Let's offroad / mountain bike / mtb / ride dirt

XC (Dry/Wet Fast/Slow etc)

Trail
Enduro
DH

Tyres do say something like that, but that's usually what denominated the casing. On top of that you have compounds, profiles and knob spacing to deal with different levels of grip, mud shedding and rolling resistance.

Slick -> Aggressive
Rekon Race - Ikon - Ardent Race - Rekon - Ardent - Forekaster (New one)
(I think)

Worth thinking about though because many grippy tyres also hold mud like crazy and then grip is gone. If you're expecting mud select wider spaced knobbles.

... - Minion DH

Talking of tyres, anyone ever used Kenda Boosters?

This is for durability and grip on rocky trails and no hoot given towards weight or how many ks I cover in a ride.

That's what I want.
No point squabbling about grams when I'm pushing 92kg + bike + kit up mountains.

Maybe I should've got the non-Race one? No clue how they differ. Sick of reading tyre blurbs full of marketing horseshit and every forum has people reporting polar opposite ride qualities for the same tyres...

Ok, with the Rekon for example you have some choices:

Compound: Dual compound, 3C MaxxSpeed (more fast rolling and hard wearing), or 3C MaxxTerra (more traction, but wears a bit faster)
Casing: 60 and 120 TPI ... 60 is more stiff but more durable
Protection: Exo or Exo+

Weight diff on a 29x2.4 tyre from lightest to heaviest is about 60g

Race vs Non-Race: https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-gear/maxxis-rekon-race-mountain-bike-tire-review/

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Ardent Race looks kinda like the Mezcal I have on the back. So, if I'm swapping them I should maybe get similar ride? Barzo on the front so maybe I should get more grippy front.

Fuck it, I'm putting 90s DH tyres on front and back

Maxxis Ardent EXO/TR 60 TPI 29´´ 800g
Maxxis Ardent Race 3CS/EXO/TR 120 TPI 29´´ ?

If you're expecting mud select wider spaced knobbles.

It's Spain. There won't be mud for long if there is any mud.

So, forget the weight. I don't want to be working on tyres if I can help it.

Ardent Race 2.35 for the back and Ardent 2.4 for the front? Both with Cushcore XC inserts and Bob's your uncle.

Ardent Race 2.35 for the back and Ardent 2.4 for the front? Both with Cushcore XC inserts and Bob's your uncle.

Aye, this.

Well ...

As I said, personally, I don't like the ardent in the front because I think it feels vague when there's loose stuff, as the taller knobs sit very far outside in the profile.

The Rekon starts gripping earlier as the tyre leans over. Feels more re-assuring to me and my lack of skills. Plus you can get it with EXO+ if you want more durability

Image is Ardent Race, Rekon Race, Ardent, Rekon

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I was chatting to someone else and he said you really need to be leaning on the Ardent (or was it the Rekon?) to get the sideknobs involved. No way I'm leaning enough to make use of its knobs so I reckon either another Ardent Race or maybe an Ikon for the back and stick the Ardent Race on the front. It's 800k and I'll be hopefully make the smart decision to walk anything that will kill me so in theory I want be using extra grip.

Can you not get barzo? They're a great tyre imo, with lots of feedback and grip.

Maxxis Ikon 3CS/EXO/TR 120 TPI 29´´ = 740g for the rear.

Not in 2.4. I was thinking about leaving it on the front but I reckon Ardent Race 2.35 on the front and Ikon on the back. I don't ride down stuff as fast as you so don't use the grip so much anyway. May as well make my life a bit easier for the bits I am riding, which sounds like it'll be mostly uphill :)

2.35 is the size. I prefer more grip on rear for climbing traction than ikon or mezcal but all personal.

I've ordered another Ardent Race 2.35. I can now decide how much I hate them for front AND rear use. :)

oh dear, forks from ebay, this happened on their first ride. It doesn’t seem terribly serious but perhaps you’ll tell me otherwise, what do I do to fix it? Photos are what i saw when i first realised; my initial attempt to put it back; and the state of what is underneath

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I would do a lower leg service so you can inspect everything at the same time. Its quite easy to do yourself.
https://youtu.be/q71iSEEuiw0

Yeah, looks like they're overdue a service, replace the seals and wipers and some new oil and hopefully good to go as long as the stanchions look alright when you clean them

thanks! i would love to be able to do this, I might take them to a shop for this service but at the same time it doesn't say what to do if your wiper seal has popped off, presumably though they are easier to reinstall when the lower legs are separated from the stanchions.
I was like, 50 hours! then realised it is 50 hours of riding.

I don't think I notice the subtleties in tyres that some do, but I've always got on with Ardents as an all-round tyre. Found the sidewalls to be much tougher than Vittorias (though I reckon @skinny might have just a few more miles on a mountain bike than myself as experience!)

Yeah, they're a bit stiff to get back in without the stanchions. If your giving them to someone I'd just send them straight to TFTuned and get it done well, if there are further problems they can sort them straight away. If I get forks in the shop I'll do the basics if everything is working alright but anything more it's worth sending them to specialists, I reckon I could sort most issues but it'll take me 5 times as long and I'd need to order parts in so you'd end up paying more and it taking longer. Servicing the lowers isn't hard though if you follow the many instructions out there and worth being able to do because if you look after the forks properly and want to use them semi regularly you'll probably have to do it a couple of times a year and that'll get pricey quickly.

I think the wiper seal popped off because the rubber became too hard/dry. They also need some grease on the surface that slides over the stanchions. The foam rings also look dirty on that picture I would definitely recommend a service.