Apparently born from the dry and loose tyre desires of World Cup DH star Troy Brosnan, Dissector plates up different elements from the Maxxis buffet to create a great tyre for those riders who feel a bit too gripped on DHR and Assegai.
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Construction
The WT carcass is proven Maxxis and while we tested the lightest single-ply Exo version there’s a DH casing for Troy and friends and DD and Exo+ version are listed but not available yet. Similarly, while you can currently only get 2.4in 27.5 or 29, 2.6in options are slated for both wheel sizes, too. Our 2.4in Exo version rolled onto WTB or Hunt rims easily by hand but still popped up for a secure fit with a track pump and sizing is spot on at a fraction under 2.4in from knob to knob.
In terms of Maxxis comparison, the ramped, alternating centre tread sits somewhere between Rekon and DHR with a significant gap to the Rekon/Aggressor shoulder strip. There’s a choice of a dual compound or triple compound Max Terra on the Exo and Exo+ tyres, while the DD and 2 Ply DH are Maxx Grip.
Performance
Maxxis is the generally accepted performance benchmark for aggro and trail tyres and the Dissector sits very neatly into that crossover point. It’s lighter than DHF and DHR in a similar size and the ramped tread rolls faster too - especially compared to the DHR so it adds immediate pep to pedalling. While there is a momentary breath catch as you cross the centre to shoulder gap that High Roller users will definitely recognise. Make the leap of traction faith though and cornering grip is decent with a controllably lazy fade into drift rather than a dramatic snap out. That soon makes chasing the sideways slip through every corner an addictive pastime, particularly as you’ll get to those corners a bit sooner and faster than you were expecting. That means it’s a great match to well planted, low slung bikes and riders who like to play with the edge of control at every opportunity. That’s on the 2.4 too, so while we’ve not tried them yet our experience on other 2.6in Maxxis suggests they’ll be properly sideways happy.
Braking is very stable if you get carried away though and while it can’t match the ‘who put a coil fork/shock on my bike’ damping feel of Hutchinson’s class-leading carcass it definitely feels more planted and secure than Rekon, Forekaster or Aggressor. Obviously Exo+, DD and DH versions will add increasing amounts of surefooted, slam proofed feel as you move towards and then well past the kilo.
Verdict
If you’re riding around on Maxxis DHF, Assegai or DHR tyres - and wishing you were going a bit quicker or want a bit more confidence than your Rekon or Forekaster tyres are providing here’s your answer. Dissector boosts rolling speed and response, but still feels damped and anchored with great ‘grip to slip’ bandwidth for control surfers.
Tech spec: Maxxis Dissector EXO tyre
- Sizes: 27.5 and 29in. 2.4 and 2.6in
- Carcass: Exo, Exo+, DD, DH
- Compound: Dual, 3C Maxx Terra, 3C Maxx Grip
- Weight: 843g (29 x 2.4in WT 3C Exo)
- Price: £64.99 (29 x 2.4in WT 3C Exo)
