Maxxis High Roller 3 First Impressions
Maxxis describe the tread design of the new High Roller as a hybrid. Borrowing from both the Assegai and the Shorty, the tyre makes use of a lower profile version of the Shorty’s centre knobs to dig in to looser trails, clear mud and deliver massive braking grip, while the cornering lugs are inspired by the Assegai to bring steadfast performance when the tyre is on the edge.
To see how this theory holds up in practice, we’ve had the tires on our coaches, racers and guides bikes already, with Polly racing multiple EDR world cups on them, while Mark, Andy and Tom have all been testing the limits of their grip around the local network for the last few weeks.
Toms review
Setting up the tyres was as painless as I’ve come to expect from Maxxis. Both tyres were able to be installed tubeless with no more than a track pump and held air immediately with no signs of sealant around the sidewall. I opted for a DoubleDown tyre up front and a DH casing on the rear for maximum puncture protection, both in the super sticky Maxxgrip compound.
For my first ride aboard the High Rollers I thought I would head for some trails I know well to try and isolate the feel of the new tyres. We’ve had a fairly mixed bag of weather this summer, and I certainly didn’t feel out of place pedalling a set of super aggressive tyres to the top of the hill. Despite their decidedly spiky appearance, they actually roll surprisingly well and don’t feel much different to any of the other gravity tires I normally use on the road sections of our climbs. Couple that to excellent traction when clawing up greasy sections and overall they do a solid job of getting you up the hill, though of course that’s not their main focus.
Polly has also been using them at the EDR races both front and rear, completing some massive timed liaisons on them and echoes Tom's thoughts that despite the more aggressive appearance they climb perfectly well, especially on more challenging sections.
For my first testing day, heavy overnight rain had left the trails wet and greasy. As anyone who rides the Tweed Valley regularly knows, that can create some very challenging conditions for rider and tyre alike, as greasy mud gets dragged over the hard trail surface below. Add to that an alternating mix of dry and muddy sections and predicting the traction levels can become incredibly difficult. After the first run down Repeat Offender I was already surprisingly comfortable; I had more cornering grip than I would expect and even by the third or fourth turn I felt confident in the support and traction from the tyre.
Many sections of our local trails are quite hard packed these days after years of wear, with booby traps of looser gravel and rocks waiting in the catches as material dislodges and collects at the bottom of chutes. On these “loose over hard” surfaces, the High Roller felt confident and unflappable with the beefed up side knobs eliminating the wandering or vagueness usually associated with more dedicated mud tyres.
Very impressed with their performance so far, I then headed for some fresher trails with a decent amount of soil that those centre knobs could really dig into. The first time I pulled the brakes hard on these looser, loamier trails I immediately noticed the level of traction available. Having ridden these trails many times I know how much grip to expect from a given section, but the High Rollers were able to really dig in and generate a locked-in feeling that generates extra confidence. I was able to brake later and push harder through turns and always felt like the tyre was really cutting into the trail to find more grip, rather than just sliding over the top.
As these loamier trails progress they give way to some high speed sections with high load hard pack berms. Pushing into these faster, high load turns felt completely natural, I was able to drive hard through these sections and trust the bigger side knobs to stay strong and not roll over. Braking control on these sections was excellent too and just reinforced the feelings I took away from the first trails; here is a tyre that gives you all the benefits of a cut spike on the brakes and all the benefits of a dry tyre in the turns, with very little of the drawbacks of either.
Mark and Andy have a similar outlook, with both of them finding that the High Roller 3 performs at its very best when there is some softness to the ground to let the taller knobs penetrate and lock into the surface, but that the tyre still works well in firmer conditions. Andy has been especially impressed on off-camber sections, finding the sharp edge of the tire exceptionally good at biting and holding across steeper angles. That overall sentiment is echoed by Polly too, for whom the new tread has become her go to race option simply because it works well in almost every possible condition, no matter what the weather does or how a course changes she can stick to the same tire and know she’s covered.
The team summary
It’s early days with the High Roller 3, I only have a solid handful of rides with them but I’ve been impressed with the versatility of the tyre and I’ve never felt held back as I might have been on a Shorty in the dry or an Assegai in the wet. On hard pack sections they perform well, but take the High Rollers to trails where the centre knobs can really dig in and something special happens. I’m looking forward to putting a lot more miles on these tyres.
We currently have High Rollers available in both 27.5” and 29” in both DoubleDown and DH casing, all in the super soft MaxxGrip rubber compound. Jump over to our website to get a set for yourself or come by and see them firsthand in the shop.
☎️ 01896 831429
📧 shop@tweedvalleybikes.co.uk
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