Maxxis Minion DHR II Tire - 27.5 x 2.4 [Rider Review]

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The Maxxis Minion DHRII is consistently in our top 5 selling tires. This tire is legendary and can be seen on everything from enduro and downhill bikes to xc and hard tails. Our customer Kyle was looking for something to handle the rocks of PHX and decided on the DHRII. Check out what he had to say!

Overview

I first began mountain biking a little more than a year and a half ago. I have been riding entirely in the metro Phoenix, AZ area, where the terrain is very dry and unforgiving. Most trails are very rocky and can tear a sidewall easily. I have been riding a 2018 Specialized Enduro Comp 27.5, and have been riding on the stock Specialized Butcher Grid 27.5 x 2.6 tires the entire time. At first, I really enjoyed these tires. They gave a little extra cushion in addition to the bike's actual suspension, due to the extra volume of the 2.6 tire. They also gave more contact area and initially had a lot of grip. As the tires began to wear they lost a lot of traction, especially when cornering. The shoulder knobs began tearing very early on with these tires.

My Selection

After holding out sooo long, I finally decided to upgrade to a better set of tires. After countless hours of research and Maxxis tire comparison videos from Worldwide Cyclery, I finally decided that my combo would be to run a 2.5 Maxxis Minion DHF 3C Maxx Terra EXO+ in the front and a 2.4 Maxxis Minion DHR II 3C Maxx Terra EXO+ in the rear. I have to say that I could not be happier with my selection, as well as all the advice Worldwide Cyclery's YouTube videos and website provided. I decided to change up the width of the tires to reduce the lightbulb shape effect of the tire of a 2.6 tire on a 29mm inner diameter rim, thus further improving cornering traction and confidence for more aggressive riding. A 2.5 in the front and a 2.4 in the rear allows for less rolling resistance which has proven to be very important with the switch to Maxxis tires.

On Trail

The Maxxis tires stick to the ground like glue. I have noticed even with my new found confidence in these new tires and riding more aggressively, my top speeds have slowed just a bit. The decision to run different tires front and rear, compared to 2 of the same tire previously, was an important one for me as well. I really needed a tire that could power through a tough climb up the sheer rock, and the DHR II has been phenomenal at that. The tread pattern on the DHR II is somewhat similar to what I ran previously, but with an improved design that has resulted in significantly less slipping while climbing, which I can really appreciate since I am still running a 1 x 11 drivetrain :)

Additionally, the braking performance of the Maxxis DHR II is much better than that of my previous tire. I can stop much faster and have better control in all situations. Per the Maxxis Tire Guide on the Worldwide Cyclery website, I opted to run the EXO+ casing as the trails I ride are very aggressive and I am riding an enduro bike with 170mm of travel front and rear. This made mounting and seating the bead of the tires just a bit tougher but I cannot complain. After installing the tires in a tubeless configuration, I left them at 30 PSI overnight to stretch a bit before setting to my riding pressures of 24 PSI in front and 26 PSI in the rear. I am a slightly heavier rider at 220 lbs. with a hydration pack and gear, thus requiring a little higher pressure. While these new, slightly narrower tires have less of a cushion feel, they take sharp rocks scraping up the sidewall very well. They are stronger than my previous tires in both that regard as well as remaining impervious to all the cactus spines we run over out here, it is crazy.

I had so many punctures in my Specialized tires within the first few rides. The Maxxis tires have yet to take any damage requiring the tubeless sealant to do its job.

Additionally, I have noticed that the Maxxis tires hold air better than my previous tires. I do not have to add air before each ride like I have had to do in the past.

Final Thoughts

There is a reason why all my buddies have been running Maxxis tires for years, and now I am also a Maxxis guy. I love these tires. Knowing that the tire is going to retain its death grip on the ground through tough cornering at high speeds is a really amazing feeling that I could never get before. I cannot wait to take these tires for a spin up north where it actually gets wet to see how they perform in different conditions.