Minion DHR II 29x2.6 measures 2.4?

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Minion DHR II 29x2.6 measures 2.4?
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flag Explodo
Posted: Mar 13, 2020 at 19:32 Quote
I just mounted up a Minion DHR II that is labelled 29x2.6 The packaging says 29x2.6. The part number on the packaging is: TB00096300, which matches the label info.

The tire is mounted on an Ibis 942 rim, which is 35mm internal.

It measured a true 2.4". After letting it sit for 3 hours at 40psi, it got up to 2.44". Every other Maxxis tire I have measures very close to its listed width.

Did I get a bad tire? Are all the 29x2.6 DHR II tires way too narrow? I could tell as soon as I mounted it that it was too narrow because it looked small.

The 29x2.5 DHF that's already on the front measures a true 2.5.

I'm not going to keep it, but I want to know if I should bother getting a replacement or just a refund.
flag R-M-R
Posted: Mar 13, 2020 at 19:40 Quote
Did you measure at the casing or the lugs?
flag Explodo
Posted: Mar 13, 2020 at 19:47 Quote
R-M-R wrote:
Did you measure at the casing or the lugs?

Both. I got the maximum width of the whole thing.
flag R-M-R
Posted: Mar 13, 2020 at 22:36 Quote
Is the 2.6" casing smaller or only the measurement over the lugs?

The casing measurement shouldn't be smaller. If it is, the only explanation I can imagine is the 2.5" was from before the "WT" days, so it was intended to measure 2.5" on a narrow rim and the wide rim has plumped it up. I'm unsure whether there was a non-WT 29" × 2.5" DHF, so this may not be a plausible explanation.

Most brands use less lug height on wide tires. Some make the switch at 2.6", some at 2.8" - it varies. I don't recall whether this applies to the 2.6" DHF; if so, could this explain it?
flag Explodo
Posted: Mar 14, 2020 at 6:56 Quote
The casing and lugs are pretty close in width. The packaging and Maxxis say it's a WT tire, but the tire itself doesn't have WT after the 29x2.6 on the sidewall like my older 29x2.5WT does.
flag Explodo
Posted: Mar 14, 2020 at 7:22 Quote
I just mounted up the 29x2.6 DHF that I bought along with the DHR II. It is also smaller than the 29x2.5 DHF that it's supposed to be replacing...on the same rim. The only difference seems to be the WT after the size designation.

Earlier vs. later manufacturing?
Maxxis lies about all tires being WT?
flag R-M-R
Posted: Mar 14, 2020 at 7:23 Quote
Explodo wrote:
The casing and lugs are pretty close in width. The packaging and Maxxis say it's a WT tire, but the tire itself doesn't have WT after the 29x2.6 on the sidewall like my older 29x2.5WT does.

The "WT" labeling is confusing. It doesn't appear on 2.6" or larger because Maxxis assumes everyone knows these were measured on a wider rim, whereas narrower and older tires may or may not have been measured on the wider standard. i.e. All 2.6" and larger tires are automatically WT. A better system would be something like 2.6"₃₀ to denote the casing width - which is how width is determined - and the rim on which it was measured.

It sounds like we've eliminated the WT vs. non-WT explanation, as I think both measurements are based on the same, 30 mm rim width. Per Maxxis' website, the 2.5" casing should be 63 mm and the 2.6" should be 66 mm on a 30 mm rim. This is close enough that tolerances could make them equal, but the 2.6" shouldn't be narrower than the 2.5". I haven't measured many Maxxis tires, but I've noticed 2.6" models appear larger than 2.5", possibly affected by the rims on which they're typically mounted.


Explodo wrote:
Earlier vs. later manufacturing?
Maxxis lies about all tires being WT?

I'm not certain. Most likely explanation is Maxxis is experimenting with casing widths. Adjusting the tread would be expensive, but it's comparatively cheap and easy to adjust the casing width as a means to control things like tread profile, casing stiffness, and sidewall exposure (i.e. whether it's protected behind the lugs or exposed to damage).
flag Explodo
Posted: Mar 14, 2020 at 7:36 Quote
Thanks for the help. I'm returning both of them. I'm going to have to find someplace else to buy tires I suppose.

Even if Maxxis is experimenting with casing sizes, that shouldn't turn a 2.6 into a 2.4, or they should just label it as a 2.4 and make a bigger one that's actually a 2.6.

I'm just some crazy customer who wants to be able to buy something based on a description and actually get the right thing.
flag R-M-R
Posted: Mar 14, 2020 at 7:48 Quote
I don't know if my explanation is correct or whether buying elsewhere will solve the problem, but I agree it's a bummer. Still, it's better than 10 - 15 years ago when sizing was so "optimistic" that a 2.3" could measure 1.9". Most tires are now within a couple millimetres of the nominal width and I've even seen a couple measure over.
flag Explodo
Posted: Mar 14, 2020 at 8:09 Quote
I'm just not sure how to get a tire of the right size now. This is the first time in recent history that I've had issues with tires being the wrong width. I don't want to spend weeks ordering, mounting, and returning tires and now is not the ideal time to visit every shop around. If only the DHR had been wrong, I would have chalked it up to a single bad tire, but for both the DHF and DHR to be wrong makes me wonder if Maxxis is just screwy with their 2.6 width tires.
flag R-M-R
Posted: Mar 14, 2020 at 14:34 Quote
I've been happy with Kenda's new tires. Sizing is spot-on with 30 mm rims and slightly oversized (67 mm) on my 36 mm rims. Side lugs are tall and wrapped, so the maximum width at the lugs is definitely more than at the casing, especially on the Hellkat.

The Hellkat is a good substitute for the Minion and the Nevegal2 is comparable to an Aggressor. Kenda's ATC casing is light, fast, and compliant like an EXO and seems to be a bit tougher. Compounds are a lot more durable than Maxxis' 3C, though not quite as sticky; taller lugs make up for this on loose terrain.

Kenda will be releasing the Pinner soon, which is even more similar to the DHF. I don't know exactly when or which widths and casings will be available first.
flag Explodo
Posted: Mar 14, 2020 at 17:48 Quote
Thanks. I've contacted maxxis about the issue. How they respond will play a large role in if I continue with maxxis on this bike, or move on to try someone else. I'll take a good look at kenda in the meantime.
flag R-M-R
Posted: Mar 14, 2020 at 18:06 Quote
Please let us know how this works out. Interested to hear the explanation for the undersized 2.6".
flag gotohe11carolina
FL
Posted: Mar 14, 2020 at 18:56 Quote
Bontrager tires have been pretty true to width for me. That said, why the necessity for 2.6? There are plenty of 2.6 tires with wooden sidewalls that offer no real benefit over good 2.4 tires. If 2.6 tires do it for you then by all means but the main benefits I’ve seen are mainly in ride comfort with the extra air volume. Everything else like tracking, side lug grip and tread profiles seem to suffer.

For personal experience I found the 2.6 maxxis forekaster to be the harshest riding tire that lacked any semblance of grip in anything besides hero dirt. I’ve gone to a Magic Mary 2.4 if front with a Bonty se5 in the rear and couldn’t be happier.
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