Supplied as the rear tyre on Mavic’s CrossMax XL Pro Wheel Tyre System package, this second generation Quest is a proper flat-out bomber as long as you want max performance rather than max longevity.
Mavic’s dual-ply Guard carcass makes a one hefty beast but also an incredibly stable (down to seriously low pressures), impact-ignorant and ugly-landing-saving one. In fact there’s so much damping control from the super-sized 2.4in carcass that it feels like you’ve had a significant suspension upgrade.
It sealed first time with a track pump on every wheel we tried and stayed burp-free and predictable-feedback-rich even when we were running pressures in the teens.
While the tread knobs are relatively small, the well-spaced arrangement, siped detailing and 50-duro central compound keeps them predictable under braking and driving. Once you’ve grunted the hefty carcass up to speed they still roll okay, particularly on rough terrain where they flow through rather than rattling around and stuttering to a standstill.
Cornering grip from the rank of heavily buttressed, very soft 40-duro side knobs is impressive and it only shifts into a predictable drift if you’re properly pulling Gs through a corner. Wear life is better than the spectacularly short-lived first generation Quest, but it’s still not great and at this price you’d be stupid to wreck them prematurely with excess skidding.
