High Roler II vs Minion DHR 2

Exo tubeless versions, in .3, for the rear of the AM bike.

Am I right in thinking the DHR II will give more braking and climbing traction versus the HR II, at the expense of rolling resistance?

Thinking of pairing one or the other with a Shorty up front – would be replacing a Hans Dampf PaceStar/Magic Mary Trailstar combo.

Yep, DHR2 is much better for braking and traction in the wet. Didn’t notice the extra drag too much (not 3c).
They work well paired with a shorty. I’ve just got a 2.4″ ST EXO DHR2 to try out on the front before it gets wet enough for the Shorty to go back on.

DHR2 for me, pretty much better at everything than the HR2 on the back.

Yep, they’re chalk and cheese.

HR2 rolls well and makes a good all round trail tyre and a great front, the 2.4 is a nice size….whereas the ‘paddle’ style tread pattern of the DHR2 makes for great braking and climbing ability on the rear of the bike but at the expense of rolling as well as a HR or HR2.

In these past few damp weeks I’ve had a Mary on the front and a DHR2 (2.3 exo) out back, perfect.

Would like to try a Shorty up front due to the reviews and hype but can’t justify the £40-50 price when I can get Marys for half that.

The new Maxxis sizing is far more accurate than it used to be too, the 2.3 tyres are big enough now for AM, Enduro, DH use but still roll well enough out back and the 2.4 is now pleasantly large as a front without being a draggy pile of crap…none seem as big as a Schwalbe 2.35 though!

DHR2 rolls better than HR2, I thought.

Braking and climbing hard to tell difference.

I really like DHR2 rear and HR2 front.

deviant – Member

Would like to try a Shorty up front due to the reviews and hype but can’t justify the £40-50 price when I can get Marys for half that.

Ze Germans have Maxxis a lot cheaper than the UK.

More than Schwalbe, but not too much more. Going to get a DHR2 if my cut HD doesn’t seal up. And since I’m paying postage, etc, etc….

Id say the HR 2 grips better in every circumstance and rolls noticeable worse.

But this is a direct comparison between a 2.4 3c hrII and a 2.3 60a DHRII.

Would like to try a Shorty up front due to the reviews and hype but can’t justify the £40-50 price when I can get Marys for half that.

The cost can be offset against the lifespan though. The Shorty will literally last multiple times the Magic Mary.

I destroyed my last MM in a week on the front, replaced again with a Shorty, 3 weeks later & it could almost pass as ‘new’. The 3 week old Minion DHF on the back looks in better condition than the Schwalbe did on the front.

The Shorty isn’t as good as a MM in the dry though. Better in the wet, and doesn’t fall apart.

Considered a Butcher on the back? It’s like a faster rolling, less grippy Minion DHF – works well.

See, if you could get a 2.4 EXO DHRII that was 900-950g I’d be all over it.

The 2.4 HRII has really opened my eyes after spending a while on 2.3 DHF and DHRII. I’ve only had it in the front but it’s been pretty good so far.

The 2.4 and 2.3 HR2 are very different tyres. The carcasses are pretty much the same size but the knobs are about twice as big on the 2.4

The 2.3 DHR2 sits about halfway between the two in terms of knob size, and obviously they’re different shapes and the tyre has a less square profile.

deviant – Member

Would like to try a Shorty up front due to the reviews and hype but can’t justify the £40-50 price when I can get Marys for half that.

I’ve drunk the shorty koolaid a bit but for the sort of riding it’s for, £20 extra is absolutely worth it for the difference it makes. Your bike’s only ever as good as the front tyre and if you care about tyres it makes sense to go all in… and if you don’t, it doesn’t make sense to get a tyre like a shorty or a mary. Vigilante is good too though

DHR2 is ace in 29er- ticks the same boxes as the 26er Butcher which I loved. Not too slow, grippy but not too grippy, and totally predictable and dealable when it slides. Lovely. And I hated the old DHR or even the DHF on the rear.

See, if you could get a 2.4 EXO DHRII that was 900-950g I’d be all over it

The 2.4″ EXO Super Tacky I’ve just purchased is 871g 😉

For me the HR2 rolls better and spins up quicker than the Minion. I know it’s all in the riders legs but I can certainly feel it.

I recently split a very expensive HR2 EXO TR rear tyre, replaced it with a Minion Rear, I felt no difference in braking or cornering to be honest but as it was a DH orientated tyre it was heavy. I didn’t do much pedalling but in the past when I’ve removed DH tyres and put on HR’s I’ve certainly noticed the difference in pick up. Same with DH casing Dual ply tyres and normal tyres, it’s noticeable for me.

Im running a 2.5 exo DHF up front and a HR2 2.3 EXO which is weirdly not far off the same size. Trail stuff theyre awesome, but when it gets steep and natural stuff the HR2 can slide sideways a bit, i think the DHR2 would very similar, centre knobs and spacing look similar to me?

I only ever notice the drag on my DHR when I’m riding with some-one super speedy 😆

Been riding the exact same as deviant:
In these past few damp weeks I’ve had a Mary on the front and a DHR2 (2.3 exo) out back, perfect.

I switch between Mary and the Hans on the front both 2.35 TS SS. Both brilliant out front.

The DHR2 in 2.3 EXO TR Dual 60/62 is lighter than a HR2 out back and I can’t say I’ve noticed poor rolling resistance. DHR2 has been an excellent tyre on the rear of both my bikes for everything including Antur and Bikepark Wales but also climbing in the mountains around Llangollen too.

All tubeless on Flow EX.

I’m not looking forward to winter at all this year. We haven’t even had a summer yet! It was looking so good for two weeks in April. 🙁