Maxxis has the right tyre for every discipline and every rider. With five races at Mogo Trails plus a South Coast gravel Fondo, tyre choice matters significantly!

We sat down with the crew at @Maxxisbikeau, naming rights partner of the MAXXIS Effervelo Gravel Fondo, to find out what they’d actually run, event by event, across the Sea Otter Australia program.

First, what’s new: the DHX

Before we got into the event-by-event picks the @Maxxisbikeau team wanted to show us what’s landing on the trail right now.

The new Minion DHX, with EXO+ and DD casing options coming soon. Comparable to the DHR II, they told us, but with more stability and shoulder knob support, giving you the confidence to lean harder into the corners and ride faster.

Their words: the ultimate combination of rolling speed and grip.

No margin. No mercy.

Come and meet it at the Maxxis tent in the Expo!

WHICH TYRE FOR WHICH EVENT? 

THULE Marathon, Friday

The Maxxis team know the course well and how it’s known to run, hand-built singletrack balanced with open fire trails, fast and flowy, with loose-over-hard sections and rocky, rooty technical climbs and descents.

Their answer: a combination that rolls fast with predictable cornering bite. Run the Maxxis Aspen 2.4 with MaXXSpeed compound up front, paired with the Maxxis Aspen ST 2.4 with MaXXSpeed compound on the rear, for the confidence to ride as fast as your legs and lungs will push you.

If you’re chasing pure cross country speed and don’t want to compromise on rolling resistance, Maxxis points you to the Aspen ST 2.4 with MaXXSpeed compound up front and the Aspen ST 2.25 with MaXXSpeed compound on the rear.

While we had them, we also asked what happens if something goes wrong out there. Maxxis is running a neutral support tent at the THULE Marathon on Friday, set up near the finish line to help any rider with a tyre or minor mechanical issue, tubes, chain links, that sort of thing, get back on the trail. On Saturday and Sunday the tent shifts to Maxxis’s usual spot at the start of the demo loop, so it’s worth knowing where to find them all weekend, not just on marathon day.

eOtterX – Bosch ePowered, Friday

High energy electric mountain biking at its most challenging needs tyres that match your bike’s power and torque, plus your own agility and technical prowess, and that’s exactly the brief we put to Maxxis.

The word from their pros is the new Maxxis DHX, front and rear, is the hot ticket if you want a podium run.

The DHX’s increased stability and shoulder knob support let you run lower pressures for better traction and confidence through the corners, according to the team.

Your casing choice, they told us, comes down to how hard you’re pushing: Double Down (120TPI x 2) or the new DH casing (60TPI x 2).

Shimano XC Crit, Saturday

Punchy and dynamic, quick acceleration and every ounce of your explosive power, any break in traction here costs you dearly.

We put that to Maxxis and they came back with the Aspen AT 2.4 with MaXXSpeed compound up front, paired with the Aspen 2.4 with MaXXSpeed compound on the rear, to keep you at the pointy end of the field.

Fox Superflow, Saturday and Sunday

We asked Maxxis for their pick on the sweetest trail riding format, on some of the sweetest trails in the country, and they didn’t hesitate: for maximum confidence, run the Assegai EXO+ 2.5 with MAXXGRIP compound up front, paired with the DHR II 2.4 with MAXXTERRA compound on the rear.

Want something faster rolling instead? Their crew told us the Dissector EXO+ 2.4 with MAXXGRIP compound up front and the Forekaster EXO+ 2.4 with MAXXTERRA compound on the rear is a Maxxis crew favourite.

SMITH Optics Enduro, Saturday and Sunday

Ten stages over two days, only one run at each, any mistake costs you, so we asked Maxxis what they trust when there’s no room for error.

The go-to enduro combo, they said, is the Assegai DD 2.5 with MAXXGRIP compound on the front, paired with the DHR II DD (or DH casing if you’re a heavier hitter) 2.4 with MAXXTERRA compound on the rear. Put a fresh set on and they won’t let you down.

One thing Maxxis flagged, with conditions expected dry and dusty, don’t be surprised to see the new DHX 2.5 out on course too, the high speed dry race weapon. DH casing is available now, with the EXO+ and DD casing models landing in the Expo.

MAXXIS Effervelo Gravel Fondo, Sunday

Tight trail networks through to expansive backcountry forestry roads, a highly diverse mix of trails and surfaces, especially for anyone stepping up to the Epic distance. Maxxis had two answers depending on your bike.

If your gravel bike can run wider rubber, they recommend the new Aspen ST 55C front and rear for the confidence, speed and comfort to get out and back in record time, and still feel fresh at the finish. If your bike doesn’t have that wide-body capacity, their pick is the Rambler up front and the Reaver on the back, both in the widest configuration your frame and fork will take, humming along the smooth, fast-rolling hardpack while confidently tackling the punchy, steep climbs and fast, sweeping descents.

The one thing Maxxis wants every rider to hear

A fresh set of tyres before a four-day event is cheap insurance, they told us, worn tyres are the number one preventable DNF at multi-day races. Check yours now, and if they’re marginal, replace them before you drive down. Maxxis is stocked across the independent bike shop network, so your local can sort you out.

Call into the Maxxis tent at the Expo for the chance to win a pair of tyres and find out if you’re a Maxxis MasterMind, and keep an eye out for tyre deals in the Expo too.

Thanks to the team at Maxxis for sharing their picks so you can spend the weekend riding, not second-guessing your setup.