Without a doubt, Greg Minnaar is the most dominant downhill racer in World Cup history. He’s also remarkably consistent and versatile — a podium contender on any course, whether steep and technical or smooth and flowing. Simply put, Greg is fast everywhere.
Greg Minnaar. The G.O.A.T.
3 World Championship Titles
3 World Cup Overall Titles
21 World Cup Wins
75 World Cup Podiums
And counting…
When we approached Greg two years ago with the idea of creating a signature tire, he was eager to combine his three decades of racing experience with Maxxis’ unmatched engineering capabilities. Our engineers sent over drawings of some of Greg’s favorite tires: the Minion DHF, DHR II, Shorty, and High Roller. Greg then sketched out his ideal tread pattern, taking bits and pieces he liked from each. As he puts it:
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 favourite tire — the High Roller. Maxxis engineers and I came up with a remodelled 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.
Greg Minnaar
Such a potent tire deserves a potent name, which is why Greg chose to call his signature tread the Assegai. As a native South African, a name with ties to his home country seems fitting.
Greg Minnaar
Specs
The Maxxis Assegai is initially available only in a downhill-spec — naturally. Other features of the Assegai include:
- 27.5 x 2.50 and 29 x 2.50 sizes
- Wide Trail casing optimized for 30-35mm wide rims
- Maxxis’ legendary 3C MaxxGrip rubber compound
- Dual-ply casing with butyl sidewall inserts for stability and durability
- Tubeless compatibility
- Folding bead
Local availability and pricing to confirmed.