Review: VitalMTB - Michelin Racing Line Enduro and eMTB Tyres

VitalMTB has reviewed the Michelin MTB tyres. Here is what they had to say:

After a 10-plus-year hiatus from making high-end mountain bike tires, Michelin returned to the World Cup downhill paddock in 2019 with the MS Mondraker Team. Since then, their rubber has seen plenty of success between the tape in various racing disciplines. For 2024, Michelin continues to evolve its premium product offering with the completely revamped Enduro and E-Bike Racing Line tires. Lucky for us, we were able to spend a few days getting acquainted with the new casings, compounds, and tread designs at Ride Rock Creek and Ride Kanuga Bike Parks, which happen to be within an hour from Michelin's North American headquarters in Greenville, South Carolina. Three days and over 40 laps later, we left with a good sense of what the new tires have to offer and where they fit into the current crop of Enduro and E-Bike tires.

Enduro Wild Racing Line Overview

Michelin has continued to use the "Wild" name for all their all-mountain, enduro, and e-bike tires; however, they now differentiate between the tires with terrain-focused sub-names. The Wild Enduro Racing Line now includes the MS (Mixed-Soft), MH (Mixed-Hard), and Rear models. The MS, MH, and Rear tires have been updated for 2024, and all the tires in the line are E-Bike compatible.

Updates include a revised casing lay-up consisting of a pinch protection layer closest to the bead, two 55 TPI layers, a tread shield layer, and a bead-to-bead shield layer on top. Michelin's Magi-X rubber compound is used throughout to improve grip and rolling speed. The Wild Enduro MS and MH are offered in 27.5 and 29-inch, but surprisingly, the Enduro Rear is only available in 29-inch. The final major update is that the tires will be available in Michelin's signature blue/yellow colors, as well as a more subtle gray to match the colors of more consumer bikes.

E-Bike Tires Overview

New for this year, Michelin has a few e-bike-specific tires that focus on overall traction, wear life, and managing the weight of heavier bikes. They've done this by building upon the tread pattern of the Wild Enduro MS to create the E Wild Front while developing the all-new E Wild Rear. The E Wild Racing Line uses the same casing layup and structure as the enduro models to ensure maximum support and protection. For the compound, Michelinhas used a slightly firmer version of their Magi-X compound to help prevent premature wear.

The E Wild Front is available in 29x2.4 and 29x2.6 options. The E Wild Rear is available in 27.5x2.6 and 29x2.6. However, unlike the Wild Enduro tires, the E Wild Tires are only available in Michelin's blue/yellow colorway. We rode a Specialized Stumpjumper Levo courtesy of Ride Kanuga Bike Park with the E Wild front in 29x2.6 and the E Wild rear in 27.5x2.6.

What's The Bottom Line?

Michelin has built a solid line of enduro and e-bike tires that are positioned to give other tire manufacturers a run for their money. The Wild Enduro tires outperformed our expectations based on our experience with the previous Wild AM2, offering great bite and hold over mixed soil with predictable cornering traction. We had minimal expectations before riding the e-bike tires, but it's clear Michelin put a lot of thought into ensuring they performed in unison with the way e-bikes are ridden. The standout takeaway from our three days of testing that's shared between all the Wild models is the support, comfort, and confidence provided by the latest casing structure. We could hop on each tire, tweak pressures, and then attack trails without worrying if the tires could manage the terrain.

If you're in the market for new enduro or e-bike tires, definitely give the Wild Enduro MS up front and Enduro MH in the rear. It may seem odd to run a wider tire in the rear, but it worked well for us and created a more balanced ride on the trail while providing confidence at higher speeds on rougher terrain.