Maxxis Minion DHF and Aggressor Combo: Rider Review

Maxxis has a number of awesome tires that work great in a number of terrains and many people swear by the Minion DHF out front and an Aggressor in the rear. It can be pretty costly to try out a new pair of tires that you might not like so our friend David wrote up a review on the pair. Check it out below!

Why Worldwide Cyclery?

This season has not been kind to me with regards to tires. First, there was the horrible decision to buy cheap tires for my Yelli Screamy (an all mountain hardtail from Canfield Brothers). Then there was the overpriced Highroller 2 on my Riot. I had been convinced to buy a new tire after my Maxxis Ikon would no longer hold air while tubeless and all the shop had available was the top end Highroller 2. It had been fine, but then it punctured and would not seal no matter how many plugs or patches I threw at it. It was time for a change. I had recently discovered Worldwide Cyclery and had seen all the different tire combos they were throwing onto bikes. Clearly, these wise sages of bikeness knew a thing or two about what to run on bikes being pushed hard. Then there was their super competitive pricing and quick customer service. Any question I asked was answered promptly.

Shipping and Delivery Time

Anyway, I ordered a pair of tires… because why just buy one when a pair of fresh meats feels so much better. The Minion DHF and Aggressor shipped and the tracking looked great and right on track to show up on time. Of course, the mail carrier had other ideas. My order was returned to sender without any delivery attempts. I called Worldwide and they rushed a replacement order out to me. This is a review of Worldwide Cyclery just as much as it is of the tires because let's face it… you can buy Maxxis tires anywhere. I cannot stress enough how much these folks care about their customers and their satisfaction.

Why DHF and Aggressor?

I decided on a 2.5 Minion for the front and a 2.3 Aggressor out back. A combination that promises to provide grip for days on my Riot. The first thing I noticed about this set of tires is the sheer ease in which they seated up on my rims. In the past, Maxxis tires have always required my shop compressor to seat. Not these bad boys. Both the Minion DHF and Aggressor were able to seat without any sealant or soapy water and just my old tired floor pump. Once seated I popped out the valve cores, threw in some Orange Seal and hit the trail. My first ride on these tires was going to be the weekly ride I host for my group. Nothing like being the host to put some pressure on your equipment to perform well.

On Trail

The first thing you notice with the new WT format of the 2.5 Minion DHF is that it is beautifully square and has almost no squirmy feeling at my lowish 22psi (I'm about 210lbs so not a light rider). Then I notice the noise of the Aggressor behind me. It's not a fast rolling tire by any stretch of the imagination, but I soon realized that being quiet and fast don't make tires climb like goats. This thing grabbed. I felt like I didn't have to blow out my pancakes getting up techy sections of our climb. I could sit back and spin and the tire would tractor up anything I could put in front of it. Then came the first descent on the new setup. I was already aware that the Minion DHF did well on the rocky trails but I did not expect the new combo to feel faster. The grip was definitely a noticeable improvement but the tires also seemed to roll faster despite the much slower rolling (allegedly) Aggressor out back. Now I'm just a noob that loves playing bikes and I've only got a few weeks on these tires, but for being the midrange versions of the Maxxis tires (EXO TR Dual compound) they are holding up great and still performing great and showing no wear.