Michelin has launched three new cross-country mountain bike tyres, targeting racers looking for rubber covering everything from dry hardpack through to winter mud.
The range consists of the semi-slick Jet XC², the all-rounder Force XC² and the chunkier Wild XC. The tyres all have a 29in diameter, and the bulk of the models are 2.25in wide – though the Force XC² has a 2.1in option, and the Wild XC a 2.35in version too.
All tyres will come in the Racing Line series, while the Force XC² and Wild XC will be offered in Performance Line versions.
Michelin employs its Gum-X rubber compound, which it says gives low rolling resistance and high levels of grip.
The Racing Line tyres are constructed with Michelin's Cross Shield² carcass, which uses two layers of 150 TPI material to give puncture protection, while still remaining supple. The bead has additional protection, via four 150 TPI strips.
150 TPI refers to the threads per inch in the material – generally speaking, the higher the number, the lighter and more supple the material is.
The Performance Line tyres are constructed with a triple layer of 60 TPI material, using the same tread patterns and rubber compound.
Michelin Jet XC² details
The Jet XC is said to be the fastest-rolling tyre offered by Michelin, with a close-packed, low-height tread. The central three-pointed tread blocks are packed close enough that there's an almost continual tread.
The tyre is designed for hardpack, dry trails and for front and rear use. However, Michelin says it's also suitable for the rear wheel in mixed conditions.
There's only one version available of this tyre – in a Racing Line 29x2.25in flavour. On our scales, the tyre comes in at 718 grams. On our 27mm-wide rim, it inflates to 56mm wide at 25psi.
It's priced in the UK at £57.99. International pricing is to be confirmed.
Michelin Force XC² details
The Force XC² is a bit of a do-it-all XC tyre, which Michelin is pitching at everything from a bit of hardpack through to the earlier reaches of soft conditions.
It'll work on the front, paired with the Jet XC² in faster mixed conditions, front and rear in mixed conditions and work on the rear with a Wild XC on softer trails.
The chevron-patterned tread has ramped central treads to help reduce rolling resistance, while the shoulder treads are blockier, to assist cornering grip. The tread is deeper than that on the Jet XC², so it'll dig deeper into soft dirt.
Michelin will offer the tyre in a 29x2.1in version, which comes in at 690g (claimed), while our 29x2.25in version weighs 716g. It blows up to 56mm wide on our 27mm rim.
A cheaper and heavier (though details are TBC) Performance Line version will be offered too.
In the UK, it is priced at £57.99. International pricing is to be confirmed.
Michelin Wild XC details
The Wild XC has a much more spaced-out, square-block tread, designed to bite in to soft dirt effectively. As such, it won't roll as fast on smooth, hard terrain.
The treads' distance from each other should aid grip in mud, as well as boosting braking and cornering traction.
Built for soft conditions, it'll work well with a Force XC² at the back, or a front and rear in really sloppy conditions. Racing Line versions come in 29x2.25in and 29x2.35in versions.
In its 2.35in width, it'd likely make a decent tyre on downcountry bikes too, and is claimed to weigh 760g.
Our 29x2.25in tyre weighs 754g and is 56mm wide on our 28mm wide rim.
In the UK, the 2.25in version is priced at £57.99 and the 2.35in version is £64.99. International pricing is to be confirmed. Details of the Performance Line version are also to be confirmed.
