Maxxis High Roller III

    Maxxis' new High Roller tires are made to perform in a variety of demanding conditions.

    Maxxis High Roller III Tire Review

    Words by Skylar Hinkley | Photos by Cierra Coppock

    The neon lights of Las Vegas cast their familiar glow across the casino floor as high rollers push stacks of chips toward the center of the table. In this temple of chance, fortunes rise and fall on split-second decisions, and only the most calculated risks pay off.

    Twelve-hundred miles from the Strip, in the rugged mountain bike trails that snake through northwestern America’s most demanding terrain, a different kind of High Roller is making waves—and this one's not leaving anything to chance.

    Back when the original Maxxis High Roller debuted in 2001, gravity riding was a different game altogether. Now, two decades and three iterations later, this latest version arrives with the swagger of a Vegas whale who just hit the jackpot—but the similarities to its predecessors end at the name badge.

    A brand new tread design from Maxxis.

    I'll admit it—my first glance at the new High Rollers completely reimagined tread pattern left me skeptical. Gone were the familiar blocks I'd grown to trust, replaced by what looked like a mashup between the Shorty’s center tread and the Assegai’s shoulder blocks. But after a full autumn of testing in the Pacific Northwest, this tire proved that it’s playing to win.

    My testing ground was classic Northwest fall conditions—the kind that test both tire and rider with each passing week. Morning deluge giving way to greasy mud, leaf-strewn trails hiding slick roots, and patches of loose dirt that somehow manage to persist even in the wettest weather. The constantly changing conditions created the perfect proving ground for a tire claiming to handle it all.

    The new High Roller comes wrapped in Maxxis’s premium 3C MaxxGrip compound, available in both 27.5-inch and 29-inch flavors with a meaty 2.4-inch width. The downhill casing on test here (2x60 TPI) provides the kind of support that lets you bash through what lies ahead without a second thought. EXO+ and DoubleDown casing options are also available in 27.5-inch and 29-inch sizes for riders looking to shed some grams without sacrificing too much protection.

    Beefy side-lugs provide stability during cornering.

    But it’s the tread pattern that really tells the story. Those center knobs—shorter than a Shorty but more aggressive than a typical all-rounder—shed mud with surprising efficiency while still maintaining grip on wet roots and rocks. The shoulder knobs, meanwhile, stand proud and supportive, ready to catch you when things get sideways.

    After a month of hammering these tires through everything from machine-built flow trails to my favorite natty singletrack, I found myself reaching for some lines I’d typically shy away from. The new High Roller's confident cornering grip had me pushing harder into wet berms and carrying speed through sections where caution usually reigned supreme.

    The tire’s sweet spot reveals itself in those tricky transition seasons when trail conditions can change three times in a single descent. On steep, root-crossed chutes, the MaxxGrip rubber and wide-spaced lugs perform admirably in what otherwise amounts to a hopeless situation. The braking performance is equally impressive—progressive and predictable, even when those roots are hidden under a deceiving blanket of fallen leaves.

    Maxxis' new High Roller in its high-performing MaxxGrip compound provides gobs of grip in greasy, slick conditions.

    What really stands out is the tire’s ability to transition from hardpack to loose, organic soil without missing a beat. It’s like having a tire that can read the trail ahead and adapt accordingly. Even in those sketchy moments when wet roots cross your line mid-corner, the High Roller maintained its composure for the most part.

    Let’s talk about the harsh reality of super soft rubber—wear rate. The MaxxGrip compound, while incredible for traction, shows its age faster than a firmer compound would. After a couple of months of riding, the center knobs on the rear tire started showing signs of wear. At $105 a pop, this tire won’t be your first choice if affordability and durability are top priorities.

    Rolling resistance sits right where you’d expect for a gravity-focused tire—not quite as draggy as a mud spike, but you won’t be setting any Strava climbing PRs either. Then again, if you’re shopping for a tire like this, outright speed probably isn’t at the top of your priority list.

    The newly designed High Roller tires are best for riders who value traction over rolling efficiency.

    The latest High Roller iteration represents a perfect example of how experience and innovation can combine to create something special. It’s not trying to be all things to all riders—instead, it focuses on delivering predictable, confidence-inspiring performance in conditions that would make lesser tires fold.

    For aggressive riders who split their time between buffed out bike-park-like trails and loose, technical trails in variable conditions, this tire feels like a winning hand. Yes, the wear rate and price tag might raise eyebrows, but in the high-stakes game of gravity riding, this is one bet that consistently pays off. Like any good Vegas story, it’s not about how long you stayed at the table—it’s about how much fun you had while you were there.

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