Ikon

Mountain Bike Rider
“The narrow tread is quite low-profile but it doesn’t feel like this once riding, proving itself really composed on rough sections of trail, even in wet conditions. You don’t feel as if you’re going to wash out carrying speed into a turn and the rubber just seems to stick to the trail. Braking traction is equally impressive, even on roots and loose surfaces.” – Jamie Darlow, MBR.co.uk, October 2014

MTBR
MTBR.com awarded the Maxxis Ikon tyre an astounding verdict of 4.5/5:
“Versatility is the word that comes to mind when riding and testing the Maxxis Ikon. While not blessed with the same extreme low rolling resistance as the Kenda Saber Pro, Vittoria Mezcal, or Schwalbe Racing Ralph, the Maxxis Ikon was generally more confidence-inspiring in a wider variety of terrain.

…Bottom line, while not the fastest tyre in this test, the Maxxis Ikon is arguably the best overall tyre among the group if you’re looking for an option that won’t slow you down on XC race day, but can also hold its own on more aggressive trail rides. Indeed, I’d even consider mounting a fatter version of this tyre on the rear wheel of my trail bikes because it will roll reasonably fast on long climbs, but not be too sketchy on the way back down.” – Jason Sumner, Reviews.MTBR.com, September 2018

BikeRadar
BikeRadar.com reviewed the Maxxis Ikon back in 2013, and awarded the tyre 4/5:
“A fast and grippy tyre, perfect for squeezing just enough grip from the 29er footprint to make it viable. The Ikon’s tread design was made for the 29er platform. Shallow, closely spaced knobs, a large volume and superb weight add up to a comfy but rocket-fast tyre. It shines as the larger footprint gives it surprising levels of grip for trail riding under most conditions… It’s particularly well suited to trail centres, and the supple carcass makes it predictable on roots and loose rock… On the back it ticks all the boxes and gives your bike a light and fast feel.

We tested the top-of-the-range model with triple compound and reinforced sidewalls – and an appropriate price tag – but you can pick a cheaper version up, and it will still serve you extremely well.” – Andy McCandlish, BikeRadar.com, May 2013

Singletracks.com
“The Maxxis Ikon is a great tyre for XC racers who prefer trading off a couple seconds on the climb for several more seconds in the corners and on the descents. Besides, everyone knows that’s the fun part of mountain biking anyway.” – Jeff Barber, Singletracks.com, January 2014

Rider, ChainReactionCycles.com, January 2019:
“Happily trust these for multi-day racing, but word of caution, always opt for the 3C sidewall protection, the same tyre without it seems prone to sidewall cuts.” 

Rider, ChainReactionCycles.com, March 2018:
“This tyre is super grippy and strong for those rocky sections of track. These tyres are awesome, if you have never tried them for XC, try them. Trust me.” 

Rider, ChainReactionCycles.com, April 2017:
“My Yeti SB95 came with Ikon on the rear and once I had worked out the correct tyre pressure for it, it really did the job it’s intended for; it grips, climbs and descends amazingly.” 

Rider, ChainReactionCycles.com, September 2016:
“This is a fast-rolling lightweight tyre that’s great for summer conditions. [The 3C version] is more robust than the ‘base’ tyre, two of which I managed to trash in no time at all. The slightly heavier construction in the ‘EXO’ is well worth the additional weight – it’s a whole lot tougher.

Grip is surprisingly good (mine is a 29-er) for such a skimpy-looking tyre. It won’t handle winter gloop particularly well, but from spring to autumn it’s fine. I run it on the rear only – I prefer something a bit more substantial up front – but if you’re a XC-whippet, then run them front and back.

I converted this to tubeless a while back: it isn’t *officially* a tubeless tyre, but it works fine that way. I really like this tyre in spite of the price tag.”