The top 7 best 27.5 semi slick tyres for 2023

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In this article I’m going to cover some of the best 27.5 semi slick tyres you’ll be able to find.

I have a lot of mountain bikes and the majority of them are not die-hard trail beasts but have semi-slick tires to make them more versatile for urban use and gravel riding. A semi-slick has a tread pattern with no or very small knobbies to minimize rolling-resistance. They may have larger side knobbies to aid you in keeping some cornering confidence, should you decide to take your bike offroad.

They can be lightweight but don’t necessarily have to be if they pack more rubber to become very puncture-resistant and have an added breaker under the center tread.

So let’s see what made it onto my list of the very best 27.5 semi slick tyres.

Maxxis Pace

The Maxxis Pace is a cross country tire with the most minimal tread pattern in Maxxis’ XC lineup.

It’s an excellent tire if you want to keep the MTB nature of your bike, being able to ride comfortably and confidently on surfaces other than flat tarmac. The tire has excellent rolling-resistance characteristics which makes it perfectly suitable for urban riding, while the minimalistic knobbies still provide enough bite for hardpack and gravel riding in dry conditions.

And with a 2.1 inch width the tires don’t feel out of place on your 29er. Furthermore it displays other features of a full-blown mountain bike tire, with it being tubeless compatible and having Maxxis EXO puncture resistance in a relatively lightweight package of 650 grams.

Schwalbe Hurricane

I also decided to include the Schwalbe Hurricane in this list. It’s a shame they don’t sell them in skinwall versions as well. But the tire packs a solid combination of a flat centerline and side knobs.

The side knobs means the tire is more versatile than the average slick, opening up the possibility to take your bike offroad and away from the beaten path.

If you want to keep a MTB look for your tires without sacrificing too much speed on the road, this is the perfect tire for you. Especially if you like the occasional trail as well because of the added grip.

Schwalbe Marathon Plus MTB

The Schwalbe Marathon is the ultimate allrounder in the tire department and one of the best-selling tires on the market. So the German brand decided to make a MTB-specific version of this tire: the Schwalbe Marathon Plus MTB.

Although it looks like a knobby tire, if you look close enough you can see that the center tread will let you run smoothly across pavement. And just like the standard Marathon is meant for commuting and touring, the same goes for this one.

It’s a heavy tire when compared to some of the XC racers. But the biggest plus for hauling all that extra weight is that in terms of puncture protection, this tire has no equal. The reason is pretty simple. Schwalbe stuffed a 5mm strip underneath the center tread, made from highly puncture resistant rubber. And as simple as that sounds, it’s extremely effective in preventing punctures.

So for those of you who want the risk of flats nearing zero, this is the tire for you.

WTB Groov-E

The WTP Groov-E was designed for e-bikes, which is reflected in the weight of 970 grams.

The reason it’s on this list is because with its 2.40 inch width and weight, it will offer an extremely plush ride. Not everybody is looking for speed, and if comfort sits high on your list, this tire might be the one for you.

Continental CONTACT Urban

The Continental CONTACT Urban is, as its name implies, a slick tire meant for urban commuting.

It’s one of the fastest tires for urban applications, and has a certificate for it to be mounted on speed pedelecs up to a speed of 50 km/h. It has the performance-oriented PureGrip compound, which is a step below their race compound BlackChili used for mountain bike tires.

A strong nylon breaker sits underneath the center tread and serves as a lightweight, flexible, yet very puncture-resistant protective layer.

Continental Double Fighter III

The Continental Double Fighter III is an affordable semi-slick tire. With lots of sizing options you can turn any mountain bike into an urban commuter, or a road bike into one with a beefier tire setup.

It doesn’t pack any tire technology to speak of, hence should be used for dry conditions on tarmac.

Panaracer GravelKing SS Plus (Tubed)

Specifications 27.5 semi slick tyres

Name	Size	ETRTO	Weight (gr)	Tread color	Sidewall color	Compound	Puncture protection	Tire bead	Buy at Amazon
Schwalbe Hurricane	27.5×2.00	50-584	610	Black	Black	ADDIX	Performance	wired	link
Schwalbe Hurricane	27.5×2.40	62-584	885	Black	Black Reflex	ADDIX	RaceGuard / Double Defense	wired	link
Schwalbe Marathon Plus MTB	27.5×2.10	54-584	1200	Black	Black	ADDIX		wired	link
Schwalbe Marathon Plus MTB	27.5×2.25	57-584	1270	Black	Black	ADDIX		wired	link
WTB Groov-E	27.5×2.40	62-584	970	Black	Black	Dual DNA		tlr	link
Continental Double Fighter III	27.5×2.00	50-584	860	Black	Black	Sport		wired	link
Continental CONTACT Urban	27.5×2.20	55-584	690	Black	Black Reflex	PureGrip	SafetyPro Breaker	wired	link
Continental CONTACT Urban	27.5×2.00	50-584	615	Black	Black Reflex	PureGrip	SafetyPro Breaker	wired	link
Continental CONTACT Urban	27.5×1.60	42-584	515	Black	Black Reflex	PureGrip	SafetyPro Breaker	wired	link
Maxxis Pace	27.5×2.10	53-584	620	Black	Black	Dual		tlr	link

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.