Fast rolling rear tyre from Maxxis

I’m looking to (temporarily) adapt my trail bike to some local XC trails. Currently, I’m running a DHR up front and DHR DD on the rear. I’m considering swapping out the DHR DD for something like the Ardent, Ardent Race, or even an Ikon or Crossmark II. Any thoughts?

My experience is that the Ardent is a reasonably fast-rolling, decent all-rounder. The 2.4 is a lot toothier than the 2.25. The Ardent Race is quicker, shallower tread, less good on soft stuff.

Ikon felt a tad fragile to me. I wouldn’t want to beast one over rocky stuff, but it’s quicker than either of the Ardent variants. Haven’t ridden the Crossmark. If you want proper fast, just stick Minion SS on the back. Or a Rock Razor. Super quick and more grip that you’d expect from the big side-knobs.

I’m happy with Ardent/Crossmark for XC type riding.

I’ve used Ikons on Spain and I can’t see when I’d ever fit them for UK riding.

As said Ardent would be good or the dhf semi slick.But anything would feel quick after a dd casing tyre 😉

If your rim isn’t too wide then the Minion SS is great. If you’re after 27.5 then you can have an old one of mine for nothing!

Same combo as scotroutes on the hardtail and the Crossmark II has a surprising amount of grip, rolls fast too. Really fast on tarmac if you have to spend any time on that getting to the trails.

Minion SS is great (although as hinted at, on wide rims the cornering edges are engaged without cornering, so not so fast rolling). Crossmark is fast, but get ready for that rear end whipping out (can be fun) and importantly often available super cheap if you hunt. Rekon is my favourite fast rear tyre of theirs though, just remember to take 0.2 off the claimed size to get the actual size.

Maxxis Tomahawk is fast rolling as well. Available in DD casing if still needed and going for £30 on the Maxxis site in all diameters

I’m running a very worn DHR2 3C, in the current conditions it’s rolls really fast and lovely and drifty in the loam.

What’s the upper rim width limit for the Minion SS?

Aggressor isn’t too bad. Quite fancy giving the Dissector ago, looks good.

The crossmark 2 is what I put on the back of my trail bike when I do xc races.

It’s fast and grips well, just a bit low volume at 2.25in.

I’d buy that again, but I don’t honestly know if it’s better than the other tyres you mentioned.

I tend to use the Maxxis aggressor 2.3” Exo on the rear of my fs bike (on a 30mm rim). Seems to roll faster than my exo dhr2 does (also 2.3”). They’re both 3c max terra compound I believe.

Minion SS would be faster again I assume although I’ve never fitted one.

If you aren’t adverse to running different tyres from to back I’m running an One One Smogasbord 2.25” (25mm rim) on the back of my hardtail. That’s definitely faster but spins out in mud earlier / has smaller side knobs. Cheap as chips usually though.

Vittoria Martello TNT, replaced a DHR EXO with this and it’s great. 29×2.35 is 1000g, faster, much stronger sidewalls & grips great in the dry when leant over.

Anyone seen these type of faster tyre available in EXO+ 27.5?
I’m currently running a tomahawk dd and it feels as quick as a minion dhr wt exo, but the shallow tread is wearing very fast.

I ran ardent 2.2 all year round and it’s reasonable rolling, but I wouldn’t use it for XC trails. Just switched to Vittoria Mezcal out back and it’s a great tyre for XC trails.

I’m sure Maxxis must do something similar though.

I’ve got ardent front and back on my general bike, and they work well on dry, damp, wet trails. Not anywhere near as bad as people say, lots of mud isn’t their thing though. Following on from what BadlyWireDog said, my new 2.25 on the back seems to have the same trend depth as the older 2.4 on the front.

In true STW ignore op way…

I’ve swapped out a WTB convict/vigilante pair on my hardcore ht for something more Xc oriented and put on Goodyear ‘peak’ f&r
Dirt cheap on crc when I bought them and I was surprised at the grip they are offering but it is nice and dry and grippy right now…

Basically I’d pick up something cheap and cheerful if it’s only a temporary see you through thing

Following on from what BadlyWireDog said, my new 2.25 on the back seems to have the same trend depth as the older 2.4 on the front.

Ah, maybe they’ve changed the design. The old 26″ versions were markedly different. Sorry for any confusion. My answer, fwiw, though it’s not Maxxis, is a Schwalbe Rock Razor 🙂

Forekaster would work well on the rear, somewhere in between Ardent and Ikon, I think.

Love the Minion SS, fast rolling on the dry trails and more traction than you think. I also enjoyed the Aggressor as well until I put a hole in the sidewall.

My normal combo is HR2 on the front and Ardent on the back. I like that for most conditions but my riding is fairly tame.

Only now considering something even quicker for the dry summer conditions (like a crossmark or nano, both of which I have in the garage)

Have run an minion SS for a while before moving into an aggressor for the rear. SS will be great for xc riding while still having enough grip for cornering. I only swopping to the aggressor due to lack of braking grip on the steeper trails I was riding due to skill level going up. The other mention Maxxis tyres are more xc oriented (weight and grip) but also robustly so be prepared for more punchers (thorn related or snake bits if you run low pressure).

Minion SS are really fast and yet still great around corners. I’d not want to put one on a rim any wider than 25mm internal though — they square-out very easily.

You could get a Spec Slaughter for under 20 quid at the moment though, basically the same and super cheap from the Specialised site

I had that with the tomahawk DD as well scruff.

It was a fast fun tyre but those top knobbies seemed like pencil erasers.

Probably an aggressor if you are keeping a DHR up front.

Recently changed tyres on OH bike. She bought it used and the guy had fitted Michelin Wild Grippers front and back but included the original barely used tyres in the sale. She had been complaining about how draggy the bike felt especially on the road and if we both went fron a standing start and freewheeled down a hill I would leave her far behind. Fitted the original tyres Minion DHF front and Ardent rear and she is delighted. Says it feels like a different bike and the freewheel test results have been reversed. I’m on Minions front and rear.

If you go aggressor then I’d go for the 2.3, the 2.5 is draggier as the knobs are a fair bit larger, have both on different bikes.

(Edit- if you’re considering an ikon) I’d say go all in and get an aspen in the biggest size you can (old style Maxxis short ruler problem).

Rolls really quite quickly- it’s one of these ‘extra gear’ tyres. From a subjective point of view I can’t tell any difference in handling between the aspen and the ikon on the rear but the aspen feels significantly faster. I take the view that if it’s dry enough for an ikon it’s dry enough for an aspen and it’s good enough for Nino!

OP question: “fast rolling back tyre from Maxxis” Answer: Crossmark II

There we go. Nice and simple. As others have said not high volume at 2.25 but perfect for XC duties.

Maxxis says: “The CrossMark II improves on the speed of its predecessor while improving grip in intermediate conditions. The legendary center ridge still flies on hardpack, and the updated tread pattern provides better braking and cornering over a wide range of trail conditions. A great choice if you want to go fast everywhere.”

My YT Jeffsey ditches it’s trail duty E-thirteen wheelset with big voulume DHF and DHR II for a Stans Arch MkIII wheel set with 2.35 `Ikon up front and Crossmark II out back for local X/C bridleway/ kids rides duties…two bikes in one! Ikon in 3C is a surprisingly good general use and even trail centre tyre….I’m going to source the bigger volume 2.6 3C WT one for summer duties next time round (available germany but not UK?)

What’s the upper rim width limit for the Minion SS?

25mm tops, otherwise you end up with a square profile.

Fast rolling rears, if it’s just hardpack, ikon/ardent race are fast. Rekon is a bit toothier, they do it in a 2.4 as well.

At the moment on the trail bike I have a 2.3 ground control and fastrak, fast rolling and plenty of grip for xc stuff.

Hardtail has a 2.6 rekon and ikon, bit of bounce for dried out trails.

Aggressor’s are surprisingly draggy and have no grip, prefer to run an SS!!
Forekaster is like a nobby nic, good at nothing. Draggy, strange cornering, dual compound dhf pump up hard is a better tyre.

I tried Minion SS, and they are fast, but as someone who doesn’t change tyres for the seasons, I (not surprisingly) found it a liability on anything remotely wet going up or down.

Back to the old favourite Ardent 2.25, just a great all rounder.

In a similar vein to the OP I’ve just swapped out the DHF (2.5) /Aggressor (2.5) combo for a set of Ardent (2.4) / Minion SS (2.3) I had hanging up in the shed. Roll nicely and enough grip for local bridleway bimbling in the current conditions.

This is they on WTB i29 rims:

Ignoring the maxxis requirement. I’m pleasantly surprised by how good the vittoria barzo in 2.25 are. They roll fast and grip well. Im thinking of swapping out the maxxis aggressor big bike for one.

Only reason to fit Minion SS is imo if it absolutely has to be maxxis- it’s decent enough but the rock razor is better at everything ime.

Crossmark is decent. Ardent became obsolete as a rear the moment the first of the modern semislicks came out imo.

Ardent became obsolete as a rear the moment the first of the modern semislicks came out imo.

Unless you leave it on all year, but yes for dry and summer riding they are much better all round. I have a minion ss on my trail bike sometimes and it surprises me how well it grips damp rocks, although the ardent I also use on that bike surprises me in claggy mud that’s not too deep. It’s much better than the knobby nicks on a friend’s bike.

Ah, maybe they’ve changed the design.

I am sure they have, the 4 year old ardent 2.25 on Mrs Sims bike is much closer in tread depth to the race version than the 2.4.

Noone else running a Rekon out back?

Stuck one on my Bird Aeris a couple of months back and have to say, so far, so good.

Zippier than the DHR2 it replaced and held it’s own in the most absolutely foulest of conditions at Innerleithen during storm Catrina/Denis.

Pretty impressed with it so far; until that day at Inners I’d have probably faffed about sticking the DHR2 back on for uplift duties but it coped just fine.

Not sure I’d want the rekon on the back at somewhere like Innerleithen!

If the ground is hard and wet, but not muddy I’d guess it can work.

I’m a pernickety faff with stuff like this, I’d planned to swap them over and run the DHR but forgot and had to run the Rekon.

Totally fine, honestly.

And it PISSED it down all day, it was a swamp.

Does the rock razor size up like all Schwalbe ie fairly big?