Rekon is a great tire for the weight. Dissector is a fast rolling traction upgrade from there.

 

The new style Bontrager XR3’s are amazing for grip and speed.

 

For the front, I'm debating the Rekon 2.25 (670g), the Forekaster 2.35 (735g) and the wildcard entry DHRII 2.3 (825g). The DHRII is clearly the heaviest and likely the slowest rolling, and is probably more than I need. I am intrigued by how much cornering traction it should have, though. Rekon vs Forekaster is a tougher decision. I think the Rekon probably rolls a little faster and is lighter. How much (if any) better is the Forekaster cornering grip, though?

IME, the Rekon 2.6 rolls as fast as the Forekaster 2.35 but has a little less grip, and both are undersized. My Rekon 2.6 up front isn't a lot bigger than my Ikon 2.35 (only Maxxis tire that measures true to size) out rear in fact. So, I don't think that any of those tires are going to overlap in terms of grip or rolling speed. Maybe throw the Rekon 2.4 into the mix?

 

I personally never really liked the ardent race, just didnt do much great seemed like a general comprimise all around, I think you are looking at right combos. Guessing you know this but interanl rim width and pressure matter a lot on all these tires got to play with those (at least with pressure if have ability different rim widths is nice to what suits your use as well)

I would take the Rekon 2.25 for rear and Forekaster 2.35 for front personally, or Rekon 2.4 MaxxTerra Up front. I think these are all versatile combos and if it is a real dry fast rolling less loose stuff (sometime dry where I ride is very loose) I would throw the Ikon back on the rear. Wouldn't worry about changing the front.

As far as cornering grip have had great success with Forkeaster and Rekons front and/or rear. Also will second the XR3 recommendation, that tire suprises me does so well even up front in a 2.4 on i30 rim. Came on my Top Fuel and I though I would switch them out but been no need to and I am tire junky.

 

nino is running 2.4 aspens with inserts. many times, grip is a function of how low you can go in pressure, not so much the knob profile.

 

Agree with above but have to remember no one else in Nino and most of us not even the same conversation, also ever see Youtube Video of Nino determine the right pressure in his tires he essentially puts all weight down on tire by jumping on and makes sure HE DOES hit the rim, Easy to run that low when your rims are free and you have professional mechanic for the rest of us not so practical (at least IMHO).

Regardless pressure wiuth the right tread is super important.

 

Nino - Beggining of this video, again IMHO need a little more than being able to hit rim but in general a lot of riders do overrun pressure

 

You don't need ultra low pressure for traction, and many of us have given up on the rim smashing chase to flat tires.

I run 20/30 psi f/r, and I don't damage rims anymore. I don't fold tires in corners, and casing the rear is more an oops than a day ending failure.

I don't think it's necessary to run so low, and often detrimental.

 

30 psi is crazy high. I guarantee you lose traction at that high level bouncing around!!

 

It's really not very high, and my front is pretty low.

https://www.perpetualdisappointment....co.uk/what-tyre-pressures-to-top-ews-enduro-and-world-cup-downhill-riders-use/

Higher pressure wins races. Riding around flat just ruins your wheels.

 

Hold on, I'm confused. You justified your 30 psi rear pressure by giving us a link to an article in which the top DH racers average 27.2 psi and the top EWS riders average 25.6 psi?

 

I don't think Nino is worried about casing any big jumps during an XC race. Of course you need to run higher pressure for more aggressive riding and terrain. Just run the lowest you can get away with. Only you can determine what that pressure is. If you're getting tire squirm, pinch flats, or frequent rim strikes, add a little pressure. If you never have any issues, try taking out 1-2 PSI at a time until you find the limit, then go back up 1-2 PSI and that's the sweet spot for you.

On the original topic, I'd recommend Rekon 2.4 or Forekaster 2.35 if you want to stick with Maxxis. The Rekon 2.4 specifically has more aggressive tread than the other sizes. The 2.25 is less aggressive than your current Ardent Race 2.35, and actually makes an excellent rear tire to pair with the Ardent Race front for dry conditions if you wanted something a bit more aggressive than that Ikon.

 

The Rekon 2.4 specifically has more aggressive tread than the other sizes.

Pretty sure someone measured Rekons in 2.4 and 2.6, and found the tread to measure exactly the same, but it's tighter on the 2.4 given less surface area to work with and looks larger relative to the smaller casing. I think it was in the Rekon vs Forekaster thread.

 

I've been running the Rekon in 2.25 and the Aspen in 2.25 on my old wheelset with 23mm id, which was pretty fast and grippy. Recently purchased a new wheelset with 28mm id and for that wheel I got some wider tires to go with: Ikon in 2.35 on the front and Rekon Race in 2.35 on the back. The Ikon in 2.35 is a much burlier tire than its small sibling in 2.2. The knobs are much larger and the threadpatern looks more aggressive than the Rekon in 2.25. I'll post some pics when I get home.

I'd suggest you go that route and forget about those 50-100g you gain. Wider tires offer a lot more traction and less rolling resistance because they can be run at lower pressures at equal tension of the sidewalls. I suggest you to watch this video and maybe reconsider your 30psi on the backwheel.

 

I've been running the Rekon in 2.25 and the Aspen in 2.25 on my old wheelset with 23mm id, which was pretty fast and grippy. Recently purchased a new wheelset with 28mm id and for that wheel I got some wider tires to go with: Ikon in 2.35 on the front and Rekon Race in 2.35 on the back. The Ikon in 2.35 is a much burlier tire than its small sibling in 2.2. The knobs are much larger and the threadpatern looks more aggressive than the Rekon in 2.25. I'll post some pics when I get home.

OP is looking for more grip in less than ideal conditions (wet, loose, etc.) than his current Ardent Race 2.35. Both the Ikon 2.35 and Rekon 2.25 will be less grippy in those types of conditions. I've had all 3 of these at various points. Those two would be decent rear tire options, though, or OP could just move the AR 2.35 to the back if it still has a lot of life left in it.

Ardent Race 2.35 / Rekon 2.25 is actually a super fun, fast rolling combo for dry or moderately wet, hardpack, loose over hard, rocky conditions but starts to have issues when things get really muddy or loose. They're actually closer in size than you'd think, and the tread on these kind of reminds me of a mini DHF/DHR2.

If OP wants more grip in the front in those more demanding conditions, he needs bigger knobs. I think the next step up would be a Forekaster 2.35 or a Rekon 2.4. The Forekaster looks like it has excellent tread for mud, but for some dumb reason, the 2.35 only comes in a dual compound. A 3C Rekon 2.4 would probably grip better on wet roots and rocks. The Forekaster would probably dig in and clear a bit better when things are really loose or muddy, but the Rekon 3c would probably do better on wet rocks and roots and be a bit more of an all-arounder for dry, hardpack conditions. I can see how the DHR2 2.3 weighing in about the same as the Rekon 2.4 would be temping, but I don't think it will roll nearly as well as the Rekon.

 

Options:

-Forecaster 2.35 is a really grippy tire but it runs narrow and has fragile casing.
-I have heard great reports about the 2.4 Recon as a front but I haven't ran it myself.
-A 2.3 Minion DHF is an amazing front tire and by todays standards isn't crazy heavy.

For all around riding trail riding I think a 2.3DHF up front and 2.35 Ikon on the rear, strikes a good balance between being relatively easy to pedal well still providing adequate grip.

 

For all around riding trail riding I think a 2.3DHF up front and 2.35 Ikon on the rear, strikes a good balance between being relatively easy to pedal well still providing adequate grip.

This is what I'm running, it works pretty well in most situations here in the mountains. The DHF could be lighter/faster and the Ikon could be grippier in wetter stuff, but its a pretty good compromise. I'm on a Santa Cruz Chameleon and I'm 200 pounds running 23F/28R.

 

1) 30+ psi is WAY too much to be running in the rear. Some DH'er's MIGHT do it only to avoid flats, but at a HUGE expense to climbing traction, about which they don't care.
2) Get a Dissector 2.4 for the front. It slots nicely between XC tires and Minions, and is much better than a Rekon. And I'm a BIG Rekon fan.
3) Forekaster was the most disappointing front tire I've ever run (not ran). It was sketchy on hardpack and didn't dig in at all on loose/loose over hard. These are just my opinions...

 

What are you running on rear to match with Dissector?

 

I'm glad someone finally knocked off this nonsense with these fronts that won't hold for crap and threw the Dissector in the mix. Fantastic middle of the ground front tire. I've run it with a rekon 2.4 out back and another Dissector out back. Take the weight penalty, corner with confidence. I enjoy pedaling the tire and just put two days in at the bike park with it as well. I have buddies fighting over available dissectors in my riding crew.

 

Dude asked for XC tire recommendations and you guys are throwing out borderline enduro tires. Did I stumble into a Pinkbike forum by accident?

 

Even Nino is running 2.4’s guys. Lol. Sorry, I got a little off track with the dissector. Too many shoulder surgeries. I don’t dabble with “XC” tires anymore. I quit taking chances about 5 years ago and decided to pedal some weight and corner with confidence. It is indeed a bit out of the realm. Hope ya find something solid man!

 

Here is a good test for you:
What's the best Maxxis tyre for marathon and cross-country racing?
https://marathonmtb.com/2017/07/13/maxxis-tyre-test/

 

I run this combo and same tyre size in the summer months and love it. I have problems in the winter . Ardent Race can deal with light mud, tried it for winter use and it didnt work out.

In winter i plan to in the future either DHF or DHR 2.3 and Forkaster 2.2 in the rear. The maximum my frame can take is 2.4 for tyres