A couple years back I did a binge on tires, ordered the fattest 29er tires I could find, and in the end it was the Ardent that stood out. I never tried the High Roller, which shares casings with the Arcent, it has a solid knobby edge versus the zig zag knobby edge of the Ardent. It might be worth trying if you can get it cheap. The Advantage is another one worth checking out, just make sure you get the EXO casing.
So here’s my take on those tire choices:
The Stout is everything but (read as not stout) thin walled, not a true 2.3, more like a 2.1, I never liked the Stout, it was edgy and too low in volume.
The Weirwolf is not even close to a 2.55, though wider than a Stout, still more like a 2.25, the sidewall is similar to a Stout, I sold mine after one ride, it was not all that great, a typical WTB tire: read as inexpensive, low tech build.
The Ignitor is thin walled, might work for a bike, but it’s too wimpy for a unicycle
The SB8 is popular with some uni riders, I have one hanging on my rack that I picked up yesterday as a freebie, tread is very thin so hardpack use only
The RR 2.4 is a great tire, but it needs pressure to keep from folding, very fast, very light, not very durable, not good in the wet.
Too bad he sold the Smorgasborg.
If you want a slightly narrower tire that is robust, consider the Ardent 29 x 2.25 with the EXO casing, it’s the same tread as the 2.4, lighter, more durable, nice tire if you don’t want the fattest tire.
Of those tires, the lightest and fastest is the RR 2.4, maybe try the Weirwolf. There is a wire bead version of the Hans Dampf, it’s the Pacestar rubber, a tad heavier than the Kevlar bead, but still a grea tire, and less expensive.
Considering where you live, the only tires on the list worth riding in wet terrain, mud and crud, is the LT2.55, the Ardent, the High Roller, the Advantage and the Hans Dampf. There are some Conti tires popular with some uni riders, like the Mud King, but I didn’t find much love for contis when I rode a free Mountain King last year; too slippery.
Maybe there are some Bontrager and Spcialized tires worth trying, but choosing a tire is such a shot in the dark, Esp with all the reviews from bikers being unhelpful for the most part.
Can someone loan you an Ardent to try?
), but clearly it’s a bit narrower than some of the others - and I couldn’t find a single review of it on here. So which of those should I take him up on?
