The Maxxis High Roller II 2.4 3C MAXX TERRA EXO tyres are grippy, fast and durable
Price: £47.99
What they say: An open and aggressive tread design gives the High Roller II excellent soil penetration and mud-clearing ability. A square profile provides a solid, consistent feel across the knobs. Modified knobs on the shoulder and center improve braking performance and traction on hard surfaces. An excellent choice for technical, freeride terrain.
What it is: There are a few mountain bike products that have transcended into almost legendary status, and the Maxxis Highroller is certainly up there as a contender. The latest version, the High Roller II, retains the familiar tread pattern that makes this a really good all-round tyre for a lot of applications. If you want fit-and-forget, the High Roller II is a good choice.
The High Roller II is available in a choice of widths and for all three tyre sizes. I tested a 27.5×2.4in version with the 3C MAXX TERRA tread compound and EXO casing. This tread compound combines a hard base compound wrapped in an intermediate centre compound and a soft compound for the shoulder blocks. This produces good speed when riding in a straight line and the softer edge blocks offer up more grip when cornering. It’s a nice balance.
What makes the High Roller II, and the reason it’s a perennially popular trail tyre, is the vast amount of grip it can exploit from the trail. It’s a tyre that can be trusted to work well on a wide range of trails and in many different conditions. The refined ramped and siped tread finds good grip when accelerating out of corners, and good braking traction when you need to scrub off speed coming into fast sections. The side knobs provide good bite when banking the bike over and the intermediary knobs ensure a progressive transition from the centre tread to the shoulder blocks.
It’s not a light tyre but it’s not bad considering its size and toughness (our sample weighed in over 900g), and the tyre compound and the tread pattern provides a good turn of pace. It’s quicker in dry and firm conditions and provides reasonable competent performance in the mud, though it’s not a mud-specific tyre, it copes well enough that, dependent on your local trails, you could leave it on all winter.
It’s a durable tyre. The EXO carcass provides good cut resistance in the sidewalls and they also provide a bit more support for running lower pressures. A tubeless version is available, but the standard tyres can be set up tubeless – I got them inflated on a tubeless-ready rim with a dollop of sealant.
Who it’s good for: The High Roller II is an easy choice because it offers a fantastic level of traction, works well in a wide range of conditions and trail surfaces, and is very predictable. It might not be the newest tyre on the market, but it’s certainly not showing its age.
Contact: www.maxxis.co.uk
