Somewhere between plus-sized and XC-skinny, between puncture-prone garbage and prohibitively expensive race tires, there is a happy trail rubber medium. We call that place the 27. 5in Maxxis Minion DHF Wide Trail EXO/TR Tire. The Minion WT is 2. 5in wide, so it doesn't have the prohibitive clearance issues that plague 3in plus-size tires, and it's got a hit of sidewall protection to keep it rolling through all-mountain terrain. Despite not measuring in the 2. 8in range, the Minion WT still accommodates the current trend of wider rims with a tread pattern designed to sit fat without the risk of the shoulder knobs migrating onto the center rolling surface — a distinct possibility with narrower tires mounted on wide rims. This preserves the rolling speed and cornering grip that keeps us coming back to the dual-compound Minion party, and makes the DHF model's reliability on soggy trails that much more appealing. Sitting fat also equates to more air volume, which in turn makes for a plusher, less flat-prone, and higher traction ride — all of which properties are further boosted by running the Minion tubeless. This particular Minion also features Maxxis' EXO cut- and abrasion-resistant sidewalls, which are supple enough to maintain trail feel but tough enough to take a rocky beating so you don’t end up with sliced rubbers while shredding some pointy rocks and sharp-edged drops.