Maxxis Minion DHR II WT tyre review

Maxxis Minion DHR II WT arguably offers the most grip of all Maxxis models suitable for mixed conditions, and works fine year round.

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Reader reviews of Maxxis Minion DHR II

Reader review by Gary Winslow | Trail & XC
Instagram: @gazeemw

How long have you had them?

Five months.

Used on front or rear?

Front.

Durability. How well have they stood up to use?

Surprisingly well, considering they are predominantly used on trail centre hardpack and they are the softer compound. No discernible wear on side or centre lugs, and the sidewalls are still intact despite some aggressive (AKA clumsy) brushes against rocks and roots. Five months and counting, pretty good so far.

Performance. Traction, cornering, braking, puncture protection, acceleration, rolling speed etc?

TBH, my standard front tyre is the 3C Max Terra Minion DHF, but that was out of stock, so a DHR II was chanced. However, I think I’ve stumbled on a new favourite! Front end traction is fantastic in most UK conditions, even passable in off-piste mud. For hardpack, dry or wet (and my local trails are the infamous ‘Cannock Cobbles’, which when wet are slippier than a penguin coated in jelly) the grip is consistent, biting really well under braking and when leant over in hard cornering. I’m running 28mm inner-width rims so not exactly wide, but the all round grip for a 2.4in tyre is fantastic.

What sort of conditions does this tyre work best in? Dry, mud, rock, loose, firm etc

As said earlier, this tyre works well in most UK conditions. Wet or dry hardpack, loose over hard, dry dusty – it seems to excel in all. Okay, it’s no mud tyre, but it’s passable if you’re an occasional mud-plugger and don’t want to swap tyres all the time. Ideally though, trail centres or summer use… Excellent.

How is the sizing of the tyre – ie accurate, bit narrow, bit big etc?

On a 28mm wide it’s not overly wide, no. It’s slightly narrower than the 2.4 High Roller II I run on the rear. But it doesn’t seem to matter. Grips really well, nice profile.

Have you run the tyre as tubeless? If so, how was tubeless installation?

The tyre is set up on Giant XC-1 rim with Giant sealant, and it was a bit tight, but all Maxxis tyres seem the same in my experience. No better or worse than other tyres I have used (eg. Schwalbe) and it inflated okay.

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