No more punctures and as little rolling resistance as possible – it’s every mountain biker’s dream. MAXXIS have updated their product range to get a little closer to making this dream reality. The EXO+ casing technology has been updated, giving it a few upgrades to make it more robust.
by Julian Schwede, via EnduroMTB.com
MAXXIS EXO+ tyres are among the most commonly specced models on the bikes we get to test. When EXO+ was first introduced, it promised to fill the large gap between MAXXIS’ EXO and Doubledown tyres, which it only managed to do to a certain extent, as our big MAXXIS tire group test proved. EXO+ wasn’t just closer to the EXO model in terms of weight, but also in terms of puncture resistance.
All that could change with the new model. The EXO+ casing has been updated to make it more robust. It’s claimed to have become 50% more puncture resistant and up to 20% less prone to snakebites compared to the previous EXO+ generation. Therefore, MAXXIS promise to have closed the gap between the EXO and the Doubledown casing, placing the new EXO+ right between the two in terms of puncture resistance while increasing the weight by just 1–5%.
The previous position of the EXO+ casing in relation to MAXXIS’ other casings in terms of weight and puncture resistance.
To achieve this, MAXXIS have doubled the thickness of the threads used for the webbing. The casing thickness is indicated via the TPI (threads per inch) number, which is the webbing density. Whereas the previous EXO+ generation had a 120 TPI casing, the updated model uses 60 TPI. This might sound like it’s half as thick, though, counterintuitively fewer threads mean they’re twice as thick and therefore twice as robust. Moreover, the new EXO+ casing features a butyl insert around the tyre bead to make the tyre less prone to snakebites.
A cross-section of the earlier EXO+ generation with the finer 120 TPI casing and the SilkShield insert.
A cross-section of the latest EXO+ tire with the thicker 60 TPI casing and butyl insert around the bead.
The update was introduced as a running change, so it could be that you’ve already got the latest generation EXO+ casing on your tires. To find out, all you have to do is check what it says on the hotpatch: if there is no indication of the TPI, you can be sure that you’ve got the latest model.
When the TPI isn’t indicated on the tyre’s hotpatch (lower image), you can be sure that it’s the latest generation EXO+ casing.
This is a welcome development and we hope that MAXXIS have achieved their aim to close the gap to the Doubledown casing.
**Note from Rush Sports** All Rush Sports supplied bicycle shops have received stock of the new and improved EXO+ casing as of February 2022.
