Reviewed: Three 29'er XC Race Tires

Schwalbe Rocket Ron     Maxis Ikon       Specialized Fast Trak S-Works

Schwalbe Rocket Ron 29X2.25 tubeless ready claimed weight 520g

Maxis Ikon EXC 29X2.2 claimed weight 520g actual weight 514g

Specialized Fast Trak S-Works 2bliss 29X2 claimed weight 520g actual weight 535g

I didn't have a chance to ride each tire in all conditions and the Rocket Rons were the only ones I rode front and back, the Ikon and the Fast Track S-Works saw duty only in the rear.  I'll update as I get more rides in on these tires.

I'll tell you what I've found so far though..

Each manufacturer has all sorts of techno bafflegab explaining special proprietary compounds and computer modeled tread pattern for optimal everything.

Any sales person would have tonnes of marketing techo-hype in their arsenal to explain the advantages of each of these tires.  Specialized and Maxis have the best marketing with videos and more technobabble than Schwalbe.  I'm not saying the tread designs are BS, I think each have a pretty good design, I'm saying each company tries hard to sell you their tires, and like any marketing campaign, some of what is said amounts to minutia and rhetoric.

Tires were run at the same pressure for all comparisons using Stans NoTubes (except the Ikon.. had trouble with compressor that day and couldn't inflate tubeless)..

Loose gravel climbing

Winner: Rocket Ron
Ikon and Fast Trak S-Works: Tied

The RR has a more aggressive tread pattern with the lugs further appart than on the Ikon or FT S-Works.  The wider 2.25 casing also provides a wider contact patch.  I may not know precisely why the RR hooks up better on lose gravel, but it does, and noticeably so.  Of course it will still break free on loose gravel, but much less, and with less side slip.

The Ikon, although a 2.2 casing was actually a lot closer to the 2.0 casing of the Fast Trak S-Works.  Both the Ikon and S-Works climbed loose gravel well, but had more snakyness in holding a line and larger, more speed robbing spinouts than the RR.  You really had to keep weight back to ensure grip whereas with the RR spinout was far less frequent and only partial, and weight distribution was less finicky.

S-Works 2.0 on the left, Ikon 2.2 right.

Short grass climb

Winner: Rocket Ron

Ikon and Fast Trak S-Works: Tied.

Short dry grass is typically pretty grippy anyway.  Each tire performed well here with the Rocket Ron producing a little more grip.

Cornering

The Rocket Ron on the front is a phenomenal tire for cornering. I can't say anything about the other tires on the front as I haven't tried them.  The RR is so good up front though that I would be hesitant to try the Ikon or Fast Trak S-Works up front as it seems I would surely be let down.. but I will try them up front and post my findings.

The rear plays a roll of course in cornering as well.  Here the RR completely and entirely wins hands down. Very predictable grip and a gradual transition from grip to controllable oversteer slide-out.  I'm comparing three of the very best tires available so they are each pretty damn good.  None of these tires has been a dog so far in terms of grip, ride quality, or handling in general.

Dry rock 

Winner:

Maxis Ikon

Fast Trak and RR: tied

The Ikon had marginally better grip on dry rock than the other two, and a little less frequent slipping on 2 foot square edge up-and-overs.  It felt like the tire compound had more stickiness than the others, although I never had any issues with the the RR or S-Works, none of these tires failed or flailed under these conditions. 

Ride quality

The Rocket Ron and the Fast Trak S-Works have a more supple feel than the Ikon.  The Ikon and the Fast Trak both have 120 TPI casings, the Rocket Ron 127 TPI.

On back to back rides the S-Works is noticeably more supple feeling than the Ikon. The Ron is comparable, though still beats the S-Works for a supple ride.  Is it the extra 7 TPI thread count? Unlikely.  It will be the wider width and the overall combination of casing design and rubber compound, wall thickness etc.  Whatever the reason, the RR is the most supple of the three, the Ikon is good but a little more stiff.

Durability

Winner: Unknown

Rocket Ron: surprisingly good

Ikon: sidewall in the EXC version sucks big time

Fast Trak S-Works: early prognoses looks good.  So far more durable than the other two

The Schwalbe website cautions that the RR is a race purpose tire and has low puncture and sidewall protection.  On my first ride with the Ron's I scuffed some rocks and the sidewalls started showing some thread.  I thought the tire would be dead in a couple rides on the rocks.  Nope.. four months of riding rocky trails and lots of sidewall scuffs with threads showing and the tire was still going strong.  The knobs had almost completely worn down in the centre but the tire kept performing. 

The Rocket Ron finely met its demise in a race where a pokey piece of fresh-cut of shrub stabbed the sidewall.  Stans was not enough to seal the large hole.  Despite this being race-light tire not intended for durability, it lasted far beyond my expectations.  I'll be buying a Rocket Ron again.

Conversely, riding the Ikon one ride on the same trail under the same conditions taking the same line at the same speed with same amount of sidewall contact I always have.. tore through the side wall.  Good thing I was riding with a tube that time. For another paltry 60 grams you can get an Ikon with the Maxis EXO protection sidewall.  The Ikon EXO seems like it would be good choice if you encounter terrain where lot's of sidewall scuffs occur.

Maxis Ikon sidewall broke on through to the other side on a rocky ride

The gunk around the cut was some spray on rubber I was trying out as a repair.  Didn't work.

Riding the Fast Trak S-works on the same trails produced the least amount of visible sidewall scuffing.  I still hit the rocks with the sidewall, but I had to take a really close look to see the abrasions. 

Overall the winner so far is the Rocket Ron.  The Ikon, Rocket Ron, and Fast Trak S-Works are so close in weight I would not let that enter into the decision for buying.. you wont notice 10 - 20 grams.

The latest version of the RR is tubeless ready with an improved bead and sidewall. Previous versions (2011) were said to be difficult to run tubeless. I had no problems running the Rocket Ron and the Fast Trak tubeless.  I tried to run the non-tubeless ready Ikon with Stans but couldn't air it up.  I've read reviews saying others have no such trouble.  Turns out there was a problem with my air chuck.  I've got a new air chuck now but won't be trying the EXC Ikon with Stans as there are two big cuts in the sidewall.. Big enough that Stans would not have sealed them so I'm glad I didn't run the Ikon tubeless.  I'll give the Ikon EXO a chance tubeless though..

Wider is faster, and the RR is wider than either the Ikon or Fast Trak. Previous reviews on earlier versions of the Fast Trak seemed to suck overall so I avoided these tires.  The tire was redesigned 100% and is getting much better reviews.  I have no real issue with the general performance of the Fast Trak S-Works, but wish I could have it in a 2.25 width.  The 2.25 RR is the same weight as the 2.0 Fast Trak.

The Ikon and Fast Trak S-Works I rode performed admirably and are decent tires for sure.  The EXC casing is definitely not durable.  The S-Works is far more durable than the Ikon for about the same weight and similar performance, with the S-Works having a noticeably more supple ride.

More to come as I ride more..

A few more races with the 2012 Specialized S-Works Fast Trak are under my belt now. I keep noticing less buzz on harder surfaces.. it rides smoother and "feels" faster that way, but it does grip marginally less than the Schwable Rocket Ron.  If I never rode the Ron's I wouldn't say the S-Works lacks grip significantly. Given the choice right now though I would rather have the TL ready Rocket Ron on the back for all conditions compared to the S-Works.  The larger width, bigger air volume provides a more supple ride and the tire grips better.  While a little more buzzy on hard surfaces the RR feels like it absorbs smaller bumps with a more supple feel compared to the S-works.