Maxxis Minion DHF/DHRII Tires [Rider Review]

Our "Rider Review" article series features the honest reviews from verified purchasers of Worldwide Cyclery. They contain the photos, thoughts, feedback & overall review you are looking for.

Maxxis has been pumping out some of mountain biking's best tires for decades now, and the Minion DHF and DHRII are some of their most iconic tread patterns. Our friend Kyle recently wrapped his wheels in that very same combo and loves the grip and speed. Check it out!

Overview

Over the past 2 years, I have been running a 2.3 Maxxis Minion DHF up front and a 2.3 Maxxis High Roller 2 out back as my preferred tire combo. After watching Worldwide Cyclery's video on asking employees if they preferred a Maxxis Minion DHF or DHR2, I decided to break my tradition and try a new tire combo for this season. I purchased a 2.5 DHF WT for up front and a 2.3 DHR2 for out back from Worldwide Cyclery.

As part of this change, I was looking for slightly better traction by going with a 2.5 DHF WT and improved braking performance with the DHR2. When the tires arrived, I immediately noticed the knobs on the 2.5 DHF WT were larger than the knobs on my current 2.3 DHF. I instantly got excited and knew this was going to be a great tire up front!

Soon after getting the tires setup tubeless and installed on my rims, a group of my riding buddies and I headed out to ride the Grafton Mesa trail in Hurricane, Utah. The Grafton Mesa trail is a fairly technical with a mix of mostly exposed, rocky, and some manicured sections of trail near the locations used for Redbull Rampage. It was a great opportunity to christen my new tire setup! 

On the trail, I immediately noticed that the larger diameter DHF provided more confidence to lean the bike in berm-less corners to hold a line without worry. Yet, it was still nimble enough to make quick lane changes to avoid squared rocks or to cut inside on turns.

The DHR2 tracked amazingly and maintained lines and traction while also providing great pedaling efficiency. There was no noticeable difference in rolling resistance while climbing or descending between the Highroller2 and my new DHR2. Something interesting with the DHR2 was that I was anticipating an increase in braking performance, however, I didn't actually feel like I needed it with this tire setup. The traction these tires gave me also provided me with the confidence to roll through obstacles and turns without as much need to feather the brakes. On the few occasions where I did need to pull the e-brake, I never felt like the tires were going to lock-up or skid. They maintained their composure and traction to slow me down quickly enough to avoid any accidents.

Final Thoughts

I’ve since done another 50 miles on these tires and I'm sold on this new tire combo. The larger diameter DHF is now my go-to front tire and the DHR2 feels like the perfect companion for my riding and configuration. Thanks so much for the insightful YouTube videos and great pricing on these tires, Worldwide Cyclery!