Bike Technology

Whether it’s the grueling demands of long-distance road racing, the punishing demands of mountain biking and cyclocross or the exhilaration of BMX riding, Maxxis tires have become renowned as the ultimate cycle tire for enthusiasts and professionals around the globe.

We place great importance on providing cyclists with the best products possible and we are constantly striving to discover ways in which to improve and innovate the tires we offer.

The technology that goes into making every Maxxis cycle tire is intelligently and thoroughly researched, bringing you products you can trust and rely on throughout your life’s journey in cycling.

Here, we reveal some of the inner-most technology and revolutionary science behind the tires on your bicycle.

Tire Construction Technology

Tire Construction Technology

BASIC TIRE CONSTRUCTION
Wide Trail Construction
Tubeless Ready Downhill
Tubeless Ready Road
Tubular
Threads Per Inch (TPI)

BASIC TIRE CONSTRUCTION

BEAD

The function of the bead is to keep the tire in contact with the rim while the tire is inflated.

WIRE BEAD: A rigid metal wire is utilized as bead material in applications where ultimate strength is needed and transportability is not a factor.

FOLDABLE BEAD: Foldable beads also keep the tire secured to the rim but are lighter weight and easily transported. The bead is made of spun aramid or Kevlar® fibers.

CARBON FIBER BEAD: A flexible material with greater strength to withstand the forces exerted by a high-pressure road tire.

CASING

SINGLE-PLY CASING: One layer of nylon wrapped from bead-to-bead. A single-ply casing conforms well to the terrain and is lighter weight.

DUAL-PLY CASING: Two layers of casing material are used from bead-to-bead, providing additional protection and sidewall stiffness for enduro and downhill applications.

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Wide Trail Construction

Wide Trail (WT) construction optimizes the tire’s tread layout and profile on today’s modern, wider rims. Traditional tires are designed around older, narrower rims and can create an overly square tire profile, leading to less than optimal performance. WT tires are optimized for a 35mm inner rim width but are proven to work over a range from 30-35mm inner rim widths, depending on the rider’s preference.

Maxxis Wide Trail XC tires are optimized for use with 30mm internal width rims, but they will perform well on rims as narrow as 25mm. Maxxis does not recommend rims wider than 30mm or narrower than 25mm

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Tubeless Ready Downhill

Tubeless downhill set-ups are a great way to shave some weight and spend more time in the bike park or shuttling hot laps on your local runs. Sealant-compatible rubber is used with the familiar Maxxis dual-ply 60 TPI downhill construction and butyl insert for support and rim protection in order to offer the benefits of increased grip and reliability. A Tubeless Ready bead securely locks to the rim and the foldable bead provides additional weight savings.

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Tubeless Ready Road

Tubeless technology that combines a carbon fiber bead for strength, a bead cushion for security, and a liquid-sealant compatible rubber for air retention, eliminating the need for an inner tube. The puncture protection layer helps prevent damage from road debris. Liquid sealant may be used to prevent any loss of air pressure. Choose Maxxis Tubeless Ready road tires for the ultimate road experience.

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Tubular

A traditional tire construction in which the tire casing is sewn or wrapped around an inner tube. These types of tires must be glued or taped onto tubular-specific rims.

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Threads Per Inch (TPI)

The number of threads that cross through one square inch of a single ply of the tire’s casing. Lower TPI gives better puncture, cut and abrasion resistance but is heavier. Higher TPI conforms better to the terrain, offering a smoother, more comfortable ride while reducing the weight of the tire.

Maxxis TPI ratings are the threads-per-inch of a single casing ply, as compared to some competitor TPI ratings. 444444

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Puncture Technology

Silkworm
EXO
EXO+
Double Down (DD)

Silkworm

Silkworm is an exclusive material incorporated into the casing of select models, increasing puncture and tear resistance. Silkworm is featured under the tread as a breaker.

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EXO

An extremely cut-resistant and abrasion-resistant material added to the sidewalls of select mountain tires. This densely woven fabric is also lightweight and highly flexible, ensuring that the performance of the tire remains unaffected. Choose EXO Protection for exceptionally rocky, treacherous trails where the chance of sidewall cuts and abrasions is high.

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EXO+

Our EXO+ construction combines two of our best puncture protection materials: SilkShield and EXO. The SilkShield layer runs from bead-to-bead with a layer of EXO along the sidewalls. Combined, these two materials create EXO+ which improves tread puncture protection by 27%; sidewall durability by 51%; and resistance to pinch flats by 28%.

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Double Down (DD)

DoubleDown (DD) is the next step in the evolution of the dual-ply tire casing for enduro racing. Two 120 TPI casing layers reinforced with a butyl insert provide the enduro racer with the support and protection of a downhill tire, but in a lighter package.

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Compound

Types of Rubber Compounds
3C MaxxGrip
3C MaxxTerra
Double Down (DD)

Types of Rubber Compounds

The most important part of a tire is arguably the rubber compound within the tread. By changing the amounts of various components of the rubber formula, engineers can make two identical looking tires perform completely differently. A list of Maxxis compounds and their distinct characteristics is below.

SINGLE COMPOUND

One compound throughout the tread optimized for longevity and performance.

DUAL COMPOUND

Two compounds used within the tread of select tires to offer lower rolling resistance and increased cornering grip.

TRIPLE COMPOUND

Three compounds arranged in the tire for the ultimate in no-compromise racing performance.

3C MaxxGrip

3C MaxxGrip uses the softest rubber compounds to offer the ultimate in grip and slow rebound properties for unparalleled traction in downhill applications.

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3C MaxxTerra

An intermediate compound configuration used in select mountain tires. 3C MaxxTerra is softer and offers more traction than 3C MaxxSpeed, yet provides better treadwear and less rolling resistance than MaxxGrip.

maxxterra-compound

Double Down (DD)

DoubleDown (DD) is the next step in the evolution of the dual-ply tire casing for enduro racing. Two 120 TPI casing layers reinforced with a butyl insert provide the enduro racer with the support and protection of a downhill tire, but in a lighter package.

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