Like it or loathe it, the ‘enduro’ tag is here to stay – and the slew of specific products is giving mountain bikers access to top performing kit.
The Wild Rock’R is a burly tyre – there’s no denying that 1070g is heavy. But the dual compound Magi-X tread, with its big-blocked but lowish profile directional central tread gives a rolling resistance far lower than you might expect, although we definitely prefer it up front with a faster rolling rear tyre.
The 2.35in width is also decent, especially as Michelin hasn’t been cautious with its measurements. The gummy side blocks offer a ton of grip when the bike is leaning over, becoming perhaps a little unstable on rock solid surfaces when you’re pushing super hard.
It’s marketed as a dry weather tyre, but works well in the wet. The soft compound rubber offers decent grip levels on wet roots and rocks, and the side knobs dig into loose ground effectively. It picks up mud easily and could be quicker at shedding it, thanks to the sipes that Michelin’s engineered into the tread to increase grip on hard surfaces.
In the dry, it absolutely rips. Acres of grip and compliance give comfort and confidence while the ‘Reinforced Tech’ carcass shrugs off pinches and sharp rock edges. Run tubeless, the tyres popped into the rim first go and the carcass remained leak free. Without tubes the weight of the tyre is also far more palatable.
