Maxxis Assegai 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.

It would be safe to say that mountain bike tires take a beating during their life on a bike. New tires can make a huge difference in performance and inherently help with crash prevention as well. Our friend Danny shares his experience with the Maxxis Assegai tires. Check it out!

Introduction

I got the Maxxis Assegai in 2.5" width to replace a worn 2.6" Maxxis DHF on the front of my Santa Cruz Nomad. On a bike like this, I'm not as concerned about rolling resistance as I am about maintaining grip on steep loose chutes as well as having a good feeling on high-speed, hard-packed berms. For years this meant the DHF was my go-to tire, but I would occasionally switch over to a Magic Mary when it was really wet outside.

Installation

The Assegai mounted and sealed easily on my 30mm Santa Cruz Reserve rim which seems to be the case for most Maxxis tires. As far as actual tire sizing I found that the 2.5" wide trail tire measures almost exactly 2.5" side-knob-to-side-knob when mounted on the 30mm rim. I plan on trying out the 2.6" version on the front when that becomes available just because it gives the front wheel a little more diameter and squish improving the ability to roll over obstacles (think pseudo mullet bike).

Ride Quality

I didn't notice any perceptible rolling resistance increase with this tire on the front versus the old DHF. I have had friends run this tire on the rear and complain about how slow it feels to pedal so that is something to keep in mind. I currently have the Assegai on the front paired with an Aggressor on the rear which seems to give a good amount of grip for descents while still making the fire road climbs to the trail head no big deal. I might consider running Assegai front and rear but likely only for bike park and shuttle trips.

Going from a well-worn DHF to brand new Assegai meant that I immediately felt a lot more front end traction. I think it's safe to say that the Assegai has more traction than a new DHF would have had as well due to the slight increase in side knob size and all the additional siping found on the Assegai. I've been able to try this tire out in wet and dry conditions now and it works well in each. I think in dry conditions the Assegai and DHF are closer to each in grip performance, but in the wet or extremely loose the Assegai clearly outshines the DHF. The Assegai grips so well in the wet that I don't think I'll feel like swapping a Magic Mary on anymore. Cornering on dry, hard-pack feels predictable without any hints of the knobs walking out like you might feel with a Magic Mary or Shorty.

Final Verdict

I don't think I see myself ever moving back to a DHF on Nomad which surprises me a bit since I had run that tire for so many years.