When Michelin relaunched their Wild Enduro range they claimed they’d found the holy grail of tyres with faster rolling, less weight and more grip.
Part of the new three-tyre Wild Enduro range from Michelin, the Wild Enduro MS is aimed at mixed soft conditions where grip is key.
Photos by Pete Scullion.
Key features:
- 29″ or 27.5″
- 2.4″ width only
- 2 x 55tpi casing
- Bead-to-bead shield
- Tread shield
- Pinch protection
- Magi-X Extra Grip compound
- 1290g
- £84.99 RRP
- Michelin.co.uk
Based around a dual-ply 55TPI casing and Michelin’s Magi-X rubber compound the Wild Enduro MS from Michelin is designed for aggressive riding in mixed soft conditions. The MS comes in 2.4″ only and in both wheel sizes. A bead-to-bead shield, tread shield and pinch protection make these some of the most heavily protected tyres going.
Michelin’s latest Magi-X compound technology claims enhanced grip in damp, cold conditions (3°C to 10°C) and at the same time reducing “rubber-related energy losses”, putting more of your effort into the dirt. Michelin claim the new range is 10 percent lighter improvements, and third-party tests have shown that the rears saving 30W over the previous versions and the front tyres 20W.
Claimed weight is 1290g for the new Wild Enduro tyres in 29″ making them considerably lighter than the outgoing models, but still on par with Continental’s downhill casing offerings, so they’re not light in the grand scheme of things. Fitting is hard work but have Michelins ever been easy to mount? That said, inflation was swift even with a dry tyre and a small pump, with the seat coming with a defined pop.
On an E.13 LG1 Enduro alloy rim, the Wild Enduro MS has a consistent rounded profile with a fair edge created by the shoulder blocks. The casing is robust and you will either get a firmer feel with the same pressure or better support at lower pressures than you might normally run. This is not entirely surprising when you consider the increased weight and amount of protective layers within the carcass.
I ran this as a front tyre, in the same way you might run an Assegai or a Magic Mary. Even though Michelin state that they can be run as a rear tyre, I’d imagine it wouldn’t roll very quickly as a rear option, though far grippier than the Wild Enduro Rear.
Starting with the same pressure as I’d normally run, the Wild Enduro MS rolled faster than expected but grip wasn’t especially good with a fair amount of deflection. Dropping a few psi though brought with it plenty of support and grip without fear of losing the wind within to any pinches.
Despite the rubber compound being faster rebounding to reduce ‘rubber related losses’, traction is high but maybe not as ludicrous as the outgoing offerings. Grip is generally excellent even on harder surfaces like rock and it’s unshakeable in the loose. It’s especially good at seeing off square edges that might defeat other tyres but in a predictable manner that is conducive to hard charging.
What do we think?
Whilst they’re not especially light and are relatively expensive, if you value outright traction and puncture proofing then the Wild Enduro MS Racing Line may well be the one for you.
We love:
- Tough as woodpecker lips
- Serious grip
Could do better:
- Not light
- Not cheap
