It seems that the Maxxis Ardent is the current ‘best’ 29er tyre that isn’t the Hans Dampf however, here, there are many differnt Ardents listed.
Which one performs the best? The wire bead, the folding bead or the ‘EXO’ folding bead one? I know the KH29 doesn’t come with the ‘EXO’ one (unless I’m mistaken) however no one seems to mention which model Ardent they have bought
Could someone please enlighten me?
I know that this is not the response you requested, but I have a Hans Dampf on my 26er and 29er and I am amazed at how well they perform. Good sidewall stiffness and responds favorably to air pressure changes for MUni, or you can pump them up tight and they perform well on pavement.
Sorry, just had to try and sway your choice!
2.25 and 2.4 in the Evo casing with single ply
The UST/LUST is 120tpi, which may be too flimsy for muni use
As to being the bext “not Hans Dampf”, that may be up for discussion…
Personally, having ridden a 2.4 Ardent three times last week, on varied terrain, I would NOT spend money on that tire now that the Hans Dampf is available.
Also, KH is specing the High Roller on the 29er, so that might be worth looing into, though it’ll only be a tread difference as the casing is probably shared with the Ardent.
Get an HD.
I know but they’re sooo pricey!
Even this Ardent is £41.99 - and that’s on special offer!
Unless there’s a better (sub 40 pound or thereabouts) tyre, it’s either this, this or this.
The ‘EXO’ is light (650g according to Chainreaction) which is odd for a wire bead whereas the standard folding bead is supposedly 805g, as is the standard wire bead.
I’m completley stumped - Ben, you’re the unicyclist.com tyre maniac maybe you can help me.
There’s a HD 29 pacestar on amazon.com.uk for £27. If they were that cheap here in the states I’d probably buy a few just to have lying around.
Thank you!
Just one more thing though, what’s the difference between the pacestar and the trailstar (I know ones softer but which one)?
Trail star is softer, more grip, less durable.
There is a wire bead Pacestar, it’ll be heavier, but it should be a nice riding tire, maybe 100-150gm heavier.
The wire bead Ardent will be heavier than the folding bead, not sure that they have a 29" wire bead, but in the 26" there is a wire bead Ardent and it weighs a lot more, ~1500gm.
I’d save for the HD Pacestar Folding, look for deals, other than that, maybe look at the High Roller if you can find it on sale.
I don’t hate the Ardent, it was a good tire when I first rode it, but the 29er tires have improved in recent years, better casings lead to better profiles, also I feel like having a constant outside knobby “edge” keeps the tire tracking better.
The only thing I didn’t like about riding the Ardent last week was with off camber trails, I felt like it was a struggle in certain situations and this got old quickly. The HD is much better in off camber situation plus it has a stiffer casing and a more aggressive tread.
I’m riding a Surly Knard now, it also has some off camber issues, maybe worse than the Ardent, but it has such great volume and cushion that I’m putting up with it for now. However, as soon as I get my lightweight 29er wheel built, then I’ll be back on the HD for Summer.
If you don’t need a super durable tire for tech muni and just want a high volume nice riding tire, the Racing Ralph 2.4 is a nice ride, though it can pinch flat at low pressures so maybe run tubeless or get a 2.25 version with the snakeskin sidewall. The RR was changed this year, so you may find old stock on sale.
If you get an HD, I’d suggest the Pacestar, it is plenty sticky for wet and rocky trails, tread is longer lasting than Trailstar. I ride a Pacestar and the wear has been average, comparable to an Ardent, but it is stickier than an Ardent.
I like Chain Reaction Cycles, but you can look around and often do better:
I had a hunch it was the pacestar - luckily there’s one here that’s folding, pacestar and on offer. 
Just to be sure it’s the folding one, does 850g sound about right?
Just gotta save up 270 quid then…
EDIT: Just noticed that you linked to the same product as I did. What’s so special about the ‘evo’ HD though?
Yeah, 850gm is correct for a folding version, they are all Evo with Snakeskin sidewall.
I’m not sure why the price is so much lower on the one tire, may be a wire bead, so you shoudl check with them before ordering, also specify that it is a 29 x 2.35.
It says ‘foldable’ in the product features so I guess it must be (can always return it as missold goods if not).
Also, does anyone know if the Oracle 29 and KH 29 have the same mud clearance (top to bottom and side to side)?