Sometimes its larger, sometimes its smaller, but it is always there…the never ending pile of tires. For some reason I can never really get rid of it. There are always a couple of sets that I think I may use again and then there are the sets that are dry rotted and need a new home. A lot of times, I end up giving away the tires I didn’t like to friends and fellow riders.

I have finally gotten enough time on the new DH Ardents from Maxxis to give a full review. This impressive new tread pattern from Maxxis should be making its way to the public soon. This sample set is the 2.6 3C (run as a front tire) and the 2.4 60a (run as the rear). The test bike was my Ventana El Terremoto 6.0.

Congratulations goes out to Chad Oliver (HeavyBike/Flowtec depending on which forum you are watching) and the rest of the “Middle Ring Mafia” for killing it at the Burn 24 hr at the Dark Mountain Trails in Wilkesboro, NC.

Want to get your bike back to that “showroom new” condition? Suzuki Motorcycle Wash is the only way to clean your bike. I am not sure what they put in this stuff, but it is a miracle worker. You can purchase it in a gallon jug or spray bottle at your local Suzuki dealer. I normally pick up the gallon jug and use a spare spray bottle around the house to save a little bit of money.

When a fellow riding friend (FoShizzle) emailed me on this build, I knew it was going to be insane. El Beastro is known to have Spectrum powder coat some extremely original designs onto is frames. This Knolly Endorphin has to be one of the craziest I have ever seen.

I took the Ardents up to Pinhoti 2, 3 and 4 up in the north Georgia mountains over the weekend to get some long mile testing in. The Pinhoti’s are known for providing some of the best single track that Georgia can provide. Great tight, twisty downhills with long steep climbs get your heart rate peaked no matter which way you are headed.

I finally got a chance to get the new 29er Ardents from Maxxis mounted the night before I am supposed to be riding the north Georgia mountains. First, these tires go on Stans Flow rims extremely easy. There was no need for tire levers at all.

The 650B wheel size has been drawing a lot of attention over the past year. Many see it as the compromise between 29″ and 26″ wheels, and also a way to get bigger wheels to longer travel bikes. The long travel market is not a great fit for the 29er market, but with the 650B wheel size, frame and component manufacturers can stay closer to the 26 inch wheel specs to get increased travel.

Today seems like another great day for a custom steel builder write up. Doug Curtis of Curtlo Cycles has been custom fabricating his amazing frames for over 20 years. His reputation for having one of the best riding steel frames on the market has been earned through years of perfecting is craft. Each frame is hand made exactly to each customers needs.