Mountain bikes can use various tires depending on the trail or terrain’s intensity. The best rear mountain bike tires are designed to effectively take you through tough terrain. Tires with proper tread patterns provide grip on loose, wet, or rocky terrain, helping you maintain control during climbs and descents.
The best MTB tires are the Maxxis Ardent EXO and the Kenda K816 Aggressive MTB bicycle tires. The Maxxis Ardent is fast rolling so it gives an optimal biking experience and has a lightweight design. The Kenda K816 is durable and won’t get cut or punctured easily. These work well on loose and hard tracks.
In this article, I will review the top 8 MTB tires that are made of the best quality materials, are puncture resistant, and are budget-friendly at the same time.
Best Mountain Bike Tires
- Kenda City Slick Mountain Tire
- MICHELIN Wild Enduro All Around MTB Tire
- Kenda K816 Aggressive MTB Bicycle Tire (Budget Buy)
- Schwalbe Nobby Nic Tubeless Tires
- Maxxis Ardent EXO (Top Pick)
- SCHWALBE Hans Dampf HS 491
- Vittoria Martello G2.0 Enduro Tire (High End)
- WTB Warden High Grip Tire
Compare Top XC, Enduro, and Trail Mountain Bike Tires
Product | Overall Score | Bottom Line | Price |
---|---|---|---|
Kenda City Slick | 85 | Sturdy and long-lasting design | Check Out On Amazon |
MICHELIN Wild Enduro | 81 | Tire is protected from damage by a strong casing on its exterior | Check Out On Amazon |
Kenda K816 Aggressive MTB | 86 | Features a reliable set of teeth that provide good traction | Check Out On Amazon |
Schwalbe Nobby Nic Tubeless | 82 | Features the ADDIX evolution line folding bead | Check Out On Amazon |
Maxxis Ardent EXO | 88 | Tires are fast rolling for an optimal biking experience | Check Out On Amazon |
SCHWALBE Hans Dampf HS 491 | 80 | Has a predictable drifty feel | Check Out On Amazon |
Vittoria Martello G2.0 | 82 | Able to excel both in front and at the rear end of the bike | Check Out On Amazon |
WTB Warden High | 78 | Features long and spiky knobs that cut through mud with ease | Check Out On Amazon |
Detailed Analysis of the Best MTB Tires
We have reviewed eight of the best MTB trail tires in this writing. All of them have their individual advantageous features.
Looking at their various pros and cons, you should be able to find one that suits you best:
1. Kenda City Slick Mountain Tire
Overall Score: 85
The Kenda City Slick Mountain Tire is a great product that shouldn’t be overlooked when searching for the best enduro MTB tires. This is a product that reflects the good reputation of the Kenda brand.
The tire is quite durable. It won’t quickly lose air during rides. With this tire on your bicycle, you can confidently cover distances of up to a thousand miles without the tire becoming defective.
This tire comes with a bigger width, which makes it reliable on rough tracks. It’s able to provide you with a significant amount of stability as you ride over bumps and obstacles.
In addition to the tire’s wonderful width, it features beveled treads that help you navigate bends easily. The treads also give you good traction on both dry and wet paths.
Advantages
- It has a sturdy and long-lasting design.
- You can use them to ride for long distances.
- Extremely durable.
- Comes in a pair.
- Low rolling resistance.
Disadvantages
- Doesn’t work well for road cycling.
2. MICHELIN Wild Enduro All Around MTB Tire
Overall Score: 81
Michelin is one of the most popular MTB tire brands in the world and this Wild Enduro Tire is another one of their quality products.
You can buy it for a fair price and it offers top-notch quality and functionality. Thanks to its tough design, the tire can withstand high-intensity mountain biking.
The tire also makes it easy to navigate bends and is protected from damage by a strong casing on its exterior.
The tire’s monster lugs make it usable in almost all conditions. This Michelin tire is a powerful and long-lasting model that withstands the test of time without quickly becoming defective.
It’s able to endure fast-cycling speeds on jagged paths.
Advantages
- Comes at an affordable price.
- It can withstand aggressive riding in almost all conditions.
- Has a strong protective casing.
- Designed with a lug pattern.
- Great grip.
Disadvantages
- Doesn’t work well for road cycling.
3. Kenda K816 Aggressive MTB Bicycle Tire
Overall Score: 86
Next on our list is the KENDA Bicycle Tire. This tire performs the expected functions well.
Regardless of the fact that these are cheap mountain bike tires, they come with quality treads that grip firmly on both hard-packed and loose tracks.
In addition to excellent performance on dry grounds, this KENDA rear MTB tire works well on wet trails and sloppy terrain. Thanks to the great amount of traction it provides, you can ride with more confidence.
Versatility is another attractive feature of this unit. It’s able to nicely match various mountain bike models as a result of its 26×2.1-inch size specification.
Advantages
- The tire is very durable and won’t get cut or punctured easily.
- Features a reliable set of teeth that provide good traction.
- It works on both loose and hard tracks.
- Excellent tire.
Disadvantages
- Poor width measurement.
4. Schwalbe Nobby Nic Tubeless Tires
Overall Score: 82
The Schwalbe tire is a lightweight model that comes in different sizes. Each of these varying sizes is suitable for certain conditions.
For instance, the versions with smaller widths are proper for biking in muddy and wet conditions. These tires are also excellent choices on dry and loose terrain.
The Schwalbe Nobby Tubeless Tires have large square sipped blocks that are significantly spaced apart to cope in muddy conditions.
This product is able to provide bikers with a huge amount of acceleration while slicing through the mud with ease.
Advantages
- Features the ADDIX evolution line folding bead.
- Pressure rating of 30-55psi.
- It has a weight of just 575g.
- It can support weights of up to 110kg.
Disadvantages
- Complaints of receiving different tire profile as shown in the picture.
5. Maxxis Ardent EXO
Overall Score: 88
The Maxxis Ardent Exo is one of the best cheap MTB tires available today. It’s a quality product that serves its purpose well.
They may not be the best for hardcore mountain biking, but they work great for more relaxed MTB routines. The tires have a lightweight design that won’t make your bike too heavy.
With this tire, navigating bends is a walk in the park. It also provides sufficient traction to help stop your bike when braking. The tire’s good traction is a result of the strong treads it features.
These tire treads are long-lasting and work excellently, especially on a dry surface. Although they function best on dry and hard-packed soil, this tire’s treads can still perform decently on loose grounds.
If you would be riding your mountain bike in highly wet conditions, we don’t recommend these EXO tires.
Advantages
- The tires are fast rolling so you enjoy an optimal biking experience.
- Lightweight design.
- Features a sturdy EXO casing that protects the tire from puncture.
- Available in many sizes.
- Dual compound rubber.
Disadvantages
- The treads aren’t so great and they perform poorly in wet conditions.
6. SCHWALBE Hans Dampf HS 491
Overall Score: 80
Many mountain bikers have enjoyed SCHWALBE’s Hans Dampf tires. Now the HS491 remake, which has improved features of the Hans Dampf, has been made available for purchase.
This improved model has more width, bigger knobs, and a more intense tread design. However, those who are looking for cheap mountain bike tires may not want this one as it’s a pricey product.
Having this tire on your bicycle provides you with a significant amount of stopping grip for braking and improved pedaling. Favorably, the tire performs well at both the front and rear ends of your bike.
Advantages
- It has a predictable drifty feel.
- Provides you with great grip for braking.
- High volume tire.
- Made in Taiwan.
- Makes for great stability.
Disadvantages
- It’s quite pricey.
7. Vittoria Martello G2.0 Enduro Tire
Overall Score: 82
This Vittoria Martello Tire is truly worth the mention. It adapts wonderfully to tough mountain biking terrain and optimizes your riding abilities.
Although this unit is quite heavy, it’s still able to provide bikers with the necessary features to conquer jagged tracks. It’s able to roll quickly and improve the ease of navigating bends.
With this tire, you can safely ride at top speeds. The tire has a great grip on the floor and provides you with sufficient stopping power when braking.
The Vittoria Martello performs well in front and also at the bike’s rear end.
Advantages
- It’s a fast-rolling tire.
- Able to excel both in front and at the rear end of the bike.
- Makes navigation of bends easier.
- Available in three sizes.
- Made of quality materials.
Disadvantages
- It’s heavy.
- The trail casing isn’t very long-lasting.
8. WTB Warden High Grip Tire
Overall Score: 78
This WTB Warden is a sturdy mud tire. It features long sharp knobs that slice through the mud like a knife through butter. The tire’s design makes it good for navigating bends and easy braking.
It can withstand the rigors of mountain biking without getting cut or punctured, thanks to its strong dual ply casing. It can also be safely used to bike down steep slopes at top speeds.
At a fair cost of purchase, this product is one of the best 26-inch mountain bike tires. It also works for 27.5-inch wheels.
Advantages
- Features long and spiky knobs that cut through mud with ease.
- It has a strong dual-ply casing that protects it from external damage.
- Comes with deep sipping knobs that help the tire adapt to MTB trails.
- It works excellently in muddy and very loose conditions.
Disadvantages
- Tough casing and High Grip compound make this tire heavier.
How to Get the Best XC, Enduro, and Trail MTB Tires
If you don’t want to end up fitting your bike with the wrong mountain bicycle tires, you must be able to identify the top tires that suit your needs.
For instance, you may need the best 29 inches mountain bike tires, and having the right information will help you get them. Before making a final purchase, take these into consideration:
Profile
An important factor to consider is tire profile. There are square profile tires, round tires, and medium tires.
The square types have a flattened surface. These tires are able to move easily over muddy tracks. They also navigate bends with a good amount of grip.
When using round tires, you’ll need to put more weight on the shoulder knobs so as to drift earlier than square tires on muddy tracks.
Tread
Tires feature treads for a couple of reasons. Regardless of what brand of MTB tire you’re looking to buy, they all feature three different knobs.
These knob sets stand on different parts of the tire for effective performance. The first set of knobs is positioned down the tire’s middle.
The second set can be found on the tire’s shoulder where they are positioned to provide traction when navigating bends. The third set sits between the aforementioned sets.
To minimize rolling resistance, some top budget MTB tires have ramped front blocks. The rear blocks have a square design that facilitates effective braking.
Certain tires come with blocks that have to sipe. Siping is done to improve a tire’s adaptability to the track.
Compound
Different tires have some rubber compounds that they’re made from. This compound affects the overall functioning of the tire.
When the rubber compound has a soft texture, the tire is able to provide more traction and better track adaptability.
The counter effects of having a soft rubber compound are reduced durability and increased rolling resistance.
When you explore different MTB tires, you’ll discover that they all come in 40A to 70A specifications. As the number increases, so does the rubber compound’s hardness.
Casing
Tires are usually covered in a nylon casing. The nylon is in layers and it has its own purposes and functions.
A pair of layers is found on the sidewall while three more you will find positioned under the tire’s tread. You can measure the quality of a tire’s casing in TPI.
A larger TPI value indicates that the tire has a lower resistance to rolling and smaller weight since the amount of rubber required is little.
You should know that because the larger TPI values have thinner rubber, they are less durable.
Mountain bike tires that are subjected to intense riding are equipped with a pair of casing plies, which makes the tire casing stronger.
Width
The width of a tire affects its overall performance. Tires with more width usually have better traction on the ground. Those with smaller widths provide reduced resistance to rolling.
Regardless of their width specifications, both narrow and wide tires are able to facilitate speed in their own way. For instance, wider tires dampen transmitted vibration and boost tire rolling.
If you still have the mentality that narrow tires roll faster than wide tires, you need to change it. Wide tires are actually able to roll pretty fast.
Rolling Resistance
The term “rolling resistance” has been used severally in this article. If you don’t know what it means, rolling resistance is simply how much energy is dissipated as your tires roll.
What this implies is that maintaining speed and cycling with reduced effort is made better when the rolling resistance is low.
Additionally, maintaining the proper tire pressure for your MTB tires is crucial. My guide, MTB Tire Pressure: Top 5 Determining Factors, addresses all your questions on the topic.
Tubeless vs. Tubed Tires
There are certain differences between tubed and tubeless tires. Each has its own pros and cons:
Tubeless Tires
If you check on most mountain bicycles today, you’ll find that they come with tubeless tires. This is because tubeless tires don’t get punctured easily and they offer more cycling speed.
Their features are very favorable when cycling on mountainous trails. However, removing these tires for a replacement can be tough.
Tubed Tires
Although tubeless tires are more popular, tubed tires still have desirable advantages.
They don’t need much maintenance and they come in a wide range of options. Replacing tubed tires is an easy process, unlike tubeless tires.
These days, rims can be used with tubeless tires. Those who make use of tubed tires can switch to tubeless tires as long as it’s compatible with their bike’s rim.
I’ve created a guide comparing clincher, tubular, and tubeless tires. Explore my article Clincher vs Tubular vs Tubeless Tires to discover which option suits you best!
The Maxxis Ardent EXO Has Reinforced Sidewalls for Enhanced Puncture and Abrasion Resistance…
If you can lay hands on the right MTB tires for your bicycle, you’ll really enjoy your rides. These tires have various features that combine to make them feasible for use on tough rocky terrain.
The tires include designs that make them usable in wet weather conditions and dry weather conditions – although not all top rated mountain bike tires work in both conditions.
Our attention was particularly drawn to the Maxxis Ardent EXO. It’s our top pick among the rest. It’s a long-lasting tire that can withstand lengthy rides.