Maxxis Ardent 29 x 2.25 Tire. An aggressive tread in high-volume casings distinguishes the newest addition to Maxxis' downhill and mountain disciplines. Designed with great traction in mind, the Ardent doesn't forget the racer. Large block-style side knob
Strengths: Great Cornering Traction, Large Air Volume (2.4"), Low-ish Rolling Resistance, puncture resistance
Weaknesses: Heavy-ish,
Bottom Line:
The Maxxis Ardent 29r 2.4" is a LARGE tire. It has a high volume casing, but a not-so supple casing. I've found that, to maximize traction and compliance, that I have to run it down at 18 psi (not a bad thing). I am running this tire tubeless, mounted on a Stans Flow Rim. I am using a Niner Carbon fork and have PLENTY of room for the 2.4" tire. I have yet to flat or burp at these low pressures.
Strengths: Excellent weight to volume to grip to rolling resistance to puncture resistance to price ratio!
Weaknesses: Weak in the wet.
Bottom Line:
Truly great dry weather tire, I use it as rear tire on my Scandal ( I guess it's one of the few frames where it will fi, if not the only one). In my opinion it is ideal in the back of a hardtail where it adds a nice cushioning effect while keeping rolling resistance to a reasonable level (less than a WTB stout for example). I would use something smaller and more aggressive up front where the suspension forks makes it unnecessary to have such a big tire.
Strengths: Great traction for the Colorado front range riding conditions.
Mounts up tubeless with little trouble.
Weaknesses: Nothing to think of.
Bottom Line:
I am running a 2.4 EXO Ardent up front and a 2.25 Ardent in the rear tubeless on my Giant Talon and they hook up great. You do need to trust them and lean into turns, but overall they work great.
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Submitted by
rob1035
a Cross Country Rider
from Charlotte, NC, USA
Date Reviewed: February 14, 2012
Strengths: Big Volume, beefy, durable sidewalls, great traction, easy tubeless setup.
Weaknesses: Weight
Bottom Line:
My favorite front tire. Hooks up super easy tubeless, both on the current Stans Crest rims, and my previous WTB Laserdisc Trail hoops. Voume is great, after few days of riding the casing is true to size. The knobs are beefy, and the tire hooks up great in all the conditions I ride in. Rolls decently for something that grips as well as it does, fast enough for occasional racing (I'm a backmarker, just doing it for fun). The sidewalls feel beefy and have proved durable on rockier tracks. Absolutely a must for rigid riding in my opinion, the size and grip makes for a comfortable, precise ride, really easy to hold lines, where other tires might give up. I will buy another after this one wears out, and will probably run one in the rear as well for winter (ie wetter) conditions. It could be lighter, but its worth the tradeoff
This tire was a huge surprise to me. I thought that it couldn't get any better than the rampage 29er for a front tire but the ardent delivers. It took only 2 minutes to mount this tire tubeless compared to 3 hours to mount my exiwolf. It rolls exceptionally fast for a 2.4 knobby tire, it's as fast as an XC tire but grips more than any other tire I've used. I run it at 22 PSI and I weigh 140 pounds. It's really comfy and performs great in all conditions. Just buy it and try it, if you don't like it PM me and I'll gladly use it ;-)
Strengths: Sidewalls on the LUST version are indestructible. Rolls unbelieveably fast at >25psi, traction is magnificent in a wide variety of conditions. Works anywhere, anytime, any condition.
Weaknesses: Heavyish if you're racing, there are better tires for hardpack... but it's not a hardpack tire is it? Also, it's on the pricey side for the LUST version (which I'm using)
Bottom Line:
If all you care about is weight then this isn't it. That said if you care about durability, traction, handling, ease of mounting, longevity, fast rolling-ness, and making others tire choice look foolish... this wins. I thought it was good at 28psi with tubes but I wanted to try it tubeless. put stans universal tape and valve on my rims, put the tire on and pumped it up with a floor pump effortlessly. What was mind blowing about this? 3 months of hard trail abuse with tubes, and there were NO LEAKS before I put the sealant in!! Anyhow 3oz of stans and that was 100 hours of training, 4 XC races (all podiums), and a solid belief that the LUST 2.25 is the greatest all purpose tire ever made!
Submitted by
Packrat
a Cross Country Rider
from US
Date Reviewed: August 29, 2011
Strengths: I am using it in the front. Runs great at a lower pressure (25 psi) and I think I could go even lower. Very sturdy, better than expected grip on hard pack and muddy areas. I mounted on a tubeless rim and it took 2 minutes, which it was wonderful coming from a set of Stan's rim (impossible to mount some tires).
Weaknesses: I am not an expert, but it is a little heavier than some other tires I had in the past. A little pricey for the UST version.
Bottom Line:
I would absolutely recommend this tire. I used it on a very rocky terrain and it performed flawlessly going quite fast on some downhills (possibly too fast for my abilities but never a moment of fear at all). It was dry at first but it became very muddy while under a thunderstorm, and as well never had any hesitation or unexpected behavior. Very happy with this tire. No loss of air, no sealant leakage .
Similar Products Used: Maxxis Ignitor, Geax Saguaro, Continental Race King
Bike Setup: Tallboy Carbon, Easton EA90 XC wheels, Sram XX, Thompson post and stem.
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Submitted by
RatchAttack
a Cross Country Rider
from Ontario Canada
Date Reviewed: July 28, 2011
Strengths: -Rolls fast for a full knobby
-Traction everywhere
Weaknesses: -bit of a weight penalty compared to other tires
Bottom Line:
I have this tire in a 2.25 mounted to the front of my Cannondale with a CrossMark 2.1 in the rear. Its rolls surprising fast for a full knobby and gets traction everywhere, I've put it through everything and it just hooks up no matter what. It has a super high volume casing that lets you run nice low pressures. I'm 250lbs and run between 25-28psi as a front tire. The only drawback of this tire is that its a bit (not much) heavier than some other 29er tires, but the traction and volume are well worth the added weight.
Submitted by
riiz
a Weekend Warrior
from San Bernardino, CA
Date Reviewed: June 26, 2011
Strengths: Quick rolling tire that pretty much works where ever. I've used on the street with the psi at 60, and knocked it down to 25-30psi on loose dry sandy trails to loose over hardpack in the So Cal deserts. It works everywhere.
Weaknesses: The only weakness might be its weight, it weighs a bit more than a Small Block 8 or Crossmark but those are true XC tires, and cannot do what the Ardent does so well.
Similar Products Used: Kenda Small Block 8s, Maxxis Crossmarks, WTB Exiwolfs 2.3.
Bike Setup: Surly Karate Monkey w/ Rigid Fork. 1x9 Drivetrain, BB7s for brakes.
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Submitted by
attaboy
a Weekend Warrior
from Centex
Date Reviewed: May 13, 2011
Strengths: I am rating the 2.4 with EXO sidewalls. Great grip in dry conditions. Easy to setup tubeless. Holds air in tubeless setup. Tough sidewalls. Low rolling resistance for high volume tire. Wearing well.
Weaknesses: Grip so-so in wet conditions. A bit heavy, but expected. Think new Nobby Nics may be lighter and potentially as good.
Bottom Line:
Very pleased with these tires. I'm coming from Nevegals which many use here is Centex for rocky limstone. These setup much more easily on Stan's rims than Nevegals and rollling resistance is much improved. Sidewalls are much more substantial and sorely needed. Grip is every bit as good as Nevegals probably influenced by jump in diameter as much as anything else. However, I believe the extra row of nobs from 2.25 to 2.4 makes a BIG difference. Check reviews and see which volume is being reviewed. I will likely go with these again but I'm curious about new Schwalbe Nobby Nic Tubless Ready 29er in 2.35.
Submitted by
BruceBrown
a Cross Country Rider
from Iowa
Date Reviewed: January 23, 2011
Strengths: Rather than write 2 separate reviews, I will write just one which is reviewing the Ardent 2.4 and the Ardent 2.25 LUST tires. The strengths that stand out for me is amazing grip, yet an excellent balance of rolling resistance that makes this tire fast. The 2.25 LUST is 840g and is a very durable tubeless specific tire where the sidewalls are a huge strength for this product.
Weaknesses: None that I have noticed to date.
Bottom Line:
The 2.4's are simply a fun, large volume tire with sure footed grip and can be run tubeless with no problems. That large of volume certainly makes for a good front tire, but if you are looking for some nice rear suspension on a rigid - it's a fun rear tire as well.
The 2.25 Ardent in the UST (or LUST as Maxxis calls it) is a true UST tire that can be run at a ridiculously low psi (I run mine in the teens) and not suffer any squirm. Grip is like Velcro with it, the sidewalls are very sturdy and have not even blinked at whatever I've thrown at it. I've raced the tire a few times up front and had good results. I realize a UST tire is not for everyone due to the weight, but I have been very pleased with its abilities and sturdy sidewalls. I would pick the LUST version over the non-tubeless Ardent 2.25 any day if you are on terrain that sidewall tears can happen. The extra 100g is worth it for that.
Similar Products Used: Grip wise, Fire XC Pro. Volume wise, Racing Ralphs (2.4's and 2.25's).
Bike Setup: 2.25 LUST is on the front of my RIP (with a Crossmark LUST on the rear). 2.4's are front and rear on my SS Karate Monkey. But I've ridden the 2.4's front and rear on my RIP as well for a nice monster truck ride. That set up just rails the corners and due to the traction and bit, when needed at high speed - braking is excellent. Grin producing on the descents, but a bit more effort required for climbs running that much big meat front and rear.
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Submitted by
jadedbee
a Cross Country Rider
from Sacto, CA
Date Reviewed: January 18, 2011
Strengths: fast rolling, large volume comfort (tall), respectable weight, easy to setup tubeless
Weaknesses: lack of center knob traction for a rear tire, lack of transition knobs for consistent cornering feel
less traction than Ignitor
Bottom Line:
I got this because I wanted something with more volume and traction than the Ignitor I was running in the rear, but without the weight of a Rampage or Nevegal. The tall volume and supple casing made my hard tail feel like it had rear suspension. And this tire definitely rolls fast on a straightaway. But as soon as you lean it over it would start to give away until the outermost knobs caught when you had leaned all the way. This is due to a lack of transition knobs. This made modulating the rear brake to steer the rear end in a turn very difficult. It would break away very quickly when braking.
Climbing on it was the worst traction I've experienced. Especially when applying power over roots, rocks or step ups, it would just spin. I kept dropping the pressure, down to almost 20psi was where I started getting traction. But after running it this low for a while, I started denting my rim (that's with a tall volume tire on a low bead height Stan's rim). It did not, however, unseat or burp. And I didn't have any sidewall cuts, although I can see why it might be susceptible given it is the most supple casing I've experienced.
In short, I might try it as a less aggressive front tire when my Rampage dies, but this tire is terrible on the rear of a hard tail.
Similar Products Used: Karma, Rampage, Ignitor, Nevegal
Bike Setup: Salsa El Mariachi steel hardtail, Reba fork, Stan's Arches custom built to XT hubs, setup 1x9.
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Submitted by
MTBOaxaca
a Cross Country Rider
from Oaxaca, Mexico
Date Reviewed: January 17, 2011
Strengths: Good volume, Tire bead tubeless compatible, good sidewall
Weaknesses: None yet......
Bottom Line:
The tire works great for rocky/loose dry/moist conditions. The sidewall is a lot thicker than my rear tire (Maxxis Ignitor 2.1) I ride in tough conditions (lots of rocks/ruts) 4x a week and have not had any problems with cuts as some have posted. This tire hooks up and carves. Was easy to set up tubeless on my wh-mt75 rims. I was running a Geax Saguaro up front but it always felt sketchy. The Sanguaro is good a tire (rolls well) but for the rear only IMO. The tire size on my rims....+/- 2.25" not 2.4" and it weighs 802g......
Submitted by
thubeav
a Cross Country Rider
from Decatur, GA
Date Reviewed: April 27, 2010
Strengths: Pop 'em on and go. 29x2.25 Ardent Foldable 60a 1-Ply 745g
I know there are lighter tires and maybe faster ones, but these guys are for me. The hook up well and don't let me down.
With enough sealant on board you don't have anything to worry about. After a while they wear out and it's time for a new set. But I ride pinestraw trails, rocks, roots, bare dirt, road you name it. These just keep on holding pressure and rolling for me.
Otherwise keep riding.
Weaknesses: They do wear out. But duhuh..
Bottom Line:
I really rely on Maxxis to get me there. They could be lighter but I'm not sure they would be as durable or work as well with less of anything.
Flats are not a problem. Neither are sidewall tears for me. (I make note to avoid conflict with my environment.)
The Ardent are just great tires for the kind of riding I do.
Similar Products Used: Michelin, Conti, Hutchinson, WTB, Kenda
Bike Setup: Felt Solo 29er. Wi numerous personal upgrades. It's really a nice ride.
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Submitted by
Pynis McDermott
a Cross Country Rider
from Phoenix, AZ, Ameriiiicaaaah
Date Reviewed: December 4, 2009
Strengths: Looks and Description ONLY, NOT PERFORMANCE!!! Also, mounts and seals fairly well tubeless to Stan's wheels, but does not hold up.
Weaknesses: Does not meet expectations, sidewalls will tear if you look at them wrong. It pains me to say it, but this is nearly the worst 29er tire I have run, and it took two of them to get to the same conclusion.
Bottom Line:
(A REVIEW OF MY 29" x 2.25 ARDENT)
Dear Maxxis Ardent,
I wanted to love you, I really did. With your advertised thicker casings and aggressive knob styling I thought we would be a match made in heaven. But your consistent sidewall failures have broken my heart. At first, our relationship started with fire, but like a flash in the pan, you fizzled. You tore my heart and my sidewall on our second date. Luckily, with a brief cooling off period due to shipping, I was able to replace you. But after we rekindled, it didn't take long for you to tear my sidewall again and this time beyond repair, or at least beyond the ability to run you tubeless.
I look at the rest of your rubber still in tact and I think to myself, you should be great. I look at your knobs, barely broken in, and think of how disappointing it is that we will never be right because you made it wrong. There are those out there that may question my technique with you, but there is no way in hell that technique had anything to do with your last tear. Unless I run you on an effin hovercraft, you are bound to let me down. How did you tear where you tore? You biotch.
