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.
New arrivals
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Organic Quality Lined Bucket Hat
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STW TriDri® recycled technical t-shirt
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Singletrack Plain Black T
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Issue 161
£10.00
Review Info
| Brand: | Maxxis |
| Product: | Forekaster II |
| From: | Freewheel |
| Price: | £64.99 |
| Tested: | by Benji for 2 years or so |
Replies (41)
Comments Closed
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
Bought one and pretty shocked by the sizing. Width shows 2.40 but measuring it at 26.5psi, it comes out at 2.20. I hate thin tyres. Hope it works better than it looks.
Got one that’s about 2.25 and one that’s 2.3. Luckily I accidentally put the slightly bigger one on the front. I seem to remember Kesteven complaining about size too. Definitely a stretch to call them 2.4. But then the Kryptotals I took off are under sized as well. Otherwise fairly happy with the performance so far. Typically Maxxis feel. They roll notably well for the weight and type of tyre.
Missed this review and thread when it first came out. But…….they are very very good!
I had a DHF/DHR setup on a 140mm travel bike and was underwhelmed by my rides. Switched to Forekasters and boom….bike transformed. If I was more gnar, maybe I’d feel different . But as someone who wants a bit of zip – they are the bomb.
Just ordered a Dissector a few days ago comments above aren’t encouraging…. Wanted something bit faster rolling than the DHRII
I bought a disector for the back of my ht, did one ride and took it off. Now run an ardent in the summer and a forecaster in the winter. Can’t explain my issue with it, but I really didn’t like it
Still disappointed by the Dissector name. Maxxis should have kept it as “G’Day Mate" like the protos!
I wish they’d make the 2.6 in 3c/MaxTerra instead of just the dual compound. I want to try them on my hardtail where I value a bit of casing volume squish and this version of 2.4 inch just isn’t enough for my needs. Ridiculously, the 2.4 Hutchinsons I’m currently running are only about 1mm narrower than the Forekaster V2 2.6.
I wish they’d make the 2.6 in 3c/MaxTerra instead of just the dual compound.
They do. And on my rims they size up correctly (Ibis 941 rims with 35 mm internal). Only just put them on so not really tested them, but definitely faster rolling than the DHF/DHR combo I had on before
Curious as to what that tyre actually measure too…
I think there’s a thing where tyres get described in reviews as ‘fast rolling’ where it means they’re ‘just not as slow rolling as a super tacky Assegai’ or something. It’s the DH-ification of ‘trail tyres’. II have a Dissector which I found slow out back in the real world and lurchy on the front as the gap between centre and edge just feels huge.
As for things not feeling ‘right’, the Tacky Chan as a front, for me, felt almost overly precise, but sort of jittery as soon as it got knocked off line, just not very forgiving. But mostly just ‘not quite right’. If I were a super confident, aggressive DHer it might be quite different, but neither quite worked for me.
I like the Forekaster because it’s decently, real world fast, doesn’t lurch in transition and just seems to grip harder than it has any right to and isn’t pingy either. Currently have a 2.4 on the front, but tempted to try the 2.6 for more cush.
With a tape the 2.4 measured between 2.4 and 1.5 and the 2.6 measured right on the nose at 2.6. But as I mentioned it is on 35mm internal rims that really plump up tyres. I used to ride 2.4 Ardents that everyone thought were plus sized tyres
@dreednya Thanks for the info, last time I looked, all the 2.6 versions were dual compound v2 or old v1 treads.
Mine lasted a little longer but I took an instant dislike to it too. I think it came down to two things really… It’s got really bad “sliding manners", which I reckon absolutely makes or breaks a rear tyre, a super grippy tyre thta slides badly is worse than a less grippy tyre that doesn’t. Like, for contrast a DHR2 is obviously a grippy tyre but it also slides superbly, it’s predictable and mellow and basically follows you, it’s very confidence inspiring and lets you play with grip, get close to the edges without worrying. But the Dissector when it let go, could go anywhere, and it was so abrupt, you go from “applying a little back brake" to “going sideways down the trail", so you end up having to ride way within its margins. You can’t get close to using all the grip if you have to avoid sometimes using 101%. So a tyre like that is in practice just less usably grippy, a lot of the timeThe other thing is basically the tradeoff of speed and grip… speed and grip aren’t linear, often you give up say 10 grips but gain 20 speeds, other times you give up 20 grips and only gain 10 speeds. I end up comparing everything to the Rockrazor and the DHR2, and while the dissector’s grippier than the rockrazor, you lose more speed than you gain in useful grip. And the DHR2 is obviously slower and grippier but it has a superb balance, with more tyres you lose more grip than you gain in speed. There’s no spectrum or line or whatever, everything has its own traits but in the end all tyres are a balance of grip and speed and the best tyres have the best tradeoffs.I wanted the Dissector to be somewhere in the middle, for when I didn’t want to drag around a dhr2 but when maybe a rockrazor was a bit optimistic. But it wasn’t, it was a really unhappy medium that was neither fast or grippy.All that said there are lots of riders that get excellent use out of them and some of those are much better than me. Tyre performance probably is more important when you’re a middle-of-the-road dobber.
Dissectors are my favourite rear tyres. In complete contrast to some of the comments above, I reckon they’re noticeably faster than DHRs and slide around in a really fun way. Yeah, they let go a bit in corners but never in a bad way and always catch again, which is a right laugh.
That said, I also really like Forekasters and DHRs. Forekasters make the bike feel really nippy on flatter stuff and just about work on sketchy downhill trails (they’re noticeably worse at slowing you down!). DHRs are great for when you’re riding sketchy stuff and just want a tyre to work, but they’re a bit ‘dull’ feeling compared to the others. Guess it’s like James May’s thing about ‘crap’ cars being more fun.
Thats more what I wanted to hear! Just fitted it on the rear this afternoon so interested to see how I get on with it now.
Popped one on my HT and took it for a blast on my local trails. Nothing to write home about. Arguably no faster rolling than the Highroller 2 I took off. Quite draggy on hardpack and transition stuff. Lacks the support of a bigger hitting tyre on big roots and rocky decents. Its a decent tyre but its too thin and weedy for my needs. Ah well, live and learn.