# Schwalbe Rocket Ron/Racing Ralph



## bikerboyj17 (Dec 18, 2007)

So its time for some new tires. I want something light (under 475 grams) and something thats going to work well all around as a good cross country race tire. I've been looking at the RoRo (wears too fast?) and the RR from Schwalbe. So Ive narrowed my options down to 3 things:

1. 2.1 RoRo front and rear.

2. 2.1 RoRo front and a 2.1 RR rear.

3. 2.1 RR front and rear.

Obvioulsly the lightest setup is the RoRo front and rear. But is that the best performing? And something that will last me a while? I read a tire test that said that the RR rolled better then the RoRo. Is this also true? Any advice? Share your experience with these tires and you opinions on what I should do.


Thanks


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## slowrider (May 15, 2004)

*New Racing Ralph*

I'm liking the 2.4 evolution Racing Ralph out here in the Southewest coast. I've never ridden them but I did considered trying the Ron but they don't look that great for hardpack just looking at the mud type tread.
I am considering trying the Conti Race King, it looks like a better hardpack tread to me and the 2.2 is supposed to be a nice wide tire, which helps in the patches of sand and talc dust we have around here late in the season before the rains wash it away.
I'd say soft dirt= Ron, Hardpack=Ralph.


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## nino (Jan 13, 2004)

slowrider is right- the RR is more of a soft dirt tire and it wears fast. The RR is a good dry tire but grip-wise only soso if you compare with the Conti RaceKing 2,2 SS.The Schwalbe 2.1s are pretty skinny tires. Especially the Rocket Ron.

I'd really recommend the Conti Raceking 2,2 Supersonics.The actual versions are around 450-460g and simply blow away the competition.They roll superfast,offer awesome grip on a wide variety of terrain and have huge volume which offers awesome comfort and smoothens out a big part of the trail.


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## briscoelab (Oct 27, 2006)

My Race Kings were 480 grams each. My 2.25" Rons were 440grams and did much better in the wet and loose stuff than the Race Kings could ever think about. 

Don't waste your time with the 2.1" Rocket Rons.... they are light, but the are way too skinny. A 2.1" Racing Ralph is much wider than a 2.1" Ron and is actually a really good tire as well. 

I was running a 2.25" Ralph on the rear and a 2.25" Ron on the front. This worked really well, but the Ralph was a LOT wider than the ron on the front. Also, the low knobs on the Ralph wear down fast. 

I switched the rear to a 2.25" Ron as well and love this combo. The tire size is more balanced... it still rolls well, and hooks up a lot better in the back, since the Ron has a bit more knobs on it. 

I also like running a Nobby Nic on the front if it's really loose or wet. 

My race kings were awesome tires too though, when they were holding air at least  Good in almost any condition I threw at them..... they were a nightmare to get setup tubless. I know others have had better luck.... I got them to seal up, but I never really trusted them after all the hassle I had. Shame really, since they were great tires. 

But, once something like that gets in your head.... it can all but ruin a product for you.


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## Tiffster (Jan 30, 2008)

Im running a Rocket Ron 2.1" front and a Furious Fred 2.0" rear. Been running them for a good 6 months i guess now. They are beginning to wear but it's not been any faster than the wear on other tyres i used - especially Conti Mountain Kings which wore out REAL quick. 

I really like the setup though, grip on the front with a semi slick on the rear for speed. I've only had one puncture too (running with Stans) when a piece of metal went straight through the tyre tread  

Oh and my Ron is 375grams, my Fred is 280grams


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## xc71 (Dec 24, 2008)

Like briscoelab said I would not bother with the 2.1 Rocket Rons.The 2.25 RoRo measure 2.18" gettotubeless with 22 psi, 440 grams.They roll great & traction is okay, but don't run to much air pressure, 28 psi feels like 38 on many other tires.I'm running a RoRo 2.25 rear & RoRo 2.4 front, best front I've run in 25 years of riding tech XC trails,awesome sidehilling traction & cornering wet or dry,490 grams, 2.38" @ 22psi.
Ibis Mojo SL,I'm 150 lbs.


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## bikerboyj17 (Dec 18, 2007)

*Hows this sound?*

How about a 2.25 Ron in the front and a 2.1 Ralph in the rear? Would that be a good all around cross country race setup?

Thanks for all the help guys


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## drano72 (Nov 8, 2008)

*Rocket Ron weight confirmation*

I just got some 2.1 RR Evo's yesterday, and I got them mounted before I had a chance to weigh them. I had read that these ran narrow, and I noticed they seemed wider than I thought they would be. I finally weighed them post ride, and they came in b/w 460-470g. They are marked as 2.1's but I swear they must really be 2.25s. They roll and hook great but I also ponied up for them to drop 150g from my wheels. Right now I haven't gained anything from my Ritchey Z-max's. Can you guys confirm some actual weights/widths that you've seen? Thx.


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## quax (Feb 21, 2009)

briscoelab said:


> I was running a 2.25" Ralph on the rear and a 2.25" Ron on the front. This worked really well, but the Ralph was a LOT wider than the ron on the front. Also, the low knobs on the Ralph wear down fast.


I read this so often but why ...










RoRo - RaRa - NN (all in 2.25)

I really don't see much of a difference, even not in real.

I race now a tubeless RoRo 2.25 + Notubes Raven 2.2 combo. If you want to shed some more wheight go with Raven 2.0. For traininig I use a RoRo 2.4 up front.

Generally speaking, you can't do much wrong with a RoRo+RaRa combo. This has been hugely popular over here in Germany this year. If you go with RoRo up front you should really consider a 2.25. It comes at around only 440g but gives you much more volume and control (though I always see it from a tubeless angle, may be different with tubes and more air pressure)

Really would like to try the RK SupSon once, if there wasn't just such a hassle with sealing.


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## RickySilk (Jan 28, 2007)

I've got a 2.1 tubeless ron and ralph and the ron is noticeably smaller. Done again I'd get the 2.25 ron and 2.1 ralph.


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## spartan23 (Jun 14, 2004)

*Racing Ralphs*

I kept up with roadies with my RR's. They are extremley fast rollers. 
Imagine what it will do on hard pack single tracks :thumbsup:


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## barrows (Jul 6, 2004)

*Racing Ralph*

I love the grip and speed of the 2.25 Ralph here in Colorado (loose over hardpack, dusty, rocks, roots) but hate the fragile sidewalls. It seems every time I try a Schwalbe I cut the sidewall within a few rides, expensive problem to have and would suck in a race. I like the 2.2 Race Kings SS, and I have a new pair here that came in at 466 grams each (I am not kidding, they match)! Hoping these will seal up OK, I have not run them tubeless yet, but I have a compressor. The sidewalls on the Conti Race Kings (supersonic) are thin, but they seem to last better than the EVO Ralphs. Are the snakeskin Ralphs worth the weight penalty for better sidewall durability, anyone running them?


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## miles e (Jan 16, 2004)

barrows said:


> Are the snakeskin Ralphs worth the weight penalty for better sidewall durability, anyone running them?


I don't have enough time on my Snakeskin Ralphs to really know how much better they'll hold up, but the sidewall certainly _feels _more substantial. Well worth the extra ~30 grams for the peace of mind, if nothing else.


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## Batas (Jan 16, 2004)

Had a rocket ron 2.1 on the front for a couple of rides, until I get a sidewall cut... New tire trashed. Anyway, I don't like it for dry weather. I prefer a racing ralph, which is what I have now 2.1 front and rear.


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## tedsti (Oct 22, 2004)

How about real measurements all taken on the same rim under the same conditions. I was getting my Shiggy on.









Sorry, no pics of the tires on a scale or me using the caliper. I can offer this though.


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## quax (Feb 21, 2009)

Funny, I have just mounted a *RoRo 26x2.4* yesterday:

ZTR Arch rim (19mm wide), tubeless:

Weight: 495 g
Tread width: 2.40
Casing width: 2.26
Casing height: 2.1
Tread centre: 0.15

interesting how the ZTR rim gives it really some more width/volume


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## MoE79 (Apr 2, 2008)

Are you guys running your RaRa and NN tubeless? If so, how long does it take for the sidewalls to stop weeping sealant out? I have had the tires 2.25 RaRa Snakeskin EVO on the rear and 2.25 NN EVO on the front for over two weeks now and they are still weeping sealant. The NN EVO is much worse than the RaRa EVO SS, but they are both leaking sealant on the sidewalls. The RaRa is leaking more where the smooth sidewall meets the tread section, where the NN is just leaking out of pin holes all around the sidewalls. I can supply photos if you would like. I'm really not losing that much air pressure, but just the loss of sealant sucks. I feel like it is basically losing all of the "liquid" part of the sealant and leaving behind the fibers in the tire. I am afraid that the sealant is just going to be the dreaded "goober" rolling around in the tire soon. I'm getting tired of having droplets of sealant on the floor and having gooey greasy feeling tires. My sealant is a mixture of 1/2 slime (for tubeless) and 1/2 stans. I ran this same mixture in standard SB8, Nevegal, Ignitors, and a few others without these problems. The SB8 weeped sealant for a day or two and sealed up after that. Any ideas will be appreciated.
Thanks


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## doccoraje (Jan 12, 2004)

I've been using, Nobby Nic front Racing Ralph rear for a number of years, EVO and Snakeskin, sealed with Stan's and never had a problem with sidewall leaks, maybe the sealant combo is a factor.
At the moment I'm using NN Snakeskin 2.25 after some sidewall cuts with the regular ones, but will be using Ra Ra Snakeskin 2.25 for weight saving purposes.


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## Ausable (Jan 7, 2006)

?? 
I have converted at least four Schwalbe tires (Nobby Nic and RR) and never ever had this issue. They are the fastest-sealing tires that I have ever tried

What you are describing is the dreaded Supersonic syndrome!


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## MoE79 (Apr 2, 2008)

Thanks for the suggestion. Maybe I will clean out my sealant combo and retry with just Stan's. Even if it still leaks, at least the goo will be white vs. green. Anyone else have any suggestions?


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## Ausable (Jan 7, 2006)

I plan of buying a Double Defense RR - like a Snakeskin but with an additional vectran/whathever layer to protect the top tread.
Anybody tried and/or weighted them?


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## quax (Feb 21, 2009)

Same here, I have mounted dozens of Schwalbes over the years. They were always very easy to seal, never had a single issue with sidewall leaking.

( 0) clean the inner tire casing with break cleaner or so, who knows ... )

1) try pure Stan's with all the shaking of the bottle (!)

2) After a few cycles of wheel-shaking-lying-down-on-box, ride them for a couple of minutes at 17 psi. This stretches the sidewalls and allows the sealant to do it's job there

good luck


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## MoE79 (Apr 2, 2008)

Sounds like I'm going to be cleaning out the slime/stan's combo and installing straight stan's. Hopefully it is the slime causing the problems. By looking at the liquid seeping out of the sidewalls, it seems that it is just slime coming out. It is basically a clear green kool-aid/antifreeze looking stuff coming out. I will report back next week on what happens. 
Thanks for the ideas.


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## quax (Feb 21, 2009)

So the Slime most likely dilutes Stan's magic microparticels. Since the EVO caracass is fairly thin (that's why it is so light) the mixture seeps through. The other tires that you had tried previoulsly may have thicker sidewalls (and are probably heavier). 
I'm quite confident that this is the issue.


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## MoE79 (Apr 2, 2008)

I washed out all of my Stans/Slime combo and replaced with Stans only. Problem solved. Only issue was it took a TON of air volume to get the NN to bead up. Once that happened, all was good. Thanks for the help guys!


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## doccoraje (Jan 12, 2004)

good to hear it worked :thumbsup:


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## RickySilk (Jan 28, 2007)

Ausable said:


> I plan of buying a Double Defense RR - like a Snakeskin but with an additional vectran/whathever layer to protect the top tread.
> Anybody tried and/or weighted them?


I have a 2.1 racing ralph DD. It weighs about 560grams but worth it to me. I don't like ripping sidewalls. It seals up real easy too. The tire is basicly totally sealed already but I still put a scoop and a half of stans in. It's kind of like a light UST.


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## dblvanos (Mar 17, 2010)

Old thread to the top, what is the status report for you all that have been running Rocket Ron evo non-ust with stans? 

I am thinking that will be my setup but am looking for some real life experience.


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## briscoelab (Oct 27, 2006)

It's the only combo my wife and I have been running for two seasons now. No issues with the tubeless setup.


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## dblvanos (Mar 17, 2010)

briscoelab said:


> It's the only combo my wife and I have been running for two seasons now. No issues with the tubeless setup.


What rims are you using? Will a 2.4 be too much for a set of mavic slrs, thinking about running 2.4 up front and 2.25 on the rear of my scalpel.


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## xc71 (Dec 24, 2008)

I've run a 2.4 up front & 2.25 rear for a season on SLR & Cobalts tubeless with Stan's & they worked great - no issues.However I ride alot of wet roots/logs,wet rocks & the 2.25 on the rear isn't very good in those conditions.My favorite set up is the RR 2.4 front & Race King Supersonic 2.2 rear.


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## spartan23 (Jun 14, 2004)

Rocket Rons UST up front
Furious Fred UST rear
for XC application

excellent traction/ grip, yet very fast rolling :thumbsup:

I've also tested Rons up front and Ralphs at the rear (AM appication)- 
I'd say stick to Rons/ Fred  
use a UST rim for UST tire---no stans, no worries


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## dblvanos (Mar 17, 2010)

Well I just bought Rocket Rons's 2.4 & 2.25 evo's and will try running stans. I may have made a fools choice not going true UST but there is a fair amount of good feedback and I would run sealant with a UST anyhow. If they don't work ill suck it up and buy true UST versions. I will follow up once they arrive and I get them mounted.


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## seppk (Apr 29, 2009)

spartan23 said:


> Rocket Rons UST up front
> Furious Fred UST rear
> for XC application
> 
> ...


The only reason I would use a UST tire is for a thicker sidewalls but a non-UST tire on UST rim is more supple (according to Stan's Notubes) I'm currenty running 2.1 RoRo's and they are working great. Not extremely impressed with the weight (mine came in at around 430g) but maybe I'll handpick some light ones sometime. My RoRo's are not really the fastest rolling tires but they are decent for how much traction they offer. Im really curious about trying a Furious Fred in the rear and my RoRo in the front. Will it be enough traction?


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## dblvanos (Mar 17, 2010)

Mounted up the Rocket Rons this weekend. 2.4 evo front 2.25 evo rear on 2009 Mavic SLR's. The front popped on without a hitch, the rear took a little more work but once the bead popped it held air very well. Did a quick 6 mile ride last night, roots and rocks and so far so good.


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## spartan23 (Jun 14, 2004)

seppk said:


> The only reason I would use a UST tire is for a thicker sidewalls but a non-UST tire on UST rim is more supple (according to Stan's Notubes) I'm currenty running 2.1 RoRo's and they are working great. Not extremely impressed with the weight (mine came in at around 430g) but maybe I'll handpick some light ones sometime. My RoRo's are not really the fastest rolling tires but they are decent for how much traction they offer. Im really curious about trying a Furious Fred in the rear and my RoRo in the front. Will it be enough traction?


The Furious Freds to my surprise came in with outstanding traction. I tried them during the wet / rainy season last Spring @ Tamarancho, Ca (those that had been to Tamarancho knows its loaded with roots, ruts and rocks and they were slick during the rainy season). If they can hold up well in those conditions, Im condifent they will do extremly well on dry surface.

Just be sure to have a good traction tire up front like the Rocket Rons :thumbsup:


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