VEE Tire Co is a relatively young brand in the MTB segment but benefits from the decades of experience of its parent company, VEE Rubber, which has been producing tires for cars, motorbikes and bicycles since 1977. While VEE Rubber focuses primarily on OEM and everyday use, VEE Tire Co is aimed squarely at high-performance products for sporty applications. The brand has since made a name for itself in the downhill and enduro scene – not least through World Cup appearances and high-profile riders like Aaron Gwin.
| Model | Weight | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Attack FSX Full 40 GXE 29 x 2.50 |
1,234 g | € 54.95 |
| Attack HPL Full 40 GXE 29 x 2.50 |
1,289 g | € 54.95 |
| Snap WCE MK2 Full 40 GXE 29 x 2.50 |
1,323 g | € 54.95 |
| Snap WLT Full 40 GXE 29 x 2.35 |
1,123 g | € 54.95 |
VEE Tire’s casings at a glance
VEE Tires offer four mountain bike-specific casings, each designed to suit different areas of use. Listed in order of increasing robustness, the rather unintuitively named SYN Core, Override Core, GXE Core and DH Core are meant to cover the full spectrum of riding styles. The older Enduro Core and Downhill Core casings have now been replaced by the GXE Core and DH Core, respectively.
SYN Core
SYN Core is a lightweight casing construction designed for cross-country use. As is common in this segment, the SYN Core model features a fine fabric weave with a correspondingly high TPI count.
GXE Core
GXE Core refers to a 1.5-ply casing with a 90 TPI fabric density, designed to offer a balanced ratio of grip and weight for enduro and all-mountain use. The GXE Core version has a similar structure to the former Enduro Core and Gravity Core casings. With the help of Apex inserts – rubber-reinforced sections in the bead area – pinch flats caused by hard impacts are meant to be a thing of the past. These reinforced areas also stabilise the sidewall. In our lab test, the GXE Core model delivered a solid result in the puncture test with the 1.5 mm blunt object, but performed below average in the pinch flat test. On the trail, the GXE Core revealed itself as a firm casing that transmits a relatively high level of trail feedback.
Override Core
Override Core is an eMTB-specific casing that is said to incorporate VEE’s experience from the motorcycle sector. It uses an unusually coarse 26 TPI casing, which promises improved resistance to cuts and abrasion. In addition, it features Apex inserts to help prevent pinch flats. The casing’s single ply is fully overlapped, which is also intended to enhance puncture protection.
DH Core
With the DH Core, VEE Tires offer a dual-ply 72 TPI casing designed to handle the toughest riding conditions. To enhance puncture protection, it features reinforced bead zones along with Apex inserts.
VEE Tire’s rubber compounds at a glance
For tires designed for trail and enduro riding, VEE Tires offer a range of rubber compounds. The Thai manufacturer uses number suffixes in some compound names, which typically indicate the hardness on the Shore A scale. The only thing that really matters for you: the lower the number, the softer the compound. VEE Tires’ rubber blends range in hardness from 40 Shore A to 66 Shore A.
Full 40
The Full 40 compound is a single rubber blend engineered for maximum traction. Contrary to its name and somewhat against logical expectations, the rubber actually has a hardness of 42 Shore A. Even so, the Full 40 compound ranks among the softest blends and is comparable in character to Pirelli’s SmartEVO DH compound. Thanks to its softness and slow rebound qualities, it generates high rolling resistance – similar to MAXXIS DoubleDown casings paired with the MaxxGrip compound. But when it comes to grip and traction, the Full 40 compound really shines: the slow rebound keeps the tire planted longer, delivering loads of control and grip on descents.
Top 40
The Top 40 compound also uses a soft 42a rubber – but only on the surface of the tread blocks. Unlike the consistently soft Full 40 compound, there’s a firmer 52a base layer beneath the soft outer layer that provides additional support and stability. This makes the Top 40 a dual-compound construction, which is exactly what the name implies: “Top 40” refers to the softer compound used on the top layer.
Tackee Compound (TC)
The next hardest compound from VEE Tires is called Tackee Compound, or “TC” for short. It’s a dual-compound construction that pairs a fast-rolling 52 Shore A rubber on the centre tread with softer 48 Shore A side knobs.
Fast 50
The Fast 50 Compound is designed to offer the best compromise between rolling resistance and traction. As a single-compound rubber, it’s well suited for dry conditions or for use on the rear tire.
E-CTRL
With the E-CTRL Compound, VEE Tires have developed a rubber blend specifically for eMTBs, which is why it’s used exclusively on tire models bearing the “E-CTRL” designation. This is a dual-compound construction: the centre tread uses a 60 Shore A compound designed to minimise rolling resistance, while the side knobs are made from a much softer 40 Shore A compound to maximise grip in corners. The E-CTRL compound is paired with tires built on the Override Core casing.
DCC
With the Dual Control Compound (DCC), VEE Tire Co offer another dual-compound option, combining a 56 Shore A compound on the centre tread with 48 Shore A rubber on the side knobs. However, this blend is primarily used on tires intended for cross-country riding.
MPC
With the Multi Purpose Compound (MPC), VEE Tire Co offeran all-round rubber blend that focuses on durability over performance thanks to its 56 Shore A hardness. As such, it’s only partially suited for gravity-focused riding.
VEE Tire’s tread patterns at a glance
While many manufacturers offer front- and rear-specific tires, VEE Tires take a different approach, stating that all of their tires are fundamentally designed to work both up front and at the rear.
Note: most of the aggressive tread patterns needed for solid downhill performance are only available with VEE Tires’ soft Full 40 Compound. As a result, all the Snap and Attack models we tested produced a great deal of rolling resistance. If you’re looking for a rear tire that is downhill-capable but rolls more efficiently, you should consider the eMTB-specific counterparts – the Attack HPL E-CTRL and Snap WCE E-CTRL – which offer significantly better rolling performance thanks to the E-CTRL Compound. Alternatively, the Snap Trail and Flow Snap models are available with the TC Compound, and the Flow R-CP semi-slick with the F50 Compound, although the latter is only recommended for dry conditions.
Snap WLT
At 2.35” wide and available in both 27.5” and 29”, the Snap WLT comes in a narrower format. The open tread design with fewer but longer knobs sends a clear message: this tire is made to keep you moving even in wet and loose conditions. Still, the Snap WLT isn’t a purebred mud tire, according to the manufacturer – and instead aims to strike a balance between strong forward drive in poor conditions and decent rolling performance. And it does that quite well: in the rolling resistance test, it recorded 54.7 watts – only slightly worse than its siblings. When it comes to casing options, you can choose between GXE Core and DH Core.
Snap WCE MK2
The Snap is designed to be the all-rounder in VEE Tire’s portfolio, promising solid performance across a wide range of conditions. The Snap WCE MK2 is available in two sizes – 29” and 27.5”,both in 2.5” width. You also get a choice of casing: GXE Core or DH Core. Out on the trail, the Snap WCE MK2 shines as a capable all-rounder, offering plenty of grip and reliable braking traction no matter the conditions.
Attack FSX
FSX stands for “Fast Xtreme” – and the name likely isn’t a coincidence. This tire was developed in collaboration with five-time DH champion Aaron Gwin, and if anyone knows a thing or two about going fast and extreme, it’s him. To live up to that name, the tread blocks on the FSX are noticeably shallower and wider than on the Snap, with heavily ramped centre knobs designed to minimise rolling resistance. In the lab, the Attack FSX actually posted the lowest rolling resistance of all VEE Tire models – though at 52.4 watts, it’s still quite high overall.
The Attack FSX is designed primarily for dry hardpack, and VEE specifically recommend it for use on the rear wheel. It’s available in both 27.5” and 29” wheel sizes, each in a 2.5” width, and comes with a choice of GXE or DH Core casing.
Attack HPL
The “HPL” acronym stands for Hard Pack Loose – and that’s exactly where VEE Tire say this model shines. At the same time, the Attack HPL is described by the brand as their most versatile tire, designed to perform well across a wide range of conditions from firm hardpack to mixed terrain. To suit this broad field of use, the tire is available with a choice of three different casing constructions: GXE Core, DH Core, and Override Core. When equipped with the latter, the Attack HPL E-CTRL compound, while the other two variants come with the soft Full 40 compound. The 2.5” wide tire is available in both 27.5” and 29” wheel sizes. In our real-world testing, the Attack HPL proved to be a smooth-rolling tire with a solid amount of grip and traction. Despite being made with the Full 40 compound, it felt slightly less damped compared to some competitor models in the test.
Our recommendation
Enduro – all-round (f/r): Snap WCE MK2 GXE / Attack FSX GXE
Trail – grip (f/r): Snap WCE MK2 / Attack FSX
For more information, visit VEE Tires’s website.
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Words: Lars Engmann Photos: Peter Walker
