Tires Maxxis or GISLAVED

I have liked maxxis crossmark.

Commute was great. These tires are amazing. They're called "Gislaved Nordfrost 200's" if you're wondering, I believe they run for around $1,400cdn for the 18" size I have, but would be cheaper for smaller sizes.

On my XC hardtail I have a Maxxis 2.4 Ardent on the front, and a Maxxis 2.2 Ikon on the rear. It is a great combo so far.

I just put some 2.25" Maxxis Ardent TR EXOs on my Trek 29er and they have been awesome so far. Tons of grip compared to the bontragers I had (cheaper ones that came with my bike).

Maxxis all the way. Seem to be the best combo of grip, price, durability, and weight.

Your trails sound pretty similar to what I ride. I have a set of Ardent 2.25s that I really like.

I love my aggressor on the rear, rolls and grips well.

I also have a minion DHF for downhill and "rowdy" trail or wet/sandy conditions. It rolls a lot better than I expected for such tall knobs

Ardent rolls well but is lacking in traction. If you want to take corners fast, I would stay away from Ardent in the front - there is a dead zone between the middle and side knobs that will feel vague especially when cornering.

I purchased a new MTB with the Minion setup, and figured that since they’re so well renowned, I might as well give them a chance. After 250 miles, I’ve decided that I despise these tires more than anything else I’ve ever ridden. The DHF has NO CORNERING GRIP. I have washed out more times on this tire than I have in what feels like my entire riding career prior to using the DHF. I’ve pinch flatted two DHRs. One sidewall snake bite, one puncture straight through the middle of the tread. Lastly, they have god-awful climbing grip.