The widened side knobs on the Minion DHR II provide support and help with manoeuvrability. The ramped knobs in the centre of the tread improve acceleration, while their grooves help maintain control when leaning the bike. Paddle-shaped knobs provide grip under hard braking and help control the bike. The tyre can be used on the rear with the Minion DHF to create a combination for aggressive riding on off-road trails.
The tread uses two separate rubber compounds. They reduce rolling resistance and help provide good handling through corners.
EXO is a puncture- and abrasion-resistant material used on the sidewalls of many Maxxis mountain bike and gravel tyres. This dense material is lightweight and flexible, so it does not affect tyre performance. EXO protection is intended for durable tyres used on gravel, XC or less demanding forest trails.
Tubeless tyres allow riders to use lower tyre pressures, which improves grip. They also have lower rolling resistance than tyres with inner tubes. If a tyre is punctured, it loses pressure more slowly because there is no inner tube. Tubeless tyres are marked “TR” on the sidewall.
The Wide Trail (WT) construction optimises the tread layout and profile on modern, wider rims. Traditional tyres are designed for older, narrower rims and can distort the tyre profile, reducing performance. WT tyres are optimised for a 35 mm internal rim width, but are also suitable for rims 30–35 mm wide.
Maxxis Wide Trail XC tyres are optimised for use with rims with a 30 mm internal width, but also work well on narrower rims down to 25 mm. Maxxis does not recommend rims wider than 30 mm or narrower than 25 mm.