The Gwinningest Tire of 2017

A tire that needs no introduction:

Rejoice!  You’ll have traction at speed, predictable cornering, and a stiff casing to withstand all the abuse!  The tire drawn from the mind of one of greatest riders to grace the world of DH, it lives up to expectations and provides the anticipated experience of confidence and precise handling.  Aaron Gwin’s napkin drawing come tire is not revolutionary in look, function, or purpose, but then again, why reinvent the wheel (tire)?

The Aquila was hotly lauded by the online community as the next best piece of rubber to hit the dirt upon its inception, and it immediately delivered, winning the 2017 World Cup DH Elite Men Overall title.  From the dry hardpack of Leogang, the loose and wild steeps of Andorra, to 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 December, it’s summer in Queenstown, New Zealand…it hasn’t rained in weeks, and this would be the trend for the duration of the test.  The steeps of Queenstown were loose as possible, rough as ever, and the soil was a mix of fine dust, rocks, and pine needles/mulch.  If there was a more polar opposite kind of conditions from our initial riding in Vermont, it would have to literally be snow.  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 riding.

On The Trail

As simple as a tire is in theory, there is a lot of metrics by which one measures a tire’s performance, to the point where tire science really is a dark art at the top level of the sport (cycling or combustion engine for that matter).  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 tire on a whole, and how the circle of blocks stacked up:

Traction

This is the name of the game, and without it, you’re not going to be winning.  The short and blocky pattern of the Aquila provides predictable corner roll, that is to say, leaning the tire onto edge or initiating a corner feels natural.  The round profile of the tire gives the rider a lot of leeway to angle the bike as needed, without giving up edge hold or traction in general.  We were surprised how long the tire would hold before letting go, especially in the insanely loose moondust in the bike park and the pine ash on the trails.  Diving into ruts became a moment of confidence not uncertainty, and railing hard-pack berms just felt right.  The rider can feel the edge nobs finding purchase, clawing their way through the debris, or gluing into the firm terra.

In Vermont, charging roots and wet rocks wasn’t an issue for this same reason – one can feel the point of contact and the give/take of the tire against the terrain.  On our last descents down Burke Mountain, Alex took us down a secret stash, which was just fall-line blasting through the freshest soil possible, across big compressions and quick corners cambered every which way.  This is where the tire first cemented itself as a top-notch tire, and that reputation carried across the globe to the rowdiest riding around.

We rode the VISCO GRP 40 tires for both times of testing.

Braking

Always a contentious point when discussing likes/dislikes of tires, the Aquila should find favor among most.  It’s square edge nobs and broad and blocky center nobs create ample braking surface and big contact points when the anchors need to be tossed.  Being that this is a race tire, it is more geared towards hard and fast breaking, versus the skid-track lock up – the center nobs are more like a DHR II’s versus a Magic Mary, so that locked-in feel on very steep and slow chutes isn’t quite as aggressive.  Under hard braking the tire’s stiff casing keeps everything from squirming around like a mad snake and the spacing on the nobs maintains control while still cutting speed.  It’s all very predictable regardless of how fast one is riding, there are no surprises happening, the rider knows how it is all playing out…for better or worse (sometimes you’re a passenger despite your best efforts!).  On a whole, it slowed down similarly to a DHR II.  It doesn’t have the “anchor” feeling of Schwalbe Mary’s or Maxxis Shorty’s, but it’s obviously more aggressive than the Schwalbe Hans Dampf or Maxxis Aggressor.  It is a rather low-profile tire, so when it comes to slowing down in really loose, sandy dirt or loam, one can expect to be in control, but heavier riders might find a bigger profile tire is preferred.    

Dry Grip

It’s all there.  In the dry, this hoop of rubber inspires.  The “slide point” is way out there, so pushing hard is encouraged, and when it all starts to come undone it does so in a way that doesn’t create a sudden departure from the track or the bike – just hang on, drop a foot, and look ahead…it all should come around. 

Grip in the Wet

We would suggest watching Aaron’s race run from Mont Sainte Anne, and you can decide for yourself if it performs in the wet.  We didn’t get a chance to hurl the tire through the mud, as those conditions never occurred, though as said before, we did find some wet roots and rocks, upon which the tire performed without issue.  The siping of all the nobs is likely a strong contributing factor to the versatile grip.  And, to be fair, the Aquila is not a mud tire, and would likely pack up and become a donut, but so does every other non-mud tire on the market.  If you want a mud tire, Onza makes the Greina for the sloppiest of times. 

Cornering Grip

Trust the tire, it’s got you.  When hitting bike park berms and jumps, there is no doubt in the equation, one can literally feel the sidenobs biting finding purchase like magnets to a fridge.  When the going gets less firm, the blocky nature of the tire digs into the chunder and turns it out like auger.  One feels like the tire is fighting for you when the going gets loose, and it feels good to have the Aquila in one’s corner when everything gets a little more wild.  The smart siping and spacing combines into a fierce force of friction.  The Magic Mary is the current bench mark for line-holding tires, it’s like riding on rails.  The DHF is the classic tire for people who like cornering, and forever copied because it’s just that good as an all-arounder.  The Aquila once again is more along the lines of the DHF, but perhaps a little more solid-feeling – stiffness is what the tire sports strongly over other options on the market.  It doesn’t wiggle as much in loose berms as the DHF, but it doesn’t literally tear the Earth in half like the Mary.  For people who ride a lot of bike park, hard pack, or rocky/root-infested trails, the Aquila will shine brightest.  If being a Loam Ranger is more of interest, a taller and more aggressive tread would be suggestable.  With its roots firmly in racing though, it makes sense that the Aquila is dynamite on terrain which would commonly be found in race courses around the world, not Strava-hidden skid tracks that are “locals only” (which it is still perfectly comfortable on though).  

Grip on Counterslopes

Similarly to the corning feel, the off-camber times are met with security and no afterthoughts.  The tread carries the rider and the steed through the line chosen and out the other side.  When initiating a turn on the counterslope, either into or against the camber, the round profile shines through by giving the rider more area upon which to put rubber to dirt. 

Rolling Resistance

A rolling stone gathers no moss, and this rolling tire gathers no dust.  It’s a fast design which pedals like a trail tire while still performing its duties as a DH tire.  Whether mounted to a big ol’ DH bike, an Enduro race machine, or a fun trail weapon, the Aquila will hold onto speed like a dragon does gold.  This is perhaps the real achievement Onza can claim with the Aquila, in that the tire rolls, and rolls, and rolls.  Pedaling a DH casing tire is often like dragging around a wagon of bowling balls, but Gwin’s signature tire may be one of the secrets to his ability to hold speed like few others.  It just wants to go, like a Highroller II or a Bontrager G4/G5.  As an option for aggressive trail riding, or Enduro racing, it’d be a solid selection as energy is not pointlessly expended just trying to keep it rolling at pace.

Resistance to pinching / Puncture resistance

At the test camp in Vermont, we rode with tubes in the tires.  In New Zealand, we rode with a tubeless set up, using Orange Seal and generic valves.  The tubes stayed safe, despite riding blind at “local’s pace” down some seriously rough trails (at 30 PSI).  The tubeless never lost pressure when riding in Vermont, and only let go of 10 PSI after setting them up for the long term test, leaving them for two weeks in basement/cave of bike maintenance, and flying to NZ…while in NZ, they have needed to be re-inflated exactly once. The casing on the Aquila is hearty and the bead is stiff, so the steep chutes-to-slash-corners and bike park g-outs didn’t manage to steal any of the sealant from our tires.   We ran them between 25 and 30 PSI tubeless, the sweet spot seemed to be around 27 front and 28 rear.  They were mounted to Novatec Diablo XLs (30mm ID) in Vermont and DT 471s (25mm ID) in New Zealand.  In testing, we preferred the narrower rim width, as that allowed the tire’s rounder profile to really shine.

Ability to Self-Clean

While it may not be a house cat, we never had the tire clog up, even on the freshest of trails.  Again, worth noting that like any non-mud tire, there will certainly be a point at which the tread will pack up.  But, we never faced this issue, even after stream crossings straight into loose dirt.  Perhaps it’s better to say that the tire sheds like a house cat?

Comfort

The damping characteristics of the Aquila is something Onza is very proud of with their chosen durometer and tire structure.  There is absolutely a muted feeling to the rubber, something just feels like it’s missing, which is a great thing because those little vibrations are the knuckle-killers.  Slamming the wheels into rocks, holes, roots, and braking bumps didn’t have a jarring sensation that one might expect from such a stiff tire.  The compliance provided is just subtle enough to make one forget about this being a talking point in the first place.

Weight

We rode the DH version, which weighs in at 1,325g – a pretty standard heft.  With tires it will always be a game of support and durability, or rolling speed and un-sprung weight.  We felt the weight of the tire to be negligible and it didn’t negatively impact the ride quality of bike or handling characteristics.  There are lighter, and there are heavier – this tire is bought for its ability to deliver a predictable ride, not for how little it weighs. 

Resistance to pinching / Puncture resistance

At the test camp in Vermont, we rode with tubes in the tires.  In New Zealand, we rode with a tubeless set up, using Orange Seal and generic valves.  The tubes stayed safe, despite riding blind at “local’s pace” down some seriously rough trails (at 30 PSI).  The tubeless never lost more than 10 PSI – and that was after setting them up, leaving them for two weeks, and flying to NZ…while in NZ, they have needed to be re-inflated exactly once (we ran them at 25 PSI tubeless).  The casing on the Aquila is hearty and the bead is stiff, so the steep chutes to slash corners and bike park g-outs didn’t manage to steal any of the sealant from our tires. 

Affordability 

$80 for a tire isn’t exactly “cheap”, but with tires now going over the C-note mark, Onza has price-spec’d the Aquila to be available to all riders.  And with the tires lasting so long, it’s a sound investment.  There aren’t many other tires on the market that would hold up to over 100 miles of abuse and still look relatively fresh.

Durability and Wear 

We put 140 miles of riding on the Aquila between Vermont (40 miles) and Queenstown (110 miles).  About 80% of that mileage was trail riding, and 20% was road riding or gravel path while transferring between trailheads.  In Vermont, we did 2,306 feet of climbing, and 7,112 feet of descending.  In Queenstown we did 17,772 feet of climbing and 27,227 feet of descending.  In total, we did 19,078 feet of climbing and 34,339 feet of descending.  The discrepancy in more descending is taking into account lift access riding and shuttles.  Quite impressively, there is very little cracking at the base of the nobs, the casing isn’t looking worn, and the braking edge on the rear tire has only just reached the point of consideration for replacement if you’re the kind of rider who doesn’t ride a tire until it’s a semi-slick.  We are impressed, particularly because a couple days of heavy bike park use didn’t roach the tire and the long mileage on the road/paths didn’t wear the rear down past the siping.  Of the tires we’ve ridden, the longevity of the Aquila is approaching best-in-class.

*As a sidenote, the wear (or lack there of) we experience may be due to the lack of traction experience in the moon dust of Queenstown.  Being that there was not super rough dirt, more just sliding powder, we'd anticipate slightly faster wear in a rockier or firmer setting, like a race course or frequent high alpine riding.

From the photos below, it is plain to see that the tires could pass for new at a glance, and they held their ride quality from start to finish.

Test Rider Metrics Which Are Relevant To The Test

Zach weights in at an athletic 205lbs without gear on, is 5’10” on a good day, and has been riding bikes his whole life (he’s nearly 28 now though), and flogging mountain bikes specifically for 17-ish years.  He rides flat pedals, because they win [pretend] medals, and he’s fond of quad-piston brakes on all of his bikes.

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, the versatile design, and long wear life make it worth the price of admission.  When a straight forward 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, if you just ride, this tire will see you through it all from the start gate to the trail head.  For predictable everything and an inspiring product, look no further than this tire.  It may not make you ride like Aaron, but you’ll feel emboldened to at least give it your best try.

About The Tester

Zach Faulkner, aka #MTBJesus, 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. 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 holding a camera, writing at his computer late into the night, or out on the trail thundering through the woods.