Maxxis Minion DHR II review: the one tyre for EVERYTHING

Well, that's inspired me! Just ordered a 3C Maxx Terra EXO from CRC (🙈) for forty quid.

Rolling resistance? By which I mean surely there are faster rolling tyres that 'won't (hyperbole alert) kill you when you ask it to handle anything interesting.'?

^ Could the article have been intended to provoke disagreement and discussion?  Probably should have been released on a working from home day when it may have garnered more attention

Well, if you're going to 'review' something at least do it in a balanced way unless you want to cast doubt on the objectivity of other reviews on the site would be my take.

Do they wash out when entering mud patches or slice through?

Do they wash out when entering mud patches or slice through?

It 'rules everywhere' 😉

Despite the comments above I think this article served a purpose.

Not the best but good enough and versatile.

Oh, I hadn’t spotted that it was a review

Not the best but good enough and versatile

The review or the tyre? 😀

Despite the comments above I think this article served a purpose.

What purpose?

I agree with Benji (about which tyre is the best fit and forget option to suggest for new riders who just want to, er, fit and forget).

Comparing bikes using the same tyres should definitely be a thing as well.

They are fantastic tbh. Especially with the range of compounds and carcasses, the exo maxxgrip is a fantastic front tyre if you don't want a heavy duty construction but still want super sticky and the dual makes a great rear. Yeah you can be faster or spikier but it's imo one of the best tyres ever made.

(and I love the irony that the old DHR sucked, so DHF front/rear became an industry standard. But now dhr2 front/rear is hugely popular)

I need to be strongly persuaded that any single tyre is worth 70 quid and this doesn't quite do it.

Quite happy with my DHR II and DHF - give surprisingly good predictable grip. yeh they are a bit draggy, but I'm not a descending god, and the grip gives me confidence I won't die. Paid about £40 each - although bargains not so common now.

@kelvin

Comparing bikes using the same tyres should definitely be a thing as well.

Agreed, also good to see that the originals will still be tested. Annoys me when other reviewers switch to a control without mentioning the stock tyres much. I still need to know if they are plastic OEM jobs so that I can factor another £100 into the total purchase price of a bike! 🤣

I've got a 2.4 dual ply one I use on my hardtail for when I'm riding in rough places. It's tough and grippy but it's so nice to replace it with the small block 8 I usually run as the drag is horrendous. 26" btw so it might be better in larger sizes.

Good caveat Johnny, I agree.

As an aside, all bikes should come with a choice of tyres when you buy one. Because tyres really are that important.

Northwind

They are fantastic tbh. Especially with the range of compounds and carcasses, the exo maxxgrip is a fantastic front tyre if you don’t want a heavy duty construction but still want super sticky and the dual makes a great rea

Yep, they can be had in a load of different compounds and casings, they have finally bade 3x DoubleDowns available. Just a brilliant all rounder, front and back.

Sharkattack

I need to be strongly persuaded that any single tyre is worth 70 quid and this doesn’t quite do it.

Nobody should be paying £70 for these, I normally pay 50-55 euro.

I’ve answered some of questions here. But this in one of the weirdest

The purpose here is:

We now know that bikes will have to ridden in standard boots as part of being reviewed

A suggestion for an all round tyre

Clues as to which compound and casing. This is a huge mystery if you’re new to it

Of course if your reading it thinking actually I’d rather have a magic Mary up front with a nobby Nick out back and know which casing and compound then it’s pointless for you and you probably disagree. But that doesn’t actually make it pointless for everyone does it

Agree they are great tyres. 2.4 Max Terra up front and a 2.3 Dual Compound rear. Can't really go wrong

As an aside, all bikes should come with a choice of tyres when you buy one. Because tyres really are that important

If you buy a bike new, any lbs will fit any rubber you fancy I expect

Only if you pay them Weeksy, nothing worse than buying a new bike which are fitted with the californian summer tyres, then hunting a deal on DHR2s or the likes!

I do use DHR2 front and rear most of the time, just change the way you use them in certain conditions, as they don't suddenly turn into shorty's in mud, or like Ardents in dry XC runs, but they are a good start point for an all year round tyre if you hate changing tyres/wheels and can live with a bit of a middle of the road tyre.

I think I just swapped in a High Roller II for a minion. 😱

Gribs

I’ve got a 2.4 dual ply one I use on my hardtail for when I’m riding in rough places. It’s tough and grippy but it’s so nice to replace it with the small block 8 I usually run as the drag is horrendous. 26″ btw so it might be better in larger sizes.

You're comparing a full on sticky DH tyre to what is almost a slick road tyre there, no surprise there's a bit of a difference

I love it as well. I run it up front for summer, and rear for winter. A set of three year round is great. DHR II MaxxTerra exo+ (used to run Exo with insert rear, but I think Exo+ is good enough for my weight). For Winter I run DHF MaxxGrip front, but Assegai is probably replacing it next winter. Summer an Aggressor or Dissector rear.

Tyres confuse the bejesus out of me these days. I don't know if I no longer care enough to try to understand, or the naming conventions got more complex or I'm plain too busy with other stuff to fill my brain with this crap.

Whatever......I've got one of these....I think. I even specced it myself on a new Bird. I say specced it - at the time of ordering it was slim pickings so it kind of specced itself. It's a....deep breath...DHR II 2.4WT EXO TR 3C and it's on the back. There is a DHF with an equally long set of acronyms on the front. I even ventured on to the Maxxis website and came away none the wiser if this was a top choice for 'my kind of riding'. Then again, who knows what that is. My logic so far is......it's got 'DH' in the name - that sounds bad as I'm no downhill rider gnar badass. Danny Hart and I have exactly zero in common. It's got a 'R' in the name and it's on the back - this must be good. '2.4' - that sounds about right. 'WT EXO TR 3C' - not a ****ing scooby. And looking at the website made chuff all difference to my enlightenment.

How does it ride - quite well I'd say. It's round and knobbly. This is good. It grips and corners really well. Great. Draggy though - I feel slower between the interesting bits than I'd like. And back in the real world the bit between the interesting bits is longer than you'd think. Existential crisis moment - am I slower and having less fun on the interesting bits with this tyre than I would have on a less grippy but faster rolling tyre because I'm more knackered than necessary getting there on the bits in between?

100% agree.

Double DHR II has worked for me for the past several years.

This is the only tyre I’ve found that comes close to the trusty DHF, but I’ve been mainly riding them for almost 20 years so a little bias. The DHR 2 is pretty bonnet fir mist things

convert
Full Member

My logic so far is……it’s got ‘DH’ in the name – that sounds bad as I’m no downhill rider gnar badass. Danny Hart and I have exactly zero in common. It’s got a ‘R’ in the name and it’s on the back – this must be good. ‘2.4’ – that sounds about right. ‘WT EXO TR 3C’ – not a **** scooby. And looking at the website made chuff all difference to my enlightenment

You can happily ignore the "dh" in the name, it's meaningless. And the R for that matter!

WT = wide trail, designed for wider rims.
EXO = the carcass, exo is the weakest and lightest of the maxxis trailbike range (then it's exo+, then doubledown, then downhill)
TR = tubeless ready
3C = triple compound.
There's probably another patch on there to tell you which 3C it is, they go maxxgrip, then maxxterra. (and then dual compound). Chances are it's maxxterra.

So basically it's good for wide rims, not massively tough but fairly light, and either very or reasonably sticky.

after trying all sorts of tyres i've come to the conclusion it makes diddly difference. yep, cheap tyres are rubbish, but the clue's in the word "cheap". otherwise, conti, maxxis, schwalbe, whatever, as long as they're top end they all work. truth is, *any* quality tyre is better at handling the trail than i am...

Been my tyre of choice for years. Though have split the sidewalls on afew annoyingly, especially when the tread has loads of life left on it! Though as said above, I'm not a pro rider so struggle to tell the difference between all the decent tyres TBH.

Tyres are just something you choose over time, you get a bit of confidence, you lose a bit of confidence, trying different tyres can help that. I do flit between Magic Mary's and DHRs a bit, but the MMs are Super Gravity heavy tyres, and i find over the last year or so i'm less prone to changing tyres than just riding what are on the bike and riding safer with those fitted!

Chances are it’s maxxterra.

Thanks for that...it was.

Genuine question:
Do the side knobs stay put?
I’ve had issues with Aggressors and Dissectors failing here and the DH Dissector I’m running isn’t long for this world. Should I try a Minion at the back?

This isn't a review. It's a love letter.

Would be useful to hear some comparisons with other tyres that buyers may be considering; that's where it gets tricky, and reviews of any individual product in isolation only partially help.

I agree that two DHR2s are a failsafe year-round choice for pretty much anyone in a British-like climate.

It’s got a ‘R’ in the name and it’s on the back

DHR and DHF actually didn't have a lot to do with front or rear, it was DH Race and DH Freeride (remember that?)

DHR and DHF actually didn’t have a lot to do with front or rear, it was DH Race and DH Freeride

Better tell Maxxis that.

https://flic.kr/p/2n4KgpT

It's pretty good yeah, but I'd prefer higher corner knobs personally.

It doesn't hold a slippy off-camber as well as a Wild Enduro rear - which rolls about the same.

Anyone seen a 29x2.4 DD Maxterra in a UK based shop recently?

Looks like they don't bring them in anymore...

29X2.3029FOLDABLEEXO/TR1.885MOUNTAIN
29X2.3029FOLDABLE3C/EXO/TR1.819MOUNTAIN
29X2.3029FOLDABLE3C/TR/DD2.293MOUNTAIN
29X2.40WT29FOLDABLEEXO/TR2.105MOUNTAIN
29X2.40WT29FOLDABLE3C/EXO/TR2.105MOUNTAIN

https://www.maxxis.com/uk/tyre/minion-dhr-ii/

Nope, I got mine from one of the euro shops.

Just to balance this. They are not amazing in wet chalk/mud combo. They don't shed the sh!t as well as the Michelin WE's or the Assegai (which is weird, surely they are very similar?) I had on my previous bike, but any other surface I am sure they are great

I iz lazy and hate fiddlin with bikes.

I love Minion DHF on the front - summer, winter, peak, lakes, spain, Ard rock. I once stuck a DD High Roller on the back for a week in Spain.

I’m surprised you say an Assegai sheds mud well.

I think that was specific to chalky mud? Which observes no known laws of physics. Assegai definitely clogs more than a dhr in most conditions.

Ah, ok. I've only experienced a more clay type wet mud experience. Bike ground to a halt.

All bets are off on wet chalky runs, dont think there is a unicorn tyre that can improve on that type of terrain

Not as good as a Magic Mary up front though.... 😉

The DHR 2 was my go to tyre for a few years, but only as a rear. I tried it on the front and it was horrific in comparison to the likes of a DHF or Magic Mary.

MM/DHR2 was a fantastic setup but its been overtaken by the MM/Big Betty now.

@convert

Existential crisis moment – am I slower and having less fun on the interesting bits with this tyre than I would have on a less grippy but faster rolling tyre because I’m more knackered than necessary getting there on the bits in between?

The 2.3 Dhr2 with the same acronyms you have (exo / 3c / maxterra) is much faster rolling than the WT 2.4 version you have. The 2.4 is only marginally bigger casing wise but the knobs are significantly bigger. Good for steep / wet / muddy stuff - but the 2.3” version is almost as good in that but rolls quicker. I like gMBR same 3c version you have (rather than the dual compound version) as it grips wet rock better.

In the winter I run the 2.3” dhr2 at the moment with a 2.6” Hillbilly up front - works really well in most places. I couldn’t find the equivalent 2.6” Magic Mary or Wild Enduro or Shorty in stock anywhere in December. Hillbilly was literally the only aggro sort of mud tyre I could find in 29er.

Some great deals on DHRs on Merlin £41-55
Exo 3c maxxgrip exo+ and DD

Honestly can’t tell the difference between DHR, DHF or Assegai on the front. They all just seem to do the job. Snake oil.

Would be good if you could still buy 60a compound tyres in modern widths for the back.

Googling says “ Maxxis Dual Compound = centre tread is 70a (hard), shoulder tread is 60a (normal).

Maxxis 3C = three layers of different compound rubbers, available in 3 combinations (see below). The base layer is always a very firm, stiff rubber and the two layers on top of this are progressively softer. The idea is to create a grippy tyre that doesn’t squirm around or drag as much as a single compound soft tyre.

Maxxis 3C Maxx Terra = 70a base, 50a centre, 42a shoulders.”

I think there used to be tyres that were just 60a as well?

The shoulder knobs wear really quickly/rip off using 3c tyres on the rear.

They are so good that here at Singletrack World we’re going to start putting them on all our test bikes. To level the playing field. To act as control tyres. Once a useful numbers of test rides have been done on the test bikes’ own tyres, we’ll be swapping them out to some Maxxis Minion DHR II 2.4in WT tyres.

I'm curious - as well, as going by my comments a year ago, a bit cynical - but does this actually happen? The 'control tyre' thing I mean, or was a it a nice idea that never quite happened in real life? And if it did, was there anything you learned from it?

Are there bikes which undergo a radical transformation just by fitting a set of DHR IIs? Or even feel worse with the original tyres ditched?

Been running them front (3C) and rear (harder compound, DD) for years....

Although now got Aggressor on the rear, no fancy DD or compound. Survived many bike parks and Finale without any problems.

But I thought the Hillbilly was the best tyre going??

Stand Out Product Of The Year: Specialized Hillbilly - Singletrack World Magazine

TBH it's always about your idea of "allround"- the Hillbilly's superb, but it's definitely a "soft conditions tyre that can do hard stuff". Most riders just don't do very much of the soft, difficult riding where it really earns its keep. Let's be honest, most do none or almost none. If you do, then the tradeoff of dragging it around on hard stuff and having that reduced traction on the dry is probably worth it, but it's never going to be worth it if you don't.

(IMO the Hillbilly like the Magic Mary has been completely outdone by Conti's Argotal Soft, I think it's better at everything, all the time... And more so in the areas where the Hillbilly doesn't shine, it makes no sense that the Argotal is as good as it is at trailcentre hardpack etc. But, on the other hand, the argotal costs a million pounds and only comes in like 3 versions so far)

I'd disagree with Ben on the Minion too, it's a superb tyre but "one tyre for everything"? Nah. It's pretty much a 3 season tyre for me, it can do mud/soft/slippy especially in the maxxgrip but it runs out of steam at much the exact point where I start really wanting a tyre to keep me upright. I would never choose it to go and race at kinlochleven, or for a day of winter fort william offpiste survival, it'd be the difference between riding and walking, or riding and crashing. And that's OK, because it's so damn good all the rest of the time.

And like with the hillbilly, most people don't do much of that sort of riding where the minion is struggling. But that's "one tyre for everything except" And the same applies at the other end, I never go to a faster rolling front tyre than the minion except for my one xc race a year, but, there's "everything except" again.

There is no one tyre to do everything, but there is one tyre that's best for your compromise, and there's a good chance it's a Minion.

soft, difficult riding

What do you mean by that? Muddy, slippery rides? Slow and technical?

Yep, mostly. Not necessarily slow though, I mean the hillbilly and similar really have their birth in cut dh spikes. I guess you could say any time you're really asking a lot of the tyre