Review: 6 Hard-Hitting Rear Tires Ridden & Rated

I decided to run a group comparison of tires from six leading brands. The idea of the test was simple: to compare the different rear-wheel options offered that have a sensible level of protection. Personally, when I think about tires, I tend to choose something that has grip as the utmost priority on the front, often combined with a slightly lighter casing. The more problematic choice can often be what to choose on the rear.

In this comparison, I used a Maxxis Assegai 2.5 EXO+ tire on the front and only changed rear tires. I did this to hopefully better isolate the ride characteristics of the rear tires. But what did I lay out as the criteria for these rear tires? And what is a reasonable expectation in terms of performance?

The first characteristic I thought of was weight. I set a target weight of 1200g. This isn’t obscenely heavy, nor is it particularly light. I wanted a tire that rolled well, but not so fast that it undermined traction, and I wanted something that was going to offer good and consistent performance in a variety of conditions over the Portuguese winter. I wasn’t looking for a mud plugger, but rather something that held its own in the wet and wasn’t a death warrant should I ride in sodden conditions.

In all testing, I ran a small sized Vittoria Airliner in the rear. I ran this because I wanted an insert that would hopefully protect my rim as I experimented with pressures and also to stop any potential slicing on any of the sharp rocks that lie on the trails. It’s a piece of equipment I’ve used before for these very reasons. It’s also not particularly large, which I consider a bonus. I didn’t want to put a large insert in there that would potentially alter the ride characteristics of a tire and then have to present my findings with the caveat of - "you also need to spend X amount of dollars on this insert". All testing was done on a set of SILT Alloy 30mm internal wheels.



The test was conducted in Lousa, Portugal, which has a large array of riding but in general, at least in my mind, is unmitigatedly hard on bikes. There is a great selection of fast natural trails where the loose dirt is soft enough for good rubber to bite in and give you a huge amount of purchase, but conversely there are rocks and square edges to brutalise tires and wheels in equal measure. To give you an idea of the terrain, in my first 3 days here I put large slices in two 'trail' casing tires from two different brands.

In this test, I’ll largely discuss descending performance. These mountains are blessed with some amazing riding but you do winch up a road, a mixture of tarmac and gravel, before coming back down the trails. Sadly there just isn’t much in the way of technical climbing here. That being said, it probably isn’t too difficult to draw your own conclusions from my findings.

I conducted my comparison by riding 4,000m of vert over three days on each tire. In this period I made observations and experimented with setup. I rode largely the same trails. After this initial process, I then did back to back testing on the same day to fine tune, as well as challenge, my observations. I included photos after this initial 4,000m to show different wear rates between brands.

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Maxxis Aggressor


When descending it was good, and showed why it’s such a popular option, but it did tend to give that scraping sensation when initially applying the brakes. This isn’t surprising in some ways, this isn’t a particularly soft or aggressively treaded tire, but compared to some of the other tires on test it was slightly inferior in this regard. Once you leaned the tire in it would then pick up more traction. It is worth noting that this tire does offer an ever-so-slightly vague sensation when transitioning between the centre and edge knobs.

Sometimes, a rear tire, in this transition, can feel like a little bit of free fall as you commit to moving onto the edge. The best way I can explain this is if you placed a rope around a lamppost and fell backwards. This tire would catch you, but before the slack is taken up it’s going to feel something like freefall. The characteristic I look for is something like having an elastic cord already under tension that you can gradually lean into as it’s going to give you a consistent feeling. It’s not totally dissimilar from using wider skis on groomed trails and transitioning from edge to edge. It wasn't bad, by any means, but it wasn't class leading, either.

Across roots and rocks, particularly if you had to apply the brakes, it did give a slight shifting feeling as it tried to settle. It did provide good grip, but it sometimes felt like it was threatening to step out.

On looser terrain it was good, and this will be something of a trend in this test, and a topic I’ll revisit later. When the ground was soft, considering how well it rolls it gave pleasantly surprising and consistent braking traction. I think its relatively hard compound sometimes struggled to find purchase when the surface it was trying to grip to is harder still but when the terrain was softer it felt like the harder compound wasn’t so much of a hindrance and it could dig in and the ground conform to the shape of the tire, as opposed to the other way around.

One of the areas this tire impressed me the most was the way it stayed so secure on the rim. Of all the tires on test, it was the only tire never to burp in rougher terrain. This is such a fantastic trait and I put it down to the tolerance of the bead and how it mated up to the wheels. It just seems like such an easy win for the rider - it doesn’t have a weight penalty to offer this security but does have huge implications in terms of performance.

Another thing to make the end user happy is durability. After the initial testing period, this tire still looked pretty much fresh out of the factory. Overall, I would say this is quite a versatile tire that will offer good value over the duration of the tires life and will suit somebody who will happily exchange a little bit of grip for a large amount of durability and a good dollop of rolling efficiency.

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Continental Der Kaiser Projekt



The tire’s tread was quite a curious proposition. The chamfered and angled edges of the centre knobs seem reminiscent of a tire with very serious intentions but were clearly shaped with rolling speed in mind. With each of these tires I spoke to the respective companies, explained the characteristics I wanted and took on their feedback and duly considered their recommendation. But how would this tire compare its rivals?

Well, despite its low weight it didn’t seem any faster than the competition, and at times felt sluggish. It's hard to quantify exactly, but whatever potential gains were to be had by being lighter, it didn't feel like they translated into rolling efficiency or snappy acceleration.

I really liked riding this tire, especially the way it transferred between the centre and edge and the way it conformed and gripped to rocks. It felt supple and delivered consistent traction on a variety of surfaces. Paired on the 30mm rim it also seemed to offer decent stability in turns. So far so good.

However, there sadly was one quite significant bump in the road - keeping the air in the tire. Each of the tires on the test demands something different and I went into them all with an open mind. I found that at 26PSI the tire felt great in terms of grip but when I pushed on it really started to burp air at an alarming rate. So up I went to 28PSI but even then over one run it would typically lose 2 or 3PSI. The grip was there and, ideally, I would have run it at something around 26, where it felt great, but then the problems were just exacerbated further, the burping would become yet more regular. Even at 28PSI, after every ride, my rim looked like it had been caught in the crossfire in a paintball fight.

In the wet, this becomes extra problematic because the need to run higher pressure consequently affects how the tire rebounds. The tire worked at higher pressures when it was really rough, albeit for the burping, but the next layer of problems came when you wanted to ride sections that weren't so high speed or compression laden. The tire felt lacking in grip and almost numb.

With the Conti, when you’re coming through a really rough section, and almost overwhelming the tire, then it actually feels really good because the impacts are enough to make the tire deform despite the higher PSI - the problem is if you’re riding a smoother section, and you hit a root not particularly hard and it doesn't register enough force against the high pressure to provide any grip. This is even worse in the wet where the tire can rebound quickly at this pressure and giving an unstable feeling. It's a similar ride characteristic to an underdamped and over-pressurised fork.

I know all this talk of a few PSI might sound trivial but, in what is quite a bulbous 2.4 inch tire on a wide rim, a few PSI can make a big difference. While riding it I couldn’t help but wonder, would I exchange this sidewall instability for 150 grams? Abso-bloody-lutely. Curiously, I didn’t make it burp in the turns, although that might be more of a comment on the ungroomed trails I was riding. On a small length of fire road between trails, there is a rut which I performed something of a “burp test” on all tires and this was one of the ones that didn’t give.

In terms of durability, this tire seemed to withstand wear very well. One thing that is really worth noting is that due to the setup struggles I actually covered nearly 8000M on this tire. In the midst of getting somewhat carried away I completely forgot to take a photo at 4K. So, the fact that it is still in such good shape is a big tick for the Conti. Upon the eventual removal of the tire, I discovered it had burped almost all of the original 70mm of sealant. Topping this up every few days could well become a chore or something you forget to do entirely.

If you don’t live in an area with either the frequency or sheer amplitude of compressions as you find here then it may well be a worthy option, but sadly what often felt so promising was so thoroughly undermined by its struggles to hold air.

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WTB Trail Boss



During the initial fitting, the jumper was off, the cup of tea went cold and there was ample swearing. Also, and rather curiously, it relies heavily on sealant to become anything like airtight. Every time I fitted or removed tires, being as house trained as I am, I thoroughly cleaned them. In doing so I removed any leftover sealant. Upon re-installation, the tire would really have a hard time staying up. I would shake, I would bounce, I would do any trick you could think of but by the time I got to the top of my run, regardless of my cunning, it would be pretty flat. This was frustrating in two aspects - one, you have to pump up the tire again and check it tentatively on the way down and two, if you just so happen to be doing a back-to-back rolling resistance comparison it can somewhat take the edge off.

This tire isn’t a semi-slick, but rather it’s what the semi-slick should have been. It rolls well, it damps the trail effectively and offers loads of grip. It lacks the initial scrape you might find with other tires under braking and it seems to just hook up straight away on loose-over hard and gives consistent and predictable traction in turns. These factors can have a huge impact on your riding, or at least they do for me, because when you’re confident the grip will return you’ll be more comfortable dispensing of it or letting your speed run for just a little bit longer. I find this particularly in turns - if I know the tire isn’t going to wash then I’m far happier to unweight the rear and slide it through.

Under harsh compressions, I did very occasionally get the tire to burp. It wasn’t so bad that it became a problem but it was something I observed. Also, if I really tried I could get it to lose air in the “cutty test”. It’s also worth noting that the durability didn’t seem great. After the initial phase of testing the tire was showing quite heavy signs of wear.

The side knob traction on turns was very good, if not the best in the test. All in all, this tire rolled well, gripped well and I think will suitably impress anyone that wants a fast tire over their summer that will get them into the fun kind of trouble and out of the bad kind. My main concern would be durability, but what that means to you, and the significance you place on it, isn’t for me to say. All in all, I really enjoyed this tire and what it had to offer.

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Schwalbe Hans Dampf



Out of the box, the Hans was the only tire on test that had me thinking “deary me” as I reached for some tire levers. It also didn’t inflate all that easily. Eventually, it went up and I was out on the trails. It doesn’t feel like it rolls quickly and, as I climbed up the initial tarmac part of the climb I grew accustomed to the gentle rumbling of the tire’s knobs as they tracked the ground. It certainly wasn’t spritely.

When I pointed it down the trail it felt quite unstable. I honestly can’t say I particularly enjoyed riding this tire on anything but soft terrain. Over rocks and roots, it felt hard and seemed low on grip compared to the other tires on test. This was exacerbated in damp or wet conditions and only alleviated if the rocks and roots were ever baked dry under the sun.

One of the trails I conducted a lot of my testing on is particularly rough and makes for happy hunting if you’re trying to track down vibrations on your bike. On this trail I found the Hans Dampf to prompt levels of fatigue that I’ve not experienced before on that particular trail. This could either be because of the construction of the tire, it’s far from supple, or because the lack of grip and somewhat skittish rear end meant that I was riding just that little bit stiffer and, as a result, found myself tiring sooner. Either way, it wasn’t a great thing to associate with a tire.

With a tire like this, it’s no surprise that it isn’t as grippy as it could be. The fact that in other tire lines there is a Super-Soft option available is indicative of that. However, it was somewhat disheartening that this tire is neither the grippiest nor fastest rolling on test.

One place I did like the Hans Dampf though was on softer trails. The tire acted in a similar fashion as a cleated boot as it dug into soft terrain and really anchored into loose wet dirt. That said, I would trade a bit of this expert-level-excavation for something that was more confidence inspiring on things that weren’t soft. In search of grip, and hoping to reach a compromise with the characteristics of the tire, I decided to go down to 23PSI. Immediately the tire felt far better, but on the first run I put quite a decent dent in my rim and lost some air. I’m definitely more of a methodical than a maniacal rider and, in this instance, I don’t think I was being particularly reckless and it was disappointing. Especially considering it was literally 300 meters down my first run with lower pressure. After that, I went back up to 25PSI and just tried to cope with the discomfort and lack of grip.

After the normal 4K of vertical the tire still looks great. I think this tire would maybe suit somebody who doesn’t ride rough trails that require a huge amount of grip. If you want something that puts durability above all else and goes well in dusty dry conditions, then it could well be worth your consideration.

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Vittoria Martello



The tire uses Vittoria’s patented 4C technology, as well as boasting the added benefit of using graphene in the tire. The idea is that the graphene can fill in the small holes, on a molecular level, between rubber particles. In Vittoria’s own words the use of graphene can “achieve a performance boost specifically for speed, wet grip, durability and puncture resistance”. Bold claims indeed.

The tire went up particularly easily. It didn’t require the booster tank of my pump and made for a short process.

On my first ride, where I went down my anointed test track that I both began and finished every test period with, I was amazed by the level of grip it offered compared to its predecessor. Although there was good braking and cornering traction, it really shone over rocks and roots and offered levels of adhesion that some of the other tires, most notably the Hans Dampf, struggled to achieve. It’s almost hard to put into words but, as mountain bikers, the best example I can probably give is that it was like riding in your first set of Five Tens. I think this was a combination of three things - a supple casing that seems to yield both support and compliance, soft-to-the-touch rubber and carefully placed sipes that allow the knobs to deform as needed to the terrain.

I often use the word ‘scrape’ when referring to the initial sensation when getting on the brakes. I know it’s probably not the most scientific word but it does tend to illustrate what I mean. The Martello removed that scraping sensation altogether and felt like it got straight to the point.

Running at 26PSI I did make the tire burp once or twice over the duration of testing but it was only second to the Aggressor in this regard, which seemed somewhat unshakeable. All in all, I felt the Martello was very adequate in this area.

The tread offered good performance in all conditions and is probably the most versatile on the test. Although transitioning from the centre to side tread offers a predictable and consistent feeling, it doesn’t quite have the large side knobs of the Michelin, and probably for that reason, I would say that it isn’t quite as supportive when leaned over. However, it does offer a very reasonable rolling speed, especially considering the aforementioned grip, and also seemed one of the most durable on test. I’m not sure if this is down to the four different compounds or the graphene, and I can only talk about proof and puddings, but it does seem to offer something very tangible. I would love to try the same tire without the graphene, if only to help quantify what actual difference it makes. Mr. and Mrs. Vittoria… if you’re listening…

If you're cynical about rear tires that offer anything less than all-out traction but are still a little curious, this could be a real option. It doesn't have quite the same level of support when you’re really leaning the bike as other tires on test, but it’s ample for me and makes for a very strong candidate for a true pedal friendly and do it all rear tire.

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Michelin Wild Enduro Rear



Getting the tire setup was easy. It required the booster tank but minimal swearing, and I barely uttered so much as “bloodly hell” once.

Setting out, and the rolling speed seemed very good. Possibly not the strongest on the test, but well up there in the order. It largely does away with the dragging and rumbling sounds I have found with varying degrees on some of the other tires. However, it’s only when you get to top of the trails and start descending that what this tire really offers becomes quickly apparent.

This tire quickly became the new benchmark in terms of out-and-out descending grip. I just love the way that it combined good braking traction with excellent levels of support in the turns. It really felt like it offered enough grip to calm the whole bike down, as you could ride safely in the knowledge that it would not only slow down well, but also offer a large helping of traction once you got to the turn. Of all the tires on test, it offers the most predictable feeling and I would say was the out and out grippiest.

Like all the tires, I rode it on the same variety of trails, and it seems to handle all surfaces admirably. There wasn’t any squirm or shifting on rocks or roots and seemed very at home on softer terrain, too. My only gripe is that a tread that offers this much grip means you quickly outstrip what seems to be quite a light carcass. At 26PSI, on particularly rough trails, there just didn’t seem to be quite as much support as I’d like. It was okay but only okay.

After the initial part of testing, the level of wear that the tire had undergone went some way to explaining the high levels of grip offered. I think to show this level of wear after merely 4000M of ascent isn’t great. If you lived somewhere with a chairlift, you could really be going through this tire over a weekend or two. It's probably better in this regard than the WTB but not by much.

I think it offers similar levels of performance to the Martello but, for riders who are more aggressive in turns, I believe this to be the better tire. My main gripe is that I would want a little more stability in compressions. Sadly, I made the tire burp once or twice per ride. If you don’t have excessively rough terrain on your doorstep and aren’t concerned with durability, then this would be a truly great candidate for your next tire.

Pinkbike's Take

Posted In:
Reviews and Tech Ridden And Rated Tires Continental Maxxis Michelin Schwalbe Vittoria WTB