29er Tire Choices for H2H endurance series?

stoked

Member
Hey guys,

Been out of the MTB scene for awhile and riding mostly road. Got bored and want to do some endurance XC racing for fun. What is a good tire choice for these race series? My new bike came with Maxxis Aspen 2.25s. Rode them last week at LM and they were fine with expected sacrifice on cornering. Was thinking more along the lines of Ardent for front and Ikon for rear. Curious to see what others are running in NJ trails for racing. I know its always a trade of but looking for light as possible tubeless with decent traction and cornering capabilities for racing purposes only.
 

WickedSistahEast

Well-Known Member
I have the Bontrager XR3 and XR4 through last season. Also the Schwalbe Racing Ralph on one wheel and .... forgot the second one ??‍♀️
 

Patrick

Overthinking the draft from the basement already
Staff member
^^^ i'd go more torus shaped, cause donuts. :D

run the aspens. they get some good reviews on here.
 

jmanic

JORBA Board Member/Chapter Leader
Staff member
JORBA.ORG
Team MTBNJ Halter's
I don’t race, but preferred set up is Maxxis High Roller II 2.3 or 2.5 up front, Ardent 2.25 rear.
Also run Magic Marys and Hans Dampf up front.

Some sacrifice in rolling resistance, but never ever worry about the front washing out on me.
 

jShort

2018 Fantasy Football Toilet Bowl Lead Technician
Team MTBNJ Halter's
It really depends on the venue. They can be pretty different. Mayhem, lewmo, stewart, id go less rolling resistance. Ringwood, kvsp, and port jervis, you can go a little more aggressive.

I’d keep the aspens and swap on an ardent race in the front for the rockier courses.

But I just suggested Ardent because you mentioned them.
Personally I roll with a racing Ray/Ralph and swap a 2.25 nobby nic when it’s a little more techy. I don’t do the 4 hour races though. Schwalbes are super grippy but wear pretty fast so they may not be the endurance racers choice.
 

Hakimaki

Active Member
I enjoy the Ardent Race front and Ikon rear combo. Did 6 Hours of Cathedral on that combo and loved it. Feel like that combo is a good balance of grip and lower rolling resistance. The AR front provides me with enough bite that I feel very comfortable on NJ tech, so much so that I never felt the need to put the regular Ardent back on front.
 

terrabike01

Well-Known Member
Maxxis Aspens with Orange Sealed Endurance sealant. All you need. Super light and you won't be walking your bike out of the woods.
 

downbeat007

Member
I ran an Ikon 2.35 up front and a Rekon Race 2.35 in the rear last season and was very happy with that set up. We’ll see what this season brings.
 

stoked

Member
Thanks for all the replies. Rode Ringwood, mostly the race course(at least what I remember from 10 years ago) past Sunday. There was some soft energy sucking spots. I was able to manage most of the course on Aspens but they are definitely not the right tire for this place. I felt very slow due to lack of traction rock sections with mud on tires and no grip on corners.

jimvreeland's suggestion would be best if I had unlimited budget but going to go with jshort's suggestion of running 2 different sets (1 for LM type trails and another set for more aggressive Ringwood type terrain)

I am 90% decided on Ikon 2.35 for rears with taller knobs vs 2.20 of same tire. Can't decide ardent, ardent race or maybe even forecaster 2.35 in the front.
 
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