I believe that was someone else on the Wolfpacks, sorry I haven’t tried them
So, what’s everyone’s views on Maxxis tyres, especially Ikon & Aspen??
A few years ago I ran Ikon’s without any problems, always with the EXO casing and they were great and only let me down once but just recently my Ikon’s & Aspens EXO have started to cut up and puncture really easily, even with Stans Race sealant they’re not staying up. Am I missing something, have Maxxis changed their tyres because like I said, they used to be great for me but not recently, what’s everyone’s thoughts?
FYI, my weight hasn’t changed and I’m still riding the same tracks I always used too and I’m a smooth rider on the bike.
Hi All,
Winters coming (in the UK) so it’s wet / muddy tyre time.
Any opinions on the Maxxis Forekaster? I’'ll be for mainly XC riding on a hardtail (I’m 70kg).
Thanks
Carl
The Forekaster or Specialized Ground Control would both fit your needs. Tom Pidcock won the U23 XC World Championship using the Specialized Ground Control. That was a muddy, wet course.
I like the Forekaster in moderate mud. Deep slop you could go more aggressive, but the Forekaster still seems like it doesn’t have a massive amount of rolling resistance.
I still have yet to flat on three different bikes with Ikon, Ardent Race, and Aspen.
Thanks, I’ll only be riding in wet / loose, not deep mud so it sounds like the Forekaster will be perfect.
what do you guys recommend to use with a forekaster in the front? or do you just use it f/r? would the barzo be comparable to a forekaster or a tad faster to use it on the back?
I’d be tempted to go Barzo/Barzo…faster all around.
My Oiz TR came with Forecaster F and Ardent Race R. I do like the Forecaster for either loose or wet conditions. I demo’d bikes with it on the Front in dry Utah conditions and liked it. It just seems to really grip in the corners. Not the fastest rolling of course…
Arghhhh, I thought I’d made up my mind…
Fall weather is starting to result in some leaves falling on the trails so will likely change out my Racing Ray/Racing Ralph combo on M525’s to some Nobby Nic’s for a little more bite.
I kept the Racing Ray’s/Racing Ralph combo on during the whole spring/summer season. I ride XC mainly weekends, but not a single flat all year running Stan’s Race Sealant. Was really happy with the combo. The rear, which I also used part of 2019 as well, is showing some wear but the front barely looks worn.
I’m running the same tyres and I’ve just changed the sealant to the race variant. Is there any reason not to use race sealant permanently?
The Race Sealant can clog the valve stems, so it usually means popping the bead to add some, although a KOM injector should work too. Otherwise I haven’t noticed any downside and been my go to for XC, gravel and road tubeless this year.
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Those new Nobby Nic’s are HEAVY! Go to the Schwalbe website and look at the weight on those.
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I saw that, something like 20% heavier than the old ones!!
What do others like to use when the trails start to get leaf littered in the fall? I’ve found the Nobby Nics punched through pretty well but interested in what others have found.
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If I wanted an XCish trail tire for the fall/winter I’d look at the Maxxis ForeKaster, Vittoria Barzo, or the Specialized Ground Control. I’ve used the Nobby Nic in the prior version but it was about 200 grams lighter than the new version.
There are no race tires that I’m aware of that do well in the leaves. So I have been running straight up trail tires for when I’m looking for more grip, I consider it training weight, it’s certainly more fun.
I’m pretty happy with Maxxis in general. For trail I run a DHF 2.5 up front and an Aggressor 2.5 in the rear. I want to try a different rear tire soon as my initial infatuation with Aggressor has since worn off. Too much of a do it all tire I think.
Race day, and a tire combo I need to get back on soon is either an Ikon 2.35 front and rear, or I’ll got Ikon 2.35 rear and maybe a Rekon Race 2.4 up front. I’ve always been a fan of Ikons, they deliver considerably more control than their appearance would suggest. Apparently I’m missing out on the Aspens though, I’ve never thought that they looked adequate however many people here and folks I ride with prefer them over the Ikon.
For leaf riding, I think it’s more about technique than tire choice, although a tall knob profile certainly helps. For rolling fast I just take the control “hit” and run pinner tires and learn (again every year!) how to control drift!
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I run this during the summer and it’s very fast, but for the winter want something a bit more grippier, especially on the front.
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