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It’s been some time since there has been a major update of Maxxis’ legendary High Roller tire, which first arrived on the scene over two decades ago, but a few months back the latest version became available in a full suite of casings and sizes. Last Fall I began testing the new tire purely in the DH option and as the EXO+ and Double Down casings became available in the Spring I started riding those versions in a pedal powered capacity. Having tested each duty level of the new tire, it’s time for their final review, so read on for the full scoop…
Details
- 3C MaxxGrip compound
- EXO+, DoubleDown and DH casing options
- 29″ and 27.5″ X 2.4″ width
- Weights: vary by size/casing, but generally under claimed on our scale
- $116 USD
Much like its predecessors, the new High Roller III, which features a hot patch that just says “High Roller” has 2 knobs in each center row of similar shape. It varies in the sense that these knobs are closer in shape and profile to a cut spike or a Shorty than the prior iterations which were aggressively ramped and alternated between narrow and wide. The sipes of the center knobs still alternate between running vertically and horizontally. The new layout of the center knobs opens up three roomy vertical channels and takes the High Roller from being a fast rolling tire aimed at hardpack to a more versatile tire that is much improved in loose and variable conditions.
The profile of the tire is very middle of the road. I would neither describe it as leaning toward the more rounded nor the more square end of the spectrum…rather, it’s just right.
The cornering magic – or at least a large part of it – lies in the side knobs, which are beefy and well supported. There is a very shallow C shaped relief channel cut into the outer surface to encourage some mild give and you’ll notice a contained vertical sipe on every other corner knob’s face. In my opinion Maxxis’ approach to the side knob here is what keeps this tire predictable in both soft and firm conditions.
At just a touch over 2.4″ on a 30mm inner diameter rim, the sizing is about as accurate as one could ask for.
On the trail
I had enough time on this tire by last Winter to publish a full review, but I’d only ridden the DH casing version in the bike park and on an e-bike, so in the interest of gauging rolling speed/climbinb, I waited until I got ahold of a set of EXO+ and Double Down casings to dabble with. With that in mind, I’ll start with that aspect – and surprisingly the High Roller III performed better than I expected. While Maxxis lists this tire as a 2.5 out of 5 bars on their “rolling speed” section of the High Roller III’s landing page I wouldn’t let that deter you from putting them on a trail bike if their general disposition seems to suit you and your local terrain. I found that not only did this tire get up to speed quickly and roll fairly fast, it actually climbed fairly pleasantly and competently as well. The center knobs are not that tall and thus do not squirm and deform all that much under power, so they motor along pretty efficiently. To put it more plainly I wouldn’t relegate this tire to purely “gravity” duties.
Getting into the more exciting part we can discuss the High Roller III’s prowess on the descents. As I mentioned earlier, it has transitioned from being a fast rolling hardpack tire to being oriented more toward mixed terrain. On the whole I’ve found that it strikes about as good a balance as one could possibly ask for when straddling between loose and hardpack conditions. In the middle of Summer that is quite often precisely what you get when trails become dry and blown out. I spent the bulk of my testing in Northern Idaho where those types of conditions are just the norm. I loved that the widely spaced knobs allowed it to bite in and cut through chewed up sections of trail, while it still offered solid, predictable cornering support on dry, packed berms. You may not be able to push the front wheel quite as hard on packed surfaces as you would on an Assegai, but it is predictable in how far you can lean and doesn’t give without warning.
In the shoulder seasons the High Roller III was equally amazing in damp, loose, freshly cut loamy terrain and its ability to hold a line on steep off cambers was impressive as well. I think this is due in large part to its open nature and abundance of sharp edges. About the only downside that comes from a tire that’s this good in this broad of an array of conditions is that it did wear a little more quickly than some other offerings. It’s worth remembering that the wear is distributed across less knobs, but that’s just an inherent catch 22 with tire design. Lastly when it came to braking power I would rate it as quite good but not as aggressive as some other tires with more and/or taller knobs, but then again it rolls a bit faster and feels more predictable, settled and less squirmy than other such offerings. Those are all just trade offs to be expected.
Overall
All in all, the High Roller III has dethroned the Magic Mary after many long years as my favorite mixed conditions tire. While it does wear a bit on the faster side, when looking at this purely from a performance standpoint I think this tire is difficult to beat if you’re frequently transitioning between loose and firm trails. It’s also worth reiterating the fact that a great many of us ride on trails that are constantly doing just that – going back and forth between loose, natural terrain and firm, man made sections/features. While the High Roller III is a bit pricey, I don’t think it wore extremely fast by any means. That said, I do think offering up a MaxxTerra version would be a good call on Maxxis’ behalf in the future. For riders who are more budget conscious it could be the right move to run one out back paired to a MaxxTerra out front. Regardless, I’m not surprised that this tire has spent a great deal of time on Jackson Goldstone and Dan Booker’s bikes this year – it’s really damn good.
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[[{“value”:”It’s been some time since there has been a major update of Maxxis’ legendary High Roller tire, which first arrived on the scene over two decades ago, but a few months back the latest version became available in a full suite of casings and sizes. Last Fall I began testing the new tire purely in the DH option and as the EXO+ and Double Down casings became available in the Spring I started riding those versions in a pedal powered capacity. Having tested each duty level of the new tire, it’s time for their final review, so read on for
The post [Tested] Maxxis High Roller III appeared first on MTB-MAG.COM.”}]] Read More MTB-MAG.COM
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