Maxxis Aggressor Tire [Rider Review]

Our "Rider Review" article series features the honest reviews from verified purchasers of Worldwide Cyclery. They contain the photos, thoughts, feedback & overall review you are looking for. 

Maxxis is our go-to tire brand for one simple fact. They make the best tires in the MTB industry. Plain and simple. With just about every bike coming and going through the shop being equipped with Maxxis, we have had quite a bit of experience on the brand and trust them wholeheartedly. Our buddy Adam recently tried out the Aggressor Tire. Let's see what he had to say.

Adam's Review:

As someone who is always trying to find an edge and get faster, tires are important to me on many different levels. When I choose a tire to run I have to make decisions on the tread pattern and compounds of the tires for several different reasons.

First off, I like to decide on a tread pattern. As the ground here in Southern California began to dry and my Minion DHF started looking quite ragged, I decided to start looking for a new rear tire. I wanted something that has a lower and faster rolling profile than the DHF and the Assegai which I was running upfront. I decided on the Aggressor because it has a lower profile than the DHF, with much less aggressive knobs. This tire rolls a lot faster and smoother than the DHF.

Secondly, it came to the decision of the compound. As a bigger guy, (215 lb) I decided on the heavy DD casing. I need something that is going to be supportive and not roll on me in high impact situations. I like the feel of the soft rubber and can feel it gripping well in corners that would often make me want to slow down.

Riding with the Aggressor as a rear tire is quite fun. I feel that it has allowed me to maintain a bit of a higher speed on the trail while not sacrificing the grip in corners. Although the side knobs of this tire are much shorter than the DHF, they provide a reliable, consistent feel when turning the bike. I often felt more confident than I have with other tires, which I assume is due to the tight spacing of the knobs on the tire. There are no ‘dead spaces’ which I would sometimes feel in a DHF when leaning at just the right angle, the tire would slide. Because of the tightly spaced knobs, I can lean to any desired angle without losing traction.

I decided to run CushCore for my first time with this tire, and I feel like they are paired well together. In lower pressures, the tire has more grip without the feeling of it rolling as I have experienced with other setups. I assume that this is due not only to the CushCore but also due to the DD casing of the tire.

Conclusion:

"I am excited to get some more laps in with this tire and get more comfortable with it. Due to the Corona Virus I have not been able to get enough miles on it that I can speak to the wear of the Aggressor compared to other tires but I am hopeful that it will wear down at a slower rate than the last few DHFs that I have used as rear tires." - Adam