The second-generation e*thirteen All Terrain tyre is a mixed-conditions all-rounder that can be run front or rear and works great in all but is not vey effectve in the slop. This DH version features an incredibly tough, puncture-proof casing and the brand's tacky, slow-rebounding Mopo rubber. Rolling speed is decent for such a beefy soft compound tyre and it works great as a rear option paired with something more aggressively treaded up front. Fitting is a pain though due to a stiff sidewall and a tight bead and the DH casing is overkill for most riders.
- Best mountain bike tyres
- Tubeless mountain bike tyres - everything you need to know
- Pirelli Scorpion E-MTB S SmartGRIP 2.6in
e*thirteen All Terrain Gen 2 2.4in MoPo tyre - Technical details
Made under license for e*thirteen by Vee Tyres in Thailand, the Gen 2 All-Terrain (A/T) is available in either 29- or 27.5-inch sizes and just one width of 2.4in. It's been designed to be a 'do it all' mixed conditions tyre with a tread design optimised for low rolling resistance and maximum cornering traction. The tread pattern consists of large and relatively widely spaced ramped knobs that e*thirteen says deliver exceptional traction on hard-pack and in dry conditions but still provide good control and mud-clearing capability when things get softer under tyre.
At first glance, the A/T tread pattern resembles the classic Maxxis Minion DHR II, with alternating horizontally siped central paddles and slightly longer vertically siped lugs for braking and cornering control. Speaking of cornering, the siped shoulder blocks are pretty beefy and well-supported with e*thirteen's clever ‘Accordion’ sipes on the outside edges to allow them to deform a touch to eke out maximum hold without folding under during aggressive cornering. There are subtle differences though; on the A/T, the central lugs are shallower and the leading edges are far more heavily ramped to minimise rolling resistance and the paddles are two closely paired knobs rather than one larger knob as found on the DHR II.
Although I am primarily focusing on the heavy-duty 72tpi dual-ply Apex ‘DH’ downhill-specific variant for this review, e*thirteen also offers the A/T in two other casing options to appeal to riders of all disciplines - a lightweight 72tpi single-ply ‘Trail’ (TR) casing and a 120 tpi dual-ply ‘Enduro’ (EN) casing with the addition of Apex EN sidewall protection. All variations feature folding aramid beads, puncture-resistant nylon breakers under the tread and tubeless inserts for air retention. Weights range from 1,150g to 1,450g. My 27.5 x 2.4 Mopo DH test tyre weighed 1,323g on our digital scales.
Additionally, three rubber compounds are available to suit a rider's needs; choose the 50a/56a ‘Endurance’ compound for speed and durability at the expense of outright traction, or if its ultimate grip and control you’re after, choose the ultra-tacky, slow rebounding ‘MoPo’ compound with 42a side and centre tread compound with a harder 50a base for the ultimate grip and better knob support. Finally for a happy medium, go for the triple compound ‘Control’ version with high tack 46a sides, medium tack 50a centre knobs and 56a base compound.
The best bit is that all three compounds are available in all three casing options for complete versatility – if you want a fast-rolling DH tough tyre for rear use on an e-MTB or enduro bike or an ultra grippy lightweight front tyre for your trail bike, e*thirteen has you covered. This is a bit of a rarity in the marketplace and something I'd like to see catch on with other manufacturers.
e*thirteen All Terrain Gen 2 2.4in MoPo tyre - Performance
Due to the full-blown DH casing of the test tyre, I opted to mount the All Terrain as a rear tyre on my 160mm Enduro steed. I'm known as a bit of a serial tyre destroyer and subsequently, anything under kilo just won’t cut it for me. I usually run an enduro-specific casing with a tubeless insert as there are only so many pinch-flat-ruined rides a guy can take.
Since e*thirteen's Downhill casing is designed to take all the abuse dished out by elite downhill racers, I figured I should be in safe hands. I had it paired with e*thirteens' more aggressive Grappler Mopo up front in the lighter Enduro casing for a bit more bite, steering authority, and a bit of weight saving.
However, things didn't start well… Getting the All Terrain installed in the first place was a ‘bit of an ordeal’. The combination of a very tight-fitting aramid bead in conjunction with the robust casing and stiff Apex sidewall strip meant I thought my thumbs were going to blow up and much swearing ensued. Thankfully after a breather, and dousing the bead with lashings of soapy water, I eventually managed to prise this beast of a tyre into place with my trusty Muc Off Rim Stix levers.
Once in place though, the A/T seated easily and held pressure with just a standard track pump - one good thing about those super tight beads I guess. Size-wise, it blows up to a decent size, pretty much a true 2.4 on my 30mm internal rims, perhaps a tad girthier than a 2.4 Wide Trail Maxxis tyre for example.
Prior to this, I was running a Doubledown Maxxis Aggressor with a Tannus Armour Tubeless insert for a bit of added rim protection. With the A/T being so robust I figured I'd skip the insert to save some grams, hoping the resilient casing and Apex rim strip would be enough to prevent any rim dings or snakebites. Honestly, I think trying to mount this tyre with an insert squeezed in there would have sent me over the edge.
I have been running the A/T as a rear tyre for approximately four months in conditions ranging from wet and wild, woodsy off-piste to baked out loose over hard as well as full bore exmoor rock garden ploughing, and on the whole performance has been great. In terms of grip, it performs pretty similarly to its Maxxis doppelganger the DHR II, which is high praise as the DHR II is a revered modern classic and the first choice of many elite riders for its dependable performance in all conditions.
I would say the All Terrain performs slightly better than the DHR2 in certain conditions - Due to the heavily ramped leading edges of the main paddles it certainly rolls quicker, feeling less draggy than even the firmer Maxxterra compound Minion even in this tacky Mopo flavour.
Thankfully the back side of those paddles also has a nice flat, wide braking edge and, in combination with the soft compound, these things provide solid, consistent braking control in a wide range of conditions.
In dry, loose over hard and rocky conditions the brilliantly gummy and slow rebounding rubber of the e*thirteen tyre was in its element and I quickly felt comfortable pushing my limits on it. The grip was there in spades, and cornering control was bang on too, those chunky well-supported shoulder knobs with clever accordion sipes offering a nice predictable hold through the turns. I could, however, break traction to drift the rear end around tight turns or shralp a berm with a little dab of brake and a flick of the hips if required though.
The grip that slow rebounding Mopo rubber provides on wet rock was superb, and I was pretty blown away by the point-and-shoot control I had. I could confidently charge through sketchy, damp and greasy rock gardens that would have had me pinballing around on less assured rubber.
While pedalling uphill is well out of its design remit, I found climbing on this full-on DH tyre was nowhere near as horrific as I'd imagined. I've had no problem carting it around several moorland epics without being dropped on every climb by pals rocking trail-weight rubber. Climbing traction and drive is very good in nearly all conditions bar thick mud or extremely loose or sandy terrain where the heavily ramped driving edges can get overwhelmed leading to a bit of wheelspin. In general, that tacky compound does grip like a one-armed trapeze artist and I cleaned some proper greasy climbs on these that I've often spun out on with other tyres.
It's when things got properly wet and mucky the A/T revealed its weaknesses. This is not a mud tyre. It seems muddy wet roots and deep loam are the A/T's Achilles heel, where it becomes a little unpredictable, gripping one minute and stepping out the next. It's not terrible in these conditions, I've ridden far worse, but it's not where it feels most at home. I'd say the venerable DHR II is a better bet when things get softer and muddier, while the A/T has the edge in rocky terrain wet or dry where the Mopo magic makes light work of them with plenty of traction on tap.
While the A/T in this DH format is a surprisingly adept climber and rolls very well for how sticky it is, if it's all-day riding that's on the agenda you'd be better served by the Trail or Enduro casing versions with the faster rolling 'Endurance' or 'Control' compound. This tyre is designed with one thing in mind - pure unadulterated downhill shredding! That DH carcass is seriously tough - I've ploughed it into so many unexpected square-edged rock gardens at early 20's pressures awaiting that tell-tale rim strike and a dose of the deflation blues, but so far I'm yet even to feel any rim contact - that substantial Apex strip is working it's magic.
Stability is also top-notch with negligible carcass roll or wallow even when fully loaded up under my 95kgs – I've dropped pressures down to the late teens to eke out some extra traction in the winter months and had no issues with burped beads or undue casing flex in the turns.
Generally speaking, I've found the tyre works best at least 5psi lower than I'd normally run in less heavy-duty rubber, otherwise, the casing can feel a little wooden and overly stiff, which in turn means less comfort and traction than more supple tyres – these are proper DH tyres after all, so it's no great surprise really.
I've also been testing the e*thirteen Grappler with the Dual ply 120tpi Enduro casing and it is a far more compliant and comfortable tyre and, for all but the most gnarly of riders, this casing will be a better choice.
In terms of durability, I'm pleased to say the A/T is holding up pretty well. Considering this is the brand's softest rubber and I've mainly been running it as a rear tyre, it's wearing rather well, certainly better than expected. After several months of use, the braking edges and shoulder knobs have dulled slightly, but it still grips and corners well, and wear is even across the tyre with no torn knobs or excessive undercutting to be seen. Those beefy sidewalls still look like new and as mentioned previously, I'm yet to puncture these bad boys. This is a seriously tough tyre!
Since e*thirteen markets the All Terrain as suitable for use at either end of the bike, in the name of science I did briefly try the All Terrain on the front. After running a DHR II as a front tyre with great success in the past I hoped the similar-looking A/T would perform comparably. In firmer terrain wet or dry, the A/T is indeed a worthy front tyre option, with plenty of assured grip across the board. Cornering was good too thanks to the supportive accordion-siped shoulder knobs and soft compound - although without any kind of transition knobs, grip isn't quite as assured at shallower cornering angles where there's a slight dead spot before the edge knobs catch.
Again, it's in softer, looser conditions that the A/T begins to struggle a bit. The slightly rounded carcass and less aggressive speed-optimised centre tread blocks don't bite as confidently in the muck as a toothier front-specific tyre does, leading to a few washouts and front wheel slides under heavy braking.
e*thirteen All Terrain Gen 2 2.4in MoPo tyre - Verdict
An obvious alternative to the e*thirteen A/T is the aforementioned Maxxis DHR II. Its tread pattern is visually very similar but far less ramped, with a slightly more aggressive set of lugs. Consequently, it rolls slower but is a better tyre when things get mucky. It's available in several casing options from lightweight trail to heavy-duty dual-ply DH, and in a firm dual compound, medium 3C Maxxterra and the gummy 3C Maxxgrip compound. However, unlike the e*thirteen tyres, not all combinations are available, so if you want a bombproof DH casing for rear use, you're stuck with the fast-wearing and draggy Supertacky compound. Maxxis pricing is also very steep these days with the EXO+ Maxxgrip DHR II retailing at a wallet-busting £80 an end.
Another worthy consideration in this category would be the Michelin Wild Enduro Rear Race Line, at £69 it’s a tad cheaper than the e*thirteen tyre. The Race Line tyres have been designed to survive the rigours of EWS racing and are resultantly much burlier than the standard versions. Utilising Michelins Downhill Shield 4-ply casing and their stickiest Magi-X DH rubber it's both very tough and mega grippy. Huge, aggressive shoulder knobs provide brilliant off-camber hold in softer conditions, although they can be a little vague on firmer ground. Unfortunately, despite the lower profile and tightly packed centre tread it's still a very slow-rolling tyre and, at 1,350 grams, it's also a heavy lump of a tyre. Oh, and you're out of luck if you're rolling on 27.5-inch wheels or a mullet set-up, as at present, Michelin only offers the racing line version in 29-inch size.
Although the heavily ramped tread can get overwhelmed when things get proper mucky, it still does okay as a rear when paired with a toothier tyre up front. In fact, if you are willing to sacrifice some rolling speed for outright grip, the brand's very own Grappler is designed to take over where the All Terrain taps out.
Add comment