e*thirteen Grappler and All-Terrain Tires

Two Tread Patterns, Three Casings, Three Compounds, Two Turntables and ...

e*thirteen has 4 tires available with several rubber compounds and casings. For this review, I rode the Grappler Mopo and the All-Terrain Mopo and Control tires. These are beefy tires that I have ridden on a variety of trails ranging from steep and gnarly to low with flow. Conditions ranged from dry and dusty to wet and muddy to snowy. e13 tires come in 3 different compounds. I first tested the MoPo which is 42 durometer on the entire tread. This creates a super soft and very grippy feel with a somewhat slow roll. After a nail puncture in the rear All-Terrain tire, I replaced it with another All-Terrain but with Control compound (46a side knobs, 50a center, and 56a base) which is in between Mopo and Endurance (50a side knobs and 56a center and base).

The three casings e13 offers are:

• TR – 72tpi single ply, nylon breaker under tread
• EN – 120tpi dual ply, Apex EN, nylon breaker under tread
• DH – 72tpi dual ply, Apex DH, nylon breaker under tread.

To see how MOPO came about, I looked back at Cam's 2019 E13 review of the TRS/AT and LG1 tires:

"When e13 CEO and lead tire designer, Joel Peters, was meeting with Vee Rubber in Thailand to discuss the new tires, he noticed a poster of some 'crazy looking souped up mopeds,' and there was an example in the showroom as well. When he checked out the rear tire of the beastly looking scooter it was 'gummy bear soft.' The representatives at Vee were at first dismissive, saying they didn't think it would be possible to bond the ultra sticky compound properly. As e13's Connor Bondlow told me, one of the bonuses of working with a smaller manufacturer like Vee is that they will take the time to work something out, and they did just that, allowing the MOPO (or motion potion) rubber to be put into play."

Grappler

This is e13's tire for aggressive steep terrain, wet or dry. It comes in 27.5 and 29 inch but only 2.5 inch width. The Grappler comes in MoPo and Endurance compounds. The tester rubber had the Enduro dual-ply 120 tpi casing but the DH version is 72 tpi. The wide center knobs with parallel siping are aimed at creating stable grip and the knob profiles are apparently strong enough to not fold over during cornering. There are pyramid like knobs (see photo) that have been incorporated in order to help the transition between the center and side knobs. The siped (better squish = better grip) side lugs have arched cutaways aimed at increasing flexibility. The claimed weight of 1225 grams is close to a comparable Assegai Maxx Gripp.

I can compare the e13 Grappler to the only two front tires I have ridden in the past 2 years: Maxxis Assegai MaxxGrip and Specialized Butcher T9. The Grappler feels similar both in the dry on both loose loam and hard pack trails. Where the Grappler differs to the Assegai is in wet mucky trail conditions. The Grappler and the Butcher shed mud better than the Assegai creating better traction. It's tough to say which is better in the slop but the Grappler and the Butcher perform similarly, shedding mud and offering good grip on steep, rooty and gnarly trails. The Grappler gripped well on rock features in both the wet and the dry. I felt confident rolling through wet roots and without any pinballing. I am surmising that the extra row of knobs between the centre and the side lugs helped with cornering and when leaning the tires over, there were no abrupt transitions. I rolled the Grapplers with and without Tannus inserts during the test. I had no issues with burping, warping, flatting nor sidewall tearing over the course of approximately 20 rides.

My riding buddies and I are convinced that the Assegai keeps its traction in the cold temps ( below 7 or 8 degrees Celsius) better than the Grappler and the Butcher. We noticed that the Assegai does not slip out as much; not by a lot but it is noticeable. 

The Grappler's biggest advantage is the cost, which is similar to Specialized Butcher T9s (70 USD). Compared to Assegai MaxxGrips (90-110 USD) it's a great deal. e13 Grappler tires retail from 60 USD to 70 USD (casing and compound dependent). 

To get this kind of grip, traction and control, the cost is weight and slow rolling but I say it's worth it. Would I want one of these on the rear? Sure, if I was just riding park, shuttling or e biking, but for climbing I'll take the traction hit for the ability to roll faster.

Which brings me to the All-Terrain tire I tested on the rear.

e*thirteen All-Terrain

e*thirteen's All-Terrain tires have been tweaked for 2022. They goal was to give them more grip and durability with some compound tweaks and a new casing.

The All-Terrain tread is designed to combine the big three: capability on all the terrains, low rolling resistance and high traction in corners and berms. The tread pattern has wide knobs spaced for these applications. e13 claims the design works on all trail types in both wet and dry. The term 'works' needed to be evaluated after I took the AT Mopos and then AT Controls down all those trail types in the wet and the dry.

In dry and wet conditions that weren't too rooty, I found the AT’s sidewall knobs gave a stable and consistent feel during turns. They were predictable and held an edge without issue...until it got wet and steep when they tended to slide and ping off the greasy roots, more so for the Control than the Mopo AT. I get it, in order to get a faster rolling tire we have to compromise a bit of grip. The ATs would eventually hook up after these slimy rooty slides so it wasn't too big a deal. As long as I have excellent grip and performance on the front tire, I am willing to give a little on the rear tire so that I can roll faster on the ups. I did not have any issues with tire deformation, burping nor flatting - even with a nail (see photo) in the tire.

I think I'll stick with the faster rolling rear tire for the winter and spring. I don't think I need the Grappler on the rear and hopefully Control rubber gives the All Terrain enough grip in the slip and slop.

e13 All-Terrain tires with Control compound, retail from 60 USD to 70 USD (casing and compound dependent).