Over in the dust of Sun Valley, Idaho, Hannah got the chance to ride the hot off the production line new Maxxis Rekon Race.
This is a new XC race tyre aimed at catering to the modern aggressive race courses. The tread pattern is born from the existing Rekon+ tyre, which is a much bigger and burlier 27.5×2.8in plus tyre designed for trail riding. In comparison, the tread on the Rekon Race has been pared down significantly to create a faster, skinnier and lighter 29er XC tyre.
With a greater degree of tread than the super-dooper lightweight race tyres of old (think the Maxxis Maxxlite and Schwalbe Fast Fred), these will not only be used by the likes of Nino Schurter – in fact he already won at Mont-Saint-Anne on a prototype of the tyre last year – but will appeal to a wider range of riders to the ‘scary fast tyres’ fan club.
The central tread is still low profile, but there are greater side knobs for cornering, and transition knobs for the move between the two. Ramped leading edges reduce rolling resistance, while flat trailing edges for better braking. The tyre will be available in 29×2.25in only, however there will be two options: the Rekon Race EXO with more robust sidewalls at 670g, and the Rekon Race without the EXO at 610g.
Currently we only have US pricing, and it’s $60 for the standard option, and an additional $4 for the EXO sidewalls. Maxxis says that it expects most people to go for the EXO option, and only those who really really care about weight will forgo that additional protection.
To understand where this tyre will sit in the Maxxis XC range: the Ikon has the tallest knobs, the Aspen has a taller centre tread but similar side knobs to the Rekon Race. The Rekon Race has the lower centre tread height.
Hannah has had a very short ride on the new tyre, in some very dry and dusty conditions. She was surprised by just how much traction there was – quite something as Hannah is not used to either dust nor teeny tiny knobs on tyres. She’s managed to bag a tyre to bring home, so we’ll be able to check those weights and true tyre width very soon.
