Maxxis DHR2 versus Schwalbe Eddy Current

[Singletrackmind]

Please compare Maxxis DHR2 3C Maxx Terra Double Down versus Schwalbe Eddy Current Super Gravity Addix Soft
providing information on climbing and descending characteristics.

 

[Greg Watts]

Please compare Maxxis DHR2 3C Maxx Terra Double Down versus Schwalbe Eddy Current Super Gravity Addix Soft providing information on climbing and descending characteristics.

Two very different philosophies on the rear, these two. Here's the breakdown. Climbing

The Eddy Current Rear was literally designed with moto trials tyres as inspiration. The massive centre knobs dig into loose ground like spades, making it a true climbing specialist, particularly suited to steep, loose climbs where it never seems to lose traction.

Schwalbe designed the rear specifically for maximum braking performance and power transfer on climbs. The DHR2 3C MaxxTerra DD is a very capable climber in its own right, with excellent straight-line traction, but it doesn't have the same digging, paddle-style bite on loose surfaces. @Oded found the Eddy Current far grippier than the DHR2 especially in sand, and at your weight (100kg on that Wild with a Gen 5 motor putting serious torque through the rear), climbing traction under power is where the Eddy Current genuinely pulls ahead.

The trade-off is rolling resistance. Schwalbe's Addix Soft compound offers a good balance between grip and rolling resistance, and incidentally the rolling resistance is comparable to Maxxis's 3C MaxxTerra compound.

So the compounds are similar, but the Eddy Current's larger, more spaced knobs and heavier casing mean it won't feel quite as quick on fireroad transfers. On an eMTB with 100Nm behind you, this matters less than it would on a pedal bike.

Descending This is where it gets more nuanced.

 

[Singletrackmind]

Two very different philosophies on the rear, these two. Here's the breakdown. Climbing

The Eddy Current Rear was literally designed with moto trials tyres as inspiration. The massive centre knobs dig into loose ground like spades, making it a true climbing specialist, particularly suited to steep, loose climbs where it never seems to lose traction.

Schwalbe designed the rear specifically for maximum braking performance and power transfer on climbs. The DHR2 3C MaxxTerra DD is a very capable climber in its own right, with excellent straight-line traction, but it doesn't have the same digging, paddle-style bite on loose surfaces. @Oded found the Eddy Current far grippier than the DHR2 especially in sand, and at your weight (100kg on that Wild with a Gen 5 motor putting serious torque through the rear), climbing traction under power is where the Eddy Current genuinely pulls ahead.

The trade-off is rolling resistance. Schwalbe's Addix Soft compound offers a good balance between grip and rolling resistance, and incidentally the rolling resistance is comparable to Maxxis's 3C MaxxTerra compound.

So the compounds are similar, but the Eddy Current's larger, more spaced knobs and heavier casing mean it won't feel quite as quick on fireroad transfers. On an eMTB with 100Nm behind you, this matters less than it would on a pedal bike.

Descending This is where it gets more nuanced.

Please provide additional information on descending characteristics of both tires.

 

[Greg Watts]

Please provide additional information on descending characteristics of both tires.

@Singletrackmind right, the descending side of things. The DHR2 3C MaxxTerra DD is, frankly, one of the most proven rear descending tyres in mountain biking. The tread pattern transitions well from upright braking to leaned-over cornering, with the side knobs providing predictable, progressive grip. It's a tyre that tells you exactly where the limit is before it lets go, which is why half the enduro world still runs it. On your San Diego hardpack and loose-over-hard, it's thoroughly in its element. The Double Down casing gives you solid sidewall support without the weight penalty of a full DH casing, and at your weight that matters.

The Eddy Current Rear is a different beast when pointed downhill. Those big, spaced knobs that dig so well on climbs create a slightly different feel when braking hard on steep terrain. @DrStupid found it performs well on steep descending terrain, and @7869hodgy noted the 2.8 slides predictably before losing grip, giving you warning before a cornering failure, which is actually a really desirable trait. The Super Gravity casing has notably stiff sidewalls, and @Bumpy reckons they're strong enough to run at 16psi without inserts, which is impressive.

 

[PeterHenric]

@Greg Watts Can you compare the Maxxis Assegai and the Schwalbe Eddie Current? Please do it in the same way as you just did.

 

[Greg Watts]

@Greg Watts Can you compare the Maxxis Assegai and the Schwalbe Eddie Current? Please do it in the same way as you just did.

@PeterHenric, right then. The Assegai is a front tyre though, so I'm comparing it against the Eddy Current Front rather than the rear. Different beasts to what @Singletrackmind and I were just discussing.

Climbing The Assegai is, to put it diplomatically, a boat anchor when it comes to rolling resistance. @Randy found the Assegai used half a battery on a commute in boost mode versus barely a bar with a Schwalbe combo on the same route. That's dramatic, even accounting for variables. On your Levo 4 in the Las Vegas desert, that's range you'd feel.

The Eddy Current Front rolls noticeably better than the Assegai. @Varaxis noted it rolls faster than the Assegai, which is worth knowing on those long Bootleg Canyon climbs. The Eddy Current's centre tread is tighter than the Assegai's aggressive open knob pattern, so it tracks straighter under power with less squirm.

Descending This is where the Assegai earns its cult following. The knob pattern offers relentless cornering grip, and the transition from upright to leaned over is beautifully progressive. @Redlemon described it as on rail on a Reign, and that sums it up. In MaxxGrip compound with a DD or DH casing, it's arguably the best gravity front tyre on the market in dry to mixed conditions.

 

[PeterHenric]

@Greg Watts would it be ill advised to run the Assegai in the front and rear? That is my current setup and I’ve never personally noticed the rolling resistance you mentioned but I’ve also not compared it to anything different.

 

[Greg Watts]

@Greg Watts would it be ill advised to run the Assegai in the front and rear? That is my current setup and I’ve never personally noticed the rolling resistance you mentioned but I’ve also not compared it to anything different.

@PeterHenric, not ill-advised at all. If it's working for you, it's working. You're on a Levo 4 in Las Vegas, which means you've got a motor to absorb the rolling resistance penalty and you're riding terrain where grip is genuinely more valuable than speed. Dual Assegai is a perfectly legitimate setup.

@irie runs Assegai MaxxGrip DD front and rear on a full-fat eBike and argues rolling resistance is irrelevant when the motor compensates, which is a fair point on powered bikes. And @Overkillit runs a 2.6 Assegai front with 2.5 Assegai rear on a Levo specifically for maximum grip.

The rolling resistance difference I mentioned is real in absolute terms, but you'd only notice it if you swapped to something like a Dissector or DHR2 rear and did the same loop back to back. Since you haven't, you've got no reference point, and ignorance is genuinely bliss here. Your range might improve by 10-15% with a faster rear tyre, but if you're not running out of battery and you like how the bike handles, that's a solution to a problem you don't have.

The one scenario where I'd nudge you towards a mixed setup is if you start finding the rear washing out in loose corners. Two aggressive front-pattern tyres can occasionally both fight for grip in the same direction rather than the rear tracking obediently behind the front. But if that's not happening on your desert hardpack, carry on.

 

[PeterHenric]

How about the Aggressor as a rear tire? @Greg Watts

 

[Greg Watts]

How about the Aggressor as a rear tire?

@PeterHenric, the Aggressor is a solid shout for a rear tyre, but it's a meaningful step down in grip from your dual Assegai setup, so go in with eyes open.

The Aggressor rolls noticeably faster than the Assegai, DHR2, or Eddy Current rear. @The Flying Dutchman ran the 2.5 DD and found it rolls faster than DHF, DHR, and Assegai with predictable side knob grip on loose corners and good root traction from the tight knob spacing. It's a proper summer rear for dry, hardpack conditions, which sounds like 90% of your Las Vegas riding.

The catch is loose climbing traction. Those tighter, lower-profile knobs that roll so well don't dig into loose stuff the way your Assegai does, and a few owners have found it spins out on loose climbs despite its reputation. With the Levo's torque going through the rear, that could bite you on sandy desert climbs. @bluewater87 also noted the Aggressor allows more rear wheel sliding and drifting compared to the DHR2, which is either a feature or a bug depending on your riding style.