MTB Tire Test: Maxxis Rekon Race MaxxSpeed EXO/TR

Maxxis recently released their new MaxxSpeed compound, and the Rekon Race is one of their first tires that's been updated with this new compound. We already tested the Maxxis Aspen (read our review) with this new compound a couple of months back, and our tests already gave the first indication that the new compound is an overall improvement over Maxxis's true and tried "Dual" compound.

Ad Buy Maxxis Rekon Race MaxxSpeed EXO/TR at Amazon.com

We will take a second look at Maxxis's new MaxxSpeed compound with the new Rekon Race with MaxxSpeed compound. Thanks to our expanding database of tire tests, we'll be able to directly compare it to the older "Dual" compound Rekon Race (read our review) that we tested in 2019, and this will give another excellent opportunity to compare these compounds

The Rekon Race is Maxxis's go-to XC race tire, and its tread pattern is similar to other popular XC race tires like the Continental Cross King, Schwalbe Racing Ralph, Pirelli Scorpion, Vittoria Mezcal, etc. When we compare the Rekon Race to the Aspen, which is Maxxis's other popular XC race tire, the Rekon Race looks more like the previously mentioned tires as it comes with a more straightforward tread pattern with solid blocks of knobs instead of the extremely open tread pattern of the Aspen.

Due to the very open tread pattern of the Aspen, it wasn't the best tire to judge the MaxxSpeed compound. The extremely open tread of the Aspen with its thin knobs flexes a lot in our wet grip test, and that reduces the maximum grip on a hard surface. The Rekon Race does much better here with the more solid tread pattern that isn't as susceptible to flex, and it shows in our grip test.

It looks like Maxxis is introducing the new compound slowly, as there currently is only a single size of the Rekon Race available that comes with the MaxxSpeed compound, and that's the 29x2.4WT size that we have on test today.

Manufacturer Specifications

Manufacturer Specs
Brand	Maxxis
Model	Rekon Race MaxxSpeed EXO/TR
Year	2024
Supplied By	Bought in store
New or Used	New
Mileage	0 km
Price Range	High
Buy At	Ad Amazon.com
Manufacturer part number	ETB00465000
TPI	120
Compound	MaxxSpeed
Bead	Folding
ETRTO	61-622
Size Inch	28"
Width Inch	2.40
Specified Weight	825 grams
Max Air Pressure (psi)	40
Made In	Members Only
Available Sizes	29x2.4

Maxxis Rekon Race MaxxSpeed EXO/TR Test Results

Size, Weight, and Thickness Measurements

Size, Weight, and Thickness Measurements
Specified Weight	825 grams
Measured Weight	814 grams
Measured Width Carcass	58 mm (un-round)
Measured Width Tread	60 mm
Measured Height	57 mm (un-round)
Measured Knob Height Center	2.2 mm
Measured Knob Height Edge	3.8 mm
Measured Total Thickness Center (excluding knobs)	2.1 mm
Measured Total Thickness Sidewall	Members Only
All size measurements are taken at an air pressure of 35 psi / 2.4 bars on a 17.8 mm inner width rim.

Rolling Resistance Test Results

Rolling Resistance Test Results
Inner Tube	None (40 ml sealant)
Rolling Resistance 55 PSI / 3.8 Bar	Members Only
Rolling Resistance 45 PSI / 3.1 Bar	Members Only
Rolling Resistance 35 PSI / 2.4 Bar	23.6 Watts CRR: 0.00707
Rolling Resistance 25 PSI / 1.7 Bar	26.8 Watts CRR: 0.00803
All numbers are for a single tire at a speed of 29 km/h / 18 mph and a load of 42.5 kg / 94 lbs. Use the formula: RR (Watts) = CRR * speed (m/s) * load (N) to calculate rolling resistance at a given speed and load.

Puncture Resistance Test Results

Puncture Resistance Test Results (higher is better)
Total Puncture Score Tread	34 Points
Total Puncture Score Sidewall	Members Only
Tread Puncture Force Sharp Needle	Members Only
Tread Puncture Force Blunt Needle	Members Only
Tread Total Tire Thickness	2.1 mm
Sidewall Puncture Force Sharp Needle	Members Only
Sidewall Puncture Force Blunt Needle	Members Only
Sidewall Total Tire Thickness	Members Only

Hard Surface Static Grip Test Results

Static Grip Test Results
Wet Grip Average	69 Points
Wet Grip Center	Members Only
Wet Grip Edge	Members Only
Measured Knob Height Center	2.2 mm
Measured Knob Height Edge	3.8 mm
Grip in points = coefficient of friction * 100 MTB grip test rim width = 30.0 mm
Wet Grip Test and Off-Road Tires (info)

Conclusion

When we compare the Rekon Race with Maxxis's latest MaxxSpeed compound to the older Rekon Race with their "dual" compound (read our review), the MaxxSpeed version is a solid improvement. There is one area where there is no improvement, and that's in the rolling resistance department, where the rolling resistance even comes in a bit higher than the "dual" compound version. We're not surprised by this because it is the same as the Aspen we tested a while back, but the MaxxSpeed name of this compound might be a bit ambiguous.

We do see solid improvements in all of our other tests, with improved puncture resistance and knob height, and very strong performance in our wet grip tests. The Rekon Race even comes out on top as the best overall gripping mountain bike tire in our wet grip tests, and it again shows that the MaxxSpeed compound doesn't simply make you go faster in a straight line, but it might help in achieving a higher cornering speed.

Jump over to our comparison section to compare the "dual" compound and MaxxSpeed compound versions of the Rekon Race: Maxxis Rekon Race Dual Vs MaxxSpeed compound

Ad Buy Maxxis Rekon Race MaxxSpeed EXO/TR at Amazon.com

RATING: 4.0 / 5
TEST VERDICT: Recommended

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