Maxxis Minion DHF 29 x 2.6: 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.

It's common sense that new tires make a big difference whether it's your car or your bike. other than the obvious grip you gain, fresh rubber can also help prevent flats and other problems as well. Our friend Shan gives us the low down on his new Maxxis Minion DHF 3C 120 TPI EXO+ tire. Check it out!

Overview

Tire Selection Process: I was looking for a summer tire combination for front and rear. My selection for the front was that it had to be large volume (2.6), super grippy (3C Compund), and light casing (120 tpi). I wanted to try the Maxxis Assegai but they do not offer it in EXO casing at the moment but I have been told it will be released in late June 2019. I am a tried and true user of Maxxis DHF for front and have even run double DHF front and rear with good success. The Maxxis Minion DHF 29x2.6 3C 120 TPI EXO checked all the boxes for me. I ordered the Minion DHF 29x2.6 3C 120 TPI EXO+ but actually did not realize that I had purchased EXO+ which adds some extra weight. The 29x2.6 120tpi 3C EXO actually weighs less compared to 29x2.5 60 tpi 3C EXO according to Maxxis website. I also figured I could run the lighter casing (120 tpi) as I am using it as a front tire as my summer tire.

Tire Set Up

Initial Impression

I have never run anything wider than a 2.5 in the past but curious how a 2.6 would perform on the front as it has more volume. I did not measure the width with a caliper but it looks massive on my rims, which is what I was going for (more grip). On the trail this thing rails corners and for me the wider tire does definitely provide more grip especially when cornering. Feedback on the trail is exactly what I was looking for. It does not dumb down the feedback from the trail with little more volume and is still just as sensitive in my opinion as the 2.5 width.

The only negative I can see so far is because of my mistake ordering the tire when I selected EXO+ instead of what I wanted which was the EXO. But I did order the same tire in EXO as well. I would highly recommend running this tire in the EXO version or possibly even the EXO+ if you are not worried about the extra weight gain or need extra protection. It hooks up like no other front tire I have run to this point.

Final Thoughts

Just as a side note the rear tire I chose for summer use is the Maxxis Rekon 29x2.4WT 60 tpi EXO Dual Compound. This tire combination is a killer summer tire combo for the Southeast where I will be mainly riding during the summer months. I would not only recommend the Minion DHF 29x2.6 3C 120 TPI EXO but pairing it with the Maxxis Rekon 29x2.4WT 60 tpi EXO Dual Compound. This combination is light, grippy, and the Rekon is an incredibly fast roller compared to the Minion DHF 29x2.4 60 tpi dual compound I was running previously.