Prototype Maxxis Downhill Tire

Jun 24, 2014
by Richard Cunningham  

Maxxis Proto DH Tire 2015

The new tire's edging blocks are pronounced - a given for Maxxis gravity tread, but siped with a V-groove to offer a more sensitive bite.



We saw some interesting looking downhill tires on a Pivot Phoenix on display at Dealer Camp in Park City, Utah. The 31-pound carbon DH bike was shod with unlabeled Maxxis 27.5-inch DH tires that featured an aggressive tread pattern which deviated from the tire maker’s tried and true Minion and High Roller designs. When asked, officials at Pivot had little or nothing to say. The tires were mounted tubeless and felt as if they used two-ply sidewalls. The rubber was quite soft and the tread was sticky to the fingernail test.

Prototype Maxxis DH tire 2015

(Clockwise) Well-spaced, similar-sized tread blocks are positioned similar to the Schwalbe Hans Dampf, but the faces are angled to give the unnamed tire a faster roll. A more rounded profile is new for Maxxis's gravity range. Novel stair-step profiling on the transition blocks may be a nod to better braking while entering corners.



The tread pattern evoked a supercharged version of the Schwalbe Hans Dampf, with a similar pattern of large, angled blocks, but with lots of edge treatments and siping. The width appears to be a full, 2.4 inches, and we expect the weight to be on the lighter side, as the display bike was proudly hanging from a scale - an indication that Maxxis could be developing the new gravity tire for European enduro and fast DH venues. Pivot signed on this year with Maxxis for its race team and its production bicycles, so it is no surprise to see new rubber being tested by the brand.

Maxxis prototype DH tires on Pivot Phoenix Carbon DH bike - 2015

Pivot stated that they were confident that the unpainted carbon Phoenix could be whittled down below 30 pounds, while still being outfitted as a true DH racer, so we expect the new Maxxis tires to be on the lighter side of its DH range.


Maxxis

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111 Comments
  • 101 7
 Guys i am positive they will be available in 26". 26" isn't gonna die, there are way to many people loving it.
  • 12 22
flag castlemtn (Jun 24, 2014 at 6:29) (Below Threshold)
 They are in a 26" version. Basically looks like an IGNITOR 2.35.
  • 42 3
 26" is the most common tire choice so nobody is that mad to refuse the largest piece of the pie. Don't take the bike articles telling us that 26" are dying too seriously. The truth is that most people do ride 26" bikes and they will do it for a long, long time. 650B is king of innovation, modern word like "enduro", and everyone is exited to claim he is being part of the trend. Once 650B stops being a hit, you will be surprised how many people still rides their 26" wheeled bikes and buy new ones.
  • 27 92
flag laynehip (Jun 24, 2014 at 7:08) (Below Threshold)
 I disagree.
26 inch wheels are dead in every biking genre except for Downhill and DJ, and every month you see more 650b downhill stuff.
Soon you won’t be able to find a half decent 26 inch downhill bike. 26 inch bikes are dying. Sad but true.
  • 18 5
 I went to get new Ardents for my ENDURO Big Grin bike from my lbs. Went in to the shop and checked the tire selection. Could not see ANY 26" tires so i asked the shopowner about them... He said: " no one really buys them anymore so we only got 27,5" and 29" tires from now on". What the F*CK!!?? I really dont go there so often anymore....
  • 20 19
 There is absolutely no way that 26" is dying. The size that I do see dying is 29" Eventually those will be phased out and guys riding 29ers will eventually be paying premium prices for tires and other 29er related parts. 650b looks like will be the new standard and a standard that will stay but 29er's are definitely dying out. Slowly but surely.
  • 32 2
 Currently at CRC you can find 255 different 26" tires against 60 different 650B tires against 73 different 29" tires. This morning there was a poll at Pinkbike that told me that more than 1200 voters ride 26" against about 200-300 people who ride 650B. I don't know if that is true or not, but these are the numbers, you know.
  • 11 6
 I think the disparity in tires at CRC is due mostly to the fact that 650b is fairly new and manufacturers probably have millions of 26” tire inventory they still need to sell.
At for the poll on Pinkbike, I think since it is mostly a DH dominated site (I have no numbers to back this up but a feeling, may be incorrect) so it fairly biased with a relatively small sample size.
  • 55 2
 ... not this shit again....
  • 11 4
 yes they have 255 different 26" tires... like overstocked maxxis mobsters from 1999
  • 12 4
 I work at a bike shop and guess how many 650b tires we have? 4. Guess how many 26? well over 50. And 29? around 20.
  • 11 1
 looks like a schwalbe.
  • 15 0
 Dude I was out on the trails last weekend and some noob was talking to his mate and referred to my bike as "RETRO" WTF
  • 9 0
 HOLY FUCK Sub-30lbs DH worthy rig !!! im at 43 lbs right now FFS FML !
  • 4 3
 Most 26" riders aren't getting their stuff in shops anyways, we're the bargain hunters, OFC shops stop carrying what we're always bidding them down on when Amazon is out.
  • 4 2
 26 4 life. My Saint drives are not dying anytime soon
  • 6 1
 If all the "standard" bikes were 650b then the industry would introduce the revolutionary 26". "Buy a 26!! - added manouverability and most of all, less weight!" A new wheel size brings so much new business. Not saying 650b is bad or so it's just, well, that's life I think...
  • 2 0
 26 what I like but jeez this wheel crap needs to end.....
  • 3 1
 We'll have 26" parts for many years. Right now, the ratio of 26ers to 650B is probably about 9:1. Even if more than 10% of the 26ers buy a new bike each year, it will take a while for 650B to overtake 26" in aftermarket part sales. A company not producing parts for 26" riders would be dumb.
  • 5 0
 This tire looks fucking great!
  • 7 1
 It's a feature about tyres not the fucking wheel size debate !
  • 5 1
 Yeah I'm wheelly tyring of it
  • 3 2
 to range in on this wheel size debate

this afternoon I was talking to the senior executive in the UK of the world's largest bicycle brand (and manufacturer of many other brands)

I asked about 26", 27.5" and 29"

he said the bulk of their mountain bike range is 27.5 for 2015, with no 26" (even DH) and still doing 29" for the XC racing crowd that absolutely love / want the bigger wheel
  • 6 8
 What ^^^^^ he said. Santa Cruz... No 26 inch offerings anymore, Giant...virtually none, Specialized... no 26 inch trail offerings for 2015, and the list goes on. For the moment, the 26 inch wheel's fate is sealed and it will quickly become increasingly difficult to find a good selection of 26 inch parts. Who knows if it'll come back as the population of the mountain bike market changes but for now it's not really a question anymore... 26 for MOST purposes, is dead.
  • 8 0
 Hey Bngofast one word: Ratboy.
  • 3 0
 I say, Irrefutable evidence I say
  • 4 0
 Pick a wheelsize and be a dick about it
  • 32 2
 I want that pivot
  • 9 3
 Im guessing anybody in their right mind want one of those.,
  • 3 1
 I'm just aware of broken seat stays that I saw in Cairns WC.
  • 2 0
 did it break running a float x like this one? hehe
  • 10 0
 In world cup racing no frame is safe.
  • 4 1
 its so light! and so sexy ! the black is deffinately better thn the yellow
  • 15 2
 I will cut the next person trying to take my 26" away!!!!!
  • 11 0
 looks like a mix of ignitor and hans dampf.
  • 1 0
 or high roller and hans dampf
  • 3 1
 I think it looks a lot like the On-One Chunky Monkey, which is a tire they produce in their factories for On-One. It is amazing tire, and cheap at $35 shipped with EXO sidewalls.

twentynineinches.com/2013/03/25/on-one-chunky-monkey-2-4er-tires-out-of-the-box
  • 1 3
 Looks like a Maxxis prototype ... oh wait ... Big Grin
  • 1 1
 Actually it looks more like a Nobby Nic than a Hans Damf...
  • 7 2
 Judging by that and the fact the new maxxis shorty looks loads like a muddy mary i think the sudden rise of schwalbe has made maxxis start to panic. They do seem very good at designing very similar tyre to others too. The high roller been a fine example.
  • 4 1
 Yeah first thing I thought is that it looks like a Schwalbe tread. They have no doubt taken a chunk of Maxxis business and so an offering like this does not surprise me.
  • 7 1
 yeah this tread immediately reminded me of the Hans-Dampf tire from Schwalbe.
  • 2 0
 I saw the first photo and thought Hans Dampf, then saw the other photo and was like oh that actually looks a bit new. Nice looking back tyre with a Shorty up front.
  • 1 2
 or for a hr2 up front
  • 3 0
 Spot on. The round profile and knob placement makes it look like a ramped version of a Hans Dampf. Although the side knobs look a bit burlier than the HD
  • 4 3
 Fair to say i'll be sticking with schwalbe. Maxxis used to be value tyres, now they've shot up in price. Not bad to say the minion has been on the fo since the late 90s or something
  • 7 1
 Because Schwalbe's are cheap? ... Minion is still around because it works.
  • 1 2
 I hated the minion I had, and less said about the old style hr the better, that thing in maxxpro was just dangerous.
  • 8 1
 Schwalbe's are not cheap,trust me
  • 3 0
 if you order them from Germany, they are cheap.
  • 2 0
 Prices here between schwalbe and maxxis arent far apart if you shop around. Maxxis have doubled in price the last few years.
  • 4 1
 Right I'm a little confused here. How the hell do pivot get a dh bike with dual crown forks and dual ply tyres to weight not much more than my trail bike with light weight forks, single ply tyres and light weight wheels single ring etc etc. Find it hard to believe.
  • 5 1
 The Phoenix frame with an air shock weighs 3.2kg, 3.6kg with a coil-over. That's a good start.
  • 2 0
 damn, that's as light if not lighter than an sb66 aluminum frame.
  • 2 0
 Insanely light. the SB is 2.7kg.. and to even be close to that weight is very impressive..
  • 3 1
 Seems a good race tire. But for a common use... I don't know! After a few days of using this tire those little teeth will become flat. They make such a complex project that will lose its characteristics in no time...I'm not convinced!
  • 7 2
 what are the odds they'll make this in a 26?
  • 5 0
 Look at the stanchions height! Eek
  • 4 0
 Wow! I missed that. Its way up there or should I say the bike is way down there.
  • 3 0
 Looks like it will be good for hardpack and dusty bikepark type conditions, nice round profile lots of tread and no tight spaces to pack up
  • 1 0
 Whats the point in making a tire lighter when they should be making them stronger?... This is DH ffs.... Pointless saving weight on when the tire pinches on the first rock garden.... If your name is Aaron Gwin, this does not apply to you.
  • 5 0
 Gripping!
  • 4 2
 Gerat. Only in 27.5 right now? Biking is going downhill, I guess.
  • 2 0
 Maxxis is affiliated with CST and it's funny how much these look like the Rock Hawk. The Rock Hawk is only $19. Pinkbike should do a review on that and the BFT by CST.
  • 6 0
 Maxxis is CST. CST is Maxxis. (Einhorn is Finkle! Finkle is Einhorn! Einhorn is a man!)

CST and Maxxis are both brand names that Cheng Shin Rubber of Taiwan do business as.
  • 6 0
 Oh my God! Einhorn is a man?!? (Plunger to the face, cry in bathtub, chew entire pack of gum.)
  • 4 0
 Theres nothing qrong with having a rubber fetish...
  • 2 0
 looks sooooo much better than that shite kenda tire review from last week... maxxis knows whats up with tires, these look pretty good, would definatelly give this tire a try.
  • 2 0
 Am I the only one stoked on a blacked out Carbon Phoenix?! That thing is gorgeous!
  • 3 0
 maxxis, please call this tyre the juggernaut
  • 4 3
 Nice! (...but am I the only one that can see the Schwalbe HansDampf inspiration here??)
  • 22 0
 Probably not considering they mentions hans's a couple of times in the actual article...
  • 2 3
 I didn't read a single word of the article and that was my first thought.
  • 6 0
 Posted without reading...my bad!
  • 1 3
 Did not read. It's an off-road tyre. Excitement or speculation is pointless.
  • 2 0
 I'm starting to get tyred of all this talk about larger wheels.
  • 2 0
 Hmm..It looks like on the bike new sixc cranks.
  • 2 0
 Yes!!!!!!! Been needing new tires and this will definitely be a contender!
  • 3 1
 DHR2 front and rear or Bontrager G5. Buy. Install. Profit.
  • 2 1
 A rear tire on the front wheel ?
  • 5 0
 Just ask Greg Minnaar.
  • 3 0
 DHR on front. Very good.
  • 3 0
 Fox float x shox
  • 2 0
 Yep, Float X... which is questionable on a DH bike - will it perform good enough for this bike????
  • 1 0
 It's one of nicest performing shocks I've used in a while, never had any issue of heat fade or anything down extended runs, I suspect if your hitting wc speeds the story would be different, like a few years back when peaty was blowing up vivids and had to get custom shock mounts to allow a longer shock, but for most regular people the float x I can see being a good choice, especially on more pedalily tracks where flipping it in trail will give a little more support yet still feel lively and plush
  • 2 1
 I forsee some major damping problems related to heat running that float x on a dh rig.
  • 1 1
 I wonder if they will actually measure out to anywhere close to their measured size. Unlike minions and high rollers. All the weight for none of the size!
  • 2 0
 The new Minions and HRs do.
  • 3 0
 That air-shock though..
  • 1 1
 "Well-spaced, similar-sized tread blocks are positioned similar to the Schwalbe Hans Dampf"

Sorry, but Hans Dampf is a fail in wet conditions / light mud.
  • 2 1
 Work well for me in the wet mud and roots.
  • 1 0
 Depends on what and where you ride and personal preference, of course. But I'm not the only one who's moved from Hans Dampf to Conti Barons for better grip on wet roots, wet conditions and light mud.
  • 2 0
 Baron's are like cheating when it's wet
  • 1 0
 Let's be honest. If it is as sticky as a hans dampf and the side lugs hold up like a minion we all win.
  • 1 0
 Thats un fugly lookin tread design, looks like a bastard child between a Conti and a Schwalbe
  • 1 0
 why is the front fork stanchions raised so high?
  • 1 0
 That's a good looking , interesting tire???? Let's wait and see
  • 1 0
 Looks like the gap between DH and Enduro just got smaller
  • 1 0
 Looks like a chunky monkey
  • 1 0
 Looks like a race king lol
  • 1 0
 HIGHIC ROLAMPF!
  • 1 0
 Datt bike doe
  • 1 2
 I don't like this tread. Looks like the pattern used from lesser tyre companies.
  • 1 0
 Ctd on the dh bike. Wtf
  • 2 3
 Looks like rolling resistance will be quite high.
  • 3 3
 Yup, it's a tyre...
  • 1 4
 yep, tyre nerds are an amazing part of the mtb riders...
  • 3 1
 Yes, because clearly tires don't matter. Have fun running wetscreams on a dry, dusty day.
  • 3 3
 Clearly tyres matter, I'm fairly fussy about mine, I'm not sure a prototype maxxis tread pattern warrants a whole news article and this level of excitement/analysis though!
  • 2 0
 oh no mistake, tyres are clearly important, I can't agree more. But always amazing to read people writing that one looks like an other one "except this micro details on the side". I'm riding minion larsen and a schalbe, don't remember wich one. Larsen is clearly different and easy to recognise, but for the others... but be sure I appreciate them!
  • 2 0
 Actually I'm lying, i'm not very fussy. I'll buy a set of tyres that are meant to be good and keep them on my bike until they're worn out. Unless I'm racing or riding an uplift day and it's daft wet.







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