splain me sumpin effel

[creaky fossil]

How is it that these hotshit journos ride a tire and report on it and have experiences almost totally opposite mine?

Like when a tire "rolls slowly" so you put it on the back of your bike? That's my best argument for using a tire only up front, "rolls slowly". Not for putting it at the rear wheel. HR2 wears fast as a Schwalbe when you put it on Mr Pedally Wheel.

I don't know, I feel like a hack for being able to run the HR2 up front without scary braking or "too drifty" behavior showing itself. Hopefully some of you can explain why I can't make this tire not perform for me.

[toast2266]

I dunno, I generally agree with most of what he (she?) said, except for the slow rolling part (I'd call them average-ish for a relatively meaty tire). The HR2 is the driftiest of the maxxi that I've had the occasion to ride. I like it alright, but I'd take a DHF or a DHR2 over it most of the time. I'm not sure what condition I'd prefer the HR2 to one of those other options, although I think it does roll a bit faster.

[creaky fossil]

Is it a pointless tire in their lineup?

Rolls faster to me than a DHF or a DHR2, but slower than Ardent. More grip than Ardent in all dimensions, side knobs seem supportive to me though less than either Minion. Do we have to default to Minions? What if either Minion feels draggy except for when you really need all that knobbage, and Ardents roll fine but kinda squishy on the edge?

I don't knock the Minion DHF or DHR2 as a sort of gold standard, they're both great tires, but do people really ride terrain where at least 50% of their riding time, they need all the knobs of either Minion? Pedaling rides, I mean. Not shuttled/lifted.

[toast2266]

I probably only ride terrain where the DHF / R2 are really in their element maybe 20-30% of the time (excluding shuttling / lifting). I figure a good chunk of the ride is climbing (where those tires kinda suck), and there'll probably be some flattish hardpack where those tires are, at a minimum, overkill. But I don't really give a shit about how the tire climbs, and flattish hardpack is boring. I want a tire that performs well on the fun bits of the trail. I'll suffer through the rest of it.

[Gripen]

I dunno, I generally agree with most of what he (she?) said, except for the slow rolling part (I'd call them average-ish for a relatively meaty tire). The HR2 is the driftiest of the maxxi that I've had the occasion to ride. I like it alright, but I'd take a DHF or a DHR2 over .

I'm glad to hear this from both you and Cf.
I'm running one up front for the first time after eons on DHFs and though this year I've had to change my riding style drastically and thus feel I'm a poor judge at the moment, I really haven't been happy with the HR2 compared to my old &DHFs. I feel they just squish out under lateral pressure and don't respond to being over the front like the minions.

[Lindahl]

Yeah, pretty much how I feel. Maxxis Advantage on the small bike, DHFs on the big bike, which still sees some trails that aren't loose or dusty enough to warrant it. Though, you don't always know when you'll want em, so better to have em on there than something not aggressive enough. Worth the penalties, as toast said. If I didn't have a small bike, I might have a different opinion though.

[creaky fossil]

I probably only ride terrain where the DHF / R2 are really in their element maybe 20-30% of the time (excluding shuttling / lifting). I figure a good chunk of the ride is climbing (where those tires kinda suck), and there'll probably be some flattish hardpack where those tires are, at a minimum, overkill. But I don't really give a shit about how the tire climbs, and flattish hardpack is boring. I want a tire that performs well on the fun bits of the trail. I'll suffer through the rest of it.

That's how I want to treat things, but I'm slower and older. You are a stronger climber than I am, as are nearly all of the people I ride with regularly. So I'm less inclined to drag around more tire. I tend to try to run the least amount of tire I can get away with while still having fun. "Fun" doesn't usually refer to the climbing part of the ride for me.

I've run HR2 as a rear tire and it feels draggy (more knob/resistance/traction than I need) while wearing fast too. Double negative for me. If I didn't have 7 mostly paved miles to/from trailhead and began my ride on earth rather than pavement, I would run HR2 as a rear tire if the ride was going to be rocky & loose descending mixed with semitech pedally traverses etc.

I'm running HR2 2.3 front and ADvantage 2.1 rear now, ADvantage rolls well for its knobbage and the side knobs match the HR2's pretty well. ADvantage isn't typical Maxxis in its transition drifting though, at least it doesn't do that for me unless I'm too heavy on the front and too firm with my rear brake grab.

[BushwackerinPA]

I am guessing you lean the bike over more than the tester?

I just order one of these for the front of my Honzo. I hoping I agree with UC and not the guy who did the review.

[creaky fossil]

I'm glad to hear this from both you and Cf.
I'm running one up front for the first time after eons on DHFs and though this year I've had to change my riding style drastically and thus feel I'm a poor judge at the moment, I really haven't been happy with the HR2 compared to my old &DHFs. I feel they just squish out under lateral pressure and don't respond to being over the front like the minions.

They feel squishier than DHF or DHR2 side knobs to me, but I tend to go easy on the bike in corners and I don't weigh a lot. If I cornered in a more slashy and abrupt way (what I jokingly call "trying to shear the tire off the rim") I would probably want the stoutest side knobs I could get, which would probably be DHR2. DHR2 definitely worth running as a front tire despite its name. I think kidwoo's review said that, I know it's what I found, I've only tried it as a front tire. Looks like a number of world cup racers are using it up front, and as front/rear pair. It's not light, but it rolls well.

HR2 definitely doesn't give same feeling as either Minion if you ride front-axle bias. I get intentionally nose-heavy sometimes but it's not my usual spot on the bike, I prefer to stay in the middle as much as I can. HR2 works for me maybe because of that? For shuttled/lifted non-stop descending with plenty of steeps, I'd
avoid HR2 as a front.

I am guessing you lean the bike over more than the tester?

Maybe so, I can't say for sure as I never rode with the reviewer. Lee has seen me blow through corners, maybe I don't lean at all!

If you take it as it is, rather than expecting it to be a mirror of either Minion as a front tire, you may like it fine. That's sorta my point I guess. If you want a Minion, run a Minion -- don't run a High Roller 2 and complain that it's not a Minion! How is it as a HR2, how is it compared to the old HR? Old HR used to be too wishywashy as a front tire for me.

[Gripen]

That's how I want to treat things, but I'm slower and older. You are a stronger climber than I am, as are nearly all of the people I ride with regularly. So I'm less inclined to drag around more tire. I tend to try to run the least amount of tire I can get away with while still having fun. "Fun" doesn't usually refer to the climbing part of the ride for me.

I would run HR2 as a rear tire if the ride was going to be rocky & loose descending mixed with semitech pedally traverses etc.

Serious question, I'm not trying to insinuate or start Shit, do you or others change tires depending on upcoming rides or have multiple rideable wheelsets. I ride my tires until thier death for everything unless I truly hate them. Maybe I'd switch them if I was switching climes completely ie coast to Utah or something. I like riding one tire combo so it's predictable ride to ride. In a similar vein that I don't like freshly tuned skis unless truly ripping icy groomers.

[creaky fossil]

I have only one wheelset. I don't change tires often. Usually I start in the Spring with smaller knobbed front and rear, and then around this time of year when things are getting loose, switch to a more knobby set. I swapped the rear from an Ardent Race to the ADvantage a few weeks back but I may keep running the HR2 up front.

I would rather use the same setup and only replace when worn/torn, but I like the easier pedaling smaller knobs early season. Ten or more years ago I wouldn't have bothered running faster tires early season.

I agree about predictability. Spring trail conditions usually are damp and tight soil, hero dirt, don't need a lot of tire to get things done. Sorta like the ability to run dull edges in soft 3D snow. I still like my front and rear tires to match reasonably well on the side knobs. Lots of off-camber sidehill can make it frustrating if the rear is looser than the front and wants to slough downhill as you traverse.

I think some people's athleticism is catlike and instinctive enough that predictability isn't as big an issue for them, but I'm not one of them.

[BushwackerinPA]

so am I crazy to run a HR2 front tire and a Ikon rear tire(IMO with 3c grippy tire on hard wet stuff then the Ardent) , on a hardtail that is being rallied hard down the hill?

[creaky fossil]

If it works, it works.