New wet-weather XC tyre and silica-infused rubber compound from Maxxis promise more grip and less rolling resistance
Maxxis has announced the release of the Severe, a new cross-country tyre that uses a fresh rubber compound made specifically for cross-country racing.
The compound, called MaxxSpeed, is claimed to increase traction in the wet and significantly lower rolling resistance compared to Maxxis’ existing MaxxSpeed 3C compound. From the existing Maxxis mountain bike tyres range, the Aspen, Rekon Race and Ikon will also be available in options using the new compound.
Tested on the World Cup stage and designed with close input from Maxxis athletes such as Nino Schurter and Bec Henderson, the new Severe mud tyre and MaxxGrip rubber compound already have numerous wins under their collective belt.
Maxxis Severe
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The new Maxxis Severe is a mountain bike tyre designed for use in wet and muddy cross-country races. The new tread has been put to the test extensively at XC World Cup races last year and is available to buy now.
The tyre is available in two sizes, 29×2.25in and 27.5×2.25in. The 29×2.25in tyre has a claimed weight of 745g.
Maxxis claims the Severe’s narrow 2.25in profile and spiky tread pattern will cut through soft ground and shed mud with ease. The new Severe gets a 120 TPI tubeless-ready casing and the new MaxxSpeed rubber compound.
The Maxxis Severe costs $93 and international pricing is to be confirmed.
New MaxxSpeed rubber compound
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The updated MaxxSpeed rubber compound comes with some big claims. By using silica as a filler in the rubber polymer, Maxxis claims to have created a new compound that outperforms the existing 3C MaxxGrip in all areas of performance.
Developed with close input from Schurter and the SCOTT-SRAM team, the new MaxxSpeed compound takes inspiration from the brand’s full-silica road racing compound.
According to Maxxis, the resulting compound benefits from a 25 per cent reduction in rolling resistance and has already been piloted to World Cup and World Championship wins over the last few seasons by the likes of Schurter, Henderson and Ghost Factory Racing.