Michelin Wild Enduro Tire [Rider Review]

Our "Rider Review" article series features the honest reviews from verified purchasers of Worldwide Cyclery. They contain the photos, thoughts, feedback & overall review you are looking for.

Michelin is hands down one of most recognized names when it comes to tires. Their Enduro tires have also been put through the wringer by Sam Hill so you know they are legit. Our friend, Rey, just threw some new Michelins on their enduro rig. Check it out and see what they think!

Overview

Install
These tires went on to my I-nine rims pretty easy. The bead is tighter than my last set of maxxis which I could put on and off just using my hands. The tight bead made it difficult to rotate the tires to match the labels up with the rim for that "pro" look but some rubbing alcohol fixed that. Once on the rim a quick blast with the air shoot and the bead was set. Filled with sealant and off we rode!

Ride impression
My initial impressions were great ones. These tires have great cornering grip and unlike my assegai and dissector I felt they rolled faster. They don't like changing direction mid turn but if you pick the right line and commit they feel like they're on rails. Now once things get wet it's a bit of a different tire. The rear struggles for grip on wet roots and rock while the front does a much better job probably due to it's large knobs and wider spacing. I don't ride much in the rain but here in the south there's a lot of river crossings and you notice the lack of grip until the tire dries out. Both the front and rear have a smooth and predictable way of breaking traction the few times they do normally on dry hard clay. If you find yourself in some soft loamy dirt those big side knobs grip for days.

Durability
Compared to other tires I've used I don't see these doing a lot of miles. The rear started tearing side knobs after 3 rides on our GA clay trails while the front side knobs are starting to round out after a month. I still have my assegai front tire with 6 months of abuse that still like like new. The biggest negative that I learned the hard way is the front magix2 specifically leaks sealant through the sidewalls. Not even a month in the initial 120ml of sealant seemed to have mostly dried up. I suffered a puncture on a ride which did seal up but not as fast as if it had the proper amount of sealant. The lower psi in the front caused me to unseat the tire and crash letting to bruised and scraped rocks and snapping the right brake off the bars. I've put the tire back on the rim and placed another 120ml of sealant only to find the tire still losing sealant.

Final Thoughts

My only real concern with these Michelins is the sealant issue. I've punctured a set of DHFs on that same trail but they held sealant better and didn't have an issue. The grip and rolling speed is up there with the best Enduro style tires. These tires are worth trying out for the price. Just add more sealant in the front then you normally would and top it off after a week or two.