MAXXIS Assegai released – Greg Minnaar’s signature downhill tire
There’s been rumors about a signature-tire from Greg Minnaar for quite a while, now the MAXXIS Assegai is officially released. The downhill tire wants to unite the best of the well known MAXXIS tires and we’ve got you all the details directly from MAXXIS:
Greg Minnaar is one of the most constant riders in the World Cup a podium contender on any course, whether steep and technical or smooth and flowing. MAXXIS approached Greg 2016 with the idea of creating a signature tire. While designing the Assegai, Greg sketched out his ideal tread pattern, taking bits and pieces he liked from each of his favourite tires: the Minion DHF, DHR II, Shorty, and High Roller. The name of the Assegai comes from a traditional spear of the Zulu tribe from South Africa where Greg was born and raised.
Greg explains his thoughts on designing the Assegai:
“My idea was to design a tire around some of Maxxis’ iconic tread patterns. I started in the center by combining the Minion DHF and the Minion DHR II. The reasoning behind this was I felt the surface area of the DHF rolls well and gives you a good footprint on hardpack, greasy turns as well as confidence on wet roots and rocks. The DHR II added faster rolling speed and more aggressive braking.
Then I worked on the ‘extra’ tooth to give you more support when leaning the bike over so there’s a consistent feel all the way onto the side knobs. And that leaves me talking about my all-time favorite tire — the High Roller. Maxxis engineers and I came up with a remodeled High Roller side knob with very similar characteristics to the original. But with the support the extra tooth gives you, you have the ultimate wingman when cutting hard on a flat turn. Finally, I took the height of the knobs from the Shorty. The knobs are well-supported, so the extra height aggressively bites into loam and dry, dusty conditions.”
Specifications
- Sizes: 27.5×2.50″ und 29×2.50″
- Wide Trail casing optimized for 30-35mm wide rims
- 3C MaxxGrip rubber compound
- Dual-ply casing with butyl sidewall inserts
- Tubeless compatibility
- Folding bead
- Price: € 74.50
The Maxxis Assegai is available for order now with DH casing only. We hope that MAXXIS releases a lighter enduro version of the Assegai in the future.
For more info head to: maxxis.com
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Words: Photos: Duncan Philpott
