Sorry, longish boring post about tyres.

I’ve been looking at new tyres over the last week, I thought I had got my head around it so went to the shop and bought some tyres… although I now think I got it wrong.

I have an Orange Five AM that I ride in the Peaks mostly and in the Alps occasionally… I know nothing about tyres and read that 2.35 Minion DHF up front, and 2.35 Highroller rear would be best. This is also what Orange now equip as standard.

Now, because I know absolutely nothing I have ended up with a Downhill 2Ply Minion 42a SuperTacky DHR, and a 2.35 folding Highroller (presumably single compound).

I’ve very clearly bought the wrong Minion… the highroller may be the one I’m after. After looking on the Maxxis website there is few different types.

I was looking for a 42a Minion on the front, and a 60a highroller on the rear.

I THINK what I actually want is

Front = 2.35 Minion DHF, with wire bead and supertacky compound (is that the 42a?)

Rear = 2.35 Foldable, single compound (is that the 60a?)

Can anyone point me in the right direction 🙁

I ride minion dhf 60a and highroller 60 (2.35 both) for the wet months of the year then when it gets dryer (summer) I put highroller on front and a maxxis ardent 60a rear
That is my spot on tyre solution all year round

I guess the main differences are the foldable or wire bead, and the single or dual ply casings.

I think I have the right rear, it just the front I have wrong.

The 42a minion supertacky front tyres are very good for very good grip but they really drag
All tyres are compromise tha more grip you want the more drag you get!!

Sounds like you have the rear you want yeah.

Front wise, you need a Minion DHF, single ply (either folding or wire is fine) not dual ply, and probably just go for a 60a again. 42a is soft but very slow… That said the 2.35″ HR you have for the rear isn’t a fast tyre anyway, for UK riding at least (if not the alps) I’d put something faster and still grippy like a 2.25″ Crossmark on instead.

Oh, and if you’re going riding proper lift assisted DH in France anyway, you will want 2.5″ dual ply tyres anyway, single ply 2.35’s you’ll pinch puncture a lot unless you run them mega hard.

So sounds like you probably need 2 sets of tyres anyway! Sorry to complicate things… 😉

Your front tyre needs to be a 2.35″ (width), single ply, 42a compound (sifter compound so a little more grip) or 60a (harder compound but roles a but faster).

Great choice of tyre in general though.

It is a minefield this tyre business.

Had a few front tyre wash outs in mud so I’m after a decent tyre that can cope with the odd bit of gloop.

I think I’m going to get Minion (I know they’re not a mud specific tyre) 42a single ply up front, but put off by the draggy comments.

I want something fast at the back but with enough grip to carry through on steep climbs.

Can I just add my two-penth? If you’re riding in the peaks quite a bit (like I do) then I think the tyres you mention are a little on the small size. The older Maxxis tyres were smaller in volume.

The ADvantage in 2.25 would be my choice. I actually ride the 2.4 on the front and a 2.25 Ardent on the rear (in winter its either swampthings or just another ADvantage on the back but in 2.25 guise) but I like bigger tyres.

The extra volume not only provides a little more grip but gives an extra bit of cussioning 🙂

Just my opinion though 🙂

I have 2.25 Advantages on at the moment, I like them but find they lack grip on dusty or hardpack mud / sand, I’ve lost the front a couple of times now ending in pain and floating ribs.

Altohugh I should mention that I’ve decided the tyres will be for only my Alps trips this year.

So going to go double ply as it will be mainly lift assisted riding apart from the Passportes Du soliel.

The combo I like is minions DHF front and rear. For rough,techy, fun stuff (rather than 20 mile loops) I think supertacky both ends is the fine. I like a 2.5 dual ply on front as I feel the extra beef or weight on the front tyre is better (feels more planted, less deflection). On the rear I run a 2.35 single ply supertacky but 60a would be fine.
The DHF out back run a lot quicker than a dhr. As for the high roller on the rear, I found it spun out too easily when putting the power down on techy climbs.
Either way I reckon dhf both ends with at least the front being supertacky.

Zesty – XC and UK trail centres
Rear: Advantage 2.1 LUST
Front: High Roller 2.35 LUST

Spicy – Local bike park & Alps
Rear: High Roller 2.5 UST
Front: Minion DHF 2.5 Supertacky UST

Minions 🙄 where to start?

Both 2.35 and 2.5s are very narrow, the wire bead 2-ply models especially so they blow up tall and narrow. Folding single ply Minions have a more rounded profile but they are still underwidth compared to say 2.25/2.4 Ardents/Advantages.

42a grips/drags everywhere
60a DHF folders not too shabby on the back
3C *groan* some Minions have the three compounds in rows like motorbike tyres. The MaxxSpeed, MaxxTerra & MaxxGrip have the compounds in layers. Not entirely sure if Minions are available in 3C MaxxGrip 😕 but the ‘std’ 3C has rows of 70a/42a/40a the transition from the fast 70a row to the grippier 42a row can be quite sudden.

High Rollers (imo) are slightly slower rolling than Minions and although there’s not much in it, are ultimately more grippy.

BTW nobody buys DHR Minions

Normally paired minions
DHF/DHR in 2.35 and 60a as I can deal with the grip over buying new super tackys every 3 months.

Wire bead – cheaper so I go for them

As for mixing Min/HR’s I found the roll of the minion vs the square edge of the HR quite unsettling.

Minions work well in 90% of situations

but as a flipside have some 2.4 Fat Alberts that I got for free so playing with them now – not half bad!

I wouldn’t run a 42a on anything other than a DH bike. Too much drag.

I ran single ply 60a Minion DHF’s on my little bike, as thats what I always ran on my DH bike, and I thought stick with what you know. They arn’t so good in single ply form, and for the given size & durability are amazingly heavy.

Specialized for me now on the trail bike.

I’ve gone for a Minion 2.35 60a single ply upfront and I’m not sure between an Ardent or Advantage on the rear.

Are the ardent and advantage the same narrow sizing as the minion or are they standard?