The Minion DHF from Maxxis is the grippiest tyre you can currently get for the front of a 29er, and that’s not just because of the triple-compound rubber recipe in the same 'grooved arrow centre and right-angled shoulder block' tread as the 26in DHF.
What really gives this tyre an edge is its performance at lower pressures. Even at 20 to 25psi it holds its shape at aggressive cornering speeds while others fold and fumble grip. It’s stable on relatively narrow rims such as Mavic’s CrossMax STs. Even our most mental testers haven’t torn it off or burped it. The tubeless-ready design blows up easily without a compressor too.
At over a kilo it’s not light. Just fitting a front adds obvious effort to get moving and it’s tall enough to noticeably alter geometry. The great news is that a proper 2.3in version (unlike previous undersized Maxxis rubber) should be here soon for all-round riding, but if gravity is the gravy on your riding roast, the 2.5in is unbeatable. If you really want reinforced stability there’s a dual-ply downhill version too.
This article was originally published in Mountain Biking UK magazine, available on Apple Newsstand and Zinio.
