options out there for riders (i’m glad someone can get the exact tire they need), I wonder how many riders out there just keep buying what was originally on their bike or what their friends are rolling on. When I finally kill the stock Rekons on my Element, I’ll be either just getting them again or checking out Spec’s offerings. It might be silly to say, but fewer options make it easier for me to actually make a choice.

Astro_Kraken
Astro_Kraken
11 months ago
Reply to  Nick

I’ve had too many brain injuries to attempt to buy Schwalbe tires these days.

jonathan
jonathan
11 months ago
Reply to  Nick

It took me far too long to understand that Rekon Race and Ardent Race were different tires than their non-race stablemates. That said, I’ve had nothing but good experiences with Maxxis tires, so I’ll probably stick it out.

Marc
Marc
11 months ago
Reply to  Nick

@Nick, definitely checkout Vittoria’s, I ran rekons and think they are garbage compared to the Vittoria’s in trail casing, Martello/mezcal is fire combo if your trails are more XC, Agarro frt/mezcal or barzo rear for a fast aggressive XC combo. Currently running Mazza/Mezcal for a very fast & high grip combo and the Mazza saves me on the DH when l hit a bad line or some deep loose, the Mezcal has a amazing amount of dry grip for the design, obviously not good for mud or deep loose. I think specialized is doing great things also with their compounds, I love their Roubaix Pros on my allroad road bike..

Subscribe Now

Sign up to receive BikeRumor content direct to your inbox.

Subscribe Now

Sign up to receive BikeRumor content direct to your inbox.