Maxxis unveil lightweight tyre designed to be 'fast, not to last'

Maxxis has released a new lighter weight version of its Maxxis High Road tyre - the Maxxis High Road SL.

The High Road tyre was already designed for racing, it was ridden by the Canyon Eisberg team in 2018 and received a 9/10 in our Cycling Weekly review. 

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Our tester concluded that it was "a very capable best day-tyre that inspires confidence and provides a good level of comfort. They’re not the cheapest but they pack a solid punch."

With Maxxis sponsoring Israel Startup Nation, the team which will house Chris Froome in 2021, the new High Road SL aims to provide the same grippy, supple rubber - but at a lighter weight.

The tyre does have some puncture protection, with K2 material used as a breaker, but Maxxis says: "As an extremely lightweight tyre with limited puncture protection, the High Road SL is recommended for race use only. It’s designed to be fast, not to last.

"The High Road SL is suitable for racing time trials, on the velodrome, or any  situation where a rider wants the lightest setup possible."

Cycling Weekly has a pair in on test, and we'll be reviewing them to see how long they last before puncturing.

Whilst racers do want lightweight rubber, most amateurs face a long walk back to HQ over a wheel change from the team car - so we'd hope there's at least a couple of races' milage in them.

The pair we have in the office came in at 172g and 176g respectively.

Currently, there are only clincher models available, these come in at £49.99. A tubeless version is coming later in the year, according to the brand.

The standard High Road tyre has a TPI of 120, vs 170 for this SL version, this should make for a more supple ride. Maxxis has used its HYPR-S compound, which reportedly offers the same grip as the previous model, but with a 12 per cent reduction in rolling resistance.