Onza Aquila Tire

Aaron Gwin’s hotel-notepad-drawing-turned-tire is not revolutionary in its looks, function, or purpose, but why reinvent the wheel (tire)? The Aquila was hotly lauded by many as the next best piece of rubber to hit the dirt upon its inception, and it immediately delivered by winning the 2017 World Cup DH Elite Men's overall title under its creator. From the dry hard-pack terrain of Leogang to the loose and wild steeps of Andorra or the deluge of Mont-Sainte-Anne, Onza’s golden ticket tire proved to be versatile and reliable.

When we were given a set for long-term testing after a press camp in Vermont, we were quite interested to take the tread into uncharted territory, away from the roots, loam, and hard pack of the North East where its performance was outstanding.

Fast forward to now and it’s summer in Queenstown, New Zealand. It hasn’t rained in weeks, as was the trend for the duration of the test. The steeps of the area are as loose as possible, rough as ever, and the soil is a mix of fine dust, rocks, and pine needles/mulch – a polar opposite to the soil conditions during our initial tests in Vermont. Riding the slick and unpredictable terrain in the antipodean summer takes a whole other kind of riding style, and having to worry about tires is not a thought one needs floating around under the helmet. Thankfully, the Aquila took no thinking to ride, but provided plenty to think about after the fact.

Onza Aquila Tire Highlights

• 27.5 (650b) x 2.4-inches
• Uses a self-damping polymer structure developed specifically for the gravity application
• Uninterrupted vertical channel and refined edge knobs for maximum bite
• Aggressive braking edges with shallow sipes for added traction and feel
• Center and side knob aligned for maximum cornering predictability and increased feel through mid-lean angles
• Fast center tread with slightly softer side knobs for increased grip
• DH versions: DHC casing and steel bead with RC2 45a or VISCO GRP 40 rubber (tested) // 1,325g (claimed)
• Trail version (Coming Spring 2018): FRC casing with dual compound RC2 55a/65a rubber // 940g (claimed)
• Dual-ply DHC casing features a butyl inlay and 40x40 TPI bead-to-bead construction
• Tubeless compatible
• MSRP: $85 - DHC RC2 45a // $80 - DHC VISCO GRP 40 // $TBD - FRC RC2

"I know what works, what doesn't work; what I like, what I don't like. There wasn't a tire on the market that had everything that I wanted all wrapped into one tire." - Aaron Gwin

On The Trail

As simple as a tire is in theory, there are a lot of metrics by which it's possible to measure a tire’s performance. To concisely break down how we got on with the top-performing tire of the 2017 DH World Cup, here are all the factors we added up to rate the DHC VISCO GRP 40 version.

We ran them tubeless between 25 and 30psi, and the sweet spot was around 27psi front and 28psi rear for our 205-pound (93.0kg) tester. They were mounted to Novatec's Diablo XL rims (30mm inner width) in Vermont and DT 471 rims (25mm inner width) in New Zealand. We prefer the performance on the narrower rim width as it allows the tire’s rounder profile to really shine.

Of the tires we’ve ridden, the longevity of the Aquila is approaching best-in-class.

$80-$85 for a tire isn’t exactly cheap, but with some tires now going for more than a C-note Onza has priced the Aquila to be available to many. With the tires lasting so long, we think they're a sound investment. There aren’t many other grippy tires on the market that would hold up to over 150 miles of abuse and still look relatively fresh.

What's The Bottom Line?

Onza has a winning tire in the Aquila, professionally, but it's also something the average consumer would benefit from buying. The predictable ride quality, versatile design, and long wear life make it worth the price of admission. When a straightforward guy like Aaron Gwin is the designer, you know you’re going to get a product much like him: all-around ability with no frills or gimmicks, just a product of top quality and performance. If you race or just ride, this tire will see you through it all from the start gate to the trailhead. It's predictable at everything and an inspiring product. It may not make you ride like Aaron, but you’ll feel emboldened to at least give it your best try.

Visit www.onza-tires.com for more details.

About The Tester

Zach Faulkner - Age: 27 // Years Riding MTB: 17 // Height: 5'10" (1.78m) // Weight: 205-pounds (93.0kg)

Also known as #MTBJesus, Zach looks like a circus bear on a bicycle. His riding style has been compared to a landslide, replete with sounds of destruction and debris chasing his rear wheel down the hill. He rides flat pedals because they win medals, and he’s fond of quad-piston brakes on all of his bikes. His zeal for riding is life-long, having been astride a bike since before he was forming memories. Bikes kept him in the woods and out of trouble through his teenage years, and after more than a decade of racing DH, can now be found lying in the dirt next to race courses around the World behind a camera, writing at his computer late into the night, or out on the trail thundering through the woods.

Action photos by Jake Hood