Maxxis Introduce Wide Trail Options for Aspen and Rekon Race Tires - Pond Beaver 2020

 How does it compare to the ardent? That’s what I’ve got on the 120mm ripper right now and it’s great.

 @DrPete: Rekon and Rekon Race are like Ardent and Ardent Race, but better in nearly every way. They are both designed for the same type of riding (XC), but the Reckons have better grip with the same or better rolling resistance. Ardents do not have WT designation, so perhaps they might still be a good choice for narrow rims, but otherwise Rekon is the way to go.

 @dthomp325: cool. Might give Rekon Race a try at the next tire change. Thanks!

 Of course I just bought two ardents 2.4 for my hard tail with 30id rims.

 @DrPete: The aredent is probably the worst tire made by Maxxis. Ardent race is...better. Ish. A bit.

 @dthomp325: Agreed. Ardents feel a bit sketch but the Recon Race have a lot of grip especially when it's dry and hardback but still roll awesome. Super fun tire for everyday trails.

 Trouble I've had with Rekon Race and Ardent Race is the casing not being able to keep up with the speed that comes with a fast grippy tread design. Pinched or ripped both of these tires irreparably on rocky trails. For me an Exo+ model would be a welcome addition to these excellent dry conditions tires. Maybe the WT designation comes with a slightly thicker casing?


Rekon (WT) casing however feels more like a Minion level casing and has held up fine. Brilliant tire that.

 @ratedgg13: Ardent Race is much more predictable than the classic Ardent, but it is more XC-ish as well. I liked it as a rear, good compromise between speed and grip, plus it's light weight made the bike feel very fast and poppy. The downside to this is that the EXO casing only held up for 220km in our rocky conditions. Back to tough/fast Trail boss for rear use.

 @justwan-naride: The EXO+ should help. Hopefully, Maxxis will expand this option to most variants. WTB's Tough casing lives up to the name, but it's a 2-ply casing and is heavy, stiff, and slow. Would be nice to have an intermediate option, especially for a light-and-fast tread like the ones you've mentioned.

 Was the Rekon Race originally supposed to be a replacement for the Aspen? Maxxis first marketed it as an ultra fast XC tire or maybe a rear-only option. Kinda scared me off it as an everyday tire.

I see Rekon Races as OEM on fast bikes from Canyon and Mondraker, but can't help but notice that Aspen seems to be a lot more popular on the XC WC circuit. So maybe the elite racers think of Rekon Race as the slower/grippier option?

Anyway, good to know that the 2.25" Aspens in my garage are obsolete before I ever mounted them :-)

 @nattyd: Prior to the last Olympics, the Swiss national team tested numerous tires for rolling resistance and found the Aspen rolled fastest. Not by much, of course, and the test didn't account for traction, so maybe the Aspen isn't fastest for all riders on all courses, but that's what catapulted the Aspen to popularity.

Lug height and casing width can each improve traction in most conditions. A large casing with small lugs tends to be faster than the inverse, though there are a lot of variables in play.

For any XC rider who isn't a top-level racer, a bit of insurance in the form of traction is worth the small increase in rolling resistance. This is why I usually recommend something like the Rekon (not Rekon Race) as a front tire, paired with something extremely fast on the rear.

 @R-M-R: I thought the raceking was the fastest

 @clink83: I don't know whether that was included in the Swiss testing. I also don't know whether the Swiss testing was on the consumer version of the Aspen or the World Cup exclusive 170 TPI version.

 @50percentsure: most of our XC race tires - like the Rekon Race and Ardent Race - use a 120 TPI casing which is lighter but also more fragile than the 60 TPI casings we use on a majority of our trail tires.

Thanks for the feedback on the Rekon!

 @nattyd: the Aspen isn't going anywhere. The Rekon Race is a bit more conditions specific than the Aspen. Its tread is slightly shorter than the Aspen and is more tightly packed so it does great in dry, hard pack, and grass, but the Aspen has the edge if conditions are more variable or damp.

 @Maxxis: Maxxis, THANK YOU for bringing these tires to market. I've been waiting for wide, light XC tires... Any plans to release versions of these tires without the EXO sidewall protection? Would love to see the lightest/most supple versions of these tires possible!

 @R-M-R: the race king is a blistering fast tire for as good as traction it provides. Right now I have 2.4 attends f/r on my xc bike and I can't even come close to my old uphill prs.

 *ardents

 @clink83: Yes, currently have Race King Race Sports, would love something similar in a true 2.4". If the Rekon Race 2.4 were available without the EXO casing, would love to try them.

 Its because in maxxis' catalogue there's still 2.4 tyres designed for narrower rims. It's basically maxxis' way of saying 'you can't just whack these on your 21mm standard xc rims and expect the tread shape to be right'.

 @inked-up-metalhead: yes, you pretty much nailed it, thanks! Since wide rims and wide tires are new to the XC side of our sport, we have a bit of education to do on our part. By designating these as WT and providing fitment info we are trying to avoid the situation inked-up-metalhead mentioned.

 @Maxxis: Status on Assegai in 2.6 for 27.5? ETA was showing April.

 Makes perfect sense; these are thought of as skinny race tires, so the designation of WT let's consumers know it's a trail version of the tire.

And I am STOKED for these. They're perfect for a lot of trails.

 WT doesn't refer to the volume of the tire. It means the treads are standing further away from each other than a regular tire to fit wider rim better.

 @RM3851: they are in stock now! If you can't source them through your local shop check our webstore shop.maxxis.com and you can get them there.

 @Maxxis: SOLD!

 @Maxxis: Your intentions are good, but you're causing more confusion that you're solving. The "WT" designation requires users to know what "WT" stands for and what it implies. It also confuses the issue if you change the rim standard in the future. For example, maybe 2.4" WT is intended for a 30 mm rim, while 2.6" WT works best on 35 mm.

Just state the suggested rim width in the spec table and on the sidewall.

 @R-M-R: Some form of nomenclature was necessary because from one year to the next they changed the profile of their tires for wider rims. They needed to let consumers know that the 2.5 DHF they were buying after the change was not the same tire as the year before, As a consumer I certainly wouldn't have noticed the change if WT hadn't been added.

 @friendlyfoe: I am aware of this. Another way to let consumers know would be to post the suggested rim width on the packaging and the sidewall.

 @R-M-R: while an option that would be way less obvious, plus for online sales the actual name of the tire needed to change. WT was a very obvious way to make their customers aware of the change. You're still allowed to be annoyed by it if you like.

 @friendlyfoe: I remain annoyed.

 @Maxxis: can't find them in your shop, only 2 25?

 @madskatingcow: they'll be available later this summer, June/July.

 Pretty sure WT is 30mm and can go up to 35mm, so it’s the same.

 @avg-roadie: it's not the same the xc ones are 25-30mm and the trail ones are 30-35mm.

 @hmstuna: So both tires are recommended for 30mm? But can be ridden down to 25mm for xc and up to 35mm for trail/enduro. Sounds like common sense to me

 moar arcry0nyms plz

 @jdemeritt: Or ... this might sound crazy, but hear me out ... we could quit giving every trivial "feature" its own name and acronym and list the damned specs. Just add a row to the spec table:

Suggested rim width: X mm

 I run 2.5 WT (because at some point they stopped selling the non-wide version) on my trail bike with 25 mm internal width Stans rims. After two years the bike still hasn't spontaneously exploded.

 @pacificnorthwet: About to mount up a 2.5 WT assegai EXO+ to my 25mm ID rim because you said it would be okay,

 @friendlyfoe: No dude don't do it, it could cause your bike to explode

 Lol I actually do have that tire waiting to be mounted. Today is a good day to die!

 @avg-roadie: no both tires aren't recommended for 30. Maxxis recommends Enduro for 35 but can be ridden down to 30. Recommend xc for 30 but can be ridden down to 25.

 Yes please. Also this.

 There is an EXO+ Dissector according to the Maxxis website, but no one seems to sell it.

 @AvidTrailRider: only 2.6. 2.4 is only available in EXO or DH

 @dthomp325: I checked back and realized that there’s only a 2.4 EXO+ for 27.5 (MaxTerra), not for 29. Strange

 @WAKIdesigns: I haven't tried myself, but you're the the first person I hear not paising DD, let alone calling it shitty.

 @WAKIdesigns: care to elaborate on why you find DD to be shitty?
Not trying to be sarcastic, honestly curious on why you dislike them

 @WAKIdesigns: thanks
Never tried a DH tyre on a trail bike so have no idea about what you (and other people as well) describe.
On the other hand, my rear DD Aggressor and Rimpact combo seems to be very reliable, rims fail before the tyre+insert combo, but in terms of "feel" are it's not that different from an Exo

 @WAKIdesigns: Guess it depends what you ride, but I've found DD to be perfect. I've worn out the tread on 2 Aggressor DDs without puncturing including enduro racing and park riding, meanwhile I've tried a couple of EXO Aggressors and punctured both almost immediately. So at least for me the DD casing hits the sweet spot. DD flex level is right in-between so it has a more support on the descents than EXO, while still being flexible enough to not suck on climbs like a stiff DH casing.

 Yes, precisely this. Then again, the interim answer is to run the e.13 SemiSlick in Race setup - I got tired of waiting, and that works. Also, in 2.4 would be great, 2.3 is kinda narrow anymore.

 @ismasan: he’s not the only one. DD is an overweight xc tire. Where and how I ride it’s dh casing only in the rear, and that’s just for the trail bike.

 @DHhack: gosh, you sound like you must really shred!

 @thegoodflow: Sharp rocks and I weigh 198ish. So yeah, DD is crap for puncture protection since so it is is sidewall support. But hey, please tell me why I’m wrong.

 @DHhack: Just because you ride like a hack, doesn't mean that anything short of a DH casing is shit.

 @thegoodflow: we don’t all ride flow imba trails that you could clean on roller blades

 @DHhack: Agreed, what's your point?

 @thegoodflow: hack and flow

 @DHhack: ok, you've adequately signaled that you're a large ox of a man that shreds the chunkiest trails with the sharpest rocks, and that nothing less than a full DH casing can withstand your radness.... Nobody cares.

 @thegoodflow: different tires work for different people. If you’re smaller than me, less aggressive than me and in terrain that doesn’t chew tires up, a xc tire with extra sidewall protection will work just fine for you. 3 flats in 2 days by rocks piercing through the gaps between the knobs in the tread showed me that they weren’t fit for duty. So instead I run their dh tires. Big deal. Not sure why it gets you all amped up. But hey, you be you. I’ll be over here riding bikes with burly tires and not getting flats.

 @DHhack: Wow, you sound so big and aggressive. But hey, if you need DH casings on your trailbike until you learn how to ride, you do you.

 @thegoodflow: that’s an interesting way to look at it...

 @DHhack: it happens not everybody rides IMBA flow trails or is a 200lbs plow machine in the gnarlier trails, most people actually fall in between those extremes, and apparently DD works pretty well for them

 @WAKIdesigns: it amazes me how touchy and defensive some people get by the mere suggestion that there might be someone either bigger, heavier, stronger, riding harder or on rougher trails then they are.

It's not even the question of anyone claiming any of those things online being true or not, it's just people's reaction to it. Weird

 @Arierep: Most people ride bikeparks on Exo. Some use 2.8 Minions on hardtails. So I am not surprised. Some say DH casing is not compliant enough... holy sht. They must have such an amazing sense of the edge of grip. Wow. Bryn Atkinson and Connor Fearon get a run for their money. Each rider and each terrain are specofoc but I have a hard time believing people use light tires for anything else than having it easier to pedal. People using DD is already a step in good direction. But if someone wants to roll quicker they should chose the tire pattern more wisely. Difference between semi slick or even aggressor in the rear vs DHF and not even mentioning DHR2 is evident. Whoever has a pair of DHR2 or G5 or Assegai and speaks about wanting to make his bike roll better by using lighter casing, should get their head checked. DHF + semislick is an amazing combo. Makes sending big lines effortless. Super easy to steer the bike on steeps, you can out it sideways in any desired direction on demand. I am pretty sure most folks who don’t like semislicks are simply using way too little front and way too much rear brake on steeps. Waiting for Slaughter DH to arrive.

 @Arierep: There's this really weird and transparent chest-thumping ego-stroking that people do with tire casings, and The Hacks comments are a good example of it. This article is about two of the lightest xc race oriented treads available. Obviously they're not intended for shredders riding gnarly terrain with sharp rocks. But The Hack just had to make sure everyone knows that he's such a big strong aggressive gnar slayer, that even a DD tire has enough puncture protection or sidewall support to be "fit for duty" on his trailbike.

Sure, maybe he's just exceptionally big and rad, but it's more likely that a lack of skill and shit line choice is a factor.

 @Arierep: There's this really weird and transparent chest-thumping ego-stroking that people do with tire casings, and The Hacks comments are a good example of it. This article is about two of the lightest xc race oriented treads available. Obviously they're not intended for shredders riding gnarly terrain with sharp rocks. But The Hack just had to make sure everyone knows that he's such a big strong aggressive gnar slayer, that NOT even a DD tire has enough puncture protection or sidewall support to be "fit for duty" on his trailbike.

Sure, maybe he's just exceptionally big and rad, but it's more likely that a lack of skill and shit line choice is a factor

 @thegoodflow: yeah ego stomping, you just did it. Welcome in the club. I was asked why I thought it is crap, answered, your feelings got hurt. Most people I see ride exo casings, I really couldn’t care less. Where do you see all these people on DH casings oppressing you for using thinner ones? I don’t come up to them telling them what they should do. I didn’t eventell anyone here what they should do. Yeah love your sensible line choice. BTW I have XR4 on my trail bike now, I use DH casings only in the big mountains. Trail bike... fk me... isn’t it 130-140mm? Mine has 160. A dude I talked to told me it is mini DH. But calling it a trail bike does support your silly argument isn’t it? You can try those rhetoric tricks with kids on playground

 @WAKIdesigns: Wasn't even referring to you waki but if the shoe fits...
Remind me who's feelings got hurt again?

 They have some scryers. Lapierre is 2022+. And I doubt that there will be new Oiz for 2021 as it will be only third year of the current frame.
Oh and I have 2019 Oiz, just measured it and there's 9 mm of space with 2.25 Rekon Race on 23 mm rim, so it should definitely fit.

 If the Forekaster were faster, Nino would definitely be running it. The SCOTT-SRAM team does an incredible amount of testing.

 From personal experience the difference in rolling speed of a Aspen and Forekaster is immediately noticable on a dialed in XC bike. I ran sets of both for Racing and training on my bike last year, the only time I'd choose Forekaster is extreme mud or other unpredictable surface. With the right pressure and technique the Aspen is really predictable and gives a high level of control. A bit more air volume to smooth out bumps and a bit more surface area should take it to the next level.

 Volume is more effective than you'd think on the hard packed courses and trails on xc races, just putting more rubber on the trail works. I didn't realise how effective until I used some 2.2" semi slicks on a gravel bike after running 37c knobbies all winter. As soon as it's dry they roll faster and grip better than the more aggressive tread

 Its just showing that its not model year specific. Any of the Scott Spark model years will fit the tire. Same with the Cannondale FSi and Scalpe.

 Whoops...misread the text before the table...looks like it IS comparable with all the bikes listed. So these should work with a 29" a Spark of any year.

 They fit the Sparks.

 It looks like they don't fit the scale though...

 @wgavato: that seems odd. Didn’t Nino and Kate run these tires on their Scott Scale for some races last year?

 You should try the 2.4 Rekon at some point, it's a better version of the 2.4 Ardent.

 I look down at mine everyday...

 What are these? Knobs for ants?!!

 @dstroud70: I personally don't want to, but I have to admit, 80%+ of the time I ride on road, or hard surfaces. It's a freaking bummer really.