I use the Forekaster front and rear through the UK winter and they coped very well.
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As a counter to that, I just raced my Barzo/Mezcal combo in a pretty muddy marathon on Sunday and I didn’t think they were that bad. Certainly no worse than the Racing Ray/Ralph combo I had on before. The Vittoria set up does seem slightly slower however, so I’m tempted to put another Mezcal on the front for dry days.
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Was this the Vittoria Marathon at Pippingford? If sos I raced with Barzo/Barzo so am glad to hear that a mezcal held out ok, there were some pretty bad sections.
The weekend prior I’d done a 5hr wet forest singletrack ride on a Mezcal and I was surprised at the grip I was getting.
It was yes. I was pleasantly surprised by the Mezcal, as I thought it would pack up. However, I managed to get a decent level of grip out of it on the slick, rooty climbs, as well as that very muddy section before the finish line. The Barzo also held on very well and saw me through the descents with few worries. I’m impressed with them
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What do you guys prefer for the super hard dirt, rocks, roots of the Mountain West… Utah Colorado etc? We don’t even have dirt here really, just rocks to ride on. I want a good hard terrain tire. My bike hasn’t hardly ever even seen a soft section of trail let alone any mud (if it’s muddy here usually the trails are closed.)
Most run aspen/aspen, ikon/ikon. I’m running fast trak and mezcal. I’m in CO in the mountains. Ride Summit, western CO, some front range.
For a straight race tire? I liked the Ikons when I ran them for a couple races, but my bike was stolen before I got much time on them. I didn’t like the Aspens; poor grip everywhere. Currently on a RayRa combo and am happy with them. I have a pair of Ikons that came with my bike I will swap on in a few weeks after my next race to compare.
But I have also had a great race running a Hans Dampf up front with a Ralph in the back. I was slow on the climb (dead last in my class), but ended up on the podium 
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Last year it was a Conti Cross King in the rear, XR4 in front.
This year, Racing Ralph in the rear, Nobby Nic up front. I changed mainly because of tire availability (although also wanted to try a different rear tire - I’ve popped a hole in my last two Cross Kings).
For my upcoming trip to the Pyrenees, and probably fall riding season in GJ/Fruita/Moab, I’ll probably also put a Nobby Nic on the rear.
I was thinking about the XR4 but LBS said they have like a 4 month lead time. So been looking around on Amazon or wherever for what is available.
I run 2.35 Ikons front and rear on the Front Range.
I’m doing a XC race in a few weeks and looking for some Maxxis alternatives to Schwalbe Racing Ralph/Rays. The race is a mix of dirt roads, paved roads, easy single track and double track. I would run narrower tires because there is so much road however the off-road sections are kind of “backcountry” and can be very sandy. In the past I’ve rode on 2.25in Ralphs/Rays and I’d love to find the 2.35in but they seem to be unavailable everywhere.
What are the best comparable Maxxis Tires? I’m current looking at 2.35in kons, Rekon Race and Ardent Race but they all seem to be beefier than the Ralphs/Rays. Also, how do these tires stack up against each other in terms of rolling resistance and grip?
There are 2.35 Ray/Ralph on amazon FYI
There isn’t really a comparable tread pattern on Maxxis. The new Spesh Fast Trak and the Vittoria Barzo has a similar pattern to the Ray.
There is nothing comparable pattern wise to the Ralph. Ikon and the Renegade are probably closest.
Maxxis I’d say Ardent Race front/rear or Ikon in the Rear
Spesh I’d say Fast Trak front/renegade rear.
Anyone else been googling Green XC tyres this morning 
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Must be Michelin’s, but I’ve never seen them before.
It’s probably a throwback to the green Michelin tyres made in the 90’s.
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I figure so.
An article about them rereleasing green tyres a few years ago popped up.
Michelin tyres are appealing as they are currently well priced and I like the aesthetic, but I’m not so sure on their performance and tread pattern. I’ve got mates running their trail/enduro tyres who enjoy them.
Has anyone use the new fast trak and renegade yet? Thinking about doing fast trak front and renegade rear for a race in Park City. Most of the climbing is pretty hard pack with a little bit of moon dust mixed in.
I’m not using a Cushcore but I’ve raced local XCO and Tahoe Trail on Rekon Race 2.4 on the front and 2.4 Aspen on the rear. Trails have been a lot of loose over hard and blown out loose dust. I’ve been very happy. Taking the same setup to Leadville.
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What’s your reasoning for using Aspen in the rear vs a Recon Race? Does it roll faster or maybe give better traction on climbs?
I’ve never ridden these tires, but my new MTB will come with Rekon Race f+r.
Maxxis advertises the Rekon Race as being faster than the Aspen. It’s Rekon Race>Aspen>Ikon>Rekon
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Aspen seems to roll faster and tests better on BicycleRollingResistance.com but has a little less grip. To me having a bit more front grip gives the balance I like. I don’t have unlimited tire testing funds so only tested Rekon Race, Aspen, and Fast Trak. Fast Trak seems to roll faster and is lighter but definitely not enough grip in front for my tastes. It’d be my go to for a non-technical short track race though.
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