Review: Delium Versatile Tire - Value & Performance for $45
Delium is a brand you probably haven’t heard of, but that might just be a matter of time. They’re available directly from the brand and, honestly, their approach is pretty refreshing.
Sometimes, it feels like to buy a set of mountain bike tires you have to be able to navigate a minefield of whacky jargon and confusing, brand-specific specifications. I don’t think it really works for either seller or buyer. In one brand there could be six different casings, four different compounds, and fifteen different tread patterns. All of that, without even factoring in size or the tire's actual dimensions.
Sometimes, it feels like to buy a set of mountain bike tires you have to be able to navigate a minefield of whacky jargon and confusing, brand-specific specifications. I don’t think it really works for either seller or buyer. In one brand there could be six different casings, four different compounds, and fifteen different tread patterns. All of that, without even factoring in size or the tire's actual dimensions.
Delium Versatile Details
• 50a / 60a triple rubber compound
• Tubeless ready
• 5.5mm center knobs
• Sizes: 29 x 2.5", 27.5 x 2.5"
• Weight: All-Round 29” 990g claimed (1005g actual) / Reinforced 29” 1250g claimed
• MSRP: All-Round $45 / Reinforced $55 USD
• www.deliumtires.com
• 50a / 60a triple rubber compound
• Tubeless ready
• 5.5mm center knobs
• Sizes: 29 x 2.5", 27.5 x 2.5"
• Weight: All-Round 29” 990g claimed (1005g actual) / Reinforced 29” 1250g claimed
• MSRP: All-Round $45 / Reinforced $55 USD
• www.deliumtires.com
Delium is using very simple language to describe their tires and a similarly low-key approach to pricing. There are four tires in their entire range - the Fast, Steady, Versatile and Rugged. Each tire is available in sensibly named casings.
The elephant in the room is that some of these tires may well be a dead ringer for tires from other brands. We’ve seen it before and it’ll happen again. It’s a lot like trends in geometry. However, much like the angles of our bikes, there is more to a tire than its pattern. Casing, compounds, and bead also play a very large role in how a tire performs.
Our test tire, the Versatile, comes in All-Round or Reinforced. It’s available in 27.5” and 29” in a 2.5” width. We’ll have the more aggressive Rugged model in its downhill Reinforced casing later in the year. As such, this review will focus on the Versatile model.
Details
It does what it says on the tin.
The tires use a triple compound rubber. Across the width of the tire, there is a base compound. On top of that in the center and edges there are 60a and 50a compounds respectively. The tires use a cut-protection layer in the sidewall and an extra layer for rim protection at the bead of the tire.
The near-kilo weight seems about right for most people’s riding. That weight also makes it a great candidate for those seeking something slightly lighter to be used with inserts.
At the sidewall...
... and then at the widest part of the tread
Tread Pattern
I've been using this tire front and rear. However, if I had to choose what it's better at then I'd say on the front.
The tread pattern looks familiar to other options currently available. The reason that this style of design is just so popular is because of how well it clears - the extra edge afforded by the high center knobs and how the length of the knobs can penetrate loose dirt well, while also not being so sparse that they slip or wash on roots.
The center and edge knobs are offset from one another to protect the rim as well as the tire itself. Both the edge and center knobs are uniform throughout. However, there is a small variation in the pattern with the side-knobs alternating between a more inboard and outboard position. There is also modest siping to help them deform and grip, although this isn't as pronounced as some.
Performance
So, the Versatile is cheaper and, to the untrained eye, looks very familiar to the more expensive options which makes me pose a question: Does this tire need to be better than the competition? Or merely offer the same performance at a reduced rate?
At 5.5mm, the center knobs are pretty aggressive.
After a few months riding these tires I would suggest it’s in the latter category. This is no slight, in fact, to say this tire is as good its doppelgangers is to say it is as good as some of the best and most influential tires ever. So that’s no bad thing.
It does have slightly different performance characteristics compared to something like the Kenda Pinner, the Vittoria Martello or the Maxxis Minion DHF, though. It’s slightly higher in the knobs and I feel it’s a better half way house to a wet weather cut spiked tire. It’s not a pedigree Minion copy, born and bred, but rather a Minion DHF style tire that looks to have been influenced by the Shorty somewhere along the way.
Because of that, and its relatively open tread pattern clears very well and penetrates loose dirt. It doesn't stay as clear as a true cut spike, but it does do a great job of managing to find traction, even when riding claggier mud.
On wet rocks its rubber is soft enough to offer grip, and I very quickly found myself placing large amounts of confidence in the tires. Its casing also seems suitable for what’s needed too. It’s not an extra-tough downhill tire, and it's not meant to be, but it does manage to offer good stability in high load turns and compressions and I didn’t suffer from any significant burping during testing.
It does have slightly different performance characteristics compared to something like the Kenda Pinner, the Vittoria Martello or the Maxxis Minion DHF, though. It’s slightly higher in the knobs and I feel it’s a better half way house to a wet weather cut spiked tire. It’s not a pedigree Minion copy, born and bred, but rather a Minion DHF style tire that looks to have been influenced by the Shorty somewhere along the way.
Because of that, and its relatively open tread pattern clears very well and penetrates loose dirt. It doesn't stay as clear as a true cut spike, but it does do a great job of managing to find traction, even when riding claggier mud.
On wet rocks its rubber is soft enough to offer grip, and I very quickly found myself placing large amounts of confidence in the tires. Its casing also seems suitable for what’s needed too. It’s not an extra-tough downhill tire, and it's not meant to be, but it does manage to offer good stability in high load turns and compressions and I didn’t suffer from any significant burping during testing.
Going from edge to edge is possibly the one area where it loses out to slightly to something such as the Pinner or the Mazza. That stack height, which does so well to penetrate loose dirt, does compromise that fast and secure switching feeling a little and it doesn’t seem to fall onto its rails with quite the same immediacy as the aforementioned tires. That said, it does offer a very consistent and gradual feeling so you can adapt and play with where your weight sits on the bike without it ever just switching on you.
Durability
The majority of my testing over the last few months took place in almost entirely wet conditions in Squamish, as well as a brief period on Vancouver Island. So far, the tires are holding up very well. There have been no punctures or any obvious wear or slices to the tire. That said, while we have rocks here none of them seem particularly sharp and I don’t often cut tires in Squamish. It happens but not often.
After a few months, the tires are starting to show very early signs of wear.
As the name suggests they’re very versatile and they would be a good go-to tire for somebody in most locations for any time of the year. I think they offer enough support for most people, but for racers out there or people in rockier locations then the 1200 gram Reinforced option could also be worth considering. It’s nothing particular to the Delium range, but there is just only so much you can do with a 1000g tire when it comes to damping the trail. That said, I have ridden tires in the same weight bracket that have been drastically less supportive under load.
So, back to my original question - Does this tire need to be better than the competition? Or merely offer the same performance at a reduced rate?
It’s not just a mimic, it offers something in its own right. However, I think it’s in the same ballpark as many of its competitors and it’s drastically cheaper. Even though it’s a great example of ‘doing the simple things right’, and delivers on its Minion-esque promise, the fact that it costs around half of its peers means that price will always dominate the conversation. That said, to solely view it as a cheap product would be doing it a disservice.
Pros
+ Live up to their name
+ Great at penetrating soft dirt
+ Work well on most surfaces
+ Plenty of support for a 1000 gram tire
+ Good value
Cons
- Doesn’t change direction as confidently as some
Pinkbike's Take
 | The Delium Versatile All-Round offers simple terminology, consistent grip and ample damping for a tire of its weight. For $45 USD it’s certainly going to shake up the establishment, and with good reason. This isn’t just a good cheap tire. Rather it’s a good tire that just so happens to be inexpensive. |
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XR = Cross Country (lightest), SE = Super Enduro (middle weight), G = Gravity (heaviest)
1 (slick) through 6 (most aggresive) to designate the tread pattern. Nice and simple.
Schwalbe are a lot better, to be fair. And WTB are really good - keeping it simple with just high grip/fast and tough/not quite so tough options.
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I tried a Kenda Pinner up front which is fairly similar to these but with some actual sipes, albeit less than a DHF or Assegai and it didn't grip great. Of course could also be the rubber.
You get your two primary customer questions right in the description "light/tough" and "fast/grippy." Keeps things easy.
Bontrager is my second favorite, as their series and numbering system makes good sense, even if it results in boring tire names.
I never thought about that, but that's my setup. maxxis $$$ tires and flow rims, odd
And don't even start with all the compounds and lay-ups from everyone else.
I'd wager that some of the pro-teams likely do this.
I'm not sure if the term translates outside of Europe (Is it true Kinder Eggs are banned in the US?) but over here, Kenda tyres were generically known as Kenda Surprise around the time of the Nevegal...
I find big S tires are quite well priced comparing to Maxxis, however it super hard to not use DHF
Most MAXXIS and Schwalbe or anything else is available for 35-50 and I am only talking about the most expensive tire's here.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=nWaqOnXlUhI
And I won't mention the wine's prices which are.... there's no word for that.
@danstonQ yeah man French food prices are crazy compared to the German ones.
I work just at the border and we actually have the DM with the most cash registers here and they only build it for the french dudes who storm it every single day.
I was an evangelist for the 2.6 Rekon rear, 2.6 Forekaster front combo I have on my Ripley. Forekaster was way under the radar, and you could get one under $60, if you watched the online shops. Someone as Maxxis must have heard me talking them up, because now they are like $80, all the time.....
Cheers!
Can’t figure out why some brands only give the grippier compound on DH tires.
Hate that I can’t get a (29)DHR2 EXO+ in Maxxgrip for the front.
www.amclassic.com/collections/gravel
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www.deliumtires.com/products/fast?variant=40289116684496
After reading about Deliums on PB & hearing about them on the podcast, I bought a set of Rugged Reinforced (front) & Rugged Versatile (rear) tires and after 3 park days and 3 normal (western NC / Pisgah style) rides I can say - these are made of cheese.
On both tires the inner (vertical, 6mm) wall of the side-knobs are already cracked & peeling off from the main tire round on both sides and on both tires - something that would take months w/ a Maxxis DD Assegai or Dissector (my normal go-to set). I can normally get 8-9 mos from a pair of these, easily.
These are both 2.5 inch "triple zone casing - extra soft triple compound - ece-R75" - maybe there's a "soft" compound (wasn't available at the time, Worldwide Cyclery).
Maybe these are throwaways that a racer might ride a couple of times, but as a 3-5 rides a week rider - and with how much time it takes it mount a tire with Cush - I can say that its worth paying more money on tires that aren't going to fall apart in 2 weeks.
I thought PB noted they'd do a followup on these and so I'm curious - any word on this? Are there harder compounds available and I just got the softest? Anybody else try these out & have similar issues?
Thanks
Anyway - they’re still grippy & seemingly ok for now except for looking the sideknobs deep in the eyes and thinking “we're not gonna be together long are we?”
The Verdict is another one of the “looks like a DHF, crossed with a Shorty” tires. And I honestly love it. It’s perfect for the wet winters here in the PNW.