MTB Tire Test: Maxxis Aspen EXO TR

The Maxxis Aspen is a mountain bike tire with a high volume casing and a low profile tread. The Aspen looks like one of the fastest tires from Maxxis as the tread pattern in the center of the tire is quite low and open. The edge knobs are a bit bigger and look like they will provide decent grip when leaned over far enough.

This is a test of the 29x2.25 120 TPI EXO TR version of the Aspen that has a specified weight of 645 grams. The EXO TL part means this version has reinforced sidewalls (EXO) and is tubeless-ready (TL). The compound is a dual compound that is simply called "Dual Compound". We couldn't find much information about this compound so we're curious how it compares to the Maxxis 3C MaxxSpeed compound that we've tested before (Ikon 3C MaxxSpeed and Ardent Race 3C MaxxSpeed).

We've tested a few Maxxis MTB tires in the past and in general, they're not the fastest rolling tires out there. We're giving them another try to see how they stack up to other recent tires like the new 2019 Schwalbe Racing Ralph (read review) and Racing Ray (read review) with Addix Speed and SpeedGrip compounds.

Manufacturer Specifications

Manufacturer Specs
Brand	Maxxis
Model	Aspen EXO TR
Year	2019
Supplied By	Bought in store
New or Used	New
Mileage	0 km
Price Range	High
Buy At
Manufacturer part number	ETB96895500
EAN	4717784032719
TPI	120
Compound	Dual Compound
Bead	Folding
ETRTO	57-622
Size Inch	28"
Width Inch	2.25
Specified Weight	645 grams
Max Air Pressure (psi)	60
Made In	Pro Data
Available Sizes	26x2.10 27.5x2.10 27.5x2.25 29x2.25

Maxxis Aspen EXO TR Test Results

Size, Weight, and Thickness Measurements

Size, Weight, and Thickness Measurements
Specified Weight	645 grams
Measured Weight	659 grams
Measured Width Carcass	55 mm (un-round)
Measured Width Tread	55 mm
Measured Height	55 mm (un-round)
Measured Knob Height Center	2.1 mm
Measured Knob Height Edge	3.3 mm
Measured Total Thickness Center (excluding knobs)	2 mm
Measured Total Thickness Sidewall	Pro Data
All size measurements are taken at an air pressure of 35 psi / 2.4 bars on a 17.8 mm inner width rim.

Rolling Resistance Test Results

Rolling Resistance Test Results
Inner Tube	None (40 ml sealant)
Measured Width	55 mm
Rolling Resistance Real tire width in mm: 47-50 = 42 psi/2.9 bar 51-55 = 38 psi/2.6 bar 56-60 = 34 psi/2.3 barHigh Air Pressure (38 psi / 2.6 bar)	Pro Data
Rolling Resistance Real tire width in mm: 47-50 = 35 psi/2.4 bar 51-55 = 32 psi/2.2 bar 56-60 = 29 psi/2.0 barMedium Air Pressure (32 psi / 2.2 bar)	Pro Data
Rolling Resistance Real tire width in mm: 47-50 = 28 psi/1.9 bar 51-55 = 25 psi/1.7 bar 56-60 = 23 psi/1.6 barLow Air Pressure (25 psi / 1.7 bar)	26.1 Watts CRR: 0.00782
Rolling Resistance Real tire width in mm: 47-50 = 21 psi/1.4 bar 51-55 = 19 psi/1.3 bar 56-60 = 17 psi/1.2 barExtra Low Air Pressure (19 psi / 1.3 bar)	Pro Data
Rolling Resistance 55 psi / 3.8 bar	Pro Data
Rolling Resistance 45 psi / 3.1 bar	Pro Data
Rolling Resistance 35 psi / 2.4 bar	Pro Data
Rolling Resistance 25 psi / 1.7 bar	Pro Data
The MTB section is a multi tire size section, air pressures have been adjusted to the measured casing width. All numbers are for a single tire at a speed of 29 km/h / 18 mph and a load of 42.5 kg / 94 lbs. Use the formula: RR (Watts) = CRR * speed (m/s) * load (N) to calculate rolling resistance at a given speed and load.

Puncture Resistance Test Results

Puncture Resistance Test Results (higher is better)
Total Puncture Score Tread	29 Points
Total Puncture Score Sidewall	Pro Data
Tread Puncture Force Sharp Needle	6 Points
Tread Puncture Force Blunt Needle	Pro Data
Tread Total Tire Thickness	2 mm
Sidewall Puncture Force Sharp Needle	Pro Data
Sidewall Puncture Force Blunt Needle	Pro Data
Sidewall Total Tire Thickness	Pro Data

Hard Surface Static Grip Test Results

Static Grip Test Results
Wet Grip Average	53 Points
Wet Grip Center	Pro Data
Wet Grip Edge	Pro Data
Measured Knob Height Center	2.1 mm
Measured Knob Height Edge	3.3 mm
Grip in points = coefficient of friction * 100 MTB grip test rim width = 30.0 mm
Wet Grip Test and Off-Road Tires (info)

Conclusion

Rolling resistance of the Maxxis Aspen EXO TR with the Maxxis Dual Compound is decent although it's still a bit slower than equivalent tires from Schwalbe. It looks like rolling resistance of the Maxxis Dual Compound is better than that of the Maxxis 3C MaxxSpeed compound which doesn't make sense to us.

The Aspen also comes with lower knobs on both the center and edge of the tread and weight is slightly higher as well when compared to the equivalent Schwalbe tire with reinforced sidewalls.

We rate the Maxxis Aspen 3 out of 5 because its performance is just a bit worse when compared to Schwalbe tires that scored 4 out of 5. Although we rate the Maxxis Aspen 3 out of 5 we still recommend this tire because the differences are small and other factors that we do not test might be more important to you.

RATING: 3.0 / 5
TEST VERDICT: Recommended

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