The Griffin first appeared in Maxxis' catalog as a DH tire, designed for use in bike parks and on dry, hardpacked trails. Not long after, Maxxis quietly rolled out a folding bead, 2.3” version of that same tire for all wheel sizes.
The Griffin's tread pattern bears a resemblance to their more XC-oriented Ardent, but on the Griffin all of the center knobs are ramped, and there are steps cut into the intermediate knobs. It's a busy looking pattern, the polar opposite of a mud spike, which makes sense given its target trail conditions.
Maxxis Griffin Details• Intended conditions: hardpack, loose over hardpack
• MaxxTerra rubber compound
• Tubeless Ready
• Sizes: 26'', 27.5'', and 29'' x 2.3"
• Weight: 1,020 grams (29'' x 2.3", DoubleDown)
• Price: $84.80 (DoubleDown), $68.90 (EXO)
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www.maxxis.com Maxxis uses their 3C MaxxTerra compound on the Griffin, with a harder base rubber compound and two softer compounds layered on top. The Griffin is available with either a 60 TPI EXO casing, or Maxxi's two ply, 120 TPI DoubleDown casing. That thicker casing adds roughly 200 grams to the tire, and bumps up the price by $15 or so.
PerformanceDue to my location in the Pacific Northwest I typically run wide tires with an aggressive tread pattern for most of the year, but a lack of rain this summer has created trails that are either hard as concrete, or covered with a deep layer of silt, so I mounted up a 29” Griffin with a Double Down casing to see how it handled the desert-like conditions. I ran it as a rear tire paired with a Minion DHF up front on two different wheelsets, one with a 28mm rim width, and the other with a 30mm internal rim width. Getting it set up tubeless wasn't any trouble, and once inflated, the tire measured 2.3” wide from sidewall to sidewall, and 2.25” from side knob to side knob.
I'll admit, I had my doubts about the Griffin. I'm not a huge fan of the Ardent, so the fact that the Griffin looked like a modified version of that tire had me a little skeptical. It turns out those fears were unfounded – the Griffin proved to be a great option for dusty, slippery trails, so much so that I'm planning on keeping it installed until the knobs are worn down to little nubbins, or the winter rains arrive, whichever comes first.
Compared to the Aggressor or the Minion SS the Griffin feels like it has more bite and braking traction, especially on steeper, loose terrain. One more than one occasion I found myself expecting it to lose its grip, but somehow it hooked up, digging in and keeping the rear wheel from drifting from side to side. I'd love to see a 2.4” folding bead version added into the mix, but the current version's narrower width does help it cut through sand and silt like a serrated knife while climbing and descending.
It holds its own on hardpack as well, where it's fast rolling and predictable. The tight tread pattern helps keep it from feeling squirmy on hardpacked turns; there's none of the vagueness or folding over that can occur on tires with taller side knobs. The thicker DoubleDown casing also helps keep it from collapsing in turns, and even though there's a weight penalty, it's one I'm willing to accept for the decreased risk of flats, as well as that additional sidewall support.
The Griffin's lower tread height and smaller knobs means that it's not the best choice if longevity is your top priority, but the rate of tread wear has been acceptable, especially considering that this tire has seen a couple days of bike park usage, which is the easiest way to shorten a tire's lifespan. All the knobs are still firmly attached, and there isn't any undue cracking or separating.
Pinkbike's Take | The Griffin is a bit of a sleeper, a tire that's not as commonly seen as the other tires in Maxxis' lineup, but I'm a fan. It's fast rolling, but without sacrificing traction, something that comes in handy when descending loose, blown out trails. If you regularly find yourself riding on terrain that looks like the surface of the moon, the Griffin is an excellent choice.— Mike Kazimer |
Wait... wtf???
(i think we have been at ruby hill at the same time the past couple days)
I'm really liking the Maxxis Wide Trail stuff but would like to try something from them with a bit better rolling resistance in the back.
Neither the Aggressor, nor the new High Roller are available in WT as of yet. But should be within the next month I think?
At that point I'll prob go with the High Roller for these dusty SoCal trails.
Thanks for the advice!
And thanks for making such killer tires! The WT's are my all time favorites. California is so dusty and treacherous and they really shine on my 40mm rims!
The only time they skid is on small gravel on top of rocks, and wet roots (ofc), but I think they are great in wet conditions. I actually prefer a rainy day or the day after because dry ground with small gravel on rocks can be more of a surprise. I mean when everything looks fine and dry and then the front tyre slides as if it was on a wet root.
The extra size is comfortable when you are cruising in high speed in rock gardens. In size the Maxxis 2.5 is more like my old Schwalbe Thunder Burt 2.1, and that is why I have not tried Maxxis yet. The Schwalbe Thunder Burts has btw no business off road. Only dirt roads.
www.chainreactioncycles.com/se/en/schwalbe-magic-mary-evo-mtb-tyre-downhill/rp-prod118247
//Throws self out
Remember those Kumho tyres you have in your truck are budget junk compared to a performance tyre that costs $200 a corner.