Tyre manufacturer Michelin developed the first pneumatic tyre in 1891, so to say they know a thing or two about rubber is an understatement. With mountain biking first kicking off in the 1970’s and gaining popularity in the 1980’s, Michelin decided to throw its hat in the ring almost 100 years after the brand’s inception; who remembers the turquoise Michelin WildGripper tyres from the 1990s?

While the coloured tread patterns of the 90’s are no longer, Michelin remains at the forefront of tyre development. And with dedicated lineups for e-MTB’s, enduro racing and general trail riding, there is a tyre in the lineup to suit almost any kind of terrain and riding style.

We’ve mentioned it before, and we’ll say it again: understanding the differences between mountain bike tyres and deciphering the technology can take some serious investigative skills. To reacquaint ourselves with the Michelin lineup, the team at FlowHQ have been putting the French rubber to the test throughout the summer to see how they stack up against our recent tyre tests.

Michelin Mountian Bike Tyre Compound Overview

To keep things simple, Michelin offers only two compounds across its range of tyres, Gum-X or Magi-X. Similar to Pirelli, Michelin adopt a single compound of rubber as opposed to using two or even three compounds like Maxxis. This is said to deliver a more predictable ride feel throughout the life of the tyre, as the chemical grip remains consistent as the tyre wears.

Gum-X

The Gum-X compound is most commonly seen on Michelin’s All Mountain and XC tyres such as the Wild AM². This sees a single compound of rubber that prioritises durability and rolling efficiency, that would be most comparable to Pirelli’s SmartGrip or Maxxis’ MaxxTerra compounds. 

Magi-X

Being the softest rubber on offer from the brand, the Magi-X compound of rubber claims to offer more chemical grip than the Gum-X, however sacrifices rolling efficiency and durability in doing so. This can be found on the majority of Michelin’s gravity-orientated tyres such as the Wild Enduro or E-Wild offerings.

E-Wild Front & Rear Racing Line

If ever there was a tyre that screamed its purpose just by looking at it, the Michelin E-Wild would be it. Designed specifically for e-MTBs with the brand’s Magi-X soft compound rubber and a robust 2x55TPI casing, this front and rear tyre combo has super-aggressive, open, square knobs with multi-directional siping. The result? A tyre that isn’t necessarily suited to e-MTBs in general, but to a particular style of e-MTB riding—think mixed surfaces, backcountry madness, moto singletrack, and unfamiliar terrain where traction will save you from an unpredictable mishap.

E-Wild Key Details

• Tread Options | Front or Rear Specific
• Rubber Compound | Magi-X
• Tyre Casing | 2x55TPI w/ Bead-to-bead & Tread Shield
• Available Sizes | 29×2.6in, 27.5×2.6in 
• Confirmed Weight | 1400g (29×2.6in), 1320g (27.5×2.6in)
• e-MTB Approved | Specific e-MTB Design
• Price | $119 AUD

Tested Combination

• Front tyre: Michelin E-Wild Front Racing Line, 29×2.6in, 2x55TPI Casing, Magi-X Compound (1400g confirmed)
• Rear tyre: Michelin E-Wild Rear Racing Line, 27.5×2.6in, 2x55TPI Casing, Magi-X Compound (1320g confirmed)

On a recent multi-day ride, fitted to Mick’s full-power Specialized Levo, we discovered where the E-Wild excels and where it feels out of place. On dry hardpack, machine-built flow trails like those at Narooma Mountain Bike Park, the stiff casing and aggressive tread felt sluggish and squirmy. But later in the trip, riding deep, dark, rooty, loamy jungle-like trails in Wollongong, the E-Wild came into its own. The tall, widely spaced knobs cut through leaf litter and hooked up in soft dirt and slippery roots like a blue marlin on a trolling lure.

The rear tyre, in particular, is an excellent choice if you want to stay on the bike and make the most of the motor’s power—well suited for winching up super-loose, techy climbs. You can drop the pressures quite a bit and push hard without compromising support, which is a big advantage in rough backcountry terrain.

The E-Wild raises an interesting question about whether we really need e-bike-specific components, and in this case, we’d lean towards yes.

If you’re riding well-ridden lines or popular singletrack trails, this setup is probably overkill, offering more grip and stiffness than necessary, and the weight won’t be too friendly on battery range. But if your e-MTB adventures take you into untamed terrain, where traction, durability, puncture protection and support matter more than rolling speed, then the E-Wild is a seriously good combo.

Wild Enduro MS Racing Line

As part of the launch of the revamped Wild lineup, there are three revised tread patterns labelled Enduro MS, Enduro MH and Enduro Rear. The first two require a little decoding to determine their suited terrain, with the MS and MH labels being suited to Mixed/Soft or Mixed/Hard-packed conditions, respectively. The final tread pattern, Enduro Rear, is fairly self-explanatory. It’s designed as a fast-rolling rear-specific tyre, and is only available in 29in sizing.

Here we are looking at the Wild Enduro MS which adopts a common 3-2-2-3 block pattern, seeing large well-supported cornering lugs with longitudinal siping to conform to the terrain. The block spacing is broad to help them bite into soft dirt and shed mud, and is visually similar to a Maxxis Assegai or Continental Kryptotal.

All of this is moulded with the brand’s Magi-X single compound rubber, being the softest and grippiest on offer. Similar to the E-Wild, the Wild Enduro MS sports the same 2x55TPI casing with bead-to-bead reinforcing, along with an additional layer of protection underneath the tread.

Wild Enduro MS Key Details

• Conditions | Mixed/Soft Terrain
• Rubber Compound | Magi-X
• Tyre Casing | 2x55TPI w/ Bead-to-bead & Tread Shield
• Available Sizes | 29×2.4in & 27.5×2.4in 
• Confirmed Weight | 1303g (29×2.4in), 1178g (27.5×2.4in)
• e-MTB Approved | Yes
• Price | $119 AUD

Tested Combination | Santa Cruz Nomad

• Front tyre: Michelin Wild Enduro MS Racing Line, 29×2.4in, 2x55TPI Casing, Magi-X Compound (1303g confirmed)
• Rear tyre: Michelin Wild Enduro MS Racing Line, 27.5×2.4in, 2x55TPI Casing, Magi-X Compound (1178g confirmed)

Right away, I noticed the sprightliness of the Wild Enduro MS. Despite the reinforced casing and soft rubber, they accelerate quickly and maintain momentum with ease. The soft compound caused minimal sluggishness, a major tradeoff that was clear while testing Schwalbe’s latest Radial casing.

Thanks to the narrower 2.4in width, the MS were quick to change direction and provided a more agile feeling on the trail compared to other 2.5in rubber. Despite having minor differences in the tread pattern, they feel quite similar to the Maxxis High Roller 3 I have spent a lot of time on recently — quick and agile, but not as surefooted compared to other burly enduro tyres.

The 2x55TPI casing is supportive and has minimal flex or roll when cornering hard. Squaring off a turn does result in some tyre roll, and overall the stiffness of the casing sits somewhere between Maxxis’ Downhill and DoubleDown casing. The carcass as a whole however is rather stiff and has minimal damping or suppleness, which leads to a rather harsh ride and pinging off rocks and roots. This likely has something to do with the impressive rolling efficiency, with the stiff casing having minimal deflection, which would otherwise sap away speed. 

On the scales, our test Wild Enduro MS tyres weighed in at 1303g for the 29×2.4in, and 1178g for the 27.5×2.4in. This is right in the ballpark compared to similar offerings such as the High Roller 3 and DHR II combination I tested previously on the Nomad.

The soft Magi-X rubber is extremely pliable and conforms to the terrain nicely, hooking up exactly as expected. But, the durability of the rear tyre left us a little unimpressed, with the backside of the lugs wearing off far quicker than the softest rubber from other manufacturers. This is potentially a byproduct of the single compound of rubber used in the Magi-X, as opposed to Maxxis’ 3C for example, which uses a firmer compound below the soft top layer to aid durability. After a total of five full days riding at Maydena, Queenstown and Zeehan, the rear Wild Enduro MS was looking particularly haggard, with few of the centre lugs remaining.

This kind of durability does reinforce the fact that these are designed as race tyres — extremely grippy and fast-rolling — but don’t expect these to be daily drivers and last for 12 months.

Wild AM²

The Wild AM² was launched in 2021, featuring an aggressive tread pattern designed for soft terrain, using a 2-2-2 block arrangement with alternating lateral spacing between the pairs of blocks. The edge lugs are large, and longitudinal siping helps them conform to the terrain, while every second lug is stepped inwards to provide a consistent feel when leaning the tyre over.

All of the lugs are chamfered on the leading edge to improve rolling efficiency, while the trailing edges remain square for braking traction. They also sport the brand’s slightly older branding style, which is quite a bit more subtle than the newer graphics seen on the Wild Enduro MS.

Wild AM² Key Details

• Rubber Compound | Gum-X
• Tyre Casing | Gravity Shield 3x60TPI
• Available Sizes | 29×2.4in, 29×2.6in, 27.5×2.4in, 27.5×2.6in  
• Confirmed Weight | 1131g (29×2.6in), 974g (29×2.4in)
• e-MTB Approved | Yes
• Price | $129 AUD

Tested Combination | Giant Trance X

• Front tyre: Michelin Wild AM² Competition Line, 29×2.6in, Gravity Shield Casing, Gum-X Compound (1131g confirmed)
• Rear tyre: Michelin Wild AM² Competition Line, 27.5×2.4in, Gravity Shield Casing, Gum-X Compound (974g confirmed)

Predictable, predictable, predictable. The Michelin Wild AM² are predictable tyres. Even in the wider 2.6in width out front, the profile is fairly squared off, meaning there is a good deal of rubber touching the ground at all times, and with the 2-2-2 pattern, and angled and staggered outer lugs, it creates a reliable grip without any vagueness as the bike leans over. 

The shoulder knobs keep reasonably square with the casing, with only every third hanging over the edge. While this creates that consistent cornering grip, it lacks the satisfying hook-up-and-hang-on that some similarly aggressive tyres exhibit when the bike is fully on edge, and you’re hanging on by the seat of your pants — or should we say the edges of your tyre’s knobs. It also means that the Wild AM² will let go a bit sooner than some others in loose, blown-out corners.

That consistency also translates into the way the compound reacts to rocks and slick roots. The Gum-X compound isn’t gooey soft but still provides enough chemical grip, and is not pinging off things in an unsettling manner. As close as I can tell, it’s a dead ringer for Schwalbe’s Addix Soft or Maxxis’ MaxxTerra compounds. With that, after about three months of riding, they are still in great condition, with all of the knobs still there and maintaining pretty sharp edges.

The Gravity Shield casing provides plenty of support and it’s very much a neutral feel. It is not overly damped, but also not bouncy and harsh or mega supple either.

Coming from a Schwalbe Tacky Chan/Hans Dampf (both in 2.4in) the Wild AM² felt to be a slower rolling combo. However, that particular pairing from the German tyre brand is remarkably speedy, so my baseline may be a little off. Even still, I’d be interested to try a Force AM² on the back to balance things out.

Overall, the Wild AM² is a bit of a jack of all trades, master of none. It’s a reliable partner wherever you take it, but at the same time, don’t expect to be blown out of the water at its overall grip or rolling speed in certain conditions or riding scenarios.

So there we have it, folks, that wraps up our thoughts on a selection of rubber from the French tyre manufacturer Michelin. We must admit that deciphering the tech behind the tyres is quite confusing. And while the do-it-all Wild AM² proved to be a very well-rounded option, the E-Wild and Wild Enduro MS’s take a bold approach of being very specific for their use-case that may not appeal to the masses.

However if used in the right terrain/scenario, these options proved to be up there with the best rubber we’ve tested, proving there’s merit to the concept. With a solid understanding of the treads, compounds and sizes, finding the perfect combination for your bike, terrain and riding style becomes an exciting challenge!