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The latest revision of the Michelin Wild Enduro rear tyre has tipped it more towards efficiency, thanks to a noticeable and welcome reduction in rolling resistance. The brand's super grippy rubber is present, and the new casing saves a little weight whilst still being plenty tough enough. The tyre is a little more expensive, but if you’re looking for a hard pack summer tyre, it's a solid option, especially paired with the Wild Enduro MH up front.

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Michelin Wild Enduro Racing Line Rear - Technical Details

Wild Enduro is Michelin’s enduro tyre lineup that's designed for a range of gravity-fed conditions that still require a bit of pedalling. The chunkier DH34 sits above it as a more aggressive downhill tyre, and the non-racing line version, which uses a harder compound, sits below it. 

The Wild Enduro Racing Line now comes in three flavours: the MH (mixed-hard pack conditions), MS (mixed-soft conditions) and the Rear. As before, the Racing Line is Michelin’s offering for a maximum grip tyre with its softest rubber compound.

A revised casing features pinch protection around the bead, a new dual-ply 55tpi carcass, a tread shield layer and a final bead-to-bead layer for added protection. With a claimed weight of 1335g, the new tyre lineup is slated to be around 10% lighter than the previous generation tyre. 

Michelin’s super sticky Magi-X rubber has been revised to maintain the high levels of grip seen on the previous version, whilst offering better grip in cold and wet conditions. The new compound is also credited with reduced rolling resistance, according to the brand.

The Rear also sees a new tread pattern that is more directional than the previous version, and has improved rolling resistance in mind, owing to its low profile. All the updates are claimed to achieve a 30w reduction in rolling resistance over the previous Wild Enduro rear tyre. 

Michelin Wild Enduro Rear_3.jpeg, by Ty Rutherford

The Wild Enduro Rear is available to fit 29in wheels only and gets a 2.4 width. The signature yellow and blue racing line hot patches are available but can be dropped for some stealthier black and grey ones, if that suits your style better. 

Michelin Wild Enduro Racing Line Rear - Performance

Even before fitting the new tyre, there were some notable differences from the previous generation that were encouraging. The new carcass feels a little more pliable, and tread blocks are stiffer, which should allow the tyre to deform better over the terrain whilst feeling less squirmy. The rubber itself also feels less like chewing gum, but it still has that soft and pliable feel of the previous gen rubber.

Fitting the Wild Enduro Rear was simple enough, I used a Hunt Proven carbon rim for testing with a 30mm internal width. The majority of the tyre was fitted by hand, but I needed a tyre lever to get the last bit over the rim, although this is the case for most heavy-duty casing tyres. With this particular tyre and rim combo, I was able to air up and seat the tyre with a track pump.

Michelin Wild Enduro Rear_1.jpeg, by Ty Rutherford

After some fettling, I settled at 25psi for riding predominantly loose over hard pack terrain with plenty of rocks and roots. 

Michelin tyres are always well constructed, and these are no different. The finishing is excellent, and once fitted, it ran straight and true.

I’ve always felt this rear-specific tyre is quite a niche offering. It's an excellent all-day pedaler thanks to the low profile that favours low rolling resistance, but it does suffer in other areas. The low profile tread blocks in the centre grip hard pack, rock and roots very well thanks to the casing and rubber compound, however, the braking grip is quickly compromised in softer and muddy terrain. Leaning the tyre over gives plenty of cornering traction thanks to the hefty side knobs. 

Michelin Wild Enduro Rear_4.jpeg, by Ty Rutherford

The profile is still quite square compared to other tyres, which makes the transition from upright to leaning into corners a little sharper. With the side knobs being smaller and tighter spaced than the previous model, it does make this transition more predictable and grip in the corners is impressive.

On the climbs, Michelin’s claims of reduced rolling resistance are certainly noticeable and very welcome. The old Wild Enduro front and rear combo were almost unacceptably draggy, so I am happy to report the new design goes a great way to improving this.

Michelin Wild Enduro Rear_2.jpeg, by Ty Rutherford

Michelin Wild Enduro Racing Line Rear - Verdict 

Retailing at £80, the new version of the Wild Enduro Racing Line Rear is more expensive than the previous version. The price is at the top end of the market however, the performance does go towards justifying the cost. 

The Maxxis Minion DHR is a firm favourite as a rear tyre, and retailing at £80 for a similar casing and rubber compound, it's hard to overlook. It provides plenty of grip in a wide range of conditions, but isn’t as pedal-friendly as the Michelin. 

The WTB Trail Boss is another rear-specific option. It's cheaper at £75 and strikes the balance well between fast rolling and grip. 

The new Wild Enduro Racing Line rear tyre sees updates in rubber compound, casing and tread pattern to improve performance. The reduction in rolling resistance is notable whilst the grip is excellent, especially whilst cornering. Braking traction on soft and loose surfaces is a little lacking considering its enduro intentions, but on hard pack surfaces where the rubber can grip, it works well. This tyre is excellent for a very specific set of hard pack conditions, but in my books, if you're looking for an enduro race tyre, you might want to look at something with chunkier tread.

• www.michelin.co.uk
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