9/8/2023 0 Comments Michelin wild racr![]() Like its DH tyres (that I’ve found virtually impenetrable), this spikier front Wild Enduro is pretty bombproof, but this benefit comes at a significant price in terms of weight by adding almost 1.5kg of rotating mass to your front wheel. The four-ply Down Hill Shield casing has puncture defence layers, snakebite bumpers at the bead and high-density wraparound fabrics to prevent rocks or sharp things piercing the carcass. The Wild Enduro tread pattern here has been around for years, but this latest version sees the blocks moulded from sticky DH Magi X rubber and the casing technology from Michelin’s downhill tyres (albeit with a folding, rather than wire bead like on the DH34 and DH22). But does that put them among the best MTB tyres for mere mortals? ![]() That means in DH and enduro categories they use the brand’s grippiest compounds and thick, durable casings to handle the toughest tracks in the world. The tyre feels especially sketchy once you throw some moisture into the mix.Identified by the funky blue and yellow chequered sidewall logos, Michelin’s Racing Line MTB tyres are, you guessed it, made for racing. I only ever usually punch through tyres with sharp roots or rocks, so to split one landing a jump smoothly isn’t common or ideal.Įven without this hiccup, grip is seriously lacking in Michelin’s too-hard rubber blend, in both wet or dry conditions. The impact from touchdown landed in the zone with no tread, and with no rubber blocks to damp and reduce forces transmitted, the crown of the tyre split and spat sealant out immediately. Michelin’s fine-weave carcass also proved too fragile when I punched a hole clean through the crown, landing a jump. ![]() I also found the casing lacks stability, so it’s too easy to make the Wild XC squirm too much from side to side and deform when riding hard on a 120mm trail bike on aggro trails. There’s a bouncy, disconnected feel when you’re really leaning hard into the tyre. The pure pace likely reflects some of the harshness in the ride and the very plastic-like feel of the GUM X rubber, which simply doesn’t grip as well as most. The lack of comfort clearly doesn’t seem to affect rolling speed though this tyre rattles along at a fair old clip, whether on smooth forest roads or proper off-road dirt and bumpy broken-down trail centre surfaces. ![]() It might also be in part due to being skinnier at 2.25in than similar tyres. I suspect this is due to the huge gaps on the crown of the tyre, where there are patches with no rubber blocks to damp and dull micro impacts from small bumps. Mick Kirkman / Our Mediaĭespite this suppleness in the casing, this Wild XC is less comfortable than the Schwalbe Wicked Will and Vittoria Syerra 4C I’ve tested recently. The Wild XC Racing Line was launched along with the Jet XC2 and Force XC2 tyres. The casing is labelled Cross Shield 2 by the brand and is incredibly supple and flexible in your hands when installing, but also feels thinner than other cross-country tyres. Michelin uses a single-compound GUM X rubber blend, but the casing construction is massively complex with multiple layers of very fine 150 TPI plies and an extra layer of fabric around the bead to resist pinch flat punctures or bead damage on bottom-out. Alternate sipes, or cuts, on the middle knobs run left to right and then front to back, whereas the shoulder blocks have more diagonal cuts.Īll tread cubes have slightly rounded edges and the edge blocks are also twisted in the direction of rotation similar to the Schwalbe Wicked Will. The un-ramped tread is formed of broad rubber blocks with huge gaps in both the central strip and evenly spaced, angled shoulder knobs. According to Michelin, the Wild XC tread and casing is inspired by the meatier enduro-targeting Wild Enduro tyre, designed to provide ‘maximum braking and responsive cornering’ in this category.
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