Winter is gone! Break out the Maxxis Forekaster 3C Maxx Terra tyres kids! Free* speed but without the unwanted terrors.
- Brand: Maxxis
- Product: Forekaster 3C Maxx Terra
- Price: *£64.99
- From: Freewheel
- Tested by: Benji for 2 years or so
Pros
- Punches way, way, way above its weight
- Adds speed (and range if on an eeb)
- Isn’t ever scary
Cons
- Would like to see a 3C Maxx Grip version for front wheel use
- Would like to see a Double Down casing version for e-MTBs
- £65 is still not-cheap
Despite what anyone may assume, I’m not a particular Maxxis fanboi. Don’t get me wrong, one of the best tyres in the world in the Maxxis Minion DHR II, but I haven’t been overly fussed about anything Maxxis has brought out in recent years. This is arguably a case of other brands making certain tyre types that equal or outperform Maxxis’ models as opposed to Maxxis dropping the (rubber) ball.
The Forekaster is actually something of a vice-versa situation. This is the sort of tyre that Schwalbe used to focus on, and sell bucketloads of. The Maxxis Forekaster takes Schwalbe’s Nobby Nic and Hans Dampf et al and totally obliterates them.
It is the first shallowish tread tyre from Maxxis that I’ve rated. You can keep the Rekon, the Ikon, the Ardent, the Dissector thanks. Give me a Forekaster all day long. And make sure it’s the model from 2022 onwards; the previous Forekaster wasn’t anywhere near as good. The previous Forekaster was okay-ish but it was rather skittish and pingy.
Like all the best mountain bike tyres, the tread pattern just seems… obvious. Obvious once you’ve seen it. Like the answer to a riddle that you’d not heard before. Essentially, Maxxis has ‘just’ beefed up the Forekaster tread, right? Well, not really.
The tread has much smaller negative space (gaps) and is much less overtly V-shaped. The new Forekaster is still squint-and-you-can-see-it V-shaped but there’s much more consistency to the gaps between knobs. And the knobs themselves are much taller. The siping has got a lot more simple too. The new Forekaster kinda makes the old Forekaster look over-designed.
By far the most significant change is the shoulder tread. Once again, it is simpler and it’s taller. The shoulder is also helped by a reworking of the casing itself. The new Forekaster isn’t as round profiled as the old one. Much more ‘Shell Oil logo’ than hot air balloon. Some folk and/or terrains may prefer very round profile tyres. Me and my terrain do not. I like a working edge.
In general the Maxxis Forekaster adds a significant amount of zip to any bike especially if you’re switching from your winter-capable tyres to something a bit less chunky for spring-summer-autumn. And in this modern era of e-bikes, I can also confirm that switching to a Forekaster at the rear will add significantly to the range you can get out of your battery. It is, however, only available in up to EXO+ casing so ebikers may wish to pair it with an insert.
The Forekaster is way more that just a fast-on-a-straight-fireroad tyre though. You can corner the heck out of it. It totally doesn’t shirk at cambers. And somehow it’s got an impressive amount of braking traction too. But yeah, the speed is the thing. Less pedalling required, longer freewheeling, quicker acceleration. Just without the usual terror or XC rubbers. The Forekaster is the tyre I wish was specced OEM as a rear tyre on test bikes instead of the Maxxis Dissector we typically see (and instantly remove).
I’m not going to pointlessly comment on how the Forekaster performs in deep mud because… well, it’s pointless. It’s a fairer weather, firmer trails tyre. It deals fine with dampness and brief mud patches (UK summer isn’t exactly parched) perfectly well.
Overall
In a market where Maxxis models like the Assegai, the High Roller III and Shorty Gen 2 get all the attention, it’s actually the reworked Maxxis Forekaster that is by far the most impressive model that the iconic tyre brand has produced in recent years. A really fast but supremely predictable and amazingly capable modern mountain bike tyre. Recommended.
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Review Info
| Brand: | Maxxis |
| Product: | Forekaster II |
| From: | Freewheel |
| Price: | £64.99 |
| Tested: | by Benji for 2 years or so |
Replies (24)
Comments Closed
Can’t even take you seriously when you’re criticising perfectly good tyres like the Dissector and Rekon.
Its a summer trail tyre, and a good one, that’s why there is no need for a DD version of it. Its not designed for conditions that need DD casing
Have been running one of these on the front of my hardtail for around 12 months in combo with a Rekon on the rear.
It really is a remarkable tyre if your focus is a fast rolling tyre that can also cope with the occasional steep off piste trail when your XC ride passes the entrance to a trail that you just can’t ride past despite the fact you should.
I’ve been down stuff here in the Tweed Valley in December that this tyre really has no place being on but I have somehow not died.
OK it’s not what I’d choose for that trail at that time of year but when out on an XC ride that gets out of hand it’s been brilliant.
The Dissector is a pretty awful tyre. Not very fast rolling. Not very good at braking. Not at all good in anything vaguely muddy. It’s not an ‘OK-compromise’ sort of tyre; it’s just a ‘flawed-in-all-conditions’ tyre.
Wow and here I am running a Dissector on the front of my bike with no issues whatsoever.
Maybe I should have posted a what tyre thread before I bought it.
This is pretty much what I was going to say.
It’s not ‘terrible’ when its new. The tread seems to last for about 11 miles before turning into little stumps which vaguely resemble the grippy tyre you started the ride with.
Anyone care to compare this Forecaster with the Forecaster of old which was so highly spoken of?
I’ve got a pair of Forekasters waiting to go on some carbon wheels for my Stumpy Evo. I’m anticipating a significant drop in weight, the rolling resistance of a greased weasel, and pleasantly reassuring grip. This is compared to the current aluminium wheels and Kryptotals, which will be kept in reserve for Alps type situations.
Been saying this for over a year, had a pair of these in my hardtail for a while now and they are excellent – they blend the ‘trail’ levels of grip with the ‘XC’ levels of speed. Really very impressive.
Mine are fitted to a set of Zipp Carbon wheels and in this combo it feels like cheating the system.
Directly replaced an old Forekaster with the new one. They should have given it a new name.
The old was a narrow XC tyre well suited to damp/wet-ish conditions.
The new is a propely sized, cushioned and grippy lighter end trail bike tyre that happens to roll very fast relative to its reasonably high amount of traction.
This a timely thread for me as I’m looking for summer trail-lite tyres (not xc).
Are we saying it’s a decent front/rear combo?
From Ben’s article I took that he was using it as a rear tyre with something meatier up front.
My intention would be to stick it on the front of a hardtail with either something like a Rekon on the back (like SS Stu).
Do it. Lots of tyre swapping and testing at Cotic ended up with this pairing being the default for the Solaris.
Ran one up front with an Ardent Race on the rear. Perfect for the conditions here. Or rather, perfect for my needs!
How hard can you push them into corners compared to something like a DHF, DHR, etc? I know they’re for drier weather but my current trails are loamy and not hardpacked at all. This will be on my hardtail not ebike.
I have them front and rear on my xc bike and they grip like hell. You can properly hammer them and they keep gripping. Maybe not as much grip in general as a dhf, but they work better in wet conditions in my experience so are better all rounders with no really draw backs.
I haven’t found their limit yet, found the limits of the bike (my skill) before the tyres.
Run a mk1 in the back of the lunatic hardtail and that works great too
I agree wholeheartedly with this review. Im a Schwalbe guy nowadays but the one tyre I would cheat for is the Forekaster v2.
Mentioned on another thread… Completely agree, the Forekaster V2 is totally different to the original. I’ve been running a 2.6 V2 pared with a Rekon on the back (Santa Cruz Hightower trail bike). The wife has run the same combo (slightly narrower fitting) on her Tallboy all winter. She rekons (sorry) the increase in speed is worth the slight loss in grip from her DHF/R combo.
I consider the Forekaster V2 and Rekon combo to feel very similar to a Nobby Nic / Wicked Will combo. Fast, grippy and strong enough.
I had a good experience with the Dissector as a rear tyre, paired with a DHRII (MaxxGrip) up front. The Dissector didn’t give up any grip on slippy ascents and seemed a fair compromise for everything else. I put a Forekaster V2 on the front for some better speed in dryer weather but lost confidence after it was a a bit skittish on the limestone where I usually ride. I could have gone back to DHRs but fancied a change. So I swapped to Nobby Nics, front and rear, with a soft up front and speedgrip at the back. So far these have been excellent in all conditions. I rate the mechanical grip from the tread, and the soft compound seems is very good.
How does the forekaster v2 compare to a Specialized purgatory t9 for trail use? Both are around the same weight and size.
I know it doesn’t come in Double Down but is there an Exo+? I don’t think there is as Google doesn’t bring one up but an Exo is strong enough on the rear for me.
MBR says there’s an Exo+. yes, somewhere in there. https://www.mbr.co.uk/reviews/tyres/maxxis-forekaster-ii-3c-maxx-terra-tyre-review
I’m using a Forekaster on the front of my FlareMax with a Rock Razor out back and it’s ace. Just a really nice, balanced, fast trail tyre. Much grippier than it ought to be.
Looks really good.
Similar in principle to the Wild Enduro Rear that I really like, with lots of blocks to help it roll well but nice edge blocks to corner with.
I do have a general gripe that I wish Exo+ tyres were easier to find though. Even search engines get confused and just show me a load of Exo tyres.
https://www.freewheel.co.uk/maxxis-forekaster-3c-maxxterra-exo-plus-tubeless-folding-tyre-varforekaster3cexop and on Amazon too
You need to be searching for Forekaster E-50 to find exo+ casing. That’s the one I’d buy.
As for Forekaster, haven’t ridden the new one and first version I hated in both sizes and no one wants to buy them from my ad in local classifieds.
T7 purgatory is fun on the rear its fast and just enough braking grip, T9 might be a bit draggy and wear quick