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.
- Semi-slick XC-oriented tire, use front or rear
- Not the grippiest
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.
- Great all-round gravel and light XC tire, with an affordable quality.
- None
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.
- Mile cruncher, unparalleled puncture protection
- Heavy, meant for commuting, touring, and bikepacking.
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.
- E-bike compatible, very wide, plush ride quality
- Heavy
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.
- Very fast, lightweight, yet puncture-resistant slick tire
- For those who prefer speed over durability
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.
- Affordable all-round semi-slick for dry conditions
- Doesn't excel in any category
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 | |
Schwalbe Hurricane | 27.5×2.40 | 62-584 | 885 | Black | Black Reflex | ADDIX | RaceGuard / Double Defense | wired | |
Schwalbe Marathon Plus MTB | 27.5×2.10 | 54-584 | 1200 | Black | Black | ADDIX | wired | ||
Schwalbe Marathon Plus MTB | 27.5×2.25 | 57-584 | 1270 | Black | Black | ADDIX | wired | ||
WTB Groov-E | 27.5×2.40 | 62-584 | 970 | Black | Black | Dual DNA | tlr | ||
Continental Double Fighter III | 27.5×2.00 | 50-584 | 860 | Black | Black | Sport | wired | ||
Continental CONTACT Urban | 27.5×2.20 | 55-584 | 690 | Black | Black Reflex | PureGrip | SafetyPro Breaker | wired | |
Continental CONTACT Urban | 27.5×2.00 | 50-584 | 615 | Black | Black Reflex | PureGrip | SafetyPro Breaker | wired | |
Continental CONTACT Urban | 27.5×1.60 | 42-584 | 515 | Black | Black Reflex | PureGrip | SafetyPro Breaker | wired | |
Maxxis Pace | 27.5×2.10 | 53-584 | 620 | Black | Black | Dual | tlr |

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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