After some careful consideration, I think I have decided to go for some Maxxis Ardents for my Five. Does anyone have any experience of these tyres, especially if you also have used these on a Five?

I quite like the sound of the “vague feeling” they offer before drifting then biting again with good levels of grip!

Also, what would be the differences/benfits between the 2.2 and the 2.4?

I was also considering some Conti X Kings but reviews suggest they dont offer the best levels of grip and they have thin sidewalls?

I’m currently running Maxxis Advantage 2.25’s and have been for the last 3 years (previous bike a Crush, had the Five since March).

Any feedback appreciated.

Cheers, Ben.

Running Ardents on my BFe they are quick rolling and seam to cope well with most terrain. Not a very good mud tyre or after its been wet and makes just the top of the ground soft. Good where the ground is compact. Don’t know what they will be like on a five but could find out soon just bought a second hand five frame to build up. Hope this is of some help

Running a 2.25 60a Kevlar exo on the rear (ghetto tubeless) for mainly lakes riding and the odd trail centre. Overall v. Impressed by it. Agree with rockape in that it can get a little bit overwhelmed in mud but due to the lakes being predominantly rocky it’s not a problem for me. Went for the EXO version the reinforced side walls due to a lot of the trails I do are slate based so a ripped tyre is the last thing I want on a ghetto conversion. My last ride was a case in point. Cleaning my bike off I noticed a bad scratch in the side. A non exo would have probably ripped right open. They also come up a lot bigger size wise than high rollers. A 2.25 is more like a 2.5 HR so a 2.4 would be a bit overkill IMHO. Wouldn’t know what they are like on the front, got a kenda nevegal on atm but going to change to a maxxis minion when it wears out.

The 2.25 Ardents are quite a big tyre volume wise, i run it as a rear tyre, used to run it front and rear but the “vague feeling” made me loose confidence so i swapped it.

As mentioned the Ardent is quote a fast rolling tyre and i love it on the back of my bike. On my hard tail i have it paired with a 2.35 Super Tacky High Roller which is slightly smaller volume and pretty much the same width. On my full sus a Iron Hore Mk3 i have a Rubber Queen balck chili on the front with the Ardent on the rear and I really get on with this set up too.

I would also second the bit about them being pretty rubbish in the mud, the tread on the 2.25 is not masively deep and i think that is the main problem in the mud.

I run Ardent 2.25s on my Enduro and before that on a meta 6. I really rate them and find they give me slot more confidence than my previous HR 2.35s. I prefer the more rounded profile and find them faster too. I find them better in mud the HRs unless it is really sticky. Again I think the profile means they dig through the mud more. No experience of them on a 5.

I’m an nervous rider and ‘worry’ about my tyres more than I should. I never got on with the Advantage. Can’t explain why. High Rollers- great but tall(?)……Ardents are amazing. My one tyre forever 2 seasons riding. Slightly iffy in mud but you just relax through those bits.

Ardent 2.25 on the rear for me but with a Ignitor 2.35 on the front for general trail riding.

Its a huge tyre – you don’t need a 2.4. It’d look like a Gary Larsens’ cartoon fatman with a short haircut..

The 2.4 is much better in mud as the knobs are much deeper, also much more aggresive side lugs. Rolls a little slower and a bit heavier. Also it’s massive 🙂 Have one on the front of my rigid Inbred.

Might try the 2.25 again instead of the HR on the front of my full suss

Ardents are a great all-round rear, but I find that when its muddy/slippery they’re a bit ‘hairy’ on the front – fast rolling though.

2.4 definitely had bigger knobs and is massive, I love them!

I had one on the front of my Trance as I didn’t like the Eskar that was on it before (“didn’t like” is mild, it was the worst front tyre I’ve had). Loved it.

Run 2.25’s on my 29er ht.

Great until you hit mud and then front wheel becomes sketchy.

2.4’s definitely have bigger knobs which I would imagine would help.

2.4 on front, 2.25 on rear I’d imagine would be a decent combination. Esp as its on a 5?

That said I’m keen to try an 2.2 ikon on the back (both 26 & 29)…

Surely ardent better in mud than ikon?

I ran 2.25 Ardents front and rear on a SC Blur LT and my Cotic Soul for a year. They def come up big. I wouldn’t have got the 2.4 in the SC frame.

Good alround high volume tyre that is relatively light and fast rolling. Wouldn’t reccomend it for winter use as I thnik the tread is a little shallow for mud.

I found it a little unerving on the front as it would let go on gravel if pushed hard, was able to save, but still a bit of a twitchy moment. Running the front softer provided more grip and you can get away with it due to the large volume.

Coped with a week in Les Arcs last year, Alpine singletrack, not bike parks without any pinches or puntures.

They don’t bite well in mud but they do clear fast which helps a lot in varying terrain, as long as you have a little speed anyway.

The vagueness is just classic Maxxis- grip in the middle, grip on the sides, bit inbetween that doesn’t grip so good. Some folks really like that, but not to my taste.

Will repeat what everyone else has said. Great on rocky terrain, dry routes and trail centres – rubbish in the muddy or wet dirt.

Cheers guys. I think once my local trails have dried up I’l put my order in for some 2.25’s.

really quick tyres but I will echo what someone else has said in that as a front they’re not perfect. I’ve teamed a rear up with an advanatge front.

This is the second thread I can recall this week asking for advice on tyres specifically for an Orange 5. Why do these bikes need specific tyre recommendations? I accept there is a bit of a cult on here for these things and I have nothing against them…

What tyre threads are a necessary evil but they aren’t half boring and a new sub-genre of “Orange 5 What tyre?” thread is, IMO, absolutely unnecessary…

Anyway I like Ardents – great tyres…

MussEd – Member
This is the second thread I can recall this week asking for advice on tyres specifically for an Orange 5. Why do these bikes need specific tyre recommendations?

Single pivot innit- needs a great rear tyre to make up for the way the rear brake messes up the suspension action. And a massive grippy front tyre to handle the super hard gnarcore riding excessive braking before every corner

Tempted to post the obvious troll jpg here just to save someone else the bother.

i run a 2.25 LUST Ardent on the back of my FS’er – love it, prefer it over the crossmark as well

about 58mm wide on flow rims

Run the 2.25 Exo version on the rear super grip but as above not so good in the mud have an Advantage on the front a great combo IMO!

Is unpredictable (or predictably slippy) in anything other than dry there fore would never recommend it to anyone as a front tyre unless I wished serious injury on that person…

I recommend the Kevlar 2.25 as a Summer rear-only tyre though.

Weirdly I run one up front in all sorts of conditions and have had no issues with up front in the wet. I swapped the rear one for a XR Mud though, got fed up of turning the back end into a mixer for the mud.

Great as a front tyre in local mud, great winter trail centre tyre too (29gnaror version)