This Michelin tyre is all about grip. The Magi X version is front-specific and uses a rubber compound that’s sticky, rebounds slowly and provides leech-like hold on rocks and roots. Being such an ultra-tacky tyre really adds confidence, and it’s super tough too, so you’re inclined to smash through rocks without a care.

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Provided you can suck up the extra rolling resistance, the Magi X rubber formula is a total winner for slimy, rooty super-steep up/down DH-style trail riders too.

And that’s the rub — there’s tons of safety and control, but with a heavy (over 1kg) weight, and super-glued ground-hugging ride feel, something has to give, and the rolling speed is so pedestrian you need to be totally DH-focused or super-fit.

Aside from grip levels that invoke the old confidence-inspiring cliché, it has another trick up its sleeve — durability and wear life that far outshines most of its competitors.

If you’re regularly ripping tyres to shreds, and are looking for a planted, sturdy Alpine-ready tyre that won’t fall to pieces after a week of chair lift riding, it’s a great option.

The other, Gum X, Wild Rock’R, aimed at the rear end, is well worth a look too — it shares the same comfortable, well-damped ride and has a faster rolling, firmer compound that tones down the grip a tad.