all four rides left in them at that point … 
It’s odd to me how little braking traction the Ralph has compared to something like an Aspen when you look at the difference in tread pattern. You would think the aspen would be worse.
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In my personal experience, the 2.4 Aspen has better braking and climbing traction than the 2.35 Racing Ralph
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Yep that’s my point.
Where are you riding where you get traction from the Aspen? Where I am at you might as well be on slicks (sandy trails). At 770g its heavy for not a lot of traction, at least where I ride.
I found the aspen was as grippy on corners, but struggled more under braking. That didn’t surprise me based on the tread pattern though
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What’s the big draw to Aspens? I hear constantly that they’re heavy and have poor traction, so I assume it’s a rolling resistance thing?
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I think it’s a volume thing. At the right pressure (lower than many people are comfortable with) they’re good all-rounders and have good trail speed, though not the best in any one thing. That’s been my impression, at least.
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Mostly rooty, loamy forest singletrack that rarely gets properly dry or dusty
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This feels like a rather extreme position. No doubt hyperbole, but still, a bit unnecessary. There are definitely faster options now than Aspens but they do offer a pretty complete all-rounder package and have larger volume than pretty much every other option, which, in my opinion can be a benefit worth considering.
This I definitely agree with. Or preventing flats, which is an area worth considering that Maxxis tires generally perform well in.
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Maybe because they’re the fastest of the maxxis lineup? Going by the BRR data, it has always confused me why maxxis are so popular…
Sponsor lots of riders and they are OEM on lots of bikes.
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Aspens were great tires before maxxspeed compound…
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Why do you say that?
Are they so different than the triple compound?
I just ordered one in 2.4 variant
My body loves the huge, comfy 2.4 Aspen on my Epic hardtail. I’m 180 pounds and run it at 17psi on the rear. It removes so much trail chatter and makes my riding way more enjoyable. Although I admit I’m not skilled enough to run the Aspen on the front, it is my favorite rear tire.
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Since I have the same bike and I weigh the same, I have to ask you what are all the tires you have tried?
My Epic came with 2.35 Fast Trak front and 2.35 Renegade rear. Although I thought that was a pretty good setup, I am happier with a 2.4 Rekon Race front with the 2.4 Aspen rear. I find the Rekon Race hooks up better for my front in off camber turns than the Fast Trak and the Aspen is more durable and comfortable than the Renegade Control on the rear.
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Houston, we have a problem.
I’m generally not too concerned about cycling fashion, but even I can run two different color tires 
I have plenty of time to exchange however, as I won’t be back riding on dirt until March next year. I’ll try get 1 or 2 desert rides on these before Moab Rocks in early April
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Do we think the Aspen is a significant volume increase over a racing ralph 2.35?
I’ve given up buying a FS frameset this year, and will be sticking with a hardtail for the foreseeable future. On top of that, being a bigger rider, volume seems like it would be the idea, and I’ve got room for 2.5+, what’s the biggest, fastest tire out there?
I’m not a fan of the Rekon race in my head, atleast for our conditionals, I almost feel like the aspen might be better.
Hmm, currently looking into the Mezcal (trail) in 2.6. Seems about 120g heavier than comparable tires in 2.35/2.4. Not sure what I would pair it with, maybe just keep my racing ray in the front, or ground control if I want the bike to be a bit more fun.
EDIT: Booster pro in 2.6 also seems to be an option.
Most racers running Aspens run Aspen STs. Aspen STs are a different thing than regular Aspens. Different carcass, different TPI count, different thread pattern, different sidewall protection. STs are racing tires, but I guess most people here already know that.
All but two Aspens I’ve seen in the wild are non STs and some (me included) are quite happy with them. Both riders on ST versions will not be replacing them. I am very much not a fan of Schurter, if that matters at all.
Then again, seems like some people are sensitive to their tire of choice. I’ve not had great experiences with Schwalbes and when say that people react just like when someone says they don’t like Maxxis.
I like to try different things and it’s nice that we have such great tires to run.
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