Nearly all common tire models from MAXXIS were available with the previous 3C MaxxTerra variant – and if you currently buy or ride a mountain bike with MAXXIS tires, there’s a good chance that at least the rear tire features exactly this compound. But MaxxTerra has also long been established as a front tire compound – especially on lighter trail bikes.
MaxxTerra belongs to the 3C compound category – meaning a triple compound – in which each layer is intended to deliver a defined characteristic: a hard base layer with medium-hard tread blocks on the center tread above it and soft side knobs. This is intended to ensure low rolling resistance while still delivering good grip, which was also confirmed in our current tire comparison test.
The new MaxxTerra generation also remains true to the triple-compound concept, but, according to the manufacturer, it has been revised in several key areas: MAXXIS are promising up to 30% more durability and 15% more traction without any increase in rolling resistance. Ambitious claims, certainly, but pointed in the right direction given that longevity has never been the brand’s strongest suit. The tread pattern and casings remain unchanged throughout, with only the rubber compound revised.
The new MaxxTerra rubber compound is now available across the entire MAXXIS portfolio in all common tread patterns. These include classics such as the ASSEGAI, Minion DHR 2, and Minion DHF, but also newer and lighter options such as the DISSECTOR, FOREKASTER, and REKON. There are no limitations when it comes to casings either: from light EXO constructions to robust Doubledown or DH casings, the new compound is available across the board. In other words – you can use the new MaxxTerra version everywhere, from a light trail tire to a no-compromise gravity setup. In practice, however, we would primarily recommend the MaxxTerra rubber compound on the rear wheel of trail and enduro bikes, where the mix of rolling resistance and durability plays to its strengths best – but more on that in our big tire comparison test.
For now, the easiest way to spot the new compound is on the packaging, where a “New MaxxTerra” sticker identifies the revised version. On the tyre itself the distinction is more subtle: the previous “3C” designation has been dropped, leaving just “MaxxTerra” on the sidewall.
The New MAXXIS MaxxTerra Rubber Compound on Review
For our review, we had models of the MAXXIS DISSECTOR and Minion DHR 2 with the new MaxxTerra rubber compound in continuous use for around three months. To obtain data that was as comparable as possible, we not only rode the tires intensively on the trail, but also put them through our standardized lab test again directly afterward – under exactly the same controlled conditions as our big tire comparison test.
On the scales, small differences begin to emerge. The Minion DHR 2 in 29×2.5 DH casing tipped the scales at 1,399 g, some 20 g more than the outgoing version. The 29×2.4 Doubledown tells a more notable story, weighing in at 1,285 g and sitting 86 g heavier than the tire it replaces. However, these values should not be overestimated. In our big tire comparison test, we found weight fluctuations of sometimes more than 200 g in supposedly identical models – a known phenomenon that we already discussed in our supplementary article on the tire comparison test. Accordingly, no real conclusions can be drawn from this about the new rubber compound, which should not trigger any real weight difference anyway.
In the lab, however, the picture shifts. Maxxis’s promise of unchanged rolling resistance was not borne out by our test results. Quite the opposite: the 29×2.4″ Minion DHR 2 with the new MaxxTerra compound and Doubledown casing needs 1.7 watts more than its direct predecessor. It gets even more drastic with the 29×2.4″ DISSECTOR with the new MaxxTerra compound and Doubledown casing. With exactly the same parameters it requires 6.8 watts more in our lab tests, which means a whopping 22% more rolling resistance, on a tire that is actually often used on light trail bikes. In terms of rolling resistance, this puts it almost at the level of a comparable Minion DHR 2, which in return impresses with more grip and braking traction on the descents.
But we also put the tires through the wringer on the trail. In addition to countless runs on different bikes, we also deliberately covered long distances and rode one of the DHR 2 tires for around 800 km – in parallel, the counterpart with the old MaxxTerra compound had to complete exactly the same distance. A mix of singletrack and gravel roads. That gave us a direct comparison.
The result, however, is nuanced: in terms of the classic wear pattern – meaning how much a tire is worn down after a long distance – we couldn’t detect any clear difference here. It became more noticeable, however, under hard conditions in the bike park or on rough enduro tracks. Here, the new compound showed greater resistance to the typical “shredding” of the knobs, which usually occurs under braking. That was often the limiting factor with the old MaxxTerra version: the knobs gave up before the tire was actually worn out, and it was therefore replaced. So this area has effectively been improved. On the other hand, we could not clearly detect more traction on the trail, even though we have logged an enormous number of kilometers on the old MaxxTerra compound in the past. In practice, the targeted 15% difference in grip is also not really measurable due to constantly changing trail conditions and line choices that are never completely identical.
Conclusions about the New MAXXIS MaxxTerra Rubber Compound
The new Maxxis MaxxTerra compound retains the proven triple-compound construction while introducing selective revisions focused squarely on durability and traction. As our lab test demonstrated, however, those gains come at a cost, with rolling resistance suffering notable losses in some cases. On the trail, the most tangible improvement is the increased resistance of the knobs, which show a clear reduction in tearing. A meaningful uplift in grip, however, was not something we could detect.
Tops
- Less shredding of the knobs
- Unchanged price
Flops
- Sharply increased rolling resistance
For more info, visit the MAXXIS website.
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Words: Peter Walker Photos: Benedikt Schmidt, Peter Walker, Sven Martin