[guero grande]

Hello,

I was looking at the Maxxis Minion 2.35 folding tire for a Transition Preston FR build I'm doing. The conensus of the forums is that folding tires will pinch flat too often. I like the weight and price of the Minions, but am nervous about flats.

I am a bigger dude, at 6'5" 220lbs. This will be my first suspension bike, and I am not an experienced hucker. I'm looking at riding a lot of AM type stuff as I learn and get more comfortable doing more FR oriented riding. I'm in the San Diego Area.

Anybody have any first hand experience with these tires, that could comment on how these might work out for me?

Thanks.

 

[Kntr]

I run the Minion 2.5 in single ply and have had no problems if I keep the psi above 30.

 

[zebrahum]

Folding vs Non Folding has no impact on pinch flats. That just describes the bead that hooks the tire to the rim.

What Kanter brings up is that there is a difference between single or double ply tires. That makes the tire sidewall stiffer and therefore more resistant to pinches. I wouldn't worry about those tires right now. I would suggest riding them inflated more firmly at first while you get a feel for how often you might pinch on this new bike.

If you don't want to ride hard tires, try DH tubes. I usually run a slightly thicker tube in my rear tires if I'm expecting to be hitting them hard.

 

[Kntr]

What Kanter brings up is that there is a difference between single or double ply tires. That makes the tire sidewall stiffer and therefore more resistant to pinches. I wouldn't worry about those tires right now. I would suggest riding them inflated more firmly at first while you get a feel for how often you might pinch on this new bike.

Im not sure where you got that. I didnt say anything about double ply tires. I said I run the Minion DHF 2.5 SINGLE PLY, which is a folding tire.

The 2.5 has more volume so less pinch flats and still weighs under 900 g.

 

[NoUseForAName]

Suggest the SX casing on the new Specialized Chunder or Clutch. Tougher sidewalls than the 2.3 minion SPs that i ran before, sub 1000g (really) tire.

At 220 don't worry about skimping a couple of grams, build your bike so it is fun to ride, not fun to fix all the time.

 

[Kntr]

Suggest the SX casing on the new Specialized Chunder or Clutch. Tougher sidewalls than the 2.3 minion SPs that i ran before, sub 1000g (really) tire.

At 220 don't worry about skimping a couple of grams, build your bike so it is fun to ride, not fun to fix all the time.

Good suggestion plus the SX versions come in softer compounds. My wife runs them on her DH bike and loves em.

 

[SuboptimusPrime]

The 2.35 DHF is a fantastic AM tire--the only one I'd run, especially in front. I weigh about 190 plus gear and have been riding hard on these for years without trouble flatting...you'll want to keep the pressures reasonable like over 30psi, but they really are great tires in terms of traction, wear, and not getting flats too easily. Eventually the sidewalls will get kinda whooped and you'll start to get flats in places that you didn't used to...You'll need to replace them at that point.

 

[guero grande]

OK, thanks for the input, guys. One of my concerns with some dedicated 2.5 dh/fr tires is climbing. I wont be hitting many shuttle / lift type rides until I develop the skills necessary for that. So I'll be doing a lot of climbing. Will a set of dedicated dh/fr 2.5s make that much of a difference over a set of the single-ply 2.35 minions when climbing?

 

[djjohnr]

These are two separate choices -

Dual ply versus single ply, then 2.35 vs 2.5.

Dual ply - stiffer sidewalls mean lower pressure possible with less flats. Definitely noticeably more work climbing.

2.35 vs 2.5 - More volume means a bit more give when you hit something. Wider means more traction in non-muddy situations. For the same tread pattern it also means more weight, but usually not as much of a jump as you'd see going from single-ply to dual-ply.


Given your circumstances, I'd grab some single ply 2.5 tires if you're buying Maxxis - they tend to run narrow.

 

[Kntr]

You can still order the Maxxis Minion 2.5 single ply from Merlin Cylces overseas. Ive ordered from them and had no problems. Its pretty cheap and quick too. Chainreaction Cycles use to carry them, but they are not on their website anymore. Try Merlin Cylces as they have a deal going on a set of the Minions.


click here then change the currency to US. They are cheap for the pair.
http://www.merlincycles.co.uk/mountain-bike-tyres-and-tubes/maxxis-bike-tyres/maxxis-minion-25-single-ply-pair.html

 

[guero grande]

Thanks for the info, and the links, dudes.