Michelin Wild Enduro MS tire review – the brand new MS is faster rolling with better grip

Michelin’s yellow and black chequered Racing Line sidewall logos have adorned plenty of race-winning bikes in the gravity sector, not least when Sam Hill dominated enduro for a few seasons and won three EWS titles on the trot.

Its MTB tires are obviously capable of winning, but the lairy graphics weren’t such a victory for everyone, so it’s welcome that Michelin now offers its top-tier gravity models in a much more subtle gray colorway as well. Changing color is the least of the changes to the new Wild Enduro range though, as there is now a whole new construction, tread and rubber compound on three different versions. MS (Mixed/Soft) and MH (Mixed/Hard) are primarily designed as front tires and there’s also a specific rear tread. The trio are now lighter weight, faster rolling and designed to work better in colder conditions.

The previous generation Wild Enduro was a popular choice for privateer racers and UK shredders and a tire that, together with the DH 22 and 34 models, I’ve used a fair bit. In fact, I’ve tried pretty much every generation and model of Michelin’s gravity lineup over the last two decades and mostly been a big fan of the sticky grip, but with a hefty rolling resistance or casing stiffness penalty, the brand never quite became my number one go-to brand.

While this MS is more designed for the front, because Michelin continues its theme of offering a rear-specific model with a faster-rolling, lower profile tread that’s potentially less good in the slop or under hard braking, I’ve used both this MS and the fatter MH tire (I’ll review separately) on the rear to try out as well.

Design and specifications

The MS’s all-new tread pattern is slightly more open and blockier than the previous Wild Enduro, and both MS and MH models fill in some of the blanks on the edges. This is a big improvement as the previously too widely-spaced edge blocks lacked the continuous bite I needed in loose or muddy conditions.

All new Racing Line models switch from a 4-ply DH shield casing to a dual-ply carcass more like competitors' DH tires. This new casing is lighter and more supple, while hopefully retaining the good puncture protection Michelin is known for by using two separate woven liner shields and a bead bumper to resist pinch flats. One of these ‘Kevlar-style’ layers covers just the tread crown and the other wraps the entire tire.

Unsurprisingly, designed for mixed/soft conditions, the MS’s reasonably open tread should cut in better in loose conditions and mud, but it’s still a good way off a dedicated spiky mud tire and more like a slightly opened up ‘standard’ tire. I used it in a mix of slick UK dirt and slop, then bone-dry Mediterranean rocks and broken up hardpack, and it worked well on both. 

Michelin has done more than just changed the tread knobs and casing though. Its latest Magi X rubber blend is reformulated to offer better performance at lower temperatures. As anyone who lives in cold climes and rides year-round could testify, Michelin Magi X could get overly stiff and pingy on wet rocks and roots when the thermometer dropped, but as I received these new tires in the warmer months, I’ve not had a chance to test this aspect yet. The rubber does feel different to touch, however, and is slightly more squidgy/smeary when pushed than the firm, but super slow to deform back into shape character of the older blend.

This new rubber formula is also supposed to roll significantly faster, and you can notice this is true immediately and it’s definitely welcome. Michelin says, "Magi-X technology reduces rubber-related energy losses, meaning that every turn of the pedals counts more". And that: "Independent testers Wheel Energy have shown the new tires deliver significant improvements in rolling resistance with the rears saving 30W over the previous versions and the front tires 20W, presenting serious speed advantages."

This backs up what I’m feeling in the hand and sounds like the tire’s rubber compound isn’t as slow rebounding as before. The way any tire deforms and bounces back to shape is a key component that can really affect how rubber absorbs rolling energy and momentum and losses. It’s complicated and always hard to decipher Michelin’s tech talk though as the brand is guarded about its technology and doesn’t claim rubber durometer (hardness levels) like other firms. I’m told the MS tire here has the same compound as the MH tire I’m also testing, but it feels softer and more squidgy to me.

One aspect that’s indisputable is that the new tires are lighter. Michelin claims a 10 percent weight saving, which is presumably mostly in the switch to the new dual-ply 55TPI construction that "minimizes flexion movement for superior stability when cornering and landing after jumps" according to the brand. 10 percent lighter still means pretty chunky though, as the previous generation 29in Wild Enduro front was a whopping 1,480g and this MS is 1,320g – still pretty heavy then for a tire targeting enduro rather than DH, even if the boundaries of those categories are pretty blurred.

Performance

Michelin’s dual-ply casing isn’t as stiff as many DH tires while installing but I still struggled with a very tight fit on the rim. Despite putting hundreds of tires on with my bare hands over the years, I had to resort to tire levers on a pair of carbon wheels (I just about got them on alloy rims by hand). One bonus of this is the MS popped into place with a track pump a cinch and never burped any sealant, even at around 20psi on super-rough DH tracks.

Having used the tire both in the wet UK and sunny Italy, it clearly works as intended in both wet and dry conditions and really gripped a lot, especially once the brand-new feeling and the release agent wore out of the rubber. This new tire’s touch and predictability at all lean angles are much better than the previous model to me. When dirt is soft you can really push into the edges cranked over and find support on the ground, and the more filled-in shoulder edge holds a smooth line with no surprises or weird breakaway. Gone is that sense of loam pushing through the gaps I had with the old Wild Enduro and this alone is a big advantage.

The crown is reasonably squared off for good high-speed stability and MS grip is pretty continuous, more like a Maxxis Assegai than a tire with a distinct continuous ‘grip channel’ between central and shoulder lugs. The tread and rubber work well in slimy conditions both on soft dirt and hitting greasy roots and rocks at horrible angles.

Rolling speed is noticeably better than before. The MS looks quite spiky but there is less of that dead weight energy-sapping draggy feel of older Wild Enduro fronts. It basically rolls over ‘OK’ with a sense of what you’d expect from a slow and grippy tire, rather than a ‘wading through treacle’ sensation as previously served up on Michelin DH models. And, yes, I know that it didn’t exactly slow Sam Hill down…

Despite being pretty open and spaced out in the tread, each individual tread block has a fair bit of support and stiffness so knobs don’t flex or squirm excessively if you’re really charging. The new package of casing, tread and compound also feels calm and stable on rock-hard surfaces and can absorb big impacts like landing rock steps or fast jumps without deflecting or buckling like someone punched it in the gut. While doing all this, the tire isn’t so solid it’s too uncomfortable either or overly stiff like the old wire bead DH 22 and 34 tires were – unless you were running really low pressures. 

Slightly smaller individual tread blocks mean there is also less ‘float’ on rock-hard surfaces as you can get with a tire where each central block has a bigger surface area (like a Maxxis Minion DHF). Braking traction is also really good where the tire connects nicely without skipping. 

With its new updates, Michelin has changed the character of this MS to the point it rides more like a latest generation Conti or Maxxis equivalent. Whether those that loved the slappy, almost ‘medicine ball’ feeling of its previously dull and slow rebounding formula (at least in warmer weather) will like the changes as much as me is hard to say though.

Even with the slightly more dynamic ride, Michelin has retained a nicely damped feel in the casing without getting to the point where the sidewalls fold or twist too readily under high loads cornering or landing drops. This was backed up visually by no excessive ply lines (light creases) in the casing, despite running around 20psi on the front of a long travel enduro rig on super-long and rough tracks.

Wear life seems pretty good (the tire in the photo has done around 25,000m of descending on the front), but one significant issue I had with this Racing Line was ripping a shoulder tread block off completely. This is basically the end of the life of a very expensive tire unless you start some repairs with glue and hope for the best. I’m giving Michelin the benefit of the doubt this time, but it’s something I’ve only ever done regularly to Schwalbe tires in the past, so hopefully Michelin tires won’t start doing this too.

Much improved over the popular previous Wild Enduro model, this MS tire rolls faster and grips better to deliver an improved package that is more versatile. The tire also seems to carry over Michelin’s excellent puncture resistance despite being lighter. The MS is still as heavy as a full-on Conti DH tire though and heavier than other brands' enduro options like Maxxis DoubleDown, which is weight you’ll have to drag uphill whether it turns over easier or not. Ripping a tread block clean off is also a worry.

Verdict

Michelin’s new Wild Enduro MS changes the tread and casing, in turn, completely changing the tire’s character compared to its predecessor. Out goes Michelin’s slow rolling, ultra-damped feel and eccentric overly spaced-out shoulder tread, and in comes a tire that’s faster, designed to work better in cold conditions and closer to leading competitors' offerings in performance and feel. The new MS is also lighter, but some Michelin die-hard fans might not like all the changes quite as much as me.

Tech specs: Michelin Wild Enduro MS tire

• Price: $95.62 / £84.99 / €87.96 (29in)

• Weight: 1,320g (29in)

• Sizes: 27.5 x 2.4in and 29 x 2.4in only

• Casing: Dual Ply folding bead (2 x 55TPI plies)

• Compound: Magi X