[Closed] Maxxis Minion SS and UK weather

Assuming you’re only running one bike, with one rear wheel… don’t bother with summer rear tyres in the UK. I have minion SS in 275 and 29er varieties… it’s a damn good tyre in lots of situations… but the UK weather is too fickle to fit and forget a tyre like that.

It's a great tyre- in the right conditions.

I ran a slaughter on my hardtail all winter because it just kept on working. Might help that my local trails are sandy/loamy.

I have a SS specifically to go on to ride the SDW (if I can this year) but it only goes on for that then it'll be taken off. I'll only be riding the SDW in good, dry weather. I need all the help I can get on the SDW, so low rolling resistance is important.😁

I have a Minion SS, a Slaughter & a Rock Razor that I use for the summer on the South Downs and wherever else I get to.  They aren’t that bad just because it has rained a little in fact I’d say they work pretty good

I have a Rockrazor on my hardtail for most of the year, works great. It's a better tyre than the Minion SS though.

Is it really that hard to change a tubeless tyre?
Doesn't take any longer than with a tube.
Great tyres BTW unless it really muddy.

I've the Specialized copy of the Minion SS on my 29er, it's impressive really how much grip it does have in the wet/mud. I've a spare Minion DHR but didn't see the need to swap it over last winter!

Quick test today at QECP and it clogged up pretty quick, no braking grip

Assuming you’re only running one bike, with one rear wheel… don’t bother with summer rear tyres in the UK

Have a e-mtb for when things get really sloppy or if im feeling a little lazy, dont fancy trying the SS on the back of that!

Is it really that hard to change a tubeless tyre?

Nope it only takes a few mins but it can be messy, more chance of having a sealing issue especially if having to change tyres every couple of weeks due to the weather

Think ill fit my DHR2 and keep the SS as a spare or until i know we are going to have a long dry spell

Cheers

I’m running a slaughter for the first time this year - guess that has a little more tread than an SS and is a better shape on wider rims in the 2.6” size (which is about 2.4” on a 30mm rim it seems) than the minion.

So far so good - ridden in wet ish conditions - but short of full winter slop. Quite like it so far as it’s fast rolling (faster then the DHR2, Dissector and Aggressor which are my other back tyres) and seems to grip ok in corners.

Steep wet stuff might see some difficulty getting stopped I reckon.

They're obviously at a disadvantage for braking grip in the wet, and the like, but I was also surprised how versatile they are. I'm another who's left one on through a couple of winters before. Not that bad on the right trails (and mine are reasonably steep, just not all that muddy). That said I've gone off them a little and think I now am just someone who prefers more braking grip at the expense of rolling speed.

I've always been a bit baffled by the SS, but people do seem to like them.

If you run lower pressures, don't the side knobs drag even on the straight and add the resistance back? If your trails are soft enough for the side knobs to dig in when cornering, wouldn't straight-line braking on that loose surface be bad? If it's all hard pack, what will the side knobs dig into, surely just better with a smaller tread tire all over with a rounded profile?

Is the rolling resistance actually much less than other tyres, or is it a bit of a placebo effect at normal trail tyre pressures?

Na, side knobs don't drag, yeah, straight-line braking is affected (just means ye go a bit faster!), Side knobs don't really need to dig in on hardpack, no knobs will dig in on hardpack really.

Rolling resistance is defo noticeably quicker.

OwenP
Full Member

Is the rolling resistance actually much less than other tyres, or is it a bit of a placebo effect at normal trail tyre pressures?

Massively faster. "had to brake on a trail you wouldn't usually because you're going that much faster" sort of thing. The side knobs work the same as side knobs on all other tyres, just with a fast middle.

I liked the idea of the SS but just got frustrated - braking or climbing on wet grass can be quite annoying. This was also the case on summer mornings' dewy grass.

surely just better with a smaller tread tire all over with a rounded profile?

Yep  - this works for me.

As said above, to get any noticeable rolling resistance gains, I needed to pump the SS up more firmly than normal

That is very rim width dependent.

Ardent? I leave mine on through the winter and put up with a bit of slide 'n' spin. It should work unless 100% of your riding is through moorland bogs.

A number of people on here like the SS tyres so I will give one a go when the Ardents wear out.

Reading back through that, I don't think I've answered your question though.. anyway the only way to really find out is leave it on for a year and a day then wade in on the next what tyre thread.

I have a Rockrazor on my hardtail for most of the year, works great. It’s a better tyre than the Minion SS though.

This. But also I think it depends a little on where you live / ride. My local Dark Peak trails don't really do proper mud, just a sort of gritty sludge and the Rock Razor does fine with that.

And this:

Is it really that hard to change a tubeless tyre?
Doesn’t take any longer than with a tube.

... except that it's potentially a bit messier.

only way to really find out is leave it on for a year and a day then wade in on the next what tyre thread

Went out on the e-mtb today and the Maxxis Assegai's on that were clogging up as its that muddy over QECP at the moment, almost muddy enough to put the winter Maxxis Shorty's back on!

Would of been p****d off if id taken the hardtail with the SS on the back, i doubt id be upright for much of the ride!!

i think i ran an ss just once...
even finding dissectors a little slippery still at QE and the surroundings.. DHR has been more my taste past few weeks
In fact.. i dont know anything (bar the blue) were i think an ss would help me around QECP
all those lovely washed out areas of chalk....you end up running into them muddied up... lovely combo

I often run Minion SS's, but you need good brakes 🙂

Good all-round tyre for the rocky & well-drained routes around us, and TBH worked fine in the snow over winter.

Been running one for a couple fo months now - of course in mud it won't grip like a 'proper' tire (I use WTB Judge, high grip, tough for comparison), but the difference in weight and rolling resistance is quite remarkably.

used on 30mm hunt rims, so likely the side knobs come into a play a bit. Found it skittery at usual high pressures (35psi), but now dropped to 27-28 ish and I've found it a remarkably good tire. Grips downhill as good as anything else, great traction up, along and down on anything rocky and Rooty. (awaiting inevitable pinch flat, should use insert really as I am a lot of bloke for 28psi on a 2.3" tire!)

Thumbs up from me.