Maxxis Minions - Seem to be like marmite

Rob-Is-On-Fire

There's a lot of 'which tyre' threads bumping around at the moment with the question 'good wet weather tyre?' Of note, I have read numberous times people saying Maxxis Minions are great in the wet, and just so many times Minions are rubbish and are a dry tire. I want to try and settle this dispute or at less get some clarity.

The Minion seems to me to go for the 'get as much rubber on the ground' approach with lots of large, wide knobbles. Great in the dry, that makes me think. But surely the narrower channels between the knobs would fill and hold mud easier than a tyre with a more spaceous tread, therefore clogging and failing provide grip.

In contrast to this the advetising blurb states it was designed for wet, muddy terrain.

Doesn't seem to make sense to me.
What do you think?

(I know someone is going to say its personal opinion and ride with whatever you want and thats fine. Just trying to have a bit of discussion on the topic)

Rob

The Northern Monkey

LOVE minions in all conditions. bloody brilliant.

single ply, super tacky up front and maxxpro out back.. superb!

nicklouse

from Maxxis's webby.

Minion front

The Minion DHF is the standard by which all other downhill tires are measured. Depending on course conditions, DHF works well front and rear or as a front paired with DHR.
* Directional, ramped knob design - front or rear
* Hardpack, loose-over-hardpack, medium soil
* 2-Ply DH casings with butyl-protected sidewalls
* 3C Triple Compound Technology available

Minion rear

The Minion DHR was engineered to meet the demands of the UCI World Cup downhill races. Designed by our European racing development effort, Team Maxxis-MSC. The Minion DHR features ramped knobs, like the DHF, but the channels in the knobs are designed for braking and accelerating.
* Hardpack, loose-over-hardpack, medium soil
* 2-Ply DH casings with butyl-protected sidewalls
* 3C Triple Compound Technology available

Swampthing

The rubber used in the Swampthing is firm enough that knobs won't fold, yet soft enough to hook up on wet rocks and roots. The rounded profile allows the Swampthing to hook up without digging into the soil.
* Cleated knob design digs deep to allow optimal cornering, braking, and acceleration
* 2-ply DH casings with butyl-protected sidewalls

Wet Scream

Designed for the muddiest downhill racecourse in the world: Les Gets France. Not for your local trail, the WetScream is intended for competition use only on professionally maintained courses. When the course turns ugly, trust the WetScream to carry you to victory.
* Widely Spaced, Sharp Square Design
* 2-Ply DH Casings with Butyl-Protected Sidewalls
* Sheds Mud Quickly

think you have been reading the wrong adverts.

Rob-Is-On-Fire

Yeah, i think ur probably right.

From Wiggle
"The Minion DHF was designed for the often loose and muddy conditions of the NORBA downhill series. DHF incorporates ramped knobs for low rolling resistance and channel-cut knobs to increase gripping edges, giving straight-line control and precise cornering. Depending on course conditions, DHF works well front and rear or as a front paired with DHR."

Wiggle seem to say the opposite. Probably just a mistake

MacAndCheese

Think it depends on type of mud as well. The slippery chalky clumpy mud here is not good with them, very unpredictable in the wet on it. Howver I road them in Cannock on the slightly more gravelly dark mud with no problems because they didn't clog.

I'm currently trying to get hold of some swampthings for the rest of the winter.

P-Jay

Yeah it depends on the stickiness and depth of mud. Oh my god that's so geeky.

In normal, winter-in-the-great-british-country side they're good. But on a wet day in Wentwood / Les Gets, somewhere where it's going to get very deep you need a specific mud tyre like a Wet Screem, of course they've got more downsides than up. Unholy amounts of grip in really nasty mud and on VERY wet grass, but as soon as you clear it and you're on hardpack, or heaven forbid wood, they're terrifying.

stevet1992

You bunch of women ! Just stick with whatever tyre you've got Ive ran a shwalbe land cruiser in deep mud this winter due to others being trashed and its been fine 8)

Jedi

i use one on the front of my demo9. love it

fourcrossjohn

when i had my old bike it was holy rollers every where

Dirtydog11

I wouldn't recommend them for mud. I run a single ply super tacky on the front and have found that it works really well on wet rock.

One thing worth noting and I've not heard it mentioned before (maybe I'm imagining it) is that the soft compound/slow rebound nature of the tyre dampens out a lot of trail buzz and seems to play quite an important role in helping keeping the tyre in contact with the surface of the trail. Anyone else noticed this?

rhyko7

minions are good in mud, but not thick mud, they are definately a lot better in mud than high rollers thats for sure, but then the swamp thing is better in thick mud, but the wet scream is king of the gloopey mud!
i think to rate a tyre you have to be comparing it to another tyre so it completely depends what tyre the reviewer is comparing it to.

cee

as said on another thread....

I generally use high rollers in summer and minions the rest of the year....

Like the vast majority of folks I do not race.

If I did, then I would want to take advantage of the sometimes really marginal advantages that a different tyre would make....

I do not know how much difference in time a swampy would give over a minion at Innerleithen at this time of year...but I would wager it is not as much as you might think.

I wonder if any of the racers (Alex in particular seems to know his stuff) know what the difference is in time.

Obviously there will be other advantages, like confidence in grip etc.....but surely they all show up in a racers time.

_Ferret_

Minions are fantastic tyres.
I've taken off my rear one and replaced it with a mud specific tyre for the winter but it's hard to change the front as it gives so much confidence...

lawman

if they a did a minion 2.2 id buy one now, great tyres just atouch to heavy imo and why oh why dont they do a ust in 2.35????? id buy that and im sure loads would tbh :?

tbh tho i tend to buy some tyres and run em all year round till they're cord and bead makes things interesting, my current intense sys 4 is a bit thin at the back atm so its skirmtastic atm id love to try a high roller front and crossmark/aspen/larsen back tho would be great in summer

_Ferret_

the minion 2,35 is the same size, if not smaller than a Nobby nic 2,25.
They are a bit heavy, but the extra weight is worth it...

Stu 74

Minions are good tyres but not great tyres. Not the best on the front in thick mud in my experience. The Swampthing gives better all conditions grip but at the cost of higher rolling resistance, particularly on smoother surfaces. However, if you want the confidence of more grip then the Swampy is far superior in my opinion.

After much experimenting I have finally found two tyre combos that I am happy with.........

Dry conditions = Kenda Small Bloc 8 front and back.

Everything else = Swampthing front, Ardent back.

Stu

richg1979

in terms of grip vs rolling resistance i dont think theres much that comes close to minions. ive gone through a lot of tyres, highroller,ardents,larsen tt,ignitors, conti verticals,nobby nics,nevegals,system 4, mich at,

im currently running 2xminion dhf kevlars and find them superb in wet muddy weather, looking at them you would think they would clog up but ive never had them clog even in clay type mud, ok there will be tyres that offer more grip like a swampthing ect but they are way to draggy to run as a trail/xc tyre.

the minion dhf roll very fast, i went on a 25mile road ride with these tyres fitted and had no probs keeping up with people on lighter bikes with skinny fast xc tyres fitted like crossmarks ect.

i found the ardent terrible on the back in wet conditions, would not hook up when climbing, spin when you stand up and pedal hard and back end would wash out very easy on fast trails.