Maxxis High Roller | Ridden and Reviewed

Watch the video on the new Maxxis High Roller III:

The hybrid tread design has an open center, with two knobs going down the middle flanked by very large supported side knobs. The High Roller is aiming to provide the wet weather performance of the mid spike Shorty by spacing out the knobs and allowing them to clear mud while biting deep in the trail, but also bring in more cornering control on hard pack with slightly shorter knobs like those found on the Assegai. The side knobs also have more lateral support than the shorty, keeping them from rolling over and getting squirmy on hard pack trails. These pre-cut spike tires have been gaining traction recently, as they offer a middle ground between a dedicated dry tire and a dedicated wet tire, simplifying a rider’s decision when purchasing some fresh rubbers.

Lots of other companies offer a similar tread design, with the Continental Argotal and WTB Verdict both sporting a very similar design with two spiked knobs going down the center and incredibly supported side knobs to both cut into loose dirt yet remain supported and stable in the corners. With modern race courses offering a wide variety of terrain, it’s no surprise that companies are developing tires that are consistent performers across a variety of conditions rather than hyper specializing in one trail condition like the Assegai or the Shorty. Often times a race track will have a bike park section where thousands of tires have hammered the ground into submission, as well as a brand new fresh cut section that will be ridden for the very first time that weekend, offering a very broad range of challenges for any tire. I could see this tire being the new go-to offering from Maxxis for any enduro or downhill racer traveling to a new venue for the first time and needing to choose a tire setup that is going to perform no matter what they find when they get there.

Mike and Tor testing the new High Roller in some Squamish dust

Here in the Pacific Northwest where we face the full spectrum of riding conditions, this tire is probably going to be my new dedicated front tire year round, as the riding conditions change dramatically between summer and winter. During the summer, I’ve been a big fan of the Assegai, with its tightly packed knobs giving me a very predictable transition from center to side knobs when getting the bike leaned over, and I’ve typically switched to the Shorty in the winter to find grip on those days where it’s raining so hard you’re not sure if you even want to get out the door. Now with the High Roller, I’m going to experiment with running this tire on the front of my bike year round, with the hopes that it is up to snuff in the winter time, as I’ve already found this tire to be exactly what I’m looking for in the summer conditions.

After riding this tire in the front and rear for about a week in Whistler and Squamish, arguably the mountain bike capital of the world, how did these MaxxGrip tires hold up? We did tons of laps in the Whistler Bike Park, which is notorious for eating tires alive, as well as tons of pedal laps in the whistler valley and some shuttling out in Squamish. As you can see in the pictures, the front tire has accumulated some wear, nothing out of the ordinary, and the rear tire is unsurprisingly more worn than the front. Those smaller and spikier knobs are going to get ripped off a bit faster than Assegai or DHR II knobs, and once MaxxTerra options are available I would definitely recommend running that rubber compound High Roller in the rear. For myself, I think I’ll gravitate toward a High Roller in the front and a DHR II in the rear for most racing applications, and maybe even putting another High Roller in the rear during the winter.

For the High Roller’s launch, it’s only being offered in two options, 29” or 27.5” in the DH MaxxGrip combination. Not only are we getting the new High Roller tire, we’re also getting a slightly updated DH casing from Maxxis, which has been the benchmark casing for riders looking for flat protection, cornering support, and an overall damped ride. The new casing still uses two 60 tpi layers, and the only update is coming to the butyl insert that helps with flat prevention, and you can expect this casing to offer some very similar ride characteristics to the previous casing while giving riders slightly more peace of mind on trail. Eventually, all of Maxxis’ tires will be rolling on this new casing, but as of now it’s just the High Roller getting the special treatment, and we’ll let you know when the other familiar faces in Maxxis’ lineup are also getting the refresh.

Another update rolling out with this tire is an updated eco friendly packaging, with a piece of cardboard replacing the plastic piece that’s historically given all the specs. Just like the updated DH casing, I imagine that this change will be adopted by the other tires in Maxxis lineup, but for now it’s special for the High Roller.

So let's break it down and simplify things, should you rip off your Assegai and DHR II for this new wonder tire? Well, it depends! If everything you ride is dusty hardpack corners and the Assegai satisfied all of your deepest desires when it launched a few years ago, then the High Roller probably won't sway you. Back when I lived in Southern California and the thought of rain had us cooped up and away from the trails, the Assegai would still be my bread and butter. But now that I'm living in the PNW where no conditions are off the table, the versatility of the High Roller solidifies it as my new number one front tire. I think that especially for racers travelling to new venues where they can't be sure what kind of dirt conditions to expect, the High Roller should always be in the quiver, and you'll never be on the wrong rubber again with the new High Roller.

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