# Cross-country mountain bike tire shootout first look



## DJo1 (Sep 10, 2013)

I give the schwalbes 2 rides before they rip a knob and go in the bin.


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## adaycj (Sep 30, 2009)

I'm interested in the reviews too. In the meantime can we donate towards a gift to Schwalbe? They need a new gram scale again. Hutchinson looks like they could use a new ruler too.


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## WoodstockMTB (Oct 5, 2010)

mezcal FTW


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## dony (Jul 14, 2018)

Holy crow 29" tires weighting a little more and in some cases less than my 26ers.
No thanks !


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## bobsyouruncle1 (Jun 26, 2018)

looking forward to seeing results on this one.. thanks for the effort mtbr...


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## aaron2 (Nov 25, 2010)

Riding hard XC on Rocket Rons 29x2,25 SS - 605-609g each and never failed me even once, whether on roots/rocks, hardpack or mud/sand.


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## aa (Nov 28, 2017)

can you add the maxxis aspen? been curious about this one because it looks so sketchy


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## Midgemagnet (Sep 18, 2016)

And the winner is... Continental Race King ProTection! Or it would be if it was actually listed. For comparison, the RK ProTection is a bit like a Racing Ralph Addix Speed but with lower rolling resistance and slightly harder, tougher rubber.

It would be interesting to see what the various widths are after the tyres have been ridden for a bit - it takes a bit more than sitting at 40psi for half an hour before they're fully stretched out.


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## K9-Usurper (Jun 12, 2007)

I've given up on the Continental Race King. Too much sealant seepage on the sidewalls and I've had multiple casings wear through where the tire bead makes contact with the side wall.


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## eb1888 (Jan 27, 2012)

30mm inner rims and Bontrager Frank Stacy designed XR2 Team 2.2 or 2.35 are more rounded and higher volume for more cushion, bigger footprint and good traction at lower pressure. Not so retro as these on 23mm rims.


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## sgtrobo (Aug 19, 2014)

2? That's optimistic


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## Midgemagnet (Sep 18, 2016)

ProTection or RaceSport flavour carcass? The latter isn't specified for tubeless.

I've heard complaints from others in the States about the bead interface wearing out, but this doesn't seem to be an issue here in Europe. Maybe this is something to do with regional tyre pressure preferences as it seems US riders tend to run them much softer - not something you can get away with for long on a lightweight race tyre.


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## JC8 (Jul 24, 2018)

I've raced a full season (13 races) on Schwalbe Rock Razor mounted rear and Nobby Nic mounted up front on i9 hubs laced to Stans Arch Mk3... getting rowdy with a Yeti BigTop HT. Just last week I raced the USA MTB National Championships in Snowshoe, WV and placed 9th in single speed on that very combo... The Snakeskin protection with Addix Speedgrip and Orange Seal inside never failed me once.


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## Professed (Sep 25, 2007)

This is good to hear, perhaps Schwalbe's new compounds are indeed more durable as its definitely not my experience with them. In respect of weighing each tyre in the shop that's also my experience with Schwalbe. One tyre might be exceptional, last forever and set up perfectly while the next blows beads, looses knobs etc. I think they have a real quality control issue with their Indonesian factory that they still have not sorted out.


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## Professed (Sep 25, 2007)

Adding my experience with the Race Kings and yes, definitely has very low rolling resistance - similar to a Racing Ralf - possibly even lower. Speed King are truly and amazingly fast if you dont need any grip ! Using the protection casing seepage in my experience is not an issue but the tyres can be a bastard to set up tubeless. I too have had beads fail on a mountain king and race king so don't use Continental any more. Just use the speed king on the gravel bike - perfect tyre for that application !


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## Dragon-Rider (May 21, 2020)

I have been using Schwalbe Nobby Nics for the past 3 years (EVO Pacestar Snakeskin) and have never had any of the problems described. Last summer I rode various singletracks in SoCal (some now burnt to a crisp) and also rode the strand (various grades of PAVEMENT) at least 3 times weekly with my Daughter. I'm still using the very same tires riding various trails in snowy Colorado and they continue to perform quite well. Even in 3-4 inches of snow covered trails. Geared up, the weight on these tires is around 230 lbs. On trails I run tubeless at 28F/31R PSI then add 4 PSI for pavement running. Approx 70% trail, 30% pavement. Minimum wear and knobs still pulling thru the turns on fast and loose downhills. What Am I missing about compound longevity, use and performance specifications? Ain't that lucky...


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## jonathan8 (Oct 30, 2019)

agree, bought a pair of speed addix Snakeskin. The one tyre leaks through the entire tread while the other seals perfectly. Bought it online, so shipping costs discourage returns. I need to keep checking the pressures and add some Stans sealant once a month


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## steven_smith (Aug 25, 2020)

I just swapped out my XR1 team issue on the rear for a Racing Ralph speed Addix - if noise is anything to go by the RR is considerably slower i.e. more rolling resistance, anyone got and experience with this comparison


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