Maxxis Aspen 2.1in 29er tires

As I mentioned previously, my only real complaint about the KHS was the weight. Reducing the weight of rotational components like the wheels and tires is where it’s going to make the biggest difference to the ride. The wheels will be upgraded, but not until later in the year. At well over 800g each the WTB ExiWolf tires were the obvious choice for an upgrade. After looking around I found the new Maxxis Aspen 2.1in tires were arriving in the UK this month, are reasonably priced and around 530g. I’m not the kind of weight weenie that actually weighs components when they arrive. Just look up the claimed weight, check some sites to make sure it isn’t too far out and hope to appreciate the difference while out riding. Installing them was a bit of a pain, both tires required soapy water to get them to pop into place on the rim straight. Once they were mounted I took the bike for a quick test ride past the gold course. Right away the bike felt a lot quicker to accelerate with around 1.3lbs of rubber removed. It will be interesting to see if the Aspen can provide enough grip and puncture proofing for a front tire. If it doesn’t then I’ve got a backup plan involving the rear Ardent on the Swift.