Mavic couldn't have got off to a better start with their first ever mountain bike tyre than they have with the jaw-droppingly controlled Crossmax Charge.
The mix of wide-spaced, siped tread with toothy buttressed shoulders and a super-sticky, slow damped rubber mix gives outrageously surefooted traction.
It's the ultra controlled compression and ride of the carcass that really stands out though. It's so smooth and compliant over stutter roots or big drops that it made mid-level RockShox Sektor forks on test bikes feel like top-end Pikes in terms of succulent tracking and precision.
The smooth rollover and amount of speed you can carry through sketchy sections offsets their weight and rolling speed in a gravity context too. Just beware of the soap-slippery Roam back tyre.
