Maxxis Assegai Tire 29 x 2.5: 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.

There are some components that some would say are a personal preference. Arguably tires may be one of the most controversial parts on any given mountain bike. Our friend Mark shares his thoughts on the Maxxis Assegai Tire 29 x 2.5 Tubeless Folding 3C Maxx Terra EXO Wide Trail Tire. Check it out!

Overview

"The Maxxis Assegai tire grips, but it's slow" -- Said every review ever.

Honestly, I race XC (I have a Canyon Lux as well), and I have ridden some pretty fast rolling light-weight tires in my day, and while the Maxxis Assegai will never compete with them in a rolling-resistance test, I would never complain that the Assegai is a slow tire for what it's intended for, which is DH. I will admit, I was hesitant to change from my DHF 2.5 WT tire that came stock on the bike for the Assegai, for two reasons, first every review I read said it was so slow, and second was the weight. But after realizing that the Assegai was only like 50g heavier than the DHF I had on, I knew I had to give it a try.

I was happy to see the Assegai was as easy as all other Maxxis tires have been to setup on my 30 inner width rim, even without an air compressor or sealant in the tire, the tire blew up and snapped to the rim in just a matter of a few floor-pump pumps. Then on my first ride, with the thought in the back of my head "get ready for some drag and slow climbs," I was surprised when this tire literally felt no different than the DHF tire it replaced, like at all. Sure the knobs look super aggressive, and they grip like everything is hero dirt on the downs, they didn't seem to slow me down anymore than I would expect for a big enduro-capable tire.

This also could be in part of the 2.4 Maxxis Dissector tire in the rear, which I had been using for couple weeks before installing the Assegai. The Dissector is a very fast and relatively light weight tire, which is super important to how a bike feels when climbing, because 95% of the climb you will do seated. When you are seated you have 80% of your weight on the rear tire, and if it's draggy and slow it will really be emphasized. So having a fast, yet very enduro capable Dissector in the rear has really allowed my bike to keep a fastish rolling speed, while offering insane amounts of grip.

Final Thoughts

So if you are like me, and are hesitant to try the Assegai because you don't want to be last up the mountain, then just try it in the front. Put something lighter and faster on the rear and you will really unlock your bikes potential which will help build your confidence and increase your downhill speed.