Maxxis Tire Review

It is really hard to find good tires. There are so many choices out there it would take forever to try all of them. Plus the higher end race tires aren't cheap, I think the tires I put on my car were cheaper than some tires I have for my bike! So what most people do is just run the tires that the bike comes with and gets used to them. I have been lucky enough to get the help from MAXXIS this year and have fallen in love with their tires. The winter months for me and most of the biking community consist of hours on the trainer, pouring over product reviews, and looking at what the pro's were winning on last year. I have been seeing a lot about Maxxis, and after researching their tires I understood why.

Because of the muddy conditions last year I was looking for a tire that would roll fast but still be able to hook up if the trails were wet. The Larson MiMo eXCeption tire does all that and so much more. If you have been reading this blog for any time I am sure you have heard me talk about all the trail conditions this tire works for. This is by far the best all around mountain tire I have ever rode. It is a great high volume tire, I typically run it at about 30 psi on my Mavic CrossMax rims. Something that is typically overlooked when looking for a lightweight racing tire are the sidewalls. I feel Maxxis did their homework in this area. The tire soft enough to take the edge off the bumps, but is hard enough to keep from folding over when the trails get tight . The eXCeption compound is softer and was developed for XC racing. If you plan on riding to and from the trails on pavement you might see faster wear, in that case I would recommend using the standard, harder tire.

Again because of all the mud last year I figured I better have a mud tire. Turns out this has been one of the driest summers on record so I have not been able to try it out until this past weekend. The Medusa is one mud eating monster! You don't have to scroll down too far to see how muddy the course got this weekend. It was a mix of wet grass, slime over hardpack, and thick deep mud. The narrow (1.8) Medusa's cut through the mess and found traction when everyone else was slipping all over. The wide spacing of the knobs cleaned out so well. There were a couple hike-a-bike sections that my tires would pack up, as soon as I got back on the bike and rolling it would through the mud off, mostly onto me, and was ready for more. This is a mud specific tire, it is narrow and has really hard knobs to cut through the mud. Because of this it would not do well trying stick to dry trails and could easily pinch flat through rock garden, but in the mud they are incredible!

I hope this helps out in your decision making process. I would say if you are looking for a good all around tire to give the Larson MiMo a try. The cool thing about Maxxis is that they offer all their tires in a standard more cost efficient version, as well as an eXCeption version built specific for racing. Any type of riding you are into they will keep you on track, after all it is more fun to watch the other guys slide off the trail trying to keep up!