In this article I’ll cover some of the best 27.5 enduro tires. Luckily for us, there’s still a lot to choose from.
I won’t be going anywhere near the debate of 27.5 vs. 29 inch wheels, other than to state that 27.5 inch tires are not going into the same direction as 26 inch ones. Namely, of not being supported by big tire manufacturers.
That kind of makes sense. Mullet setups are still found in the professional downhill circuit, and the enduro scene has always favored 27.5 inch tires over their less limber 29 inch counterparts. So we can see new enduro tire lineups still featuring both 27.5 and 29 inch versions.
And here’s which one of those made it into my overview of the best 27.5 enduro tires.
Maxxis Aggressor
The Maxxis Aggressor is a solid trail and enduro option, providing both grip and traction in a fast-rolling package.
Its low center knobs prefer fast-riding in dry conditions, and well paired in the rear with another tire up front, the tire performs fantastic both uphill and downhill.
For wet and muddy conditions or for highly technical trails other tires with bigger spaced out knobs perform better.
- Speedy trail and enduro tire for dry conditions
- Not a technical downhill tire
Maxxis Assegai
If you know mountain biking you know Greg Minnaar. And the Maxxis Assegai is said to be designed with his help. So what does that say about this tire?
Well, he’s a downhill champion, so expect monstrous level of grip and traction in a tire well-suited for the most aggressive trail riders among us. For such an aggressive tire, the profile is relatively rounded still, smoothing out transitions from straight to cornering, without that vague feeling you sometimes get in between.
This tire sits just below a true mud tire, so all of that traction will come at a premium, and the price you pay is of course a slow, and heavy tire in those times when you don’t need as much grip. When choosing tires you have to compromise, and when the going gets tough this is the tire you want to be riding.
- Very grippy tire, meant for bad conditions
- Meant for downhill
Maxxis High Roller II
The Maxxis High Roller II is a solid option, both front and back, in loose and dry condition riding.
If you don’t have that much climbing to do, you might opt for a dual High Roller setup. But for any non-competitive riders. However, the DHR II plus High Roller front and back respectively, is a more forgiving, allround setup.
But as far as downhill goes, the High Roller’s spaced out knobs proved a perfect amount of bite in loose conditions.
- Solid trail and enduro tire, preferably up front.
- None
Maxxis Minion DHF
When you’re looking for a mountain bike tire it’s almost impossible not to have heard of the Maxxis Minion DHF. The reason being it’s like the ultimate fit-and-forget mountain bike tire on the market. That means that the tire is just about perfect for any local trail riding, to enduro and downhill races.
The tread pattern shows that this tire prefers to sit on your front wheel. You can opt to put another fan favorite, the Maxxis Minion DHR II, at the back. That tire has horizontally aligned knobbies for increased braking power.
Its popularity ensures there are many options to choose from, both with respect to size, as well as casing. And all of them offer either the EXO sidewall protection, or Double Down breaker. For those with a penchant for tan sidewalls, there are those as well.
On its own, or paired with the Minion DHR II, the Maxxis Minion DHF is such a no-brainer that it’s hard to not recommend it to anyone for all-round trail-riding and downhill.
- Superb allrounder with loads of sizing / compound combinations possible. Combines with Maxxis Minion DHR II for an excellent all-round trail setup.
- None
Maxxis Minion DHR II
The “DH” in DHF and DHR stands for “downhill”. The “F” and “R” for “front” and “rear” respectively. The “downhill” in the name is a bit misleading, because the horizontal tread pattern of the DHR not only aids braking but also gives more traction when going uphill. Both tires have the same side knobs to maximize grip while cornering.
Maxxis intended these two tires to be used together as their go-to allround solution for trail riding. And these tires are in some many lists that it’s probably the best allround no-worries solution money can buy.
Together with the Minion DHF, the Maxxis Minion DHR II is a fantastic and confidence inspiring tire that will take your downhill rides to the next level.
- One of the best rear tires available, combines with Maxxis Minion DHF for an excellent all-round trail setup
- None
Maxxis Shorty
Maxxis is a big name in the mountain bike industry and their EXO sidewall protection is partly responsible for that.
The downhill and enduro-oriented Maxxis Shorty has this added sidewall protection and comes in either the allround MaxxTerra or the grippier MaxxGrip compound.
With widths ranging between 2.3 to 2.5 inch there’s surely a tire width to suit your particular needs.
The tire can be mounted both in the front and in the back, has a very open tread pattern and huge side knobs for maximum grip.
- Great all-round enduro option, mount both front and back
- Meant for downhill or enduro
WTB Judge
The WTB Judge is the burliest rear-oriented enduro and downhill option. Huge side knobs flank an aggressive tread pattern for maximum braking power and traction in wet, muddy, and loose trail conditions.
With those huge knobs grip is superb, but still lacks that unwanted transition feel normally associated with widely spaced trail tires. You get the traction you want when climbing. Braking power when going downhill, and grip on off-camber and loose sections.
Like a lot of enduro and downhill options, this is a heavy tire. So you pay a certain price for all that rubber. And naturally you’ll lose some speed when the trail isn’t rough enough to warrant such a tire.
- Very aggressive enduro and downhill option. Mount in the rear for maximum grip and braking power
- Heavy and meant for less than ideal trail conditions
WTB Verdict
The WTB Verdict is a versatile MTB tire for wet and muddy conditions.
Since WTB states this is a front tire, you might want to combine it with the WTB Vigilante mentioned here as well. The reason this is a front tire is because the core focus is grip. The soft compound does not perform well on hardpack, but gives amazing levels of traction and grip in loose, wet, and muddy conditions.
With so much grip at your disposal it also means that climbing becomes easier as well. Which means this is a very solid enduro tire for allround rough trail conditions.
There are two different casings to choose from a single and dual ply. The single is obviously faster, but the dual will provide you with more protection and a longer life, so it’s up to you what you prefer.
- Great enduro or trail allrounder, lots of grip and traction
- None
WTB Vigilante 2.5/2.6/2.8
The WTB Vigilante 2.5/2.6/2.8 is a solid contender to many of the premium offerings from other high-quality brands.
Obviously there are a number of tire widths to choose from, depending on your personal preference when it comes to grip. What this tire has got going for it is that’s prefers grip and handling over weight. The rather widely spaced and high soft knobbies do very well in keeping your bike connected to the trail, ensuring high levels of confidence in hard cornering.
WTB offers this tire in their TriTec compound, which basically means that the casing consists of three layers, with each layer having a different firmness. The harder durometer is reserved for the center, reducing the risk of punctures and making the tire faster in a straight line. This gradual increase in softness from center to side sounds great on paper, and indeed works exceptionally well on the trail. It makes for a really grippy and reliable tire in corners and reasonably fast on the straights with adequate levels of puncture protection.
I tend to disagree that this tire works as well in the rear as it does in the front when it comes to braking and traction. The widely spaced tread pattern without those distinctive horizontal rows simply isn’t the best setup to support those two rear tire characteristics. On the other hand, if you like a loose feel and don’t mind the occasional drift, this tire actually enhances such a way of riding.
In the end the WTB Vigilante rightly deserves its spot on this list with grippy and fun riding characteristics that’ll suit a great number of riders.
- Great all-round rear trail tire, good level of puncture protection
- None
Continental Kryptotal Fr
The Continental Kryptotal Fr is part of the German brand’s new trail, enduro, and downhill lineup of premium tires.
There are a number of tires for these disciplines and the Kryptotal Fr is meant as a front tire. With three different casings you can choose your weight and puncture protection, with more protection and weight as you move into the direction of downhill.
This tire outshines the competition with its casing, with the downhill version offering a 6-ply casing, or a 4-ply with dual breaker. This is something I’ve never seen on a mountain bike tire and makes for a near-indestructible tire.
To ensure it doesn’t feel like you’re riding with wooden tires, the plies tapers off to the side. With the downhill from 6 to 4, and both enduro and trail version from 3 to 2.
Furthermore the trail and enduro version have reinforced sidewalls, and I guess Continental decided 4 plies was enough for the downhill version.
The tread pattern is similar for all three versions, and is characterized by a fairly densely populated center tread. It offers allround reliability.for a tire that’s meant to be ridden with its twin brother: the Kryptotal Re. This really is a tire designed for the front.
I know other brands, most notably Maxxis, dominate the professional scene, but on paper at least, this is one of the most impressive mountain bike tires I’ve ever seen.
- Great allround characteristics, newer compound pays dividends in suppleness. Otherworldly casing options with incredible puncture protection.
- Front tire only. Meant to go with the Kryptotal Re
Continental Kryptotal Re
The Continental Kryptotal Re is the rear wheel version of the Fr also coming in trail, enduro and downhill specific casings.
Those casings are the same, and you can read in the Fr section what I think of the casings, which are nothing short of astounding.
This tire comes in three different versions, so be sure to get the right one based on your preferred mountain bike discipline. You can obviously choose a soft downhill compound for an enduro racer, things are not set in stone.
The tread is optimized for both braking power and traction, and is really meant to be mounted in the rear.
- Great allround characteristics, newer compound pays dividends in suppleness. Otherworldly casing options with incredible puncture protection.
- Rear tire. Meant to go with the Kryptotal Fr
Specifications 27.5 enduro tires
Name | Size | ETRTO | Weight (gr) | Tread color | Sidewall color | Compound | Puncture protection | Tire bead | TPI | Buy at Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
WTB Vigilante 2.5/2.6/2.8 | 27.5×2.50 | 60-584 | 1092 | Black | Black | TriTec Single | tlr | 60 | ||
WTB Vigilante 2.5/2.6/2.8 | 27.5×2.60 | 65-584 | 1340 | Black | Black | TriTec Dual | tlr | 60 | ||
Maxxis Minion DHF | 27.5×2.30 | 58-584 | 880 | Black | Light Tan | 3C MaxxTerra | tlr | 60 | ||
Maxxis Minion DHF | 27.5×2.50 | 63-584 | 1005 | Black | Black | 3C MaxxTerra | EXO+ | tlr | 60 | |
Maxxis Minion DHF | 27.5×2.50 | 63-584 | 945 | Black | Black | Dual | EXO | tlr | 60 | |
Maxxis Minion DHF | 27.5×2.50 | 63-584 | 956 | Black | Tan | Dual | EXO | tlr | 60 | |
Maxxis Minion DHF | 27.5×2.60 | 66-584 | 1010 | Black | Black | 3C MaxxTerra | EXO+ | tlr | 60 | |
Maxxis Minion DHF | 27.5×2.60 | 66-584 | 965 | Black | Black | Dual | EXO | tlr | 60 | |
Maxxis Minion DHF | 27.5×2.60 | 66-584 | 925 | Black | Black | 3C MaxxTerra | tlr | 120 | ||
Maxxis Minion DHR II | 27.5×2.30 | 58-584 | 800 | Black | Black | Dual | EXO | tlr | 60 | |
Maxxis Minion DHR II | 27.5×2.30 | 58-584 | 805 | Black | Black | 3C MaxxTerra | EXO | tlr | 60 | |
Maxxis Minion DHR II | 27.5×2.40 | 61-584 | 900 | Black | Black | Dual | EXO | tlr | 60 | |
Maxxis Minion DHR II | 27.5×2.40 | 61-586 | 940 | Black | Tan | Dual | EXO | tlr | 60 | |
Maxxis Minion DHR II | 27.5×2.40 | 61-587 | 1126 | Black | Black | 3C MaxxTerra | EXO+ | tlr | 60 | |
Maxxis Minion DHR II | 27.5×2.60 | 66-584 | 910 | Black | Black | 3C MaxxTerra | EXO+ | tlr | 60 | |
Maxxis Minion DHR II | 27.5×2.60 | 66-584 | 1065 | Black | Black | 3C MaxxTerra | EXO | tlr | 60 | |
Maxxis Assegai | 27.5×2.50 | 65-584 | 1005 | Black | Black | 3C MaxxTerra | tlr | 60 | ||
Maxxis Assegai | 27.5×2.50 | 65-584 | 1090 | Black | Black | Dual | tlr | 60 | ||
Maxxis Assegai | 27.5×2.50 | 65-584 | 1049 | Black | Black | 3C MaxxGrip | tlr | 60 | ||
Maxxis Assegai | 27.5×2.60 | 65-584 | 1002 | Black | Black | 3C MaxxTerra | tlr | 120 | ||
WTB Verdict | 27.5×2.50 | 65-584 | 1108 | Black | Black | TriTec Single | tlr | 60 | ||
WTB Verdict | 27.5×2.50 | 65-584 | 1190 | Black | Black | TriTec Dual | tlr | 60 | ||
Maxxis High Roller II | 27.5×2.30 | 58-584 | 845 | Black | Black | Dual | tlr | 60 | ||
Maxxis High Roller II | 27.5×2.30 | 58-584 | 1065 | Black | Black | 3C MaxxTerra | tlr | 120 | ||
Maxxis High Roller II | 27.5×2.40WT | 61-584 | 915 | Black | Black | 3C MaxxTerra | tlr | 60 | ||
Maxxis High Roller II | 27.5×2.60 | 66-584 | 965 | Black | Black | Dual | tlr | 60 | ||
Maxxis High Roller II | 27.5×2.80 | 71-584 | 915 | Black | Black | 3C MaxxTerra | tlr | 120 | ||
Maxxis Aggressor | 27.5×2.30 | 58-584 | 919 | Black | Black | Dual | tlr | 60 | ||
Maxxis Aggressor | 27.5×2.50WT | 63-584 | 1023 | Black | Black | Dual | tlr | 60 | ||
Continental Kryptotal Fr | 27.5×2.40 | 60-584 | 1000 | Black | Black | BlackChili | Trail casing | tlr | 3/180 | |
Continental Kryptotal Fr | 27.5×2.40 | 60-584 | 1080 | Black | Black | BlackChili | Enduro casing | tlr | 3/330 | |
Continental Kryptotal Fr | 27.5×2.40 | 60-584 | 1220 | Black | Black | BlackChili | Downhill casing | tlr | 6/660 | |
Continental Kryptotal Re | 27.5×2.60 | 65-584 | 1100 | Black | Black | BlackChili | Trail casing | tlr | 3/180 | |
Continental Kryptotal Re | 27.5×2.60 | 65-584 | 1220 | Black | Black | BlackChili | Enduro casing | tlr | 3/330 | |
Continental Kryptotal Re | 27.5×2.40 | 60-584 | 1000 | Black | Black | BlackChili | Trail casing | tlr | 3/180 | |
Continental Kryptotal Re | 27.5×2.40 | 60-584 | 1080 | Black | Black | BlackChili | Enduro casing | tlr | 3/330 | |
Continental Kryptotal Re | 27.5×2.40 | 60-584 | 1220 | Black | Black | BlackChili | Downhill casing | tlr | 6/660 | |
Maxxis Shorty | 27.5×2.50 | 63-584 | 1136 | Black | Black | tlr | 120 | |||
WTB Judge | 27.5×2.40 | 60-584 | 1281 | Black | Black | TriTec Dual | tlr | |||
Maxxis Shorty | 27.5×2.40 | 61-584 | 1208 | Black | Black | 3C MaxxGrip | tlr | 60 | ||
Maxxis Shorty | 27.5×2.40 | 61-584 | 1136 | Black | Black | 3C MaxxGrip | tlr | 120 |
Johan van Seijen
FoundeR Restoration.bike
Johan van Seijen is the founder of restoration.bike. His passion for cycling in general, and restoring older bikes turned into a website to share his knowledge with a broader audience. Starting out on his father’s road bike and riding classics as the Amstel Gold Race and Liege Bastogne Liege he has shifted his attention to trail, XC, and gravel riding since. No matter how much he loves writing about everything related to cycling, nothing beats actually using his ever-expanding bicycle collection.
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