I agree, I can’t find XC listed anywhere else. Either it’s just a stuff up on Evo Cycles page and it’s just the normal 2.4 with tan wall, or old verbage?
I have missed the opportunity anyway as their sale pricing is gone for now. I find Maxxis tyres hard to buy as they’re so heavy, but I was keen to get some WT tyres to try.
For XCO I will use Specialized Fast Trak. 2.1 in the front and 2:30 in the back. XCM races, probably the same setup. But for dry conditions on the XCM, where theres mostly fine gravel I will be using Thunderburt. I have never tried inserts, only tubeless. What is the lightest and best insert?
Looking for a more durable and fast tire. IE a tire that you might be ok going to for an FKT on, that you might have a longgggg hike with a flat. Steep climbs and steep descents, with long dirt road / doubletrack connections.
I have a 2.35 ray/ralph setup, but not sure I trust them for that.
Maybe a Rekon Race front and rear?
Or something from Vittoria, maybe Mezcal R, Syerra F, (or Syerra for both)
Worth noting that I’m a 200 lb rider, on a hardtail. I have Tannus inserts I could use.
I used an Ardent race front and Rekon Race rear the past several seasons for my marathon events- Transylvania Epic and various races in Pisgah. Identical to what you described with long sections of fire road broken up by steep and technical single track. Huge fan of those tires. This actually reminded me that I need to order the same setup for my Top Fuel which still has the stock Bontrager XR3 on it.
This sounds great, think I’m going to order that set up. Im running a 30mm internal rim. Were you running WT tires, I seem to be having trouble finding WT currently.
I’d like to try Maxxis tyres in the WT variety, but it seems like there’s not really any great front options?
Rekon seems reasonable, but is a lot if tyre compared to a Ralph or Barzo it seems? The ardent varieties seem pretty hefty? Forkaster doesn’t come in WT.
Or is Maxxis really a loose over hard specialist (in XC, I know their DH tyres are market leaders)
The Rekon Race comes in a 2.4 WT, but the Ardent Race does not. Now that @Sangamon mentioned the Ardent Race as pairing to me, it seems like a very good solution. So I may just go with the normal version of the tires as opposed to the WT. I used Ardent races as a rear forever ago, and thought it was a great tire.
I’ve used the WT tires on in DHF’s and Aggressors, but dont have anything to compare.
Ardent race front 2.4 + ikon rear 2.4 is 30-35 seconds slower on a 14 minute lap for me vs the 2.6 kenda booster pros f & r at the same power. The maxxis are the exo casing, the kenda is the thinnest casing (I forget what it’s called)
Don’t know if it has changed, but the 2.4 WT Rekon used to only be available in the 60 tpi casing, which may be worth keeping in mind. Having ridden the 2.6 Rekon (so not entirely apples to apples), I think the Rekon is probably too much tire for XC. I run 2.35 Ikons personally (not WT so doesn’t help there), and I don’t think I’d want to go to the beefier Rekon for any reason.