The ‘Wide Trail’ version of the excellent Minion DHF has been designed to square-off less when the beads are stretched out. The classic ‘L’ shaped lugs and long rectangular, ramped centre knobs remain, but the tread pattern is pumped up to suit the bigger casing.
The Minion has always been a fast favourite in loose and dry terrain, but in softer dirt, or wet conditions, didn’t bite as hard as more splayed-out treads. With increased air volume, this 2.5in can be run a few psi lower, upping comfort and conformity, and laying down more rubber, so grip levels have really ramped up. The WT weight is marginally higher, but there’s little evidence the tyres are any slower rolling off-road.
With the Maxx Terra Minion slapped on the front wheel, continuous predictable grip is almost never-ending, in right up to properly wet conditions. Maxxis’s sticky rubber feels trustworthy to lean on, even on rocks and roots, but its wear life and durability isn’t top of the class. The tyres do scrub out at a steady, uniform rate though, rather than falling to pieces.