Maxxis Minion DHR II review: the one tyre for EVERYTHING

Despite its name, the Maxxis Minion DHR II is not just for downhill and it’s not just for rear wheel use. It rules everywhere.

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By ben_haworth

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Maxxis Minion DHR II review: the one tyre for EVERYTHING

Well, that’s inspired me! Just ordered a 3C Maxx Terra EXO from CRC (🙈) for forty quid.

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.’?

^ Could the article have been intended to provoke disagreement and discussion?  Probably should have been released on a working from home day when it may have garnered more attention

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?

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

It ‘rules everywhere’ 😉

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

Not the best but good enough and versatile.

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

Not the best but good enough and versatile

The review or the tyre? 😀

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

What purpose?

I agree with Benji (about which tyre is the best fit and forget option to suggest for new riders who just want to, er, fit and forget).

Comparing bikes using the same tyres should definitely be a thing as well.

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)

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

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.

@kelvin

Comparing bikes using the same tyres should definitely be a thing as well.

Agreed, also good to see that the originals will still be tested. Annoys me when other reviewers switch to a control without mentioning the stock tyres much. I still need to know if they are plastic OEM jobs so that I can factor another £100 into the total purchase price of a bike! 🤣

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.

Good caveat Johnny, I agree.

As an aside, all bikes should come with a choice of tyres when you buy one. Because tyres really are that important.

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.

I’ve answered some of questions here. But this in one of the weirdest

The purpose here is:

We now know that bikes will have to ridden in standard boots as part of being reviewed

A suggestion for an all round tyre

Clues as to which compound and casing. This is a huge mystery if you’re new to it

Of course if your reading it thinking actually I’d rather have a magic Mary up front with a nobby Nick out back and know which casing and compound then it’s pointless for you and you probably disagree. But that doesn’t actually make it pointless for everyone does it

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

As an aside, all bikes should come with a choice of tyres when you buy one. Because tyres really are that important

If you buy a bike new, any lbs will fit any rubber you fancy I expect

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.

I think I just swapped in a High Roller II for a minion. 😱

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

I love it as well. I run it up front for summer, and rear for winter. A set of three year round is great. DHR II MaxxTerra exo+ (used to run Exo with insert rear, but I think Exo+ is good enough for my weight). For Winter I run DHF MaxxGrip front, but Assegai is probably replacing it next winter. Summer an Aggressor or Dissector rear.

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?

100% agree.

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

This is the only tyre I’ve found that comes close to the trusty DHF, but I’ve been mainly riding them for almost 20 years so a little bias. The DHR 2 is pretty bonnet fir mist things

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.

after trying all sorts of tyres i’ve come to the conclusion it makes diddly difference. yep, cheap tyres are rubbish, but the clue’s in the word “cheap”. otherwise, conti, maxxis, schwalbe, whatever, as long as they’re top end they all work. truth is, *any* quality tyre is better at handling the trail than i am…

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.

Tyres are just something you choose over time, you get a bit of confidence, you lose a bit of confidence, trying different tyres can help that. I do flit between Magic Mary’s and DHRs a bit, but the MMs are Super Gravity heavy tyres, and i find over the last year or so i’m less prone to changing tyres than just riding what are on the bike and riding safer with those fitted!

Chances are it’s maxxterra.

Thanks for that…it was.

Genuine question:
Do the side knobs stay put?
I’ve had issues with Aggressors and Dissectors failing here and the DH Dissector I’m running isn’t long for this world. Should I try a Minion at the back?

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.

It’s got a ‘R’ in the name and it’s on the back

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

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.

It’s pretty good yeah, but I’d prefer higher corner knobs personally.

It doesn’t hold a slippy off-camber as well as a Wild Enduro rear – which rolls about the same.