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Trying a DoubleDown soon to see how it performs, but in the Assegai it weighs a lot more than a MM SG. Maybe worth it??
Every time I try some fast rolling tyre in the back I end up with a squirmy back in the slippery and off camber bits.
Trying a HR2 in the rear at the moment to see if it works good enough to replace the MM.
Another aspect to this is I am looking for a good ‘travel’ tire. Specifically flying places to ride. Usually when I go somewhere on a big trip with my wife we will pack spare parts, tools, etc. Having a single tire that we can pack that could go front or back on either of our bikes helps keep the packing list shorter and our bags lighter.
Dual Butchers are always a go to for me. I feel like the knobs self sharpen to point versus the Minion it replicated just dulls and round off the knobs.
Cutting away the center knob of the 3 pattern across its casing turns a magic mary it into a mud cleaning traction grabbing rolling brick if you need a spike in a pinch too.
Maxxis Minion DHF 2.5 ... front and rear.
Every venture in another direction over the years keeps me coming back to the above. You might be able to eek out smidgens of performance with other combos on certain days, but in general if these do you wrong, it's hard to say it was the tires.
For me, I think the answer to your question is: find a Minion or a Minion clone and stick with them. Wear your rear tire to where you're not comfortable with it and then put the front in the rear and refresh the front. Others have made valid points that they like to run a firmer tire in the rear etc., but that is not what the original question was.
In my experience (end let me note. . . For the conditions where I ride) minions and clones offer the best combination of speed, cornering grip, braking etc. There are so many out to choose from you should be able to find a model that checks most of your boxes. . . Then ride to your hearts delight. Of course, every model is going to have its little niggles where they will perform slightly different to its contemporaries.
(minions - good rubber, good pattern, junk casings. Butchers - good price, good wear, not a grippy as minions, casing junk, small volume.
G5 - awesome grip, wear fast, thin casing.
Griffus ((my current favorite)) - phenomenal grip, great casing, high volume, good wear rate, roll slow.
Convict - good grip in soft, roll slow, giant casing, great damping, not great grip in firm, cheap
Aquila ((current second favorite)) roll fast, great grip, good treadwear, wish the volume was bigger).
Then there are the weird middle ground outliers that dont fit the minion knockoff model and kind of stick to their own design, and are short of being a true mud tire (Vittoria Martello, Conti der Baron and der Kaiser, Michelin Wild Boys, Shcwalbe MM, HD and NN, Assegai, WTB Vigilante). Having ridden all of these as well i can say that they all have their own positives and negatives.
Ultimately what I am saying is: find the tire that works for you - provides the combo of grip you like, with the width you like, and the casing you like, mixed with price and tread wear and stick with it and do the tire rotation as you said.
This is why I'm gonna get in trouble with this comment: I cant follow my own advice and trade tires like baseball cards.
For same tires. I’ve run magic Mary’s, and generally
liked them. I’ve run convicts front and rear for a while and had good luck with that combo, feel like stouter dhr2s to me. I ran exo+ dhfs and was heavily disappointed with the dhf exo+ in the rear. Flatted 3rd ride out and ruined the tire, as well as lack luster braking traction compared to the dhr2. I’ve liked the dhr2 combo, but that’s been a while since I’ve run it.
Lately the convict rear on the dh bike became a vee rumba and then a wtb judge. Both super fun, judge has a fun drift that’s easy to control. The vee compound wasn’t amazing but worked well on the rear, and had the strongest casing I’ve ridden in a long time. Rear tires are candy....I expect a few a season anymore, and maybe 2-3 front tires at most.
But my actual preference is for very different tyres (at least if I’m doing pedalling) I like dead, meaty, low tpi DH casings on the front and a lighter Agressor or SS on the back.
Trail bike
Front: DHF, Maxxterra 2.5 (Unless its winter, then its a 2.6 or 2.3 hillbilly(
Rear: DHR2, maxxterra 2.3
Enduro bike
Front: Assegai, Maxxterra, 2.5 (I have a hillbilly and also a Minion DHF 2.5 Exo Maxxgrip for when its dry/rocky)
Rear: DHR2, Maxxterra, 2.4
Yes, you can run the same tyres front and back, but you are asking different things from front/rear tyres IMO. I've run hillbillys front and back when we've been on loam/mud tracks, but they suck on roots.
I'd like to dry a dissector on the back of the trail bike, could be quicker rolling than the 2.4 DHR2.
In times like these (arguably off topic posts) if we all work together we can get through it.
Really good combo. Very predictable, and the rear tire wears off better than I thought.
They are a bit too heavy for 29 but you can run lower psi as the wall is very strong and has a wire bed.
Another good choice, is DHF front and rear, Maxx Grip Front and Dual compound rear. If you ride both maxx grips the rear tire will be destroyed in a months time.
I also like DHR2 front and rear but the problem is that in DH casing the only option for 29 is maxx grip, so at the back ir wears off too quickly. I would love Maxxis to make a DHr2 in DD 2.4 maxx terra or DH casing maxx terra to run in the back and a maxx grip front. It is similar to the aquila combo
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