Maxxis Rekon Tire [Rider Review]

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Maxxis is a staple name when it comes to Mountain Bike tires. Maxxis will have a tire for you no matter what you want to do. One of our friends just put on some new Maxxis Rekons. See what they think!

Overview

I recently purchased the Maxxis Rekon 29” x 2.4” to go on my Marin Rift Zine 2. I purchased it along with a 2.6” Rekon to go on the front. This review is primarily on the 2.4” but it is hard to separate it entirely since I bought it as a set.
These are actually the third set of tires on this bike and I think I may have found the ultimate combination of grip and rolling resistance. The stock tires were grippy but way too slow rolling. I replaced them with a WTB Trail Boss and Vigilante combo which was definitely faster rolling but they had some durability issues and they still weren’t exactly lightweight. So that brings me to the Maxxis Rekons. The reason I went with them is that they are the lightest tires around before getting into the XC Race category. So let’s take a closer look at the weight. Maxxis claims 840g for the 2.4” tire. I weighed in at 836.5g, just a hair under what they advertised. Since the 2.6” is a 120tpi tire, it was actually listed even lighter at 780g. I weighed this one too and it came out to 813.5g. A little over what they claimed but, to be honest, it actually makes me a little more confident in the strength of the tire. All in all, these tires saved me half a pound over the WTB setup! That’s some pretty serious weight savings especially considering that is the rotational weight.

Now for the actual on-bike performance. The first time I hopped on I was impressed by how quickly the bike accelerated, but I also wondered if it was just in my head. However, I’ve gotten in at least 5 rides on them so far and every time I start riding I have that same feeling.

So if the question is, “are they fast?”, then the answer is a resounding YES.

Speed is great, but what about grip? The 2.4 in the rear is phenomenal. It feels like it has more grip than the previous Trail Boss. It handles just about anything besides wet. Slow rocky climbs are great. The fast hard pack is great. I really like 2.4” as a rear tire. For the 2.6” front tire, I’m not completely sold on it yet. I wanted light and that is what I got for sure. I just don’t have the utmost confidence pushing the front into loose corners. It hasn’t slid out yet but I really haven’t pushed it too hard in corners aside from the hard pack.

Ok, so they’ve got speed. They’ve got a grip. What does that do for the riding experience? Well for one it makes climbs just a little less exhausting. And for downhills... faster and more fun. On one particular Strava segment that is all downhill and mostly hardpack, I set a new PR of 1:46, 5 seconds faster than my previous PR. And that was when the trails were somewhat wet. I bet on a dry day I could do it even faster. Plus I have set a handful of other PRs since putting these tires on.

Final Thoughts

So all in all, I really like this setup. The 2.4” in the rear is perfect for my riding style and for the trails I ride. I got exactly what I was hoping for: Lighter, faster rolling, and without sacrificing grip. I’d recommend the 2.4” Maxxis Rekon to just about anyone as a rear tire unless you are doing a lot of downhill chunky rocky stuff, in which case you’ll just need something heavier and tougher.