The top 11 best 29 inch e-bike tires for 2023

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In this article I’m going to cover the best 29 inch e-bike tires available today.

The rise of e-bikes and its accompanying sales has been astronomical. Overall e-bikes sales have surpassed traditional bike sales. And the biggest tire manufacturers have followed suit by providing certified e-bike tires.

Apart from the certification the requirements for an e-bike tire are straightforward enough. And if we focus on 29 inch e-bike tires you can see that they closely follow the requirements of trail, enduro, and downhill riding. Even on a bike used for non-trail conditions.

That’s because e-bikes are heavier and their tires need to be able to take on more punishment because of it. The weight exerting force, the blow of impacts, everything necessitates the strongest of tires, with durable casings and compounds.

All the tires on this list have an e-bike certification. If they haven’t or I was unable to find one, they’re not on here even if they fall in the enduro class. So let’s see what’s made it on my list of the best 29 inch e-bike tires.

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.

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.

Continental Trail King ProTection Apex

The aptly named Continental Trail King ProTection Apex is the German brand’s allround trail-tackling solution.

It performs exceptionally well in all sorts of conditions, and might only wafer a bit on the steepest of technical downhill sections. That means this tire is a very good and lightweight all mountain solution indeed.

It’s one of the faster tires on this list, well-suited for those among you who don’t shy away from a steep climb. The tread pattern provides high levels of traction and with even the 2.8 width version sitting at just over a kilo, which is about 20 percent lighter than its competitors.

The knobs are rather spaced-out from each other, which means this might not be the grippiest tire in the front. On the flip side, riding in wet conditions is marginally improved because it’ll shed mud better and won’t clog up that easily.

Continental Cross King ProTection

The Continental Cross King ProTection is the newer version of a magnificent, lightweight cross-country racer.

ProTection replaces the RaceSport moniker. It’s a three- and four ply system underneath respectively the tread and sidewall, ensuring maximum puncture protection and shieldwall tearing.

This doesn’t take away from the fact that this tire is still one of the lightest in its category. A true racer.

Continental Race King ProTection

The Continental Race King ProTection is an extremely light tire. In the weight department it means it outshines every comparable tire from every other brand by far. And it’s also the best XC tire in the rolling-resistance department.

I cannot stress enough that with respect to speed and acceleration, a light tire makes all the difference. And tires are also the most cost-effective way to reduce the overall weight of the bike.

Try reducing a couple of hundred grams of any other bike component and be ready to spend in the hundreds of dollars. Not so the case with tires. And on top of that the tire has the advanced ProTection puncture protection, with a composite breaker and a bead to bead sidewall protection polyamide fabric.

All that speed comes at a price, because traction is not this tire’s strength when compared to other mountain bike tires. And it’s the reason this tire performs best in dry conditions.

But when riding in those conditions getting up to speed and keeping it is like nothing you’ve ever experienced before. It rightly deserves its name.

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

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 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 Dissector

The Maxxis Dissector is a true enduro and downhill tire, depending on which casing and/or compound you choose.

There’s quite a bit of difference in width and weight between a more trail-oriented dual compound version versus the MaxxGrip compound version with downhill casing, so make sure you check the tire specs well before deciding to buy one of these.

In terms of puncture protection, you can say very little about the Maxxis tire except that in general they perform way above average with high-quality casings and additional EXO sidewall protection or EXO+ reinforcement.

The tread pattern of this will probably not be for everyone, with a distinct on/off feel due to the spacing between the center and side knobs. It does make for a fast-rolling tire which is particularly grippy when thrown around in the corners, so I believe the term “exciting” would be in order for this tire.

It’s up to you if you like excitement more than, let’s say, the straight line confidence the DHF or DHR gives you, which is like Maxxis’ benchmark tires.

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.

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.

Specifications 29 inch e-bike tires

Name	Size	ETRTO	Weight (gr)	Tread color	Sidewall color	Compound	Puncture protection	Tire bead	TPI	Buy at Amazon
Schwalbe Marathon Plus MTB	29×2.10	52-622	1275	Black	Black	ADDIX	SmartGuard	wired		link
Schwalbe Marathon Plus MTB	29×2.10	52-622	1350	Black	Black	ADDIX	SmartGuard	wired		link
Maxxis Minion DHF	29×2.30	58-622	925	Black	Black	3C MaxxTerra	EXO	tlr	60	link
Maxxis Minion DHF	29×2.50WT	63-622		Black	Black	3C MaxxTerra	EXO	tlr	60	link
Maxxis Minion DHF	29×2.50WT	64-622		Black	Tan	Dual	EXO	tlr	60	link
Maxxis Minion DHF	29×2.60	66-622	978	Black	Tan	Dual	EXO	tlr	60	link
Maxxis Minion DHF	29×2.60	66-622	995	Black	Black	3C MaxxTerra	EXO	tlr	120	link
Maxxis Minion DHF	29×3.00	76-622	1110	Black	Black	3C MaxxTerra	EXO	tlr	120	link
Maxxis Minion DHR II	29×2.30	58-622	825	Black	Black	3C MaxxTerra	EXO	tlr	60	link
Maxxis Minion DHR II	29×2.30	58-622	1040	Black	Black	3C MaxxTerra	DD	tlr	120	link
Maxxis Minion DHR II	29×2.40WT	61-622		Black	Black	3C MaxxTerra	EXO+	tlr	60	link
Maxxis Minion DHR II	29×2.40WT	61-622	988	Black	Tan	Dual	EXO	tlr	60	link
Maxxis Minion DHR II	29×2.40WT	61-622		Black	Black	3C MaxxGrip	DD	tlr	120	link
Maxxis Minion DHR II	29×2.60	66-622	1035	Black	Black	3C MaxxTerra	EXO+	tlr	60	link
Maxxis Minion DHR II	29×2.60	66-622	983	Black	Tan	Dual	EXO	tlr	60	link
Maxxis High Roller II	29×2.30	58-622	920	Black	Black	3C MaxxTerra		tlr	60	link
Maxxis High Roller II	29×2.50WT	64-622	990	Black	Black	3C MaxxTerra		tlr	60	link
Maxxis High Roller II	29×2.50WT	64-622		Black	Black	3C MaxxTerra		tlr	120	link
Maxxis Assegai	29×2.50WT	64-622		Black	Black	3C MaxxTerra		tlr	60	link
Maxxis Assegai	29×2.50WT	64-622		Black	Black	3C MaxxTerra		tlr	60	link
Maxxis Assegai	29×2.60	66-622	1129	Black	Black	3C MaxxTerra		tlr	60	link
Maxxis Assegai	29×2.60	66-622	1087	Black	Black	3C MaxxTerra		tlr	60	link
Continental Cross King ProTection	29×2.30	58-622	755	Black	Black	BlackChili	ProTection casing	tlr		link
Continental Cross King ProTection	29×2.20	55-622	630	Black	Black	BlackChili	ProTection casing	tlr		link
Continental Race King ProTection	29×2.20	55-622	595	Black	Black	BlackChili	ProTection casing	foldable		link
Continental Kryptotal Fr	29×2.40	60-622	1040	Black	Black	BlackChili	Trail casing	tlr	3/180	link
Continental Kryptotal Fr	29×2.40	60-622	1125	Black	Black	BlackChili	Enduro casing	tlr	3/330	link
Continental Kryptotal Fr	29×2.40	60-622	1290	Black	Black	BlackChili	Downhill casing	tlr	6/660	link
Continental Kryptotal Re	29×2.60	65-622	1200	Black	Black	BlackChili	Trail casing	tlr	3/180	link
Continental Kryptotal Re	29×2.60	65-622	1275	Black	Black	BlackChili	Enduro casing	tlr	3/330	link
Continental Kryptotal Re	29×2.40	60-622	1125	Black	Black	BlackChili	Enduro casing	tlr	3/180	link
Continental Kryptotal Re	29×2.40	60-622	1290	Black	Black	BlackChili	Downhill casing	tlr	3/330	link
Continental Kryptotal Re	29×2.40	60-622	1290	Black	Black	BlackChili	Downhill casing	tlr	6/660	link
Maxxis Dissector	29×2.40WT	61-622	1249	Black	Black	3C MaxxGrip		tlr		link
Maxxis Dissector	29×2.40WT	61-622	1022	Black	Black	3C MaxxTerra	EXO+	tlr		link
Maxxis Dissector	29×2.40WT	61-622	949	Black	Black	Dual	EXO	tlr		link
Maxxis Dissector	29×2.40WT	61-622	1154	Black	Black	3C MaxxGrip	DD	tlr		link
Maxxis Dissector	29×2.60	66-622	1199	Black	Black	3C MaxxTerra	EXO+	tlr		link
Maxxis Dissector	29×2.60	66-622	1122	Black	Black	3C MaxxTerra	EXO	tlr		link
Maxxis Dissector	29×2.60	66-622	1051	Black	Black	Dual	EXO	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.