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review

Maxxis High Road Tubeless 170tpi

8
£59.99

VERDICT:

8
10
Excellent grip levels and rolling resistance from a durable tubeless-ready tyre
Weight: 
297g
Contact: 

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Maxxis' High Road Tubeless tyres have carried over all the great points from the non-tubeless version, such as excellent grip levels and great durability, but with the added bonus of not having to stop and fix a puncture.

  • Pros: Great grip levels wet and dry; easy to fit
  • Cons: Pricier than some of the competition

I tested the non-tubeless version of the High Roads back in March last year and on the whole I was impressed, but even though this tubeless version uses a lot of the same materials I'd say they're slightly better.

> Find your nearest dealer here

The main thing I criticised the non-tubeless tyres for was their suppleness – or lack of – and tubeless tyres need to have a more robust and non-porous sidewall to keep the sealant inside, so tend to be less supple because of the extra material involved. One of the main attractions for going sans tube, though, is that you can run lower tyre pressures, which offsets that lack of flex in the carcass.

Running the 25mm High Road Tubeless at the same 100psi as I did the non-tubeless version, they do seem a little more pliable, giving a nicer feel on the road. They're also more supple than a fair few other tubeless tyres I've ridden.

The fact that the layup of the tubeless Maxxis is 170 threads per inch (TPI) compared to the non-tubeless 120TPI might have something to do with it – more threads per inch tends to mean a smoother ride.

> Buyer's Guide: 35 of the best road cycling tyres

The tubeless High Roads weigh in at 297g each, which is 83g heavier than the standard model because of the addition of a butyl liner to seal the inside of the tyre.

Getting the tyres to fit was relatively easy on a selection of wheels using a short blast of air from the Beto Surge Tubeless floor pump. It wasn't a must, though, as I did get the carbon fibre bead to pop onto the rims with a bit of a wiggle and a standard track pump.

With the beads in place and sealant added, the tyres leaked a bit of air over the next couple of hours, even after sloshing the sealant around the rim a bit before fitting them to the bike. I then pumped them up before a first ride, and once the tyres had covered a few miles and the sealant had got into all of the nooks and crannies they maintained pressure very well, only needing a little top-up once a week.

Puncture protection is taken care of by Maxxis' K2, a layer of Kevlar composite under the rubber, and it does a very good job. With a test period that's included heavy, sustained rain washing the debris and hedgerow cuttings into the road, I haven't had a single issue with cuts or punctures.

Maxxis_High_Road_Tubeless_Tyres_2

Maxxis has kept the same silica compound as found on the non-tubeless version, called HYPR. Its grip is excellent in the dry and it performs better than expected in the wet, giving loads of confidence when taking roundabouts at speed to keep up with the flow of traffic.

With this kind of performance I'd say the High Road Tubeless are perfectly suited for those of us who want a quick tyre without having to sacrifice durability if we get caught out in some iffy conditions.

Value

When it comes to pricing, the Maxxis are a bit more expensive than the very similar, tubeless-ready Pirrelli Cinturato Velos, which have gone up to £52.99 since I tested them last year, though they are 100g per pair heavier.

The Panaracer Race Evo 4 TLC tyres are the same price, at £59.95, but while they are a bit of a faff to fit they are nearly 100g lighter per tyre.

> Buyer's Guide: 11 of the best tubeless tyres for winter

Both the Schwalbe Pro One (£66.99) and the Continental Grand Prix 5000 TL (£69.99) are more expensive, but they certainly have the performance to back it up, being some of the most grippy tyres on the market.

Overall, I'd say the Maxxis High Road Tubeless is a very capable all-round tyre, and it's a decent price for the performance.

Verdict

Excellent grip levels and rolling resistance from a durable tubeless-ready tyre

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road.cc test report

Make and model: Maxxis High Road Tubeless 170tpi

Size tested: 25mm

Tell us what the product is for and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?

Maxxis says, "The High Road is our flagship road tyre for elite racers and riders who demand the best equipment. It features: our all-new HYPR Compound which decreases rolling resistance while increasing wet traction; a K2 breaker beneath the tread for puncture protection; and a light and supple tubeless ready 170 TPI casing."

Impressive tubeless tyres for fast riding in a range of conditions.

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?

Maxxis lists:

Pro level tyre

170 TPI

Tubeless butyl liner

Carbon fibre bead

HYPR Compound

K2 puncture protection

25mm or 28mm options available

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
8/10
Rate the product for performance:
 
8/10
Rate the product for durability:
 
8/10
Rate the product for weight (if applicable)
 
7/10
Rate the product for comfort (if applicable)
 
8/10
Rate the product for value:
 
5/10

These are nowhere near the most expensive tubeless tyres out there, but you can get cheaper.

Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose

Dealt with everything the weather could throw at them and roll well.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

Easy to fit and great grip levels.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

The price – there is some cheaper competition out there.

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes

Would you consider buying the product? Yes

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes

Use this box to explain your overall score

A decent all-round package delivering durability, grip and speed.

Overall rating: 8/10

About the tester

Age: 41  Height: 180cm  Weight: 76kg

I usually ride: This month's test bike  My best bike is: B'Twin Ultra CF draped in the latest bling test components

I've been riding for: Over 20 years  I ride: Every day  I would class myself as: Expert

I regularly do the following types of riding: time trialling, commuting, club rides, sportives, fixed/singlespeed,

As part of the tech team here at F-At Digital, senior product reviewer Stu spends the majority of his time writing in-depth reviews for road.cc, off-road.cc and ebiketips using the knowledge gained from testing over 1,500 pieces of kit (plus 100's of bikes) since starting out as a freelancer back in 2009. After first throwing his leg over a race bike back in 2000, Stu's ridden more than 170,000 miles on road, time-trial, track, and gravel bikes, and while he's put his racing days behind him, he still likes to smash the pedals rather than take things easy. With a background in design and engineering, he has an obsession with how things are developed and manufactured, has a borderline fetish for handbuilt metal frames and finds a rim braked road bike very aesthetically pleasing!

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7 comments

Avatar
Ogi | 4 years ago
0 likes

Look. If we follow the same logic, look at this ($21.5 per 1kg of carbon). Price of bike frames anyone? :):):)

 

https://carfromjapan.com/article/industry-knowledge/how-much-does-a-form...

 

 

Avatar
DrG82 replied to Ogi | 4 years ago
0 likes
Ogi wrote:

Look. If we follow the same logic, look at this ($21.5 per 1kg of carbon). Price of bike frames anyone? :):):)

 

I don't think comparing road bike tyres and motorbike tyres us quite so extreme as comparing raw carbon fibre to formed and finished products.
If you consider that a motorbike tyre is designed to keep almost 400kg on the road when cornering at 100+ mph you'd think they would be considerably more expensive, especially if postage is included.

 

 

Avatar
Fluffed | 4 years ago
0 likes

Tyre RRPs are for some reason always high fantasty, you can get these for around 40.

Avatar
yupiteru replied to Fluffed | 4 years ago
0 likes
Fluffed wrote:

Tyre RRPs are for some reason always high fantasty, you can get these for around 40.

 

You can still buy a Maxis motorbike tyre for less than 30 quid with free delivery - why?

Avatar
yupiteru | 4 years ago
1 like

Yes indeed it is madness, but someone will pay it!  Maxxis make motorbike tyres as well, and you can actually pick some of them up for less than £30 online with free delivery!

The Maxxis M6029 motorbike tyre for example, but most are far less than sixty nicker.

They are all at it - Continental for example, compare the prices of their cycle tyres and their motorbike tyres, it is absolutely fu*king nuts.

And dont even mention Schwalbe or I might have a nervous breakdown.  Of course the manufacturers will come up with all sorts of bullshit to justify the insane prices, but we all know it's just that - BULLSHIT!

Avatar
JWL | 4 years ago
2 likes

Who on earth would pay £60 for a tyre?

l also wonder why you'd ride a tubeless tyre at 100psi in a 25mm width. That negates all the comfort benefits.

Avatar
srchar | 4 years ago
1 like

I'm only here to say, "what, sixty quid?!"

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