Michelin has just updated its Wild Enduro Racing Line tires with new tread patterns, and a new option. The revised models are said to be faster and lighter than their previously pretty hefty predecessors without sacrificing control or grip. Michelin hopes the revised versions will be some of the best mountain bike tires around. A set has just landed in the Bike Perfect office, so let's take a closer look.
There are two different options for the front wheel – Mixed Hard (MH) and Mixed Soft (MS). As the names suggest, the MH is designed for harder trails and the MS for "intermediate and soft ground". The two tread designs only bear a passing resemblance to one another. The MH has three pairs of lightly siped central blocks in a V shape that get slightly wider before the pattern repeats again. They're flanked by three pairs of aggressively positioned shoulder blocks with a pattern that widens and repeats too.
Apart from the repeating basic theme of two Vs of three pairs of blocks, the MS's wider-spaced pattern is quite different. The blocks are taller to help grab softer ground while a third block sits centrally at the top of the inner V. The rear tire again has twin repeating V shapes, but a much shallower central section with a T-shaped block at the widest section of the inner V.
Michelin says the new Wild Enduro Racing Lines are 10 percent lighter than the previous (heavy) incarnations thanks to a new lighter dual-ply 55TPI casing. The brand has also reworked the Magi-X rubber compound (used by all three tires) to give "enhanced grip in damp, cold conditions (3 to 10 degrees C)" – something that tester, Mick Kirkman, found was lacking in the previous versions when he reviewed them for MBR.
My test set weighs 1,249g for the MS, 1,325g MH and 1,184g for the rear, so while lighter than before, unsurprisingly they fall between Maxxis EXO+ (single 60TPI) casing and DoubleDown (dual-ply 120TPI) weight-wise.
The lighter weight has helped to improve rolling resistance says Michelin, with tire testing lab Wheel Energy showing 20-watt savings for the front tire compared to the old version and 30 watts for the rear.
The tires have literally just arrived, so I've not had the chance to put any miles on them yet. I have fitted the MH to a wheel though and it was quite a battle to wrestle it onto the rim. Using my fairly unscientific but still comparative durometer (hardness) test of the tire compound, the MH measured 51a compared to a box fresh Maxxis DHF 3C EXO+ tire that was 50.5a – both tires were at 20psi.
All the tires are available in 29 and 27.5-inch, the three options come in just one width each – 2.5in for the MH, and 2.4 for the MS and the Rear.
Pricing starts at £79.99 for the 27.5in MS and goes up to £89.99 for the 29in MH – US and EU prices TBC. All the tires are available with the blue and yellow sidewall markings seen here, or the more stealthy 'Dark' option. All options are available to buy now.
