29" Hardtail tires Minion/Ardent or other?

lemonenema

Now that I've finally settled on a frame and fork (Stanton Sherpa and Pike) I'm looking at tyres.
I'm thinking Minion 2.6 front and Ardent 2.4 rear, ideally just two tyres for all conditions, trail, bridleway, rocky and wet.
Can't believe how expensive tires are these days!

steve_sordy

Those are humongous tyres! I weigh 92kg (14.5 stone) in my riding kit and for years I rode a series of Trail bikes with 2.2" tyres. I never once felt under-tyred. They were Continental Trail King, with the black chilli compound (BCC), run tubeless. They grip and grip and yet have a much lower rolling resistance than you would think. As long as you are not riding on tarmac and granite all the time, the life is excellent too.

With a hardtail I can see the attraction of some squash at the back to take the sting out of the trails, but that is a lot of weight to move about. The worst place for weight on a bike is at the wheels, not so much the hubs, but the rims, tyres and tubes. With narrower tyres you would notice the difference for certain, especially on a 29er! The ride will be more sprightly and you will be able to accelerate faster.

Irrespective of whether you heed my comment about wheel weight, the combo you are considering is good. By that I mean a grippier tyre up front than the rear. That way when you slide out on a corner, it will be the rear that goes first - much more survivable!

PS: When I had an Ardent, I didn't find it too good in the mud, but it was a good 3-season tyre

lemonenema

thanks steve, Ive been riding 27.5x2.4 and happy with that on the rear, yes I do want to keep weight down at the rim/tyre area a it does make a difference but having read and seen various video reviews about tyre width, the outcome is almost always 2.6" roll better than 2.3" regardless of terrain.