FAQs
Why does Maxxis make so many compounds?
Answer:
Maxxis makes multiple compounds in order to provide optimal performance in various conditions and terrains, as well as durability for riders looking for longer tread life. All of our compounds are podium-proven by riders around the world.
Why do you offer so many different sizes of tires and what do the sizes mean?
Answer:
As you have noted, Maxxis offers mountain bike tires in a variety of sizes to help you customize your ride.
The secret is finding the optimal width for your conditions. Here is a breakdown of the intent of various sizes:
- 26x1.8: This volume tire is designed for mud applications.
- 26x1.9: This low volume tire will be light but will still require high pressure. Used by lightweight riders or in race applications.
- 26x2.0-2.1: These sizes have been the standard for cross-country, providing a great compromise between low weight and large contact patch for increased traction.
- 26x2.35: This size tire is becoming the "all mountain" tire. It works well for aggressive XC riding, mountain cross racing or for any epic ride that may require climbing as well as fast, technical descents.
- 26x2.5-2.7: Used in downhill applications. The large contact patch provides excellent traction, and the high air volume aids in suspension. This technology decreases the likelihood of a pinch flat over extremely rough terrain at high speeds
Why do some of your tires have orange stripes while others do not?
Answer:
The orange stripe on the sidewall of our tires is a Maxxis trademark. Until two years ago, all production tires had the orange stripe. When the Super Tacky, Slow Reezay, and eXCeption compounds were designed, the orange stripe could not be placed on the sidewall due to the softness of the compounds.
What tire is recommended for bicycle commuters on 26 inch and 700c wheels?
Answer:
The Maxxis Overdrive was specifically designed with bicycle commuters in mind. The Overdrive has a grooved slick design for all weather conditions and for both on and off-road conditions. The Overdrive also features a reflective sidewall for increased visibility in dark or rainy conditions. The 26" version is also available.
What is your best tire for urban street riding?
Answer:
Our most popular tire for urban assault is the 26" Hookworm. It is a grooved, slick, treaded tire, made with our 60a compound. This tire is designed to handle almost any conditions you’ll find in the street. And in fall 2004, we’ll be coming out with a 26" Holy Roller. This tire will have an inverted semi-knob design and will be made with our hard 70a compound. It can be used for urban riding or dirt jumping.
What is the MaxxPro 60a Compound?
Answer:
The MaxxPro 60a compound is great for varying terrains and weather conditions. Only Maxxis has exclusive use of the Exxpro polymer, created by Exxon. Our engineers have blended Exxpro with our own MaxxPro elastomer, which allows soft tires to have a long tread life without compromising the increase in traction that soft compounds provide.
All MaxxPro tires benefit from 100% perfectly dispersed carbon black.
Maxxis’ technology allows for the carbon black molecules to be ground smaller and thus more closely arranged than carbon black found in other manufacturer’s compounds. The result is a smoother tire surface that wears longer than traditional compounds. Maxxis’ perfect dispersion of carbon black also minimizes cut growth in instances where the tread becomes torn or cut. The tire also rolls faster as a result of the rubber recovering more slowly after shaping itself to the terrain. MaxxPro is one of the many technological advantages brought about by our more than thirty years of producing bicycle tires.
What is the eXCeption Series and what does it do?
Answer:
The eXCeption Series of tires is a combination of our 62a compound and our 120 TPI casing. This not only makes for a lighter model tire: it also enhances cornering, braking, and acceleration. These tires are recommended for race use only.
What is the advantage of a tubeless tire?
Answer:
Tubeless tires allow you to run lower air pressure without having to worry about pinch flatting a tube. This allows for maximum traction because you have more surface area contact with the ground.
What is Super Tacky?
Answer:
Super Tacky is a compound with a durometer rating of 42a. This means that it is a very soft compound. It is used exclusively in our downhill and freeride lines. The soft compound allows the rider to have superb surface traction. These tires are used for racing.
What is Slow Reezay?
Answer:
Slow Reezay is a compound with a durometer rating of 40a. This means that it is a very soft compound. It is used exclusively in our downhill line. Due to its slow rebounding properties, this compound allows for traction and speed to be maintained in highly technical terrain. These tires are used in racing.
What is Silkworm Technology?
Answer:
Silkworm Technology is incorporated into the casing of select tires to increase puncture resistance and decrease rolling resistance. There are two options for the Silkworm Technology: the breaker and the cap ply.
The breaker ply option protects the tire from punctures directly under the tread area. This also helps to increase rolling efficiency by providing a firm support around the circumference of the tire. You will find the breaker option in some of our Road and Cross Country line of tires.
The cap ply option provides superior protection against flats and tears by protecting the tire from bead to bead. The cap ply option is used in the RE-Fuse and our Downhill UST tires.
What is a Presta valve?
Answer:
There are two types of valves in bicycle tubes today: Schrader and Presta. Schrader valves are a North American standardized system in which the valve consists of a pin that is spring loaded. Once this pin is pushed down, the valve will allow air into the tube. Presta valves are a European version with a barrel adjuster on the top of the stem (The stem is unscrewed to allow air into the tube.) Both systems work well. Many road and XC tubes are Presta valve, while a majority of DH, some XC, and most small tubes (for children's bikes) are Schrader.
What is a Kevlar (DuPont) Belt?
Answer:
The specially formulated Kevlar (DuPont) belt is a breaker ply that is positioned between the layers of the casing. Kevlar provides maximum puncture resistance in the most unpredictable conditions. The RE-Fuse and Overdrive models utilize this technology.
What is a 2-ply (or) dual-ply DH casing?
Answer:
Two 60 tpi (threads per inch) casings vulcanized with butyl rubber and reinforced sidewalls make up Maxxis downhill casings, which are world renowned for performance and reliability. Our DH casings provide more stability at high speeds and allow for lower air pressure without the risk of pinch flatting.
What does TPI stand for?
Answer:
TPI stands for threads per Inch. It defines the number of threads contained in one inch of the tire casing. The lower the number of TPI, the larger the gauge cords in the casing. Thus, the more durable the tire becomes. The higher the TPI, the more lightweight the tire becomes and the more supple the ride of the tire. The majority of our tires are 60 TPI, and our race tires are 120 TPI.
What does the term durometer mean?
Answer:
A Durometer is both an instrument and the international standard for measuring the hardness of rubber. A Durometer works by measuring the penetration of the gauge’s indentor under the specific conditions of a given Durometer standard. Shore“A” Durometer is used for flexible materials. Durometers are described in the American Society for Testing and Material specification ASTM D2240; this is the recognized specification for the instrument and test procedures.
Measuring the Durometer of a rubber compound is one simple way to differentiate between two compounds. The Maxxis eXCeption line of tires at 62a Durometer is more rigid than Maxxis Super Tacky(ST), which is 42a. This difference can also be felt by hand when applying pressure to a tire’s tread. Durometer hardness is only one of many compound properties. It can provide a general guideline on compound performance, but cannot be an accurate indicator of tire compound performance. For example, the harder compound will typically have better tread wear and rolling efficiency, while the softer compound will provide maximum traction. However, other properties such as rebound and tear resistance are also important. Furthermore, tread compound is only part of the tire’s equation. Tire compound, chemical composition, tread pattern, casing design, and tire wear are all factors that affect the performance of your tires. Different areas such as grip, durability, and rolling efficiency are optimized in each Maxxis compound. Consider all the variables when selecting one of Maxxis’ tires.
What does the number after the 26 (as in 26x2.0) stand for?
Answer:
Bicycle tire size is expressed as the wheel diameter by the tires widest width. Therefore 26x2.0 means that the tire is 26" in diameter and 2.0" wide. Maxxis also offers 16,” 20,” 24,” and 700c size tires in various disciplines.
What are Butyl Inserts?
Answer:
Butyl inserts are pieces of butyl rubber wrapped around and placed in between the two overlapped 60 tpi layers, midway through the sidewall in our 2-ply casings. The inserts add strength to the sidewall and add stability to resist pinch flats.
How does a durometer test hardness and other related characteristics of a tire?
Answer:
The durometer hardness test is non-destructive. The small instrument size means that there is no need for elaborate specimen preparation. This makes it an ideal method for checking materials under any condition with accuracy and reliability. All durometers have a spring-loaded indenter, which applies an indentation load to the specimen, thus sensing the "hardness,” which can be related to other material characteristics. Use of a durometer provides a quick yet accurate way to indirectly measure other material properties, such as tensile modulus, resilience, plasticity, compression resistance, and elasticity.
It is relatively simple to determine the correlation between durometer hardness and other properties for a given material. A set of specimens of the material (or family of materials) is first tested on a standard tester for property desired, e.g. tensile strength. A set of durometer readings for the same samples is then observed and noted. Thereafter, only the durometer hardness need be observed on similar material specimens (tires) to obtain a reasonable measure of the other property. Some properties correlate exactly, while others are sufficiently close for practical use as an initial quality control or materials engineering test.
Do you produce any puncture resistant road tires?
Answer:
All Maxxis bicycle tires are made to last. For those who are looking for an extra level of protection, the RE-Fuse is a perfect match. This tire has a layer of Silkworm and a Kevlar (DuPont) Belt, which adds two puncture resistant layers built into the casing to provide the reliability you need on long rides.
Do you make Cyclocross tires?
Answer:
We manufacture three different models: the Mimo CX-700 x 35c low profile knobbed tire, the Wormdrive CX-700 x 42c semi-slick tire and the Locust 700 x 35c tire.
Can I be sponsored by Maxxis?
Answer:
To request sponsorship for the next year, you must submit your resume between September 1 and November 1 of the previous year. You may find our sponsorship application online in the sponorship section of our website. A Maxxis team member will contact you if you are available for sponsorship once they have received your application.