Decoder: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Maxxis MTB Tires

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Riding Style & Tread Patterns 

Starting from the top, Maxxis tires typically fit into one of the riding styles or categories below, with corresponding tread patterns. Worth noting: some tires naturally span two adjacent categories, such as XC and Trail, or Enduro and Downhill. 

• Cross-country (XC): lighter, faster rolling, with less puncture and sidewall protection; tread patterns are small, tightly spaced knobs–often symmetrical

• Example Tires: Aspen, Ikon, Rekon Race

• Trail/Downcountry: middle of the road…splits the difference between XC speed and descent-oriented traction; tread patterns are mid-height knobs with tighter center knobs for rolling efficiency, and bigger side knobs for cornering. But this is the largest range that goes from heavy-duty XC tires to lighter-weight Enduro tires 

• Example Tires: Rekon, Forekaster, Dissector, Minion DHR II

• Enduro / Downhill: highest levels of traction, cornering stability, and durability; tread patterns are larger, widely spaced knobs, and often used in front/rear combinations; also ideal for e-mountain bikes 

• Example Tires: Minion DHF (Front), Minion DHR (Rear), Assegai, Aggressor

TPI

TPI, or threads per inch, refers to the number of threads woven together in one inch of the tire's casing fabric. It is a key factor in determining the flexibility, weight, durability, and feel of a mountain bike tire. The higher the count, the faster it rolls but also decreases puncture resistance. Generally speaking: 

• Higher TPI (120 or 170): thinner and lighter, but less durable and puncture resistant; more commonly found on XC or light trail tires 

• Lower TPI (60): thicker and sturdier, with higher levels of durability and puncture resistance; more commonly found on enduro or DH tires 

Casing (Sidewall)

Casing, or the sidewall of your tire, is directly related to TPI. Maxxis offers several different casing technologies, each tuned for different riding styles and needs: 

• EXO: one layer of 60 or 120 TPI with EXO sidewall protection; lighter weight, but less puncture protection; ideal for XC and trail riding 

• EXO+: one layer of 60 TPI with EXO sidewall protection and a butyl insert at the bead; more puncture protection, but can soften or mute the ride feel; ideal for trail or enduro riding

• DoubleDown (DD): two layers of 120 TPI  with a taller butyl insert at the bead; stronger puncture protection; ideal for enduro riding or e-bikes 

• Downhill: two layers of 60 TPI with a taller butyl insert at the bead; highest level of puncture protection and durability; ideal for downhill riding 

Compounds

As noted above, the general rule of thumb is that tire compounds sit along a sliding scale, with harder compounds being faster rolling (XC), softer compounds more grippy and better for cornering, and everything else sitting somewhere in between those two end-points. 

More specifically, Maxxis offers two "levels", in DC or 3C. DC standing for "Dual Compound" Which is two layers of rubber, and then their triple compound (3C) which uses different rubber for the center knobs vs the corner knobs, albiet at a higher price: 

• 3C MaxxSpeed: hardest compound, fastest rolling; ideal for XC/XC Racing

• 3C MaxxTerra: softer and grippier than Dual; ideal for trail front tires and enduro

• 3C MaxxGrip: softest compound, max traction; ideal for downhill

• Dual Compound (DC): harder base with a softer outer layer; 50/50 on all terrain, but lowers the overall cost of tires 

Tubeless Ready (TR)

The TR acronym on the side of your Maxxis tire? It stands for ‘Tubeless Ready.’ And if you’re still among the uninitiated when it comes to tubeless, in our humble opinion, it’s among the greatest MTB innovations of all time, enabling you to reduce flats from pinches or punctures while running a lower tire pressure, which can improve traction and comfort. Once you go tubeless, you’ll never go back. 

Classic Pairing Options

Many Maxxis tires are designed to be used in tandem, as a complementary front and rear setup. Some of the most classic, beloved pairings are as follows: 

• Cross-Country/XC Racing (XC): Aspen (Front) and Aspen (Rear)

• Light Trail / Downcountry: Forkaster (Front) and Forkaster (Rear)

• Trail: Minion DHR II (Front) + Dissector (Rear)

• Enduro / Downhill: Assegai (Front) + Minion DHR II (Rear)