Updates across the entire Maxxis range touch every discipline, from mountain and fat bikes, to road tubeless and tubular, to new gravel options. Only cyclocross tires were untouched for now.
On the mountain bike side, some of their best known tread patterns were reworked to improve performance. The Crossmark II gets a few redesigns to help with cornering and braking. The side knobs have been opened up by dramatically reducing the size of the round knob and spacing it out to every other section to help with cornering grip. The center section gets a ramped/stepped design instead of being full height all the way around. They’re also a bit wider, so there’s more of an end block on each ramp to bite in for better braking.
The Larsen TT becomes the Race TT and gets sipes on the transition knobs for better straight line traction. The side knobs’ sipe gets turned 90° for a better biting edge when cornering.
Minion Semi-Slick has an aggressive but low 3mm center tread section to grip the little stuff and conform to the trail without slowing you down. The side knobs are the standard Minion shapes and sizes.
The new Tomahawk has mid-height knobs to get into the loose and wet stuff and clear quickly, but still work on dry conditions. The side knobs create a squarer profile that lets them engage quicker, so you don’t have to lean the bike so far before they begin to bite. But they’re wide and large, so once you’re on them, you’ve got plenty of room to use them. The 27.5 x 2.30 is about 750g with EXO casing, and a new Double Down casing adds about 100g.
Both the Aggressor (below) and Tomahawk use a new casing construction called Double Down that’s durable like their downhill casing but with a 120tpi casing instead of 60tpi like on their DH tires, and it gets the Kevlar bead.
Aggressor is a new wet/loose conditions tire in an enduro-friendly 2.3 size.
For those seeking a performance set of fat bike tires for all season use, the new Minion FBF and FBR are a directional set of front and rear specific tires.
Front has more oblong knobs for better cornering, and rear is more like a paddle for pushing you along. It’ll launch with a 26×4.8, and a 4.0 is in development.
Colossus is the new snow fat bike tires that’ll come in a 26×4.8, and a 4.0 is in development. The Minion and Colossus fat bike tires will be available this fall. Weights and retail pricing TBD.
The Chronicle, which was introduced last year, will come in a plus-sized 27.5×3.0 by early summer.
The quite excellent tubeless ready Padrone gains a 28mm width, which will be around 300g. Ready by early summer.
The Relic is now available as a tubular, and it’s compound is made for wet conditions.
The Velocita is a new model that’s designed for Paris-Roubaix and similarly cobbly roads. It has puncture protection under the tread and sidewall reinforcements that allow you to run lower pressures without damaging the tire. Only available in a 28 width, weight is around 400g.
Both it and the Relic will be available this fall.
The Rambler is a new a tubeless ready 700×40, EXO-cased gravel bike tire for aggressive terrain. Available this fall, weights TBD. The Bolster is a new studded tire for winter commuting. Also 700×40, with SilkShield nylon puncture protection bead to bead.
Not shown, the Re-Fuse gets a new 700×40 size and adds MaxxShield protection under the tread and sidewall.