Posted by: heathen
Posted by: Bushpilot
Does it have to be 30mm ID? I'm running 2.4 DHR2s on EX471s which are 25mm ID and the tire profile is really nice. I expect you would get a similar result with other Maxxis WT 2.4 tires on a 25mm ID rim. But maybe I'm wrong about that...wouldn't be the first time. FWIW I also have a 2.4 DHR2 on my other bike which has a 30mm ID rim and the profile difference of the tire between the two different width rims is very slight (on those tire and rim combos at least). That might open up more XC / light trail weight options for you.
25mm definitely opens up more possibilities but I would prefer to stick with 30mm or very close to it. 28mm at least. I ran a DHF/DHR on 25mm rims in 2018 and found them a bit drifty and when I switched to 30mm they had better bite in corners as the profile was flatter.
FWIW I tried a 2.5 Assegai on the EX471 and did not like it. I found that tire too wide for the 25mm ID rim and the profile ended up too round for my taste. And 2.5 DHF actually measures wider than an 2.5 Assegai (at least it does on my 30mm ID rim so same should be true on 25mm ID) so I’d imagine that the 2.5 DHF could be even rounder on a 25mm ID. But I don’t find that at all with the 2.4 DHR2 WT (side knobs still square up nicely for hard cornering). I guess just an additional data point. Maybe the 2.5 DHF threw you off?
Also FWIW I have inserts in both of the wheel sets so I don’t comment on tire stability as between the 25mm and 30mm rims since the inserts take care of that. But that might also be a difference separate and apart from tire profile.
Anyway happy rim hunting.