"Official" 29er Tire Reviews Thread

I got the 29x2.25 RR last week, with Snakeskin, and really liking it for my type of riding so far (commuting through a mix of gravel/hardpack/asphalt). It’s surprisingly smooth and speedy on asphalt, with a fairly round profile (a good in-between the Big Apple and the Maxxis Crossmark, which are the 2 tires I’ve been riding before), as well as a good cushion and grip for the gravel and bumpy sections, even at 30/35 psi.

The main drawback is that it is a pretty expensive tire (doubt I’d have bought it if it hadn’t been on sale). I haven’t taken it on any harder XC/Muni yet though.

Yeah - my RR is the most expensive cycle tyre I’ve ever bought. On the plus side, it doesn’t seem to be wearing out too quickly.

Rob

Back on the RR 2.4 with the 26" Nokian DH tube, running 18psi.

This seems to be the best combination for me at my weight (200#), nice ride, still cushy enough, but firm enough to avoid snakebites, decent traction in the dry, fast enough to make it distinct from my 26 x 3, but still agile enough for light muni.

For me and my riding style, the RR 2.4 rides far and away better than any other 29er tire I’ve tried, though I’d take a snakeskin if they make one.

Anyone want to try a 29er tire? Here’s what I have, all are barely used:

Navegal 2.25 Wire Bead
Dissent 2.5 wire bead
Kodiak 2.5 wire bead
Stout 2.3 folding
Wierwolf LT 2.55 folding
Mountain King 24 folding

Shipping is pricey on wire bead tires due cuz they don’t fold up, also weight makes tire shipping pricey, so if you want a tire(s), you gotta ay shipping. I’d like to see sell all of these tires in one swipe, so if anyone wants to make an offer on a bulk purchase…

Sorry, but I won’t ship outside the USA anymore, it’s just too expensive, already lost money this way.

(You probably already know this, but FWIW…)
You can make them half the size without damaging the bead by twisting into a figure 8 then folding in half. If you grab the tyre on opposite sides and rotate your hands in opposite directions the tyre almost naturally folds that way.

Rob

I’ve just put the same tyre/tube combination on my new 29" after seeing your positive comments about it and I certainly give it the thumbs up.

I’ve been previously riding a 24" with a 3" Gazz I was impressed that the 29 seemed to have not lost loads of grip from that setup while being faster and more nimble than the 24.

Having said that, I need to run it at higher pressure so that I was thrown off over a branch that the gazz tyre would have just swallowed and I get the impression that its the tube in the 29 that is keeping things together rather than the tyre, which is a bit worrying since I dont know where I’ll get another nokian tube (this one was 2nd hand off ebay)

Also I can report that the RR 2.4 only just fits in a 29" nimbus II muni frame. Anything bigger is going to scrape on the top.

Recommendation…

Hey 29er riders,

I wanted to bump this thread up to get a recommendation on what tire to use for XC/light muni on the 38mm KH XC rim.

By my reading, it seems like most of you guys really like the RR snakeskin 29x2.25, but I assume most of you are running that on the 47mm KH Freeride rim.

Would taking away that 9mm of rim width change your preference, or would the RR snakeskin 29x2.25 (paired with 26" tube) still be your first choice for the XC rim?

Thanks for the input!

UPD in Utah

Hey UPD,

I have used a Navegal on my KH with the same rim. It works fine and is quite light. I have not tried many other tires on the 29". It came with a Stout, which is noticeably heavier and probably overkill for light-duty cross country.

Scott

I’m using a RR 29x2.4 (non-snakeskin) on a KH xc rim. I’m running it tubeless at about 25psi for fast xc rides/racing. I really like it, but if you want to do more hopping or big drops you may find it too flexible (or you could try putting a massive tube in it like Nurse Ben does, but then you may as well use a heavy tyre in the first place).

Rob

The 38mm rim is not too narrow for any of the 29er tires. You’ll have a little more rounding out of the sidewall, but not that much.

If you aren’t doing much vertical work, hopping, jumping, so staying within 12inches of the ground, then the RR 2.4 with a 26"HF tube is a great ride I ride mine at 18psi, which at my 200# is a really cushy ride with minimal side wall collapse. I think there are folks running the RR 2.25 snakeskin, which is more durable, but not hardly as volumonous :slight_smile:

If you are going full muni, bigger drops, lots of hopping, I’d get the Dissent, it has a true DH pattern and firm sidewalls. It wasn’t my fav tire, but then I’m more of an XC rider, but Josh at UDC swears it’s the best tire since the Gazz!

Just an FYI, but if anyone is wanting a big wheel ride in a muni and isn’t satisfied with the 29er offerings, you can get the Surly Large Marge rim in a 26" and run a Larry tire which is a whopping 3.8" wide and has nearly the same diameter as the biggest 29er tire. I love my Larry :slight_smile:

Thanks…

Thanks Scott, Rob & Ben!

I think I’ll probably try out the RR 2.4 with a tube at first, then maybe graduate to tubeless. Did I read somewhere earlier in the thread that the RR 2.4 is now available with snakeskin sidewalls? Perhaps running that tire tubeless will provide the ultimate 29er XC/light muni ride. That is, until they come out with something better … next week. :roll_eyes:

Cheers,

UPD in Utah

I hadn’t heard that - although I’d be happy if it were true! I sliced the sidewall of my RR on a sharp rock not long after I bought it. Very annoying, but I patched it on both sides and it hasn’t caused any trouble since. The sidewalls are extremely thin though, like a road tyre (which is how they get the weight so low), so a bit of extra strength at the expense of a minimal weight increase would be well worth it IMO.

The RR 2.4 is a superb xc/race tyre for my style of riding (minimal hopping and no big drops). I ran it with a tube at first, but it was getting lots of thorn punctures so I decided to go tubeless with sealant. It’s not the easiest tyre to get inflated in tubeless mode because it’s so thin and floppy, but it gives an excellent ride - I was quite skeptical about tubeless but decided to go for it as I was going to use sealant anyway, and was extremely pleasantly surprised. The main down side to tubeless is it’s not really practical to change tyres often (very messy and wastes the sealant). Suits my race machine very well though.

The RR tread isn’t good in sticky mud because it clogs up and the spikes aren’t long enough, but in any other conditions, wet or dry, it grips really well. Oh, and it’s really light - but you already knew that :slight_smile:

Rob

Hey,

Over the past while I’ve had the chance to ride on a Maxxis Ardent 29x2.4. I really like this tire for the kinds of riding I like to do on a 29er (XC singletrack). It is very efficient for climbing but with somewhat beefier sidewalls than a RR, and enough volume IMO for a forgiving ride on descents (note - tested with a 47 mm wide rim). I think it’s a good choice for all-around XC rides, and might be a good choice for many riders on “average” trail conditions. In the other hand, particularly big, heavy riders riders pushing their technical limits on a 29er off drops or through rocky terrain, or riders who tend to be really hard on their equipment, might be better suited to the Dissent.

Kris

According to manufacturer’s specs, the Ardent 2.4 is 155g, or about 20%, lighter than the Stout.
http://www.maxxis.com/Bicycle/Mountain/Ardent.aspx

I’ve liked the grip of the Stout, but it’s really more than I need for the XC trails I mostly ride with the 29er. Any thoughts out there as to whether this is enough weight difference to notice much and justify the change?
(And Kris, no offense if you choose not to comment on comparing your standard issue tire with others. :slight_smile: )

No worries =)
The Stout has a deeper tread pattern that likely contributes to somewhat higher resistance to tread wear, compared to the Ardent. Unless you are really fussy about weight I doubt it is worth the change, though, if your Stout is still in good condition.

In any case, WTB production has stopped production of the 29er Stout, so this will become a rare option in the future. If you really like the Stout (and I think it is also a good tire), this would be the time to get one before they run out.

Kris

Maxxis Ardent 29x2.4

Although I was a little skeptical of a recommendation from some guy named “danger_uni,” I went ahead and bought the Maxxis Ardent 29x2.4 and (once it arrived) mounted it up on the 38mm XC rim that came with my KH29 guni. (The tire that came with with the guni [I bought it “lightly used”] was a Schwalbe Big Apple 28x2.0, so this was a major step up in volume.) Well, today I finally got a chance to do some XC riding on the Ardent at a local park (Tanner Hollow) not too far from my home.

Turns out that “danger_uni” knew a thing or two about 29er tires when he made that recommendation. (Who would have guessed?) :stuck_out_tongue:

Even mounted on the narrower XC rim, the Ardent-equipped KH29 tore it up! Such fun, zipping along dirt & gravel paths … even with me running it a 50 psi! :smiley:

Why so much pressure? :thinking: I kept it waaay up because I had to tackle some steep [9-11%] climbs on the bike path on the way home … and the high pressure Ardent handled the climbs beautifully. Climbs that I am still not strong enough to tackle on my NB Nightrider were only “moderately difficult” on the KH29 + Ardent.

Bottom line: I like the Ardent, even on the 38mm XC rim for XC & asphalt … and I know I’ll like it even more on the 47mm Freeride wheelset I intend to build once all the parts are back in stock. :frowning: (No pressure Kris. I can wait … but not too long.) It seems pretty sturdy (with WTB 29er tube inside), and the sidewalls are beefed up by Maxxis’ woven material inserts (“EXO protection”) for increased abrasion & cut resistance. It’s pretty darned light (at 795g, manufacturer’s spec) and definitely seemed to track, grip and climb very well. I look forward to trying it on the wider rim at lower pressure soon.

Only drawback: Like a fool, I ordered the Ardent on-line from an outfit in San Diego, rather than picking it up at of my LBSs who had it in stock & for almost the same price. (I did this because there were several other parts & tools I wanted, which were not readily available locally, but were [supposedly] in stock at the San Diego outfit.) As a result of a backorder on one measly $10 accessory, it took the on-line seller 24 days to get me my new Ardent! Grrrrrr. :angry: Oh well, live & learn.

…but thanks for the recommendation Kris! :slight_smile:

Cheers,

UPD in Utah

29er tire weights

BTW, I know that “Saskat” posted some actual measured weights earlier in this thread, but I thought folks might be interested in some manufacturers spec weights I came across while shopping for a beefier tire for my 29er.

Here are some of my findings:

28x2.0 Schwalbe Big Apple (wire bead) = 820g (the original tire on my 29er)

29x2.4 Schwalbe Racing Ralph (folding bead) = 645g

29x2.4 Maxxis Ardent (folding bead) = 795g

29x2.0 Kenda Navegal (wire bead) = 805g

29x2.3 WTB Stout (folding bead) = 950g

29x2.5 WTB Dissent (wire bead) = 1,380g

Hope this helps you when faced with the difficult decision of picking a tire for your 29er.

-UPD in Utah

I ride technical XC. Lots of hardpack and rocks with some DH sections. The biggest drops I encounter are 2’ or less. Mostly 1’ or less. Wondering which would be best for this kind of riding: the Maxxis Ardent 2.4 or the Dissent? I have the Stout now and like it just fine. It is getting a bit ragged and abused and wondering what to replace it with when it bites the dust.

How much climbing do you do? If a lot, you’ll probably appreciate the lighter weight in the Ardent enough for this to be a better option. If your focus is DH and you don’t mind pushing around more weight than you currently do with the Stout, the Dissent will be somewhat more forgiving. That’s particularly the case for riding styles that tend to bash through rocky sections versus using unweighting techniques. The tread pattern on the Dissent and heavier construction will mean it will likely last longer if you ride terrain that’s hard on tires. For technical XC, the Ardent does benefit from using a 47 mm wide rim because the geometry supports the lighter tire and gives it more stability.

Kris

Hey Ben

I saw that you had a Wierwolf LT. What are your thoughts?

Good? Bad? Too square?

Looking for a good fastish tire with decent grip and does good on a sidehill for a “little” project.

Hey Ben

I was thinking of trading my RRs for a couple Wierwolf LTs for a “little” project.

You mentioned that the Wierwolf had a tendency to steer into sidehills, is it much worse than a RR? Other than the sidehill issue they sound like a great tire.