Maxxis Rekon tire [Rider Review]

Our "Rider Review" article series features the honest reviews from verified purchasers of Worldwide Cyclery. They contain the photos, thoughts, feedback & overall review you are looking for.

New tires on the mountain bike is like putting on new shoes. Everyone tries to find the right fit for their style of riding. Maxxis is a gold standard name that makes the right tire for every style. Our friend has been riding the Maxxis Rekon, see what they think! 

Overview

The Maxxis Rekon is my favorite tire for one reason, it's the best overall tire for riding in the southwest United States. I ride mostly in Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, and Colorado, and this tire is the stickiest for loose marble over hard turns. It also holds up very well to hard braking and turning. I found that most other tires have an issue where the side knobs will break off or begin to split after the first ride, but not with the Rekon. I ride every single day, usually between 6-12 miles, sometimes 20+ miles on the weekends, and three Rekon tires will last me an entire season. I put on a fresh set at the beginning of the season, and then move the front to the back and put a new tire on the front about halfway through the season. I also live next to Angel Fire Bike Park, which I ride about three times a week. While a DHR or DHF will get you through the hard stuff, the Rekon is an amazing and fast tire for any blue trail. I will usually climb the mountain instead of taking the lift, and the Rekon works perfectly. It climbs great, and then it's really fast rolling for jump trails. I highly recommend taking a set of Rekons down a full jump line starting on "Turbo Diesel" and then "Hungry Hippo". You won't regret it.

Installing the Rekons are standard for any tire, but I will say that they are middle ground in tightness around the rim. I run a 2.8 in the front and a 2.6 in the rear, both on 30mm wide rims. I am also tubeless. I find that most cheaper tires like Kenda and specialized, have a very loose fit, and are very difficult to set up tubeless without the right pump and a ratchet strap. On the other end of the spectrum, I have used a few different Schwalbe tires that are very tight on the rim. While these are easy to install in the workshop, they tend to lead to at least one broken tire lever if you are using plastic, and become difficult to remove on trail. I also don't like the tightness to the rim with Schwalbe when riding in Arizona, as at least once a season I need to take the tire off on the trail to remove a cactus needle. This is where I find the Rekon to be the perfect middle ground. It's easy enough to get off, but it's tight enough that I can reset it tubeless on trail with a hand pump and no special tools.

Final Thoughts

Do I think the Rekon is the only tire you will ever need? No. But I do think it's the best tire to have on your bike when you don't know what you are getting yourself into. It's the toughest tire for harsh rocky terrain, that is still sticky and soft enough to keep you rolling fast. And just a final word of advice, always go for the 3C, it pays itself in dividends on the trail.