Review: MBR - Michelin WIld Enduro Tyres

MBR has reviewed the Michelin Wild Enduro tyres. Here is what they had to say:

The new Michelin Wild Enduro tyre is completely new for 2024, it’s lighter than the generation is replaces and there are also claims it rolls faster too. And with two front end models – MS (Mixed/Soft) and MH (Mixed/Hard) – and a Rear only specification, it looks like the french rubber brand has options for gravity riding in most conditions.

Of course the legendary French tyre brand Michelin needs little introduction. It’s been deeply involved in MTB enduro and DH racing for years and tyres bearing its chequered ‘Racing Line’ logos have won multiple EWS Enduro World titles under Sam Hill.

The previous generation Wild Enduro was widely specified as OE (original equipment) on many new bikes and a popular choice for privateer racers and UK shredders. It’s sticky grip meant I’ve used pretty much every generation and model of Michelin’s gravity line up over the last two decades and it was really only the weight and rolling resistance that kept it from being one of our best mountian bike tyres.

Design and specifications

Aside from an all-new tread pattern that’s simultaneously more open and toothier than the previous Michelin Wild Enduro, the all new Racing Line models switch from a 4-ply DH shield casing to a dual-ply carcass.

This new casing is lighter and more supple, while hopefully retaining good puncture protection by using two separate woven liner shields and a bead bumper to resist pinch flats. One of these ‘Kevlar-style’ layers covers just the tread crown and the other wraps the entire tyre.

Both MS and MH models fill in some of the blanks on the previously too widely-spaced edge blocks that I whinged about when reviewing the old Wild Enduro front tyre, should it should be better when supporting rider weight in loose dirt and loam.

Targeting Mixed/Soft conditions explains why the MS has a reasonably open tread that should also cut in better in loose conditions and mud, but it’s still a good way off a dedicated spiky mud tyre and actually pretty versatile. I used it in a mix of slick UK dirt and then bone-dry Mediterranean rocks and it worked well on both and the tread pattern roughly equates to something like a slightly more spaced out ‘standard’ tyre like a Schwalbe Magic Mary than a Shorty or anything.

Performance

Weighing the MS tyre before installing had me thinking how a tyre that weighs 1,320g can be significantly lighter, but checking back to my review of a previous generation 29in Wild Enduro front that tyre was a whopping 1,480g, so these new models really are a lot lighter, even if they’re still heavy.

Michelin’s dual ply casing is pretty tight and stiff to install and despite putting hundreds of tyres on with my bare hands over the years, I had to resort to tyre levers on a pair of carbon wheels (I just about got them on alloy rims by hand). One bonus of this is the tyre popped into place a cinch with a track pump and never burped any sealant, even at around 20psi even on super rough DH tracks in San Remo.

I’ve only used the tyres so far in the UK and Italy in temperatures between around 6 to 25-degrees, so can’t comment yet on the advertised improvement in low temperature grip, but can say they do work well in both wet and dry conditions.

With its new updates, Michelin has changed the character of its tyres for the better to the point they ride more like the Kryptotal Enduro R Soft from Continental. Whether that will cost the brand some of its core audience that loved the slappy, almost ‘medicine ball’ feeling of its previously dull and slow rebounding formula (at least in warmer weather) is hard to say though.

And, even with the slightly more dynamic ride, Michelin has retained a nicely damped feel in the casing though without sidewalls folding or twisting under high loads cornering or landing drops. This is backed up visually no excessive ply lines (light creases) in the casing, despite running around 20psi on the front of a long travel enduro rig on super long and rough tracks.

Finally, wear life seems pretty good (the tyre in the photo has done around 25,000m of descending on the front) but one significant issue I had with this Racing Line was ripping a shoulder tread block off completely. This is basically the end of the life of a very expensive tyre unless you start some glue work repairs, and, yes, it might be a one-off, but it’s something I’ve only ever done regularly to Schwalbe tyres in the past, so hopefully Michelin tyres won’t start doing this with the new casing and construction.

Verdict

The new Racing Line models are lighter, but despite the ‘enduro’ tag they are still comparable to Conti DH tyres and heavier than other brand’s enduro options like Maxxis DD. I also ripped a tread block clean off, which I’ve never done in a decade of testing older Michelin tyres. That aside, this Wild Enduro MS tyre rolls faster and grips better than the original, it delivers a win-win formula that should help you slay enduro stages. The tyre carries over Michelin’s excellent puncture protection and the casing is solid and stable without being too uncomfortable and unyielding. The MS also delivered decent wear life in very dry/rocky conditions with constant heavy braking.