Onza's Gwin-Designed Aquila DH Tire Released for Sale

 lol, that's the funniest thing I read all day, let us know when they're sorted, got a neighbour I need to message......

 Well a Aaron Ross, a pro BMX rider has his own signature tire and grips that shaped and molded like a Keypad and spelling out his own name.

 @Worm-Burner - I will draw that for you! Center knob...

 should've called it the gwinion...

 At a glance, sure. If you look closely there are a number of subtle differences. Subtle differences in tires can make a significant difference.

 @robwhynot: I heard it was a combo of minion dhf in the middle and butcher (which is basically a minion dhf 2) side knobs.

I bet it is a good tyre. I also bet it is a lot more expensive than a butcher or minion.

 It will "flat out" perform

 must have been a real challenge to design a tire that performs like a dhr II but does not infringe on maxxis rights...

 I don't think it looks thaaaat much like a minion. I have minions and marys on my bikes and these look a bit different.

They're still downhill tyres designed to do the same thing, given that we're 25 years into the development of these types of tyre the changes are going to be incremental right?

I can believe that for the size of the contact patch small changes can make a difference. Especially when these guys win (gwin...) by such tight margins.

Difference for normal folks? Nope. Worth the money? Probly not!

 @flexdeluxe:

 @flexdeluxe: Amasing!!!

 well, honestly if you take a look on Onza Ibex, that´s most probably what Maxxis copied for High Rollers, as its on market way longer

 @bok-CZ: WHAT? Maxxis has been the leader in DH tire design since they released the high roller back in the late 90's! At that time Onza was a has been. But it looks like they could be back in the tire game with this one.

 It looks very close to Bontrager G5. I roll on them since 2 months - a truly Great tyre, but I still prefer DHF in Maxx Grip. Doesn't brake as well but rolls better and cornering is more predictable. You just can't get enough of leaning soft DHFs, they just tease you to check out how much they can take. Bontys G5 like DHR2 have a rather defined edge and don't talk that much. They are there for you, but when they let go, they just let go. However nowhere as bad a High Rollers which basically offer most grip in the world and next thing you know, you wake up on the ground, terrible head ache, sore half of the body, peed in your trousers and your friends say, they were affraid you were a goner. Don't trust these fkers at all, HRs have no break away zone, they just fkng disappear from under you after delivering godlike grip. And Butchers are generally worthless, when compared to the best in the business. Magic Marys are weird, but squirmy but grip extremely well. Haven't tried Continentals, but since most of their line is garbage considering the price and hype, Judging by thepattern, I don't expect too much from them

 looks like a dhr2 with high roller side knobs. I bet they'd be amazing on the back with a high roller up front. Traction city.

 My favorite bit about HR and HR2 on the rear, is that they convert themselves into semi slicks in a matter of one day in the park. Your bike gets so enduro, for free.

 @flexdeluxe:

 @WAKIdesigns: I would really be curious to see you riding, to see how you can destroy a tyre faster than a WC racer...

 @zede: Center knobs on high rollers mounted to the rear disappear in sight as they are heavily ramped.

 @WAKIdesigns: mine are still "fine" after quite some time, including bike park laps. Maybe I don't skid enough

 @robwhynot: in the patent and copyright judgements

 @flexdeluxe: Axxis Gwinion?

 @WAKIdesigns: Try the Conti Der Kaiser Pojekt, been running them for the last few years with great sucess and wear levels. Providing you don't lock up all the time.

 indeed!

 If he was smart he would of left them that 5 thousandth too thick so by mid run the grip is optimal due to wear.

 @bigburd: the top pros are not interested in optimal wear when their mechanic throws a fresh set on at every race (and when ever they feel like it when training at home).

 I heard he can feel a single pebble under his matress

 Look at the positive side: More competition.

 Someone in their advertising department wrote that line. [Insert current sponsored athlete] gets paid to read it.

 DHR2 has the side knobs staggered vs the centre knobs, as does the DHF. And the DHR2 has three different centre knob groups, not two.

This is much more like a Bontrager G5 but with the side knobs moved so they're in line with the centre knobs - as most tyres have staggered side vs centre knobs this is a pretty significant difference (it's often done to reduce clogging and improve grip in loose conditions).

 @threehats: nailed it

 There might be some truth to it though. He wasn't using his signature grip last year, but he is using it now

 @fabdemaere: Absolute BS anyone can feel 0.1mm difference on a grip. That must be within the manufacturing tolerances for starters. Total BS spouted to reinforce the image of brand Gwinn

 @BeardlessMarinRider: I can feel the difference between the inner and outer of my ergon grips and I think that's only 0.1mm too? Or maybe 0.2mm. I think gwin is at a level we shouldn't try understand

 5/1000" of thickness means 0,8mm of circumference. Anyone would feel it.

 @romphaia: Maybe you are right, bloody Imperial system... who invented that? I interpreted it as 0.005 inches which too be fair is actually 0.025mm and much less than I said originally (Bacofoil thickness). Total BS

 Five thousandths of an inch is 0.005" which converts to 0.127mm. For comparison, the average sheet of paper is about 0.003 inches thick. Working in a machine shop for 12 years I can say that there is no way I can feel five thousandths difference between two different pieces.

 @pbuser23411: Think of it another way, the Gwineth claimed he could feel/see a difference and they needed him to sign off on the grip. So they went and found a difference which was coincidentally exactly what was originally suggested. They either made it up or Gwin got lucky.

How many times have you heard someone suggest something which was correct by chance and then think they understand what they are talking about?

 @richard01: or possibly more likely is he said it doesn't feel right, they measured it, found it was off by that much, and now claim he can feel 1/200 of an inch...

 @TheDoctoRR: exactly

 @robhill: Agree .. I would HOPE it was an error by the article writer. Gwinn likely said it did not feel right and that's it (we all could believe that). I highly doubt he predicted exactly how far out the measurement was. Pinkbikers are right to call BS here, unfortunately it takes the focus away from the intent behind the article which was to promote the new tires.

 Maybe he just used a f*ckING CALIPER, why the f*ck are you people stressing over the first paragraph? Whether he's got wizard hands or not, the point remains that he's extremely detail oriented and hard to please, so this tire is exactly the way the reigning world cup champion wants it to be.

 Hey Guys, I usually don't post much on here but when an article is posted about something exciting to me, like my new Aquila tire, I'm interested to hear what you the fans think. Unfortunately, I didn't even get through the first paragraph before I was scratching my head and asking myself.. What!? I'm not sure where they came up with the "five thousandths of an inch" thing, but I had a laugh reading that. Imagine me actually opening a box of new grips, pulling one out and saying, I won't run these grips, they're five thousandths of an inch too thick!! lol I would have never worded it like that.

The truth to that story is that the grips were actually TOO THIN. After testing and signing off on the final design and specs, I received my first box of production AG1 grips. I threw them on my bike and noticed immediately that they felt really firm and smaller in diameter than my Ruffians, which was not supposed to be the case. Long story short, there had been an issue in the production process and the grips were indeed smaller in diameter, meaning less rubber and ultimately a much firmer feeling grip. I was bummed to say the least but agreed to try them out for a few races to see if I could get used to them. They were fine on the smoother tracks but when the tracks got rough, they were just too firm for me. ODI apologized for the mistake and agreed that we'd work on an AG2 grip in the future to make it exactly as I had wanted. By that time production of the AG1 grip was already in full swing and a lot of people loved them. Stopping production just because I wasn't racing them on my downhill bike didn't seem logical considering they were still an awesome grip for different types of riding, personal preferences, or hand sizes. I knew that not everyone using these grips raced World Cup level downhill and would care about the grip being so firm. A lot of people actually prefer the thinner feel of the grip and because of that, we continued to produce them and they have become one of ODI's highest selling grips.

Anyways, I say all this to just simply stand up for my integrity. I can appreciate the point which the writer was trying to make in this article, although the facts were incorrect, and that is that I am extremely passionate about the products that I design. I notice the smallest little details and that has been true throughout my entire career. Heck, maybe the writer even called ODI and the grip actually was five thousandths of an inch off and I just never heard the final measurement difference. I don't know but I do know that those were not the words that I used and to present it in the story like they were, just simply doesn't fit reality. I'm a very kind, logical dude, anyone who knows me would say the same. The phone call to ODI was more like 'Hey guys, these grips are smaller and firmer than the samples which I signed off on, can we work on fixing this?"

Ok, let's talk tires now. What you guys got?

 @AaronGwin1: so what compound option do you go for ? Always been a fan of Maxxis DHR2 st in 2.4s, always good to try something new be keen to see how these Onza tyres perform

 @AaronGwin1: Why are you pretending to be Aaron Gwin, and why do people actual think you are AG?!

 @pbuser23411: Yeah, agreed. As a Millwright this part is ridiculous.

 @AaronGwin1: fair enough. It's good to know the mtb industry is still loose enough for the marketing people to mistake their arses for their elbows and for the top guys in the sport's history to lower themselves to our level once in a while to set things straight. Enjoy the rest of the season, stay upright and keep the air in your tyres - same goes for your rivals.
By the way, if Maxxis and Onza are essentially the same firm and you were using Minions already, why not just stick with Minions? Bidness? Something to do with brands dividing to conquer? Is this a question for an economist?

 @AaronGwin1: God Bless you Aaron!

So on the new tires, you said in a video that most everyone was on semi-slicks and you were on full knobbies. Would you ever see a situation where you would have to modify them like trimming them down or even switching to another tire for muddy tracks?

Also, any chance for a plus tire?

 @Jack-McLovin: obviously the thought crosses your mind, but why would anyone weird enough to want to pretend to be AG on the interweb actually be as courteous and mild mannered as the man himself and express himself exactly as I would expect him to. It'd be a waste of time. If I had a troll stalker imitator dude this good, I'd probably pay him.

 I'm also pretty sure any woman on the planet can feel a .01 mm difference.... just sayin....

 @BenPea:
Bro, come on. This is the internet. Look at the created date, the lack of photos, the lack of profile picture.
The dude talks and acts in a mild-mannered way because he wants you to believe he is AG. That's literally the point of pretending to be him.
Trolls come in all shapes and sizes, my friend.

 @Thustlewhumber: Except your mom...

Just jokes man... it was too tempting to pass up. Peace!!! hehe

 @Jack-McLovin: shit, so if he's not AG, who am I? And who the f are you? C'mon, it's not Cristiano Ronaldo we're talking about. This is some niche shit right here, not Kanye shit talking some other uberceleb dickhead... damn it, I'm probably wrong.

 @AaronGwin1: Well the tire looks good but man the DHF is so good why change, plus your the only one (or one of few) that has ridden the tire yet.

 @AaronGwin1: I like it when the pros are even more fussy about gear than I am - some of the best riders I personally know seem to be able to ride the hell out of a junk heap whilst I notice even if my tyres pressures are 10% out and end up in a vicious circle of decreasing confidence.

DHF or Short 2.5 on the front of my bouncy bike, DHR2 or Shorty 2.3 on the back. HR2 2.4 and Minion SS on the hardtail for comical looseness.

This is still my fav WC DH run of all time: www.youtube.com/watch?v=ikxQc_GPfF4 (especially 9 seconds in). Nice one!

 @AaronGwin1: Tires seem like they'll be awsome! Will there be lighter folding bead options?

 @richard01: You all are forgetting the supernatural powers of The Lord that are bestowed upon him.

 There are only two logical explanations for the first paragraph. Either a) Mr. Gwin is FOS or b) Pinkbike/ the author of the article is FOS.... Don't care either way but it is such a BS thing to open with

 @pbuser23411: But a 5 thou step in a shaft feels huge and .005" TIR looks massive if you spend time a lot of time on a lathe.

 @AaronGwin1: Question...did you use these tires at the Snowshoe National Champs? Course conditions were next level on the bottom half of the course. If these tires worked well in that? I'd consider em.

 @scbullit36: I ran my Aquila in the front and a Shorty in the rear so I had a bit better breaking traction in the mud. We don't have an intermediate tire... yet

 @AaronGwin1: Sick! Thanks Aaron! Maybe I'll give these tires a shot. They look good. My go to at the moment is the DHR out back and the DHF up front. I've tried a bunch of different setups but keep coming back to the Minions. Maybe I'll pick up a fresh set of these Aquila's for next season.

Great job at Nationals! Your time was next level. Down that course...in those conditions...breaking the 4 minute mark is crazy, scary, fast. I crashed 3X on that course when I raced Saturday. The mud in the middle did me in.

 @pbuser23411: I study mechanical engineering and I'm a machinist at school for a race car and I totally support what you're saying... No way you can feel .005" difference especially on rubber.

 @AaronGwin1: What about Onza Citius or Ibex tires? Thought they're proper DH tires

 Remember lads, when it comes to inches. They all count..........

 Yeah no 29er version either for the kooks...like me. }:-)

 Can't believe they're not making this in 24"+ either...what the hell onza?!

 Or a 20" fat tire!

In all seriousness more sizes would be good, specifically 26. I see lots of old 26 dh bikes out on the trails

 Poor decision. When we have Schwalbe and Maxxis and nothing new as a tire tread since Magic Mary and only small changes of Minion and Magic Mary tread patterns being made I don't see how a new tire will take a place on the market, especially if they don't provide sizing options. I mean, I'm on 26" wheels and I won't even think about Onza tires near future.

 @mentalhead: Onza tires are actually pretty incredible. I ran an Ibex for the longest time and it was one of my favorite tires.

 Vulnerable sidewalls are on every tire used for WC DH.

 Ok.
I don't think rick and morty is that funny.
You happy now?

 @michaelhowie: How dare you!

 I've never seen an episode of Game of Thrones

 Big Bang theory for hipsters.

 I like plus bikes.

 @michaelhowie: Nah mate, BBT is complete and utter garbage, while Rick and Morty is actually funny, and quite smart too.

 @Losvar: hence, why some people don't find it funny......

 @nojzilla: I had 1 good laugh out of S3E2. It doesn't mean I don't get it.

 @Losvar: naaaaaaah. It's the same premise as lots of cartoons. Boy has magic/genius friend that allows anything to happen. Dressing it up with fancy words and references does not make it original/funny/clever.
It made me chuckle, I quite enjoyed it but I don't believe the circle jerk.

 You're treading on thin ice.

 Seems like the puns have issues with gaining traction.

 @saso: it's left me deflated.

 that was the first thing that poped in my mind too

 Yeah is this the tire he keeps flatting in races?

 You should try E13 tires if you don't care about rolling resistance

 The clutch was not slow.....I wish they still made it

 I believe it's the second option, similar to how Ethirteens tires are made. not that many high end tire shops to choose from, after all, & doing it in house is a great way to price yourself out of the market these days. CST makes more brands of MTB tire than they don't. Conti makes their own, but don't think they go after 3rd party manufacturing.

Also, surprised it took someone this long to mention slow reezay... race day only tire, you'll be lucky to get a 40a tire to last through an entire day of park riding. ridiculous grip though. Surprised it doesn't have a harder compound base. I'd think a full 40a tire would be too squidgy for Gwin, even I could feel the knobs folding on those tires.

 @groghunter: I used to run slow reezay minions (for DH racing) and loved them. I found they didn't tear as easy as super tacky despite being softer. Soooo much grip as well.
Would suck for doing skandos through berms in a bike park though!

 This tyre looks b-onza to me.

 some design talont right there

 And the tire he used to win the weekend before that

 @kleinblake: dont you dare use facts to oppose a perfectly good theory

 if it was that tiny amount out maybe they accidentally got mixed up and used the minion mold by mistake?

 Dunno why it popped as I reply sambobcat. My phones being stupid

 I'll bump you back up! I was hoping the same thing. Probably for 2018 it will have more sizes and options.

 its close, I'll give it to ya

 Let's not start with old tyred puns

 @karaknic: Knob.

 @cunning-linguist: That's just how i roll..

 Looks more like a minion DHR2 than a HR2 but yep a very Maxxis like design