[WoodstockMTB]

Heresy, I know. I'm just not sure I like them.

Running 2.6 F/R on my Ibis HD3.

They just feel kinda heavy and slow to me and I don't like the feel that much.

I ride mainly in VT where we have soft dirt trails with roots and some rocks mixed in. Occasionally its dry where we have pine groves, but otherwise its decomposed earth and most damp.

What is faster? I know Nobby Nic and Hans Dampf as I've used them on my Ripley. I really liked running the HD front and Rear on that bike.

I ran a forekaster on the rear of my HD3 which I think I liked better than the DHRII...what else rides faster and "lighter" if not in weight?

 

[Nat]

2.1 WTB Nanoraptors are faster and lighter.

 

[WoodstockMTB]

2.1 WTB Nanoraptors are faster and lighter.

I'm kinda worried the tire profile on my 35i rims would be compromised.

 

[smoothmoose]

How soft is soft? If soft translates into loose, then I feel DHF/DHR are still king when their knobs are able to dig in for grip.

That said for loose over hard - if that loose is a few mm of dust and serious hardpark underneath, I'll prefer small knobs that hook into dust layer than large knobs that float over.

Also I feel the 2.6 DHF there is enough "gap" between center and corner knobs to create a vague/drifty feel when the bike is partially leaned over. I find tires with transition knobs to work better when not in aggressive lean angles (Rekon, Ardent).

 

[jeremy3220]

The tread patterns were literally made for DH. Most people would probably be better off with a faster rolling tire, at least in the rear.

 

[WoodstockMTB]

Soft as in millennia of fallen decomposed leaves soft. It's basically packed down garden soil with roots and rocks. I know the DHF/DHR combo should be good for my terrain. its not a lack of grip so much as grip I don't feel like I can access. I've tried lower pressure, higher pressure. I just don't feel like I can get the bite. I don't discount rider input being an issue. I'm no expert and I may not be getting over far enough. If that is the case, then these tires are just not for me.

 

[WoodstockMTB]

The tread patterns were literally made for DH. Most people would probably be better off with a faster rolling tire, at least in the rear.

Right. Which is most likely why I was enjoying the HDs, NN and Forekaster more.

Bontrager looks interesting, but I'm not sure I get their SE/XR 3,4,5 model differences yet.

 

[scooterman]

DHF/R are slow and heavy as can be. Great for the bike park with lift service. Bad for just riding normal trails.

 

[PuddleDuck]

Heresy, I know. I'm just not sure I like them.

Running 2.6 F/R on my Ibis HD3.

They just feel kinda heavy and slow to me and I don't like the feel that much.

I ride mainly in VT where we have soft dirt trails with roots and some rocks mixed in. Occasionally its dry where we have pine groves, but otherwise its decomposed earth and most damp.

What is faster? I know Nobby Nic and Hans Dampf as I've used them on my Ripley. I really liked running the HD front and Rear on that bike.

I ran a forekaster on the rear of my HD3 which I think I liked better than the DHRII...what else rides faster and "lighter" if not in weight?

What about Forekaster 2.6 front, Rekon 2.5 rear? Or, Forekaster F & R?

 

[mtnbkrmike]

Right or wrong, the DHF/DHR2 combo has been the gold standard for trail bikes in my neck of the woods for some time now. The newest trend is 2.5 DHF front and rear. That said, I am running a 2.5 DHF/Aggressor combo on my hardtail this season. Jury is still out...

I need to try the new breed of Schwalbes. Past versions have not fared well on the disintegration scale.

 

[WoodstockMTB]

Right or wrong, the DHF/DHR2 combo has been the gold standard for trail bikes in my neck of the woods for some time now. The newest trend is 2.5 DHF front and rear. That said, I am running a 2.5 DHF/Aggressor combo on my hardtail this season. Jury is still out...

I need to try the new breed of Schwalbes. Past versions have not fared well on the disintegration scale.

I've always liked the Schwalbes I've tried. I just don't ride big terrain very often at speed so I think the DHF/DHR are just overkill for my needs which is basically XC/Trail with some enduro-like segments mixed in. There is a LOT of pedaling and ups which was not what the DHF/DHR were designed for.

Did a little window shopping and the Bontrager XR4 looks interesting. Also tempted to try the hans dampf again, but it's not a very fast tire.Still, always felt faster than the DHF/DHR.

The forekaster out back was actually nice and I think I'm going to throw it back on for the time being. Straight on braking is weak, however.

 

[Streetdoctor]

Because I like the Assegai/DHF or Onza Aquila's.

 

[WoodstockMTB]

Because I like the Assegai/DHF or Onza Aquila's.

Touche

 

[One Pivot]

I've seen military grade battleship anchors that roll faster than the minion combo. Hard pass.

I'm digging the bonty tires lately, but nearly anything is faster than minions.

 

[jasonp22]

I’m beginning to adhere to a similar conclusion. Though they may be the best ones and the gold standard, I think I just don’t ride “hard” enough to reap the benefits yet. I’ll have to work my way up there. In the meantime, I’m trying tires with transitions from center to edge. Perhaps Asegai exo next.

 

[Boulder Pilot]

WTF is a Minion? I remember a time when this was an easy question to answer. When I think of Minion's I think of the original tread designs with DH casing and super tacky or 3C rubber compound. EXO sidewalls and I do not get along. A semi-slick called a Minion? No, that's just wrong.

Minion's may be the best choice where you ride. I have three sets for when I need 5-1/2 pounds of rubber to connect me to the trail. The other 70% of the time when I'm riding trails that do not demand me to lean over so far to take advantage of the Minion tread design, I've found Onza and Michelin to have some nice options.

 

[targnik]

DHRII is an ok tire =)

DHF's are too heavy >.<

Pre-Addix Magic Mary is the best front tire I've ever used for All Mountain riding.

Rear tire depends what you want... Grip = something nobbly.

Speed = semi slick.

'Born to ride!'

 

[Miker J]

I dig'm but yeah, you've got to be pushing the bike real hard to make use of all that grip. Otherwise they are overkill.

 

[Jayem]

Back in the early and mid 2000s we experimented with tire sizes from 2.6-2.8. Some of us even went up to 3.0. After running tires extensively on many surfaces, most of us DHers came to the conclusion that anything above 2.5 was simply slower. It didn't help when Maxxis "downsized" their tires and all of a sudden 2.3s seemed like 2.0s, but otherwise the largest I'll go on the front these days is 2.5 and the largest on the rear around 2.35-2.4. Ideally, I keep it staggered. All these "fat" tire trends, 2.6, 2.8, 3.0, etc., are slower in the summer time. A 2.7 Minion has traction for days, no doubt, but as you note, it'll roll like crap. I had to run a DHF 2.3 on the rear for the last half-season or so because when I put it up front, it wasn't wide enough to turn correctly with my rims. On the rear it worked great as far as turning...but rolling resistance was another matter. Like glue to the trail/pavement. Just replaced it with a HR and the difference is dramatic.

There seems to be a fairly narrow range of tire sizes for me where I have optimal handling and speed. IME, the harder you ride, the more you need the skinnier tire to go faster, to a limit of course, you can't go too small, but too large also doesn't help. As an example, I ran 2.5 minions F and R on my 29er Enduro rig (back when I had it), that was kind of a trainwreck, just too heavy to turn the bike at speed, the bike wanted to keep going straight and I had to slow down earlier and more than the other riders, then pedal harder out of the turn to catch up. One time I forgot to switch them out before a trail-ride and it was painful, as the ride included a significant pavement portion. That's one of the reason I moved away from 29er enduro bikes, because with decent rubber (casing) there's just too much tire mass IME.

Minions are the gold standard for traction, not rolling resistance. In reasonable sizes, they are fine, but they are far from my XC choice. They go on my aggressive bike and that one is for rocking the DHs.

 

[mlloyd007]

The 2.6 DHF and DHRII are slow rolling tires, even in the lighter versions. The rolling resistance is substantial, and not especially pedal-friendly. They're great for Sedona, Moab and other places where you want the volume and traction, but they're traction overkill for where you're riding. I had them on my Pivot Mach 5.5 in Norcal and they made the bike sluggish on any pedaly ride. I swapped them out for 2.3 versions and it made a significant difference, even though the weight was nearly the same. Try a 2.5WT DHF in front and a 2.4WT Rekon or even Ardent Race in the rear. That's what I have on my SB4.5 and it's a great combination of fast rolling rear and grippy front.