Gone are the days of 1.8 tires pumped up to 60 psi as we bounce off of every rock and root on the trail. Larger 2.3 and higher mountain bike tires are now finding their way onto recreational riders with 5.5″ travel mountain bikes to increase grip and…with new tread designs and rubber technology…riders are able to get this higher volume and more grip with lower rolling resistance and weight than ever before. The mountain bike component market is really starting to cater to the group of riders that want more out of their tires without lugging around full out DH casings on the trail.
The Ardent 2.4 is Maxxis’ answer to those riders looking to get more out of their rubber, so let’s take a look at this tire and see how it did on the trail.
Maxxis Ardent 2.4 26″ Mountain Bike Tire Specs
Before we bury this thing into rocks and roots, let’s take a look at the pure numbers. Now, keep in mind that these measurements will vary depending upon application as the widths are dependent upon your rim width and tire pressure. The specs were obtained at 25 psi on a Specialized Roval Traverse AL rim which is spec’ed at a 20.8mm inside width. Wider rims and higher psi will widen the width specs while narrower rims and lower pressures can narrow the specs.
- Test 2.4 Weight: 820g (claimed 815g)
- Casing Width: 2.23″
- Outside Tread Width: 2.335″
- Est. Tire Height Off Rim: 2.3″
- Rubber: 60 TPI/60 Durometer
- MSRP: $48.00
The Maxxis Ardent 2.4 tire features a pronounced ramped center knob pairing followed by a squared off, smaller secondary tread pairing. The transition section has one smaller tread after each center section that goes into a pronounced H knob and then a two staged, stacked side tread.
From Maxxis.com:
An aggressive tread in high-volume casings distinguishes the newest addition to Maxxis’ downhill and mountain disciplines. Designed with great traction in mind, the Ardent doesn’t forget the racer. Large block-style side knobs offer numerous edges for high-speed corners. Center tread, while designed 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.
- Designed for traction
- Low rolling resistance
- Lightweight, high-volume, single-ply casing
Review: Maxxis Ardent 26×2.4 Mountain Bike Tire
Ok…so let’s get at it and get these monsters from Maxxis dirty…
First Looks and Mounting
We ended up throwing the Maxxis Ardent 2.4 26″ tires on a series of 5.5″ and 6.4″ travel bikes to get an idea of how it would perform on the vast majority of the mountain bikes on the market today. Having previously reviewed the 29×2.25 and the 2.6×26 DH casing versions of this tire, we had high hopes for this “do-it-all” 2.4 tire out of Maxxis.
At first glance, the Ardent looks big. Despite what the numbers look like above, the Maxxis Ardent 2.4 has a large stance on your rim and a ton of volume for the size. Given that the measurements were taken at 25psi, the Ardent comes dangerously close to the claimed 2.4 width. For those of you that are familiar with other tires in this category from Maxxis, the close to claim width is a welcomed change. The Ardents mounted up easily to the Specialized rims as well as the DT Swiss 5.1 and Stans Flow rims they were mounted to on other rides.
The green hot patch on the Ardent really isn’t my style, but that is purely personal preference so I’ll let you make your own judgments there. I really wish they would have gone with something a little bit more neutral and not quite as loud to look better on different styled bikes.
On The Trail With The Maxxis Ardent 2.4
An 820g 2.4 mountain bike tire is designed to take on all aspects of the mountain on your mid travel mountain bike. So how did it do on the trail given the wide range of applications this tire is designed around?
Just Rolling Along
The first thing you notice when you get the Maxxis Ardent 2.4 rolling is how easily you can get this tire moving. Compared with other 2.4’s on the market, the Ardent has really low rolling resistance. The rounded profile matched with the ramped center knobs make this tire a great option for all day hammers in the woods. When you are just pedaling along, you don’t feel like you are having to push the tire forward…it just rolls. For those of you that are not used to larger size tires, you will have to get used to the 820g weight, but at least you will not feel like you are pedaling in sand.
Climbing On The Ardent
Overall climbing traction in the rear is pretty good thanks to the really high volume of these tires. When things get loose and sandy, you might get some slippage due to the ramped knobs, but in most slow climbing situations…correct tire pressure matched with the volume tends to wrap around objects in the trail providing you with adequate traction. Again, the ramped knobs allow the tire to get up and moving quickly, so outside of the weight, the tread pattern makes for a great rear roller.
Gravity Assisted Riding On The Ardent
When things get pointed down, the 2.4 Ardent from Maxxis really comes alive. This high volume tire loves to be pushed hard into corners and the 60 TPI casing does a great job of keeping the tire’s profile together under hard hits and preventing pinch flats at lower pressures. I started running these tires at about 28 psi (roughly 190 lbs riding weight) and found myself continuing to lower the pressure on the trail. The Ardents really love for you to run as low as pressures as possible as the grip continues to increase as you do.
The 60 durometer rubber does a great job of grabbing rocks and roots as you continue to push the limits. The H knob and stacked, two stage side knob hold corners very well in rough situations at the threshold. I could really trust the front when plowing into rooty corners or coming off of midsized drops. When the trail gets on the sandy side of things, the tire can tend to get a little bit loose as the low transition knob and ramped center knobs want to skate over the loose instead of dig into it.
Under braking, the Ardents did a good job of hooking up and slowing things down in hardpack and technical trail. Again, on the looser trail conditions, there was more tire lockup and sliding, but I have not been able to find a tire that does well in those trail conditions. Loose braking is just one of those situations where you really have to have some brake control outside of relying on the tires to do all of the work.
Overall: Maxxis Ardents 2.4×26 Mountain Bike Tire
The Maxxis Ardent 26×2.4 is a perfect tire for riders who want to get more technical in their riding (or already are) but still want a faster rolling tread for full days in the saddle. During our testing, we found that matching the 2.4 Ardent with a smaller, lighter rear tire was the ideal setup. In one case, we actually used a 2.25 version of the tire in the rear mated with this in the front. The Ardent 2.4 has enough volume, durability and grip for the hardcore tech junkies, but you will notice that it does not perform as well as some of the heavier, non-ramped tread patterns in loose trail conditions. Basically, what you gain in rolling resistance performance you give up in loose grip performance. That is a pretty normal situation in tread designs.
While the low transition knob looks like it doesn’t do too much for riders that like to spend a lot of riding time on that section of the tire, combined with the multi-stage side and H knobs, the Ardent does a great job at gripping in between the center and edge of the tire.
Positives: Maxxis Ardent 2.4×26
- Low rolling resistance.
- Respectable weight for a 2.4.
- Close to claimed weight and width measurements.
- Crazy grip in technical and hard pack trail conditions.
Negatives: Maxxis Ardent 2.4×26
- Green hot patch may not match your rig.
- Some sliding in loose trail conditions.
If you are looking to get into the higher volume, more grip side of things on your 5.5″ and up mountain bike, the Maxxis Ardent is the first one I would send you to as a front tire. With the high weight and high width, riders used to the lighter side of mountain bike tread may have a hard time running it as a rear, so throw one up front and start burring it into everything you can find. Just remember to run the pressures low and trust that it is going to stick.
Where To Buy Your Own Maxxis Ardent
 MAXXIS ARDENT STEEL BEAD TIRE |  MAXXIS ARDENT FOLDING TIRES1 |
