Tech

Maxxis introduces Greg Minnaar’s Signature Tire, the Assegai

Supplied by Maxxis International.

· By Press Office · 0 comments

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…

ccs-62657-0-01081600-1524211848.jpg

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:

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 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

ccs-62657-0-56650300-1524211846.jpg

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.

I wanted something that sounded sharp and aggressive, and that’s how I ended up calling my tire the Assegai! The Assegai is a traditional Zulu warrior spear, the Zulu being the traditional tribe of KwaZulu Natal, the region of South Africa where I was born and raised.
Greg Minnaar

ccs-62657-0-79138600-1524211844.jpg

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.

ccs-62657-0-13209500-1524211849.jpg

Comments

There are no comments yet. Why not add yours below.

Add a comment

You must log in to comment