MAXXIS DISSECTOR

Tester: Ben Morrison

Casing: Double Down

Compound: MaxxGrip 3C

Weight: 1156g (29”)

Size: 29 x 2.4” (27.5” also available) Width on DT Swiss 30mm rim: 57.5mm PSI for testing: 21/23 front/rear

RRP: $134.95 lustyindustries.com

Having a collaboration with a brand like Maxxis must mean you know a thing or two about going fast and our very own Troy Brosnan knows a thing or two about that – the Dissector is his tyre, being launched a few years ago. The Dissector is probably the perfect trail bike tyre you can get, it comes in almost every side wall and rubber combo Maxxis offer, rolls fast and brakes well. It’s also designed to be the perfect tyre for loose over hard pack, something that Australia has lots of.

A few things that stand out over other Maxxis tyres and stand true with speed is its width being 2.4” not the more normal 2.5”, it’s faster rolling and lighter weight than the popular Assegai as well. I have a fair bit of experience with the Dissector running it both front and rear, although on a longer travel bike it suits rear use, combined with a Maxxis Minion DHF. I frequently run this combo in Double Down casings for both tyres. Whereas on something like a modern trail bike running 120-140mm of travel they make a great front and rear combo, a little skinnier, faster, predictable and still with plenty of grip. Mix this with an EXO+ casing and that’s an outstanding combo

Using a Double Down casing and MaxxGrip rubber I found that on the rear you do play with durability as a trade off with the soft compound. The Dissector is also available in MaxxTerra for better tread life. But in my mind its worth the grip and shorter life with MaxxGrip especially given the shorter knobs of the Dissector and its tendancy to skip across the terrain under braking, having the softer compound allows the Dissector the opportunity to grab on and slow things down a little.

If you ride trails that are mostly loose over hard pack and not incredibly steep, you can’t go wrong with a Dissector on the rear. If you are looking for a little more speed on the shorter travel bike but don’t want to sacrifice grip give one a go on the front too.