Hi
I want to upgrade my tyres from the stock ones that are on my trek ticket, I have decided to go for maxxis ardent 26 x 2.25 Folding 60a Kevlar from next day tyres, they will be used mainly for my commute to work and my weekend runs around a local woods(gravel tracks and a bit of muddy single track) and also trips to Sherwood and Cannock and the odd trip to Lee quarry Just wondering if its best just to go for the mormal ardents of pay the the extra for the EVO tyres.
or are these just for the rocky routes???
Any views on the maxxis ardent would be great.
Cheers
Con

Do you mean EXO? I like ’em, roll reasonably fast and are decently grippy, though the tread’s not that deep and they wear a tad quickly as a result, maybe stick a Minion DHF 2.35 on the front – it’s actually a very slightly smaller tyre, but grippier in softer stuff – and an Ardent on the back. Not great for drive in really soft or muddy stuff, a pair of Minion DHFs f and r is probably a better all round combo if you encounter muddiness regularly. I’m running Minion (f) Ardent (r) over winter in the Peak and with it being gritty slurry rather than proper mud, it’s a pretty good all-round combo, grips on rocks, front reliable rear fast rolling and grippy enough mostly.

Id go for the EXOs if you’re either going to ride in rocky places or you’re planning on running them converted to tubeless. The standard sidewall’s quite thin feeling and the EXO adds a relatively small weight penalty.

i have one with exo sidewalls and it’s great. i really don’t have to worry about sidewall damage now. they hold air with a slosh of sealant very well too.
not sure if it’s be worth the extra cash for you but this was my first proper go with tubeless so i wanted the extra reliability factor.

Ah, just read the Lee Quarry bit, I’d go for the EXO version for that.

LOL….yeah sorry EXO 😳
As you can tell i’m a newbie here, just looking for some decent tyres that can handle mud
cheers
Con

For the type of riding you’ve described, the Minion DHF front and rear is a really good suggestion IMO. We live on Eastern edge of Peak District, but also occasionally ride in Sherwood Pines when we want a break from rocks! My wife runs Minion DHF’s on her bike and they’re a really good balance between grip in varied conditions and rolling resistance – pretty good if you want to leave ’em on all year round.