Maxxis Minion DHF Tire: 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. 

Tire selection can be a hard choice as conditions always vary and change through out the year. As well as so many different offerings of compounds and casings available. Read on as our friend Gary tells about the setup he chose for his new bike and how he chose. 

Intro:

1990. Snow Summit, CA. My first ever MTB race. My ride was a GT Zaskar with 1st generation Rock Shox. That course and bike beat me to a pulp.  Next was the GTRTS1 full suspension. Gary Fisher Sugar 3. then finally, a Trek Remedy 8 2008 model year. Once the remedy was stolen last year I decided to build my dream MTB bike. I did more road riding in the last 10 years so I had to do some research on which bike I was to buy and which components to slap on it.  I ended up buying an Ibis Ripmo in a large size. I am 5ft 10 and I am glad I did go Large over Medium. 

I went with a Shimano XT 8100 group.  Spank bars. 4 piston XT brakes. Ergon grips and saddle. I never used a dropper post prior to this so that took a while to decide but ended up with Bike Yoke Revive dropper. After watching quite a few WC videos I decided to buy the A set of Industry 9 Enduro wheels and Stem.  LOVE THESE WHEELS. Last, but not least, was the tire choice. I live in Vegas and our trails are dusty and full of sharp rocks and drop offs. I am a 200lb rider and was more concerned with getting a tire that can take a beating then how many grams it weighed. I watched every tire review on WC and went with the Maxxis DHF upfront and an Aggressor on the rear. 

Riding:

After just over 700 miles I had to replace the front tire, not because of treadwear, but I hit a very pointed and sharp rock on the fastest part of the downhill section. My rim got a very small nick on the edge but the front tire had a huge rip in it.  I bought a new tire. Same Maxxis DHF.  It handles the desert terrain where I live really well and tracks great in hard turns that are covered in loose over hard-packed dirt.  This winter when we had some rainy days and I could find any mud, it shed that very well also. All I can say is the info I got from WC YouTube videos when I was building my MTB was very helpful and I believe it was essential in helping me decide on which direction to go when choosing tires and everything else. 

Final Thoughts:

I cannot believe how well this bike handles and climbs for the size and weight and long wheelbase.  It blows away any other MTB I have ever had in the past.  It seems like most riders I see riding in my area are riding the Maxxis tires.  I am more than happy with them and will try to avoid the thousands of sharp rocks on our singletrack.