The stock tires that came on my Stumpjumper Comp 29er were good when the trails were 100% dry and hard packed. But now that the summer has come we have one of two extremes here in the mountains: dusty-dry-sandy trails or wet trails right after an afternoon rainstorm. They were not so good in either of those conditions. Which sent me looking for new tires, I picked up the Maxxis Ardent and could not be happier.
The Ardent has aggressive knobs, plenty pf room to clear mud and good traction in the dry or wet.
The side knobs have a bit of an edge, so if you lean really, really, really far over you might break free, but it is rare that it happens. The larger 2.25 tire provides tons of cushion for your hardtail. Despite an aggressive tread they do not feel heavy or slow.
I’m a fan!
Maxxis says: http://www.maxxis.com/Bicycle/Mountain/Ardent.aspx
An aggressive tread in high-volume casing, designed with great traction in mind. The Ardent doesn’t forget the racer with large block-style side knobs offering numerous edges for high-speed cornering. The center tread, while ideal for braking and accelerating traction, also features ramped knobs to minimize rolling resistance With a wide variety of size offerings, the Ardent captures every mountain rider’s needs.