Maxxis's heralded Minion tires have set the bar for downhill and aggressive riding performance for years. In response to the ever growing plus-size bike market, and likely to thankful screams of aggro riders everywhere, Maxxis now offers the Minion DHF and DHRII Plus 2.8in tires.
Maxxis Minion Plus spec overview
- 27.5 x 2.8in
- 3C Maxx Terra compound
- EXO Protection
- Tubeless ready
- TPI: DHF – 120; DHR II – 60
- Weight claimed: DHF – 980g; DHR II – 1,040g
So many acronyms
Looking at the sidewall of either Maxxis tire reveals a pile of acronyms for Maxxis's technology. The first one, 3C, denotes the tread compound. 3C is Maxxis speak for a harder, longer lasting base layer and two progressively softer layers on top in order to optimize traction and stability.
These tires feature the Maxx Terra, which falls in the middle of the three different configurations of 3C. In order of rubber hardness and resilience they are: Maxx Speed, Maxx Terra and Maxx Grip.
Next up is EXO Protection. EXO is found on the sidewalls and is an extremely cut-resistant and abrasion-resistant material. The ride is mostly unaffected though since the EXO material is lightweight and highly flexible. EXO Protection is a must for sharp, rocky trails where the chance of sidewall cuts and knicks is likely.
TR is for Tubeless Ready. They're not full-on UST (Universal Standard for Tubeless) so they do require sealant of some sort.
Holy knobs, Batman
Mounted on 36mm wide (internally) rims, the Minion Plus tires look massive. And awesome. Huge, full-sized monster knobs in the ever-reassuring Minion tread pattern lend a sense of turning your bike into a motorcycle. These tires are aggressive and did I mention, look awesome?
Boasting all those knobs, and knowing how a regular 2.3in Minion rolls, I'm going to take a wild guess and say rolling speed won't be a strong suit. But also seeing and knowing those things, plus feeling the genre-defining 3C rubber, I'm thinking these tires will hook me to the trail like a millennial to a smartphone. Also knowing what plus tires are capable of in terms of line choice, they conjure up images of riding with all the finesse of performing surgery with a chainsaw.
Are these plus-size Minion tires overkill? Yeah, probably. Do I care? Not in the least, I'm stoked to see what they're capable of.