Hi All

I havnt tried Maxxis tyres before but am going to get some

– but there are soooo many and I wont have the budget to keep changing for seasons- so are is there “the one” decent all rounder tyre for the weekend warrior ?

What sort of size? Where do you mostly ride?

I’m a big fan of Ardent’s.

I’ve had high rollers and minions but always come back to Ardent.

Minion Rear on the front and High roller on the back is the classic gnarr combination and works very well. If it’s dryer and you want something faster rolling them a Larsen on the back works well. Lots of people seem to like the Advantage too.

If you ride on the South Downs or Mendips or Cwm Carn or Torridon etc different tyres will work better for each.

And how you ride and what you like or value will also determine choice.

I’d go big fat dual ply high rollers and minions but you may not want to haul 1.3kg of tyre round each hoop.

My year-round combo, mostly in the Peak is a 2.5 Minion DHF – more like a big 2.35 from most brands – and a 2.25 Ardent, which is almost as big, on the back, both EXO versions with the tougher sidewall. Ardent’s are great rear tyres, but a bit iffy up front on softer stuff unless you’re using the 2.4 which has bigger lugs for some reason.

But as above, it all depends on how and where you ride.

I run HR2 2.4 exo front and rear and they cope with everything! Dry trails to snow

I run Ignitors all year round.

I run an Ignitor/Advantage combo all year round 🙂

I can’t be arsed with all the tyre swapping nonsense either so single ply high rollers with good old fashioned tubes (supertacky front/harder rear) do it for me. I appreciate this combo might not work for everyone. If you ride like a gorilla you might pinch flat everywhere but i’m smooth like butter and never ever stutter…

I don’t stutter but I ain’t smooth like butter
Self portait of me pondering tyres

I too can’t be arsed changing tyres so have advantage 2.25 on front and rear.

I too can’t be arsed changing tyres so have advantage 2.25 on front and rear.

Used Advatanges 2.25s for years on my 140mm FS. Swapped to High Roller on the front on a recommendation, but slightly preferred the predictable, progressive grip of the ADs on balance, even if the HR had a bit more ultimate grip. Suited my riding better I think…

Heard good things about the HR2, which I haven’t tried.

High roller 2.3 LUST front Ardent 2.25 rear. Grat combo for all year fit and forget

Ardent 2.4 front and Beaver rear on my swift suit me sir all year round.

Tried a few and like Ignitor front, Advantage/Ardent rear but I’ve settled on Minion 2.35 front, OnOne Smorgasbord 2.25 rear (Still fits the OPs question as iirc Maxxis make the On-One tyres 🙂 ). For more AM stuff, Minion 2.5 front, OnOne Chunky Monkey 2.4 rear

Very happy with my 2.5″ Minion DHF exo front, 2.3″ High Roller 2 exo rear. Maybe not the fastest rolling but I run them all year round. Got the exo for a bit more sidewall protection as I run tubeless..

Many thanks to all for all the advice.

I will decide from the replies and see who does the best deals.

I was going to back to 2.1 max but you guys ride wider so maybe I’ll follow suit ?

Thanks again.

My riding is xc and trail riding.

Chiltern loops – ridgeway loops – swinley and trail centres

Not dh.

ardents for 18 months now with a brief return to HRII’s for Gravity in Rotorua

It is however much drier here in Tasmania!

Before that minions all round in the lakes.

Tried the mythical HR/Minion combo but hated the fact that they profile’s were different (round vs square) and the bite point on the lean was very different)

I’m loving the new High Roller 2.3 TR.
Fast rolling and good grip in all conditions.

Can’t say I’ve tried many but currently running Ardent LUST on my bouncy bike. They seem to work just fine for me. Had the regular Ardents before that but found the sidewalls a bit fragile.

Agree with zelak the high roller 2 TR 2.3’s are really good, I got mine from nextdaytyres

Spring/Autumn-ardent
Summer-ardentF crossmarkR
Winter-beaver

So basically for every tyre there is a lover and a hater.
For the record I just ordered some ardents- on what basis…..
A similar thread to this

Probably make bog all difference but I wanted something to roll better than my Hans dampf. Reality is im probably just week and inadequate

Winter-beaver

My GF has one of those- trims it in the spring

Ndthornton-

Haha – yeah I’m after those magic ones that roll like slicks but stick like glue – and cut through and make the muddy hill climbs a breeze – but it could be me also…

What size ardents- did you go for ?

Something that rolls well in the dry and still gets up the hills in the mud doesn’t really exist! It doesn’t cost anymore to have a winter set and summer set because they’ll last longer, than riding the same tyres year round. Mud tyres wear out much quicker in the dry than in the mud too, so it should cost less if you’re erring on the side of being able to pedal up muddy hills. Bontrager XR-Mud or Maxxis Beavers are probably your best bet for the wetter seasons and then Ardents or similar for the drier times (day?)

2.4 on the front
2.25 on the back

Iv heard the 2.25 are pretty big so god knows what the 2.4 will be like!

Cozzy i run folding maxxis high rollers front and rear in a 2.3 style (lighter in folding), then when the weather gets better i swap the back for a kenda small block 8. There’s a massive difference in rolling resistance and the small block is surprisingly grippy in all conditions except bad mud, so it usually stays on most of the year.

If you haven’t tried a small block 8 i would definitely recommend it for when the trails dry out a bit, it’s fast and grippy.

On-one chunky monkey front and rear – maxxis tyres with exo sidewalls (sorry eckso) but at one one prices, or swap for smorgasbords

2.35 Dhf 60a on front and 2.35 40a high roller on back.

people say the dhf width isn’t 2.35 but it’s the grippiest front tyre I’ve ever had.

It must be beyond sticky in the soft compound.

Another Ignitor user here. Use them all year round for all kinds of riding from long xc rides to messing about on jumps and even DH. Absolutely love them.

2.35 Dhf 60a on front and 2.35 40a high roller on back.

You must be the only person ever to deliberately run a 60a up front but a super tacky (or is it the even stickier one with the silly name?) on the back!

minion dhf super tacky 2.5
high roller II 60a rear

perfect for welsh slop at the mo
come summer I might even keep them on!

high roller II in 2.4 btw