Quantcast

Complete Guide to Downhill Rubber

Dogboy

Turbo Monkey
Apr 12, 2004
3,208
581
Durham, NC
This is very interesting to know... I'm very curious about the tire. Question about casing: is Grid like Maxxis EXO, or is more heavy duty? I'd like to give this tire a try, and would like to go lighter than the DH casing, but my past experience with Grid was about 5 years ago, and back then, it wasn't much heavier duty than Control casing - it was just lighter.

The problem here is that shops don't carry the tires, you have to special order them, so you can't pick them up and compare and contrast in person...
Supposedly the newer GRID casing (as the Slaughter would have) is quite a bit burlier than the old stuff. If I recall correctly it's more like the SX casing they used to do, but with a tubeless bead.
 

slyfink

Turbo Monkey
Sep 16, 2008
9,289
5,029
Ottawa, Canada
Supposedly the newer GRID casing (as the Slaughter would have) is quite a bit burlier than the old stuff. If I recall correctly it's more like the SX casing they used to do, but with a tubeless bead.
Hmmm, interesting. As I recall, SX was being compared to EXO back in the day... is that still the case? As a rear tire, I'm really looking for something burlier than EXO. Super-Gravity casing by Schwalbe is about right. Would you say GRID compares to that?
 

SylentK

Turbo Monkey
Feb 25, 2004
2,287
854
coloRADo
How are you liking them?

Trying to decide what I want to mount as a new rear tyre, currently Rock Razor, was going to go Minion SS, but half thinking about having some more tread and I liked the look of an Aggressor I was looking at last night on the back of a bike.
I like them a lot. I like the fact that I don't have to think about them. They just work.

I'm running front and rear. They have plenty of traction. Side knobs and cornering are great. Predictable. Maybe not your tire if you want the rear to break loose and slide easily in turns.

Thinking more about it now, these tires have seen mostly hero dirt-like conditions. But on the little dry and loose bits these tires have seen, they did great.

And the DD is legit. Tough tire. Although I did get a rear pinch flat on Porcupine in Moab. But any tire prolly woulda at that psi. Just needed more psi.

At 2.3 its kinda skinny IMO. And these things are heavy. ~1200g I think?
 

wiscodh

Monkey
Jun 21, 2007
833
121
303
The Minion SS is about a shitload better tire than the Rock Razor. I know they look pretty similar, but the Rock Razor has the side knobs so far down the sidewall that unless you're running a 75mm internal width rim to square the profile off, they don't do anything.
agreed. Just slapped one on for the past weekend. What a fun little tire.
 

Dirk77

Monkey
Feb 15, 2014
233
48
Schwalbe magic mushrooms! They grip but in the end, Junks!

Both front and rear, rubber is bubbling up and separating from the carcass. I would think these could be warranty? They are fairly new..

Time to go back to maxxis or butchers.
7035-MMS-1465534770000-attachment1-20160605_175130.jpg
7033-MMS-1465534726000-attachment1-20160605_175120.jpg
 

Nick

My name is Nick
Sep 21, 2001
23,928
14,450
where the trails are
doesn't specialized sells tires direct and ship globally??

edit: oh yea, 1 ride on the Minion SS in the rear and I love it. durability and variable conditions TBD, but it's fast up, rolls great, setup easily and corners awesome. So long as the thing doesn't self destruct I'm (so far) a fan for typical front range CO trail riding. I wish it was a bit wider, even a "maxxis" 2.5.
 
Last edited:

maxyedor

<b>TOOL PRO</b>
Oct 20, 2005
5,496
3,140
In the bathroom, fighting a battle
Hows climbing traction with the semi-slicks? Trying to decide on a replacement for my rear HR2, and generally like the HR2. but it never really gripped on technical climbs. Loose or hardpack, I seem to always spin the thing, unless I run the pressure rim-dentingly low. Is the higher number of smaller knobs may be enough to overcome their general small-ness?
 

HAB

Chelsea from Seattle
Apr 28, 2007
11,580
2,006
Seattle
Hows climbing traction with the semi-slicks? Trying to decide on a replacement for my rear HR2, and generally like the HR2. but it never really gripped on technical climbs. Loose or hardpack, I seem to always spin the thing, unless I run the pressure rim-dentingly low. Is the higher number of smaller knobs may be enough to overcome their general small-ness?
Honestly, it's pretty shitty. Most of my climbs are on fire roads so it's fine if I exercise even a little bit of self control and don't just mash has hard as I can with no regard for smoothness, but if I climbed more technical stuff more often I probably wouldn't run one.

Edit: I should add that it's mostly bad in the wet. On dry hardpack and loose rock and so on they're fine.
 
Last edited:

slimshady

¡Mira, una ardilla!
Hows climbing traction with the semi-slicks? Trying to decide on a replacement for my rear HR2, and generally like the HR2. but it never really gripped on technical climbs. Loose or hardpack, I seem to always spin the thing, unless I run the pressure rim-dentingly low. Is the higher number of smaller knobs may be enough to overcome their general small-ness?
Take a chance with the Onza Ibex 3C. It's almost an exact copy of the HR2, but with a grippier rubber compound. I have used it as a rear tire on wet rock and loose over hardpack, and it hooks a lot better than the HR2s. Also the side knobs are a bit softer so they bite the ground harder, and the transition knobs have a better spacing than the Maxxis ones. You don't have to wait until the side knobs engage, leaning the bike seems more natural than with the HR2 it replaced.
 

slyfink

Turbo Monkey
Sep 16, 2008
9,289
5,029
Ottawa, Canada
Honestly, it's pretty shitty. Most of my climbs are on fire roads so it's fine if I exercise even a little bit of self control and don't just mash has hard as I can with no regard for smoothness, but if I climbed more technical stuff more often I probably wouldn't run one.

Edit: I should add that it's mostly bad in the wet. On dry hardpack and loose rock and so on they're fine.
this has been my experience too. In Sedona, the Rock Razor was a champ, just climbed everything. Back home (east coast rox), the Slaughter is ok, but definitely slips out when things are moist and greasy. I'm ok with that though, for now. If we get a prolonged spell of wet, I might be looking for an alternative. To be honest, I liked the Conti X-King in mixed conditions... they just need to introduce it with their Apex casing...
 

maxyedor

<b>TOOL PRO</b>
Oct 20, 2005
5,496
3,140
In the bathroom, fighting a battle
Honestly, it's pretty shitty. Most of my climbs are on fire roads so it's fine if I exercise even a little bit of self control and don't just mash has hard as I can with no regard for smoothness, but if I climbed more technical stuff more often I probably wouldn't run one.

Edit: I should add that it's mostly bad in the wet. On dry hardpack and loose rock and so on they're fine.
Wet? We don't have that around here. Sounds like the Minion SS isn't my huckleberry anyway though, lots of cruising at a moderate pace, then mashing to get up some rocks or steep rutted out corner. That's where I find myself constantly struggling to find grip, the tires that provide said grip tend to be really, really slow, as in I almost don't need brakes going downhill because the tires roll so slow.

Take a chance with the Onza Ibex 3C. It's almost an exact copy of the HR2, but with a grippier rubber compound. I have used it as a rear tire on wet rock and loose over hardpack, and it hooks a lot better than the HR2s. Also the side knobs are a bit softer so they bite the ground harder, and the transition knobs have a better spacing than the Maxxis ones. You don't have to wait until the side knobs engage, leaning the bike seems more natural than with the HR2 it replaced.
$50 a tire, I'll give them a shot, can always burn it off on the shitty pavers at Snow Summit if I don't like it. tread pattern looks reasonable, and they're a ton lighter than Maxxis.

And hey, Gwin seems to be doing just fine on Onza...
 

Dogboy

Turbo Monkey
Apr 12, 2004
3,208
581
Durham, NC
Hows climbing traction with the semi-slicks? Trying to decide on a replacement for my rear HR2, and generally like the HR2. but it never really gripped on technical climbs. Loose or hardpack, I seem to always spin the thing, unless I run the pressure rim-dentingly low. Is the higher number of smaller knobs may be enough to overcome their general small-ness?
My experience with the Minion SS has been good. Conditions here have been mixed from greasy, to dry, to dusty and they hook up surprisingly well across those. I figured it was mostly due to the tread being fresh and traction would diminish with wear, but it is still going strong at about 500 miles in. Pressure is a factor for sure, but I don't run anything crazy low - 27-30psi.
 

mykel

closer to Periwinkle
Apr 19, 2013
5,071
3,780
sw ontario canada
I was just gifted a pair of 26" DH tires, (still have some whiskers on them!!)
One of the crew went to wagon-wheels-in-training, so was clearing out his stock of unridabru gear.

2.5 ST Minion DHF
2.35 Bonty G5

Planning running them for a Bromont trip later this summer,

I'm going to assume Minion on front, G5 on rear?
 

Fool

The Thing cannot be described
Sep 10, 2001
2,761
1,471
Brooklyn
^ I've got an Ardent that looks like that with less miles. The DHF on the front looks like I spend my days in the wheelie position, hip-thrusting my way through trails.
 

JustMtnB44

Monkey
Sep 13, 2006
840
113
Pittsburgh, PA
I installed a 2.3 Minion SS rear and a 2.3 Minion DHF front on my Honzo (29'er hardtail) yesterday. The EXO sidewalls feel reasonably thick - way more so than Butcher control, and slightly better than Ardent 2.4. The Minions seated tubeless perfectly on the first try without needing more than 30 psi.

I went for a test ride at my local park where it is currently very dry and dusty. Some roots but almost no rocks. The DHF was what I expected since it's all I use on my DH bike anyway, but it's been a while since using it on a trail bike. The SS worked really well. No grip issues climbing, and braking was just as good as anything else I've used, and definitely better than the 2.2 Ardent the bike came with. Cornering was consistent. I need a few more rides and we'll see how long they last, but I think I have found a new favorite tire combo for this bike.

 

slimshady

¡Mira, una ardilla!
Did you guys see this one on PB?



PB said:
While Nico Vouilloz may be out ill, his mechanic Mat Gallean is here with the team and sporting this prototype rear tire from Michelin. He says it will be called the GripR and the profile is different from many intermediate tires in that there is a pronounced channel between the center and the sides, which should help the rider know where on the tire they are riding.