WINTER MTB TIRE TEST
BIG KNOBS GRIP GOOD
Words by Drew Rohde
April 6, 2025
Over the course of this winter, we set out to test three sets of tires and learn a bit more about how different knob heights, construction methods and tread patterns work in our local terrain. For this test we reviewed the Continental Argotal, Maxxis High Roller 3 and the Schwalbe Shredda tires, as they are all designed to offer grin-inducing amounts of grip. We understand these tires aren’t quite apples-to-apples, however they represent a good mix of aggressively knobbed tires and could all be up for consideration by those looking to make a tire purchase as the snow melts and wet dirt beckons to be shredded. Let’s get right into it as we share the conditions, trail-types, and introduce the tires that helped us carve that brown pow over a cold, wet, and windy winter.
TEST PARAMETERS AND TERRAIN DESCRIPTION
For this test, we had several sets of tires that we asked a few of our testers to put time on with their own bikes. However, I took the lead on wrangling notes and referencing performance aboard my personal Ari Timp Peak eMTB test mule. I put the tires on two different sets of wheels, just to see if the tires performed significantly differently based on inner rim width and rim material changes. Due to the differences in tire construction methods, my tire pressures were significantly different for all three of the tires, but I’ll get to that below in the ride review section.
Most of our testing took place in Bend, Oregon, with some field trips to other trail networks that have softer, richer soil than our home trails. As a SoCal transplant now living in the high desert of Bend, I’ve never needed to ride a true mud spike or wet condition-specific tire. For that reason, I decided to conduct this test for other riders who don’t benefit much from reviews of tires in soil that offers hero-levels of grip.
During the winter months, Bend’s powdery dry dust can turn into a special experience for us desert rats. However the hydrophobic soil, hard-pack trails and volcanic rock quickly dries out, meaning that a proper winter spike isn’t really justified. Instead, we need a tire that can penetrate the loose-over-hard marbles to find the damp dirt beneath, carve through wet sand, and resist squirming or folding on hard pack or rocks.
THE TIRES
CONTINENTAL ARGOTAL
- Continental’s Loose Terrain Specialist
- Trail, Enduro, DH Casing Options
- Endurance, Soft, Supersoft Compound Options
- E25 Rating
- 29” and 27.5” Diameters
- 4” and 2.6” Widths
Website: Continental-tires.com
MAXXIS HIGH ROLLER 3
- Maxxis’ Mid-Spike Tire
- EXO+, DD, DH Casing Options
- 3C MaxxGrip Only
- Not E-Rated
- 29” and 27.5” Diameters
- 2.4” Width Only
Website: Maxxis.com
SCHWALBE SHREDDA
- Schwalbe’s Grip Monster
- Front And Rear-Specific Tread Patterns
- Radial Gravity Casing Only
- Addix Ultra Soft Only
- E-50 Rated
- Front: 29” Only, Rear: 29” and 27.5”
- 2.5” Width Only
Website: Schwalbe.com
REVIEWING THE CONTINENTAL ARGOTAL
We tested Continental’s Argotal in the burliest DH casing with SuperSoft rubber. The Argotal tires offer an aggressive pattern that’s quite busy-looking and offer the most stout feel and construction. The tires ride like a 10-ply truck tire, meaning they offer a ton of protection from pinch flats, compression and allow you to run much lower pressures. Our testers noticed that when it came time to really hammer into rock gardens, the Continental tires seemed to compress less than the others and offered a firmer feel. This also meant that the tires held up to G-forces in berms or off lips much better than some, specifically the Radial Schwalbe tires. If your soft trails run you into blue-groove berms then you’ll love the stiffness of these tires.
As with everything, riders did notice some downsides to that stiffness. We ran less pressure in the Continentals than any other tire by quite a bit. Depending on the rider, we were anywhere from 20-22.5PSI in the front with 23-25PSI in the rear. Even with this reduced pressure, we noticed that the conformity of the tire was lacking at times. This was especially notable when compared to the Radial casing of the Schwalbe Shredda. The tires felt “boxy” and when leaning over or hitting obstacles with just one corner or side of the tire. As a result, more energy was transmitted to the bars with a tendency to deflect or steer the bike.
Moving onto other aspects like traction and longevity, the Continental Argotal offers great all-around performance. From a braking and cornering traction perspective the Argotal tires really dig hard and let you change line or hold corners with ease. The side knobs cut and dig well, and the center to shoulder knob zone offers predictable feel across varying lean angles and while attacking rocks or roots.
Overall, these tires offer fewer drawbacks than many other tires on the market. While they may not be the flat out best in any area, the fact they don’t really have any big weaknesses is worth considering. This makes them a good tire for riders who are looking for a bit more bite and traction, but still want a tire that is versatile enough to stay on the bike in some firmer conditions.
REVIEWING THE MAXXIS HIGH ROLLER 3
For this test we ran the DH casing High Roller 3 tires. Our testers ran pressures anywhere between 24-26PSI front and 25-27PSI rear. When comparing the feel of the Maxxis tire’s carcass to the others, it wasn’t my favorite. It was softer and a bit less distracting than the Continental Argotal, but at times and at certain pressure felt a bit unrefined compared to the Schwalbe Shredda.
We put the High Roller 3 on front and rear for this test, although we’d likely not recommend this setup for riders on dry or firm terrain. Maxxis confirmed our feedback, and said many of their riders opt to run a tire like the DHR 2 in the rear as it offers more braking bite. When the dirt was a bit wetter and soft, the braking traction was enough to scrub our speed. However, as I mentioned, our dirt dries out quickly. One test lap had me puckered up as I skidded off the trail – after just a few days without rain, a particular section of sunbaked trail dried out more than the rest of the trail. Entering at the same speed I had just ridden the trail at with the other tires, I attempted to brake late before entering a very narrow rut that sets you up for a steep chute into a 90-degree turn. With the moisture gone, I quickly had to drop the anchors and skidded my way to a stop. A long story just to say, run a DHR 2 if you need braking power on harder-pack trails.
Up front, I had a great time with the Maxxis High Roller 3. The tires did really well on softer soil as well as wet sand. During our field trips to the rainy side of Oregon, the High Roller 3s performed equally well. These tires seemed to offer traction rather predictably, and didn’t have any vagueness or floating-feeling that the Maxxis Minion DHF can give. The High Rollers are the shortest knobbed tires in this test, so it would make sense they’d offer a bit less bite in super slimy conditions. But, Maxxis has the Shorty for that application. Even still, we found the High Roller to be a pretty awesome tire on mixed and softer trails, whether it was dry, sandy or damp.
Overall, I quite like the Maxxis High Roller 3. For my local conditions, it would likely remain a front tire option that I pair with a DHR 2 out back. It gives a fun and controlled ride overall and provides good traction across the tread while not being overly slow rolling like some more aggressively spiked tires.
REVIEWING THE SCHWALBE SHREDDA RADIAL
Thanks to Schwalbe’s new Radial tire line, the Shredda offers what we felt is the best feeling carcass for this application. While the compliance and conformity of the Radial tires is less desired in bike park scenarios for riders pushing hard into berms or off lips of big jumps, there’s no denying the added traction benefits of a supple tire. And traction is likely what you’re seeking if you’re looking for a tire like the Schwalbe Shredda Radial.
Testers all agreed that these tires felt the most comfortable, with superior conformit. However, they required more air pressure, which isn’t a bad thing. Air pressures on the Shredda tires ranged from 26-28PSI front and 27-31PSI rear, depending on the rider and terrain.
With its front and rear-specific tread patterns, the Schwalbe Shredda takes the cake as the best climbing tire, by far. The rear tire has slightly shallower tread depth than the Front, however the 3-2-2-3 pattern features lots of open space. The center knobs have a strong braking edge, which doubles as a claw for crawling up the steepest and nastiest of climbs.
Up front, the Shredda leads the charge with an insatiable appetite for soft dirt. These tall, widely-spaced knobs are unmatched when it comes to holding inside lines or changing direction in soft soil. I was able to completely avoid berms and inside the track on numerous occasions. In fact, I couldn’t help but ride sections of trail, finding new lines and then turning around just to see how the Shreddas had churned up the dirt.
As amazing as the Shredda tires are in the right conditions, they can definitely be a bit sketchy if you take them outside their intended happy place. I found that on slabs of rock, the front tire specifically, could squirm and drift a bit. I didn’t feel a ton of control on those hard rock slabs, whether they were wet or very dry and dusty. Luckily, we don’t have a lot of that, so the 3-4 times per run I’d briefly encounter that feeling was well worth the seconds gained by unparalleled grip everywhere else on the trail.
THE WOLF’S LAST WORD
As with all things in life, finding the best balance between the pros and cons for your ride matters more than anyone else’s opinion. Mountain bike tires are designed to do certain things in certain types of terrain, so it’s really worth evaluating what matters most to you, what kind of trail conditions you encounter most, and what aspects of your ride are looking to improve with your next tire purchase.
After riding all three of these tires, I’m confident in saying that they are all good tires when the time is right. The Continental Argotals have a very stiff sidewall that offers great protection and confidence to charge. That protection comes at the price of more rider feedback and reduced trail feel, since the tires do not conform as well as others. The tread pattern is slower rolling, but offers very good grip both up and down the mountain and is likely the option we’d pick for some more mixed conditions riding.
Maxxis’ High Roller 3 is a great evolution to the High Roller name, but lacks something in the feel department and braking performance. If paired with a DHR 2 out back, the High Roller could be a great option for a lot of riders who’s winter riding isn’t sloppy, but still get a little moisture mixed with some drier SoCal-style sandstone dust. Up front the Maxxis High Roller 3 offers solid grip, good cornering traction and the slowest rebounding rubber knobs on test.
If you have hero dirt, wet sand or anything slightly soft and damp, the Schwalbe Shredda is quite possibly the tire to beat. If you want to buy one tire that will do some winter work but also venture into the drier months on big rock slabs or hard pack terrain, they’re probably not the ones for you. The Shredda tires are built for grip in soft soil or damp conditions and that’s where they excel. Schwalbe’s Radial Shredda tires offer the best comfort, traction and performance when you really need it, but they’re also the most terrain-specific tire of this group test. If you’ve got the conditions, we’d highly suggest treating yourself to a set for some big smiles and gravity defying grip.
All in all, our crew thoroughly enjoyed riding all these tires and wouldn’t hesitate to run any of them if the trails were right. 