Maxxis Minion DHR II review: the one tyre for EVERYTHING

Rolling resistance? By which I mean surely there are faster rolling tyres that ‘won’t (hyperbole alert) kill you when you ask it to handle anything interesting.’?

Well, if you’re going to ‘review’ something at least do it in a balanced way unless you want to cast doubt on the objectivity of other reviews on the site would be my take.

Do they wash out when entering mud patches or slice through?

It ‘rules everywhere’ 😉

Oh, I hadn’t spotted that it was a review

Despite the comments above I think this article served a purpose.

What purpose?

They are fantastic tbh. Especially with the range of compounds and carcasses, the exo maxxgrip is a fantastic front tyre if you don’t want a heavy duty construction but still want super sticky and the dual makes a great rear. Yeah you can be faster or spikier but it’s imo one of the best tyres ever made.

(and I love the irony that the old DHR sucked, so DHF front/rear became an industry standard. But now dhr2 front/rear is hugely popular)

Quite happy with my DHR II and DHF – give surprisingly good predictable grip. yeh they are a bit draggy, but I’m not a descending god, and the grip gives me confidence I won’t die. Paid about £40 each – although bargains not so common now.

I’ve got a 2.4 dual ply one I use on my hardtail for when I’m riding in rough places. It’s tough and grippy but it’s so nice to replace it with the small block 8 I usually run as the drag is horrendous. 26″ btw so it might be better in larger sizes.

Northwind

They are fantastic tbh. Especially with the range of compounds and carcasses, the exo maxxgrip is a fantastic front tyre if you don’t want a heavy duty construction but still want super sticky and the dual makes a great rea

Yep, they can be had in a load of different compounds and casings, they have finally bade 3x DoubleDowns available. Just a brilliant all rounder, front and back.

Sharkattack

I need to be strongly persuaded that any single tyre is worth 70 quid and this doesn’t quite do it.

Nobody should be paying £70 for these, I normally pay 50-55 euro.

Agree they are great tyres. 2.4 Max Terra up front and a 2.3 Dual Compound rear. Can’t really go wrong

Only if you pay them Weeksy, nothing worse than buying a new bike which are fitted with the californian summer tyres, then hunting a deal on DHR2s or the likes!

I do use DHR2 front and rear most of the time, just change the way you use them in certain conditions, as they don’t suddenly turn into shorty’s in mud, or like Ardents in dry XC runs, but they are a good start point for an all year round tyre if you hate changing tyres/wheels and can live with a bit of a middle of the road tyre.

Gribs

I’ve got a 2.4 dual ply one I use on my hardtail for when I’m riding in rough places. It’s tough and grippy but it’s so nice to replace it with the small block 8 I usually run as the drag is horrendous. 26″ btw so it might be better in larger sizes.

You’re comparing a full on sticky DH tyre to what is almost a slick road tyre there, no surprise there’s a bit of a difference

Tyres confuse the bejesus out of me these days. I don’t know if I no longer care enough to try to understand, or the naming conventions got more complex or I’m plain too busy with other stuff to fill my brain with this crap.

Whatever……I’ve got one of these….I think. I even specced it myself on a new Bird. I say specced it – at the time of ordering it was slim pickings so it kind of specced itself. It’s a….deep breath…DHR II 2.4WT EXO TR 3C and it’s on the back. There is a DHF with an equally long set of acronyms on the front. I even ventured on to the Maxxis website and came away none the wiser if this was a top choice for ‘my kind of riding’. Then again, who knows what that is. My logic so far is……it’s got ‘DH’ in the name – that sounds bad as I’m no downhill rider gnar badass. Danny Hart and I have exactly zero in common. It’s got a ‘R’ in the name and it’s on the back – this must be good. ‘2.4’ – that sounds about right. ‘WT EXO TR 3C’ – not a **** scooby. And looking at the website made chuff all difference to my enlightenment.

How does it ride – quite well I’d say. It’s round and knobbly. This is good. It grips and corners really well. Great. Draggy though – I feel slower between the interesting bits than I’d like. And back in the real world the bit between the interesting bits is longer than you’d think. Existential crisis moment – am I slower and having less fun on the interesting bits with this tyre than I would have on a less grippy but faster rolling tyre because I’m more knackered than necessary getting there on the bits in between?

Double DHR II has worked for me for the past several years.

convert
Full Member

My logic so far is……it’s got ‘DH’ in the name – that sounds bad as I’m no downhill rider gnar badass. Danny Hart and I have exactly zero in common. It’s got a ‘R’ in the name and it’s on the back – this must be good. ‘2.4’ – that sounds about right. ‘WT EXO TR 3C’ – not a **** scooby. And looking at the website made chuff all difference to my enlightenment

You can happily ignore the “dh” in the name, it’s meaningless. And the R for that matter!

WT = wide trail, designed for wider rims.
EXO = the carcass, exo is the weakest and lightest of the maxxis trailbike range (then it’s exo+, then doubledown, then downhill)
TR = tubeless ready
3C = triple compound.
There’s probably another patch on there to tell you which 3C it is, they go maxxgrip, then maxxterra. (and then dual compound). Chances are it’s maxxterra.

So basically it’s good for wide rims, not massively tough but fairly light, and either very or reasonably sticky.

Been my tyre of choice for years. Though have split the sidewalls on afew annoyingly, especially when the tread has loads of life left on it! Though as said above, I’m not a pro rider so struggle to tell the difference between all the decent tyres TBH.

Chances are it’s maxxterra.

Thanks for that…it was.

This isn’t a review. It’s a love letter.

Would be useful to hear some comparisons with other tyres that buyers may be considering; that’s where it gets tricky, and reviews of any individual product in isolation only partially help.

I agree that two DHR2s are a failsafe year-round choice for pretty much anyone in a British-like climate.

DHR and DHF actually didn’t have a lot to do with front or rear, it was DH Race and DH Freeride

Better tell Maxxis that.

Anyone seen a 29×2.4 DD Maxterra in a UK based shop recently?

Looks like they don’t bring them in anymore…

29X2.3029FOLDABLEEXO/TR1.885MOUNTAIN
29X2.3029FOLDABLE3C/EXO/TR1.819MOUNTAIN
29X2.3029FOLDABLE3C/TR/DD2.293MOUNTAIN
29X2.40WT29FOLDABLEEXO/TR2.105MOUNTAIN
29X2.40WT29FOLDABLE3C/EXO/TR2.105MOUNTAIN

Minion DHR II