Michelin has completely rebooted its gravity tyre line up this year and the latest on test is its DH22. It’s more gravity focussed, heavier and grippier than the also-new Wild Enduros, but also shares many of the same updates that Michelin hopes will make it one of the best mountain bike tyres going.

Two other DH-specific tyres have also been updated, the DH16 and the DHMud, and all three now come with folding casings so they’re easier to store and transport. The option of a black and grey sidewall hot-patch instead of the opinion-splitting lairy blue and yellow chequered one is a bonus too.

Michelin’s DH22 tyres have shed some weight in their new Racing Line build

Design and specification

One of the biggest changes the DH22 sees is a new casing, it’s now considerably lighter than before. It uses an all-new construction and the shift to a folding bead should add compliance and conformity for a smoother ride. It’s also less likely to get deflected off impacts and obstacles now, especially at higher pressures.

Michelin has moved from a complicated four-ply carcass, so its Racing Line DH tyres are now dual-ply, which is more in line with popular DH rivals like Maxxis. Rather than using two plies with a thicker weave and 60 threads per inch like many other downhill tyres, Michelin’s new DH models feature a 55/120TPI combination of thicknesses.

This makes for a kind of a halfway-house between a standard dual-ply DH casing and a double, 120TPI, Double Down style casing. That said, the 55TPI ply here will be slightly thicker threaded than the coarsest ply in many other brands’ DH tyres.

Despite using just two layers, the DH22 Racing Line is actually heavier than most rivals thanks to the extra reinforcement Michelin builds in. This sees an extra double woven nylon layer envelop the entire inside of the tyre for greater resistance to puncturing. They’re moving in the right direction though, each Racing Line tyre in the range is 11% lighter now.

In terms of tread and compound, this DH22 tyre is slightly more open and leaning towards loose and mixed conditions than the lower profile and faster-rolling DH16.

I ripped a lug off the Michelin Wild Enduro tyre, but the DH22 has proved itself far more rugged

Like with the Michelin Wild Enduro MS Racing Line tyres I’ve reviewed, the latest Magi-X blend is reformulated and feels slightly less slurpy and energy-sapping when rolling along. It’s also designed to work better in lower temperatures, but I’ve still not had any colder weather to test this latter part. The brand also claims its new formula delivers an overall efficiency-gain of 19% in independent testing.

The size and shape of its tread blocks has also changed compared to the previous DH22 with each block in the 3-2-2-3 pattern lowered to minimise flexing, for extra speed and greater stability on harder ground.

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DH22 grip is just about as tenacious as it comes, with optimum performance in loose conditions

Performance

It would be really easy to repeat here many of the things I’ve already written about the Wild Enduro tyres. This new DH22 clearly rides very similarly and, just like those tyres, grip levels are absolutely bang-on. I don’t reckon any rider could realistically have too many complaints about traction and resistance to slipping in any conditions.

I especially like the fact Michelin’s one-width (2.4in) DH tyre isn’t too wide, so it cuts in really well when you’re getting it onto the edge. This is unlike some more rounded and more balloon-ey tyres that blow up closer to 2.5-2.6in across, like the newer Pirelli Scorpions. These also have super-grippy rubber, but the bigger, more semi-circular crown makes them feel a bit less precise and ‘floatier’ on the ground.

Continental’s Kryptotal tyre are more yielding and roll faster, but ultimately couldn’t generate as much grip as the DH22 in really wet conditions

Compared to other DH tyres I’ve used a lot like the new Contis and latest Specialized, this is still quite a muscular and stiff tyre, especially compared to the squidgier, more supple and damped Specialized T9 DH tyres and it’s also slower rolling than the super soft compound Continental Kryptotals.

I weighed the new DH22 at 110g lighter than previously, which is a decent chunk of rolling weight removed. Together with the new rubber formula, turnover is noticeably quicker than on the painfully slow older models. This tyre is hardly fast but it’s much less noticeablewhen your mates roll away into the distance on other brands’ stickier rubbers on DH tracks.

I used the new tyre on a three-day enduro stage race in the Alps this summer and the photos here show front tyre wear after 12 days of solid Alpine lift riding. Michelin’s durability is decent and I had no torn knobs or damage like that suffered on the Wild Enduro MS.

The DH22’s showed remarkably little wear after a month’s riding in Alps, I’ve known other brands that would be almost completely bald by this stage

The DH22 is a decent all-rounder with very consistent hold, but on dry dusty days on hard pack and rocks, you’d probably be much better off on the slightly lower-profile DH16 that will connect extra rubber on hard ground. You can vaguely feel the taller DH22 blocks conform and squash a fraction on rocks and hard packed dirt.

The flipside of this is they cut more effectively into looser surfaces, and this is where this tyre really shows its versatility by being mostly stable and secure even on rock hard ground. It’s not too squirmy either, and lets you absolutely boss it if you run into loose conditions or the weather changes.

One race morning we awoke to peanut butter and deep loamy mud everywhere, after a night of rain. This led to some incredibly difficult and slippery stages. While other riders were clearly struggling to cut through and find grip, the DH22 was hooking up like a champ compared to a regular DH tyre. My race partner was struggling on Conti Kryptotals and I must have overtaken about 10 people on one particularly hard stage with the DH22 on the front flattering my skill level.

It also works really well over slimy roots and rocks without ever feeling too pingy or nervous. All this makes it a great UK all-round option where we’re often faced with mixed/sloppy conditions for half the year and downright muddy carnage in the winter.

One thing with the new casing is while you no longer have to run ridiculously low pressures to get enough conformity, I did find it easier to bottom out through to the rim compared to some rival DH tyres. I had multiple rock or root strikes on Alpine tracks with low 20s psi and heard several loud bangs onto my alloy rims and occasionally suspect I lost a smidge of air pressure. I never damaged the carcass or tread though and I’ve still yet to puncture a Michelin DH tyre.