2025's Best Mountain Bike Tire Combos

Tires are where the rubber meets the road, or I suppose trail in our case, and they are the single most important component on our bikes. For all the fancy parts we put on our expensive bikes, the tires are the only things that actually touch the trail if everything goes to plan. Upgrading tires is often the very first modification riders make to their new bikes, and riders often switch out the stock rubber before they even hit the dirt for the first time. It’s impossible for a product manager to spec the exact tires every tire will want to ride, so they’ll often cut corners and spec thin casing tires to make their bikes lighter and use hard rubber to keep the cost down. Not only that, the tread pattern most likely isn’t optimal for the kind of trails or conditions that you’re riding, so it’s time to change things up.

When choosing a tire, there are four factors that you need to consider.

1. Tread pattern

2. Rubber compound

3. Sidewall construction

4. Width

You also need to make sure you get the correct diameter, but you already chose that when you bought your bike!

We’ll focus on the tread patterns in this article, explaining where each of them excels and how to best pair them together. Your rubber compound, sidewall, and width are going to remain pretty consistent no matter which tread pattern you’re running. Once you figure out what kind of rubber and sidewall you like, you can just apply that same formula across every tire you buy, and optimize your tread pattern for the season and terrain you’re riding.

Ok, let's dive in!

A fresh face for 2025 and beyond is the Schwalbe Albert. With a new tread pattern and casing, the Albert has quickly become one of my favorite front tires for a variety of conditions and types of trails. Albert fills a very similar role as the Maxxis Assegai, a front tire specialist that is most comfortable in dry and hard packed conditions, but has the range to work just about anywhere. The Schwalbe Albert is enough of a generalist that it won’t leave you wishing for something else wrapped around your rim should the skies open up in another Atmospheric River like we had this year. Check out our full review of the Albert!

Anyone who’s shopping for tires has heard about the Assegai and DHR II combo, as it’s potentially the most popular and ubiquitous option out there. The Maxxis Assegai quickly became the most popular front tire in the game, stealing the spotlight from the DHF, previously the undisputed front tire king. Now the Assegai has been copied by just about every manufacturer out there, with the repeating 3-2 knob pattern down the middle and bolstered side knobs on either edge. It’s a winning formula, with just about every Downhill and Enduro racer using the Assegai for its predictable cornering and composure through anything you throw at it.

Out the back is the Maxxis DHR II, with a tread pattern that’s celebrating its 10th birthday in 2025! How many other tires can you think of that we’re still this excited about a decade after their release? Just like the Assegai, most privateer race bikes have the DHR II equipped, and for good reason. Maxxis’ DHR II has the most braking performance I’ve found in a rear tire, and will rail a corner when leaned over properly. Aptly named, the Down Hill Rear II is a fantastic choice for anyone riding downhill or enduro bikes in 2025.

Schwalbe’s Magic Mary may be the most well rounded tire, offering amazing grip in everything from bone dry to sopping wet conditions. The Magic Mary’s knob pattern is similar to the Assegai, but with more space between each knob and slightly narrower spikes, the Magic Mary is the generalist that doesn’t need to get swapped out in the winter time. For 2025, Schwalbe has integrated their new radial casing in the Magic Mary, offering increased grip at higher pressures than a standard casing tire.

A huge benefit of this set-up is the fact that you’re using the same tires in the front and the rear. As long as you aren’t using a mullet wheel setup, you can move your worn out front tire to the rear and just buy one tire at a time. Or if you’re on a riding trip, you can just bring one spare tire and be completely covered!

I’ve found Schwalbe tires to wear a bit slower than comparable rubber compounds from other brands, especially when run in wet conditions. The Magic Mary Front and Rear combo performs fantastic in all conditions from wet to dry and we definitely recommend this combo to pretty much all riders looking for grip all year round.

Luckily, the new Continental tires are easier to ride than they are to pronounce. Ever since Continental launched these tires a couple years ago, they’ve exploded in popularity, with countless riders swearing by them. In our experience, the Super Soft rubber from Continental has similar grip to MaxxGrip rubber from Maxxis, but lasts quite a bit longer. Continental’s Argotal tire is designed for loose conditions. Whether that’s deep dust in the summer or fresh loamers in the spring, the Argotal has the right knob pattern for you. With lots of room between each lug, the Argotal can clear mud quickly and is fantastic at penetrating just about any kind of terrain.

Out back, the Kryptotal Rear has absolutely been one of my favorite rear tires given how long it lasts while providing ample grip. Compared to other similarly shaped tires like the DHR II, the Kryptotal Rear keeps those square edges along its knobs for so much longer. While it may be subjective, looking down at Kryptotal tires is incredibly confidence inspiring, with some of the most prominent knobs of any tire to come through the shop. That confidence is all I’m looking for in a tire, and I trust the new Continental lineup as much as anything else.

When the days get short and the clouds roll in, the Maxxis High Roller has your back. With an intermediate tread pattern that excels in loose terrain much like the Continental Argotal, the High Roller is happiest on fresh tracks or wet dirt where those spaced out knobs can dig into whatever you push it into. Developed as a race tire for the demands of the modern Downhill World Cup circuit, the High Roller is specifically designed to excel in every kind of terrain a racer can expect over a weekend. Oftentimes, race tracks are made up of a wide variety of track conditions, ranging from fresh cut loamers to hardpack bike park berms, and racers need a tire that can handle every inch of it. Every one of the tires on the list here has stood on top of a World Cup podium, and the Maxxis High Roller is no different.

Along the side of the High Roller, you’ll find side knobs with more bolstering than an Assegai, and rows of short spikes going down the center. With offset spikes going down the middle, the High Roller manages to maintain traction while transitioning between the center and side knobs, much like the Assegai, all while biting into the terrain more effectively. Compared to the Shorty, the High Roller is far more usable in dry conditions with shorter knobs that can hold more load before starting to squirm underneath you. It may not have the same pure mud performance as the Shorty, but it does keep up in all but the deepest of conditions.

Check out our review to get the full scoop on the High Roller!

Schwalbe has knocked it out of the park with their new radial tires, and the Shredda Front and Shredda Rear are no different. Both tires are built for the same intention: All out traction with zero regard for rolling resistance. Moto tires have no regard for rolling resistance, considering there’s a damn motor pushing you along, and the Shreddas are the most moto looking mountain bike tires we’ve ever seen. We’ll mostly recommend this setup to someone on an ebike where you’re just looking to get all the grip you can get, or on a downhill bike where you’re riding sustained steep trails where you need all the traction you can get.

Shredda Front is a similar tread pattern to the High Roller, but much more exaggerated. With taller knobs and siping everywhere to help the knobs conform to the terrain, riders are going to be amazed at the level of pure grip the Shredda Front can deliver. I wouldn’t recommend this tire if you’re riding hard pack bike park corners, as that amount of force going through this tire is sure to fold knobs over and get pretty sketchy. While not as extreme as the Shredda Front, the Shredda Rear is about as aggressive as a rear specific tire will ever get. Built to dig in on the back of an ebike, the Shredda Rear is not for the faint of heart.

We definitely recommend running the Shreddas in the winter time, as the tall knobs need loose dirt to perform their best. For those of you in Southern California or Colorado where the trails close at the first sight of rain, there are better tire options out there!

All of these tires come in plenty of casing and rubber combinations to suit your specific needs, but these six are our favorite tire combos for trail, enduro, and downhill riding. Our number one dry weather setup is the Assegai/DHR II combo, our favorite setup for mixed weather conditions is the Magic Mary/Magic Mary, and our favorite combo for when the weather goes south is the High Roller front and rear!

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