Though Michelin never dropped out of the mountain bike tire market, their presence in the US certainly paled in recent years. The French company never stopped developing and making tires, and their profile in the competitive mountain bike environment has been strong. The Force series tires re-position Michelin in the US market, and as with the immediate success of the Power road tires, we expect the new mountain tires to rebuild Michelin's strong history on the trails in North America. The tread options of the Force XC Tire feature a bevy of new technology and design, and are best suited as both front and rear for soft to mixed terrain, so if that sounds like your general trail use, these Tubeless Ready tires need to be experienced to truly grasp what Michelin has accomplished.

The combination of lower pressures afforded by Tubeless Ready rims and tires, along with considerable advancement in rubber compounds, takes the focus off the visual effect of the tire. You no longer see many tires with thick, deep tread knobs, except those designed strictly for very soft or muddy conditions. The Force XC tire is agile, versatile, and fast rolling. The rubber features Michelin's Gum-X3D triple compound, which delivers grip, speed, and good wear and durability. Optimized with the tread design itself the center tread compound maximizes grip, and delivers braking effectiveness and tire stability. The underlaying compound is firmer, providing structure and acceleration response needed for XC race conditions. A third compound is used for the shoulder tread knobs, which are firm enough to grab, soft enough to deform slightly when necessary without being floppy (proper low tire pressure is the key to conforming to the trail conditions. The overall combination is one of sure grip, rocket acceleration, and bike handling confidence.

The rubber is carries by a three layers of 110 tpi casing with varying directionality of the thin, but high density fibers, allowing the tire to flex and grip without distortion, as well as prevent impact and sidewall damage. The combination of the layers, along with the underlaying race rubber compound creates what Michelin calls Cross Shield Technology. The effect is a more supple tire that can fully support Tubeless Ready use (with sealant) without compromising durability, puncture protection, or performance. These directional tires are a huge leap forward for Michelin, and more than competitive with all the big players in the mountain bike world. This was evidenced in 2016 with Team BH, the UCI World Cup Champions for team performance overall. That speaks to a great team, but also to great equipment, and while frames, suspension and drivetrains all contribute, tires are the only component of a bike that touches the ground, and if you go to a pro race, tire choices and pressure set-up dominate the pre-race preparation process.

Michelin is a world leader in all types of tire and rubber technology, and we welcome the re-engagement with North America's mountain biking. The Force XC Tires have exceeded our expectations, and frankly, after Michelin's success in the road market the last few years, expectations were high. If you just aren't satisfied with your XC mountain tires, or simply need a change, we highly recommend the Force XC. Weight, price, and wear competitive with any of the top tires on the market, with overall performance that challenges the very best, these are tires that any 27.5 or 29er XC race or XC trail rider can embrace.