Which is the best tire for XC?
I'm currently riding (on 30mm inner rims) Maxxis Ikon 2.35" on the front and Rekon Race 2.35" on the rear (both measure around 60mm), but I'm getting new tires for my bike since my current set is going on my wife's MTB. I'm looking for recommendations for the best XC tire setup below setup 1 or 2:
Setup 1: Maxxis Rekon Race 2.4 inch WT Maxxspeed
* Size: 29 x 2.40"
* ETRTO: 61-622
* TPI: 120 (Threads Per Inch)
* Bead: Foldable
* Weight: 825g
* Technology: Wide Trail (WT) casing, optimized for 30-35mm inner width rims.
Setup 2: Vittoria Mezcal 2.4 inch G2 Race
* Size: 29 x 2.40"
* ETRTO: 60-622
* Color: Brown or Black
* Weight:
* Brown: 720g
* Black: 740g
I do like the idea of an mm extra but the lower weight of the mezcals and 4 compound rubber are appealing.
by Ordinary_Twist_401
6 Comments
Question-
Is the weight really that important for you?
What ground are you mostly riding on? -is it sandy ,rocky, dirt ?
Both are sketchy xc tires, and one won’t give you meaningfully more grip than the other. The vittorias will likely roll faster than the maxxis as maxxis generally makes slow rolling tires except for their 170tpi casings. I’d get the vittorias because tan walls look cool.
If you are on anything loose then avoid recon race, they are terrifying. Work ok for fast rolling on the back, but never for me in the front
Mezcals
I have not run the vittorias but currently have a rekon race/aspen combo on my xc bike. I ride in an area that is loose over hard and there isn’t much room for error with that tire setup. Your bike handling needs to be good otherwise you are going to end up on the ground.
https://www.bicyclerollingresistance.com/mtb-reviews/compare/maxxis-rekon-race-maxxspeed-exo-tr-vs-vittoria-mezcal-xc-race
Vittoria Mezcal allegedly