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.

We all know that tire choice is key when riding mountain bikes. By far, one of the most popular and well known front tires has been the Maxxis DHF. With so many sizes and casing options, Maxxis has a variation for every riding condition. In this review, our customer picks up some fresh rubber for his Giant Trance E+1. Check it out!

Introduction

Over the years I have always gravitated towards Maxxis tires for my mountain bikes as I have always found them to be a great value for your money. In fact, the Ardent is my "go-to" 29er tire and I never had a single complaint about it's performance and durability. In this case, my review is not about the Ardent but the Minion line as it relates to one of my bikes, the Giant Trance E+1, which is a 27.5er. The Ardent offering is limited in the 27.5" size category which caused me to look beyond the Ardent for a Maxxis tire that was 27.5" x 2.6".

After doing my homework and talking with some other mountain bikers, I elected to go with the Maxxis Minion DHF for the front tire with the Minion DHR II for the rear tire. And since the Trance E+1 is an e-bike and a few extra grams of additional tire weight is a nonissue, I chose to go with the 3C Maxx Terra compound for improved grip and the EXO+ construction for better puncture protection. Needless to say, I have been pleased with my purchase which is why I'm writing this review. I ride primarily in the high desert/mountains of Texas and ever since COVID, I have been riding between five and six days a week. I'm not a Strava junkie so I can't say how many miles I have put on these tires so far but I can say that these tires have proven to be awesome.

Performance

In the loose over hard terrain, I have no problem gaining the traction I need to climb through the arroyos and mountains. And so far the knobbies are holding their shape and wearing very slow and even. When it comes to the downhills and cornering, I always feel "in control" and rarely feel like things are getting away from me.

As for the puncture protection the EXO+ has been impressive as I don't see nearly as many "sealant drips" coming out of tires at the end of the day (note: almost everything in the desert will poke or stick you so your tires take a beating from cactus thorns). Another thing that I have noticed is that even though I run my tire pressure pretty low, I have not had any issues with pinch flats or tire "burps".

Conclusion

I definitely recommend this combination of DHF and DHR II 3C Maxx Terra and EXO+ for anyone looking for a quality tire setup that can withstand the elements. I believe I may have found my new favorite tire from Maxxis and plan on trying this setup on my 29er the next time around as the tire construction and puncture technology is a nice upgrade over the Ardent.