Will the sequel live up to the original?
Maxxis recently announced the latest addition to its mountain line, the High Roller II. Maxxis went back to the drawing board armed with
feedback from the world’s top riders, and they claim the totally
redesigned High Roller II offers significant performance gains over the
original. We have a pair mounted and ready to go on one of our
downhill test mules. Stay tuned to the upcoming issues of Mountain Bike
Action for the verdict.
The
High Roller II has an open tread design, which Maxxis claims sheds mud and other debris easily. They made the center and shoulder knobs taller compared to the previous generation to improve soil penetration. The aggressively shaped knobs are also designed to improve braking performance and traction on hard surfaces. The square
profile of the original High Roller made it one of our favorites when
transitioning from the center to side knobs, and this incarnation appears to stay true to its heritage.
The
High Roller II will be offered in 26 x 2.40 with a 2-ply downhill
casing and either a single or triple (3C) compound configuration. Additional sizes and configurations will be available soon. We can't wait to rail some corners on these.