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The top 11 best 27.5 enduro tires for 2023

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

Maxxis Aggressor
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.

Maxxis Assegai

Maxxis Assegai
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.

Maxxis High Roller II

Maxxis High Roller II
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.

Maxxis Minion DHF

Maxxis Minion DHF
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.

Maxxis Minion DHR II

Maxxis Minion DHR II
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.

Maxxis Shorty

Maxxis Shorty
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.

WTB Judge

WTB Judge
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.

WTB Verdict

WTB Verdict
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.

WTB Vigilante 2.5/2.6/2.8

WTB Vigilante 2.5/2.6/2.8
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.

Continental Kryptotal Fr

Continental Kryptotal Fr
fallback

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.

Continental Kryptotal Re

Continental Kryptotal Re
fallback

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.

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
bio vanseijen

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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