The 3C triple compound system mixes up the properties of (you guessed it) three different rubber compounds for the best combination of grip and resilience – there’s none of that horrible ‘sucky’ feeling you get with a ‘proper’ sticky compound, but then neither is there the associated limpet grip; it’s a trade-off between rolling speed (high, helped by the ramped centre treads) and soft-conditions grip (it does clog in thicker mud, which isn’t a surprise when you look at how low-profile the close-packed tread is). The trademark rounded cross-section familiar to users of the regular Ardent is still there, though, and I like it.
At a nominal 2.2in it’s definitely on the small side, but the benefit is that it fits between chainstays with plenty of room to spare. A higher volume version would be lovely for front wheel use in dry conditions. It’s tubeless-ready and the sidewalls aren’t too flimsy, so it stands up to hard cornering well without the wallow associated with lighter tyres – and while we’re on the topic of weight, the EXO sidewalls are a perfectly acceptable compromise between abrasion protection and additional heft. They’re just as easy to pinch flat as a regular light-ish, supple-ish tyre, but there’s still enough there to stop you tearing through them with one clumsy pedal stroke.
Really though it just resembles a regular Ardent that’s reached the prized sweet spot between worn in and worn out. I guess that means it’s got an even shorter life span and at £50 or so a wheel, that’s going to be hard for many folk to stomach. Mine is already rather worn.
Overall: A faster, racier version of an old favourite. Could do with being fatter, though.
