Schwalbe – pedalnorth https://pedalnorth.com The best independent cycling website Sun, 31 Aug 2025 15:06:23 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://pedalnorth.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/cropped-Pedal-North-600-pixel-32x32.jpg Schwalbe – pedalnorth https://pedalnorth.com 32 32 Schwalbe Racing Ray and Racing Ralph Addix Speed XC Tyres https://pedalnorth.com/schwalbe-racing-ray-and-racing-ralph-addix-speed-xc-tyres/ Sun, 31 Aug 2025 14:52:18 +0000 https://pedalnorth.com/?p=45243

Schwalbe Racing Ray & Racing Ralph Addix Speed – MTB XC setup

A need for speed tyre set-up, for XC fun

Robert Thorpe & Jim Hare

These days, finding a good mountain bike tyre is relatively easy. In truth, the industry has moved on to the point that most brands have at least one outstanding tyre within their range. You know the sort: that tyre which is seemingly always at the top of the list for so many riders. In the latest iteration of the Schwalbe Racing Ray, 2.35 Speed Addix, this family-owned brand from Germany have hit the jackpot, with a tyre that rolls like dream across the dusty trails, adds to your confidence when required, and which also creates some extra efficiency with your mileage on your e-Mtb adventure.

Addix speed compound

The Addix speed grip compound from Schwalbe has been developed to make this a fast-rolling XC weapon, when paired with the Racing Ralph, or even when used as a fast-moving front and rear grin inducing setup on its own. We’ve been testing the new tyre here on the tough and technical, dusty trails of the Yorkshire Dales and North Yorkshire Moors National Parks, where it seems to excel on the hard packed Singletrack.

With the new Addix speed compound, alongside the classic Racing Ray closely packed and forward-facing tread pattern, this speed focused XC tyre digs into the dirt just enough, whilst focusing its energy on rolling resistance and speed. The tread pattern is designed to allow the more rounded shoulder blocks to form to the terrain and give the necessary stability, holding you into the berms and turns as you relax and concentrate on having fun. It works well in the wet too, and does just enough to keep the ride interesting.

Schwalbe have developed several new compounds in recent times, to manage the variety of riding conditions that we all experience. For us, the new Addix Speed compound is just about right on hard packed and fast-flowing trails, and expecially useful on technical trails, with the need for tyre stability, reliability and grip. Where you need this perfect trilogy, with the added addition of great rolling resistance, it’s the perfect XC compound. If however, you’re riding a more trail or enduro type of trail, then you may want to change your options. In the dry summer of 2025, though; the Schwalbe Addix Speed has worked perfectly.

When climbing, apart from the occasional testing moment in the super-steep stuff, the Schwalbe Racing Ray Speed Addix is a reliable friend on the trails, always ready to continue its seamless journey towards the summit. When used with the Racing Ralph on the rear, then the wider knobbles of the Ralph take care of the necessary digging in and provide that extra help in forward momentum, utilising their wider centre blocks to give that all-important extra grip over the weighted rear end of the bike. The set-up is orientated towards modern XC racing, and on test, we’ve found that the Racing Ray Addix Speed is a perfect accompaniment to the hard packed and dusty, technical trails of the Yorkshire Dales this summer.

Front specific for balanced fun

Fitting this tubeless ready tyre is easy and straightforward, and it seats and seals well, holding its shape on the technical sections too. We’ve been running it at 23, pressure-wise, and tackling some technical descents – where the tyre has held its own, despite the less aggressive knobbly pattern. The tyre stays firm and holds its shape, with good side wall stability, allowing you to take on the technical corners at speed – which is what this tyre is all about. And, when you hit the odd pool of spring and summer mud, the tread pattern clears the dirt from the tyre quickly enough to be more than acceptable.

As Schwalbe say, this is a front-specific mountain bike tyre that comes into its own on the descents, where its rolling resistance adds to the fun and excitement. In summary, it’s a fast and flowing mountain bike tyre that races you along the XC trail, and which gives you a genuine and noticeable burst of speed to the proceedings. Having initially tested it in an old-fashioned setup, with the Racing Ray front and rear; we then tested it alongside the Racing Ralph, in the intended and more modern setup. After all, variety is the spice of life, and we wanted to try it in all possible options.

Ray & Ralph, riding in perfect harmony

Having used Racing Ralph both front and rear, in an old school style setup; changing to the more common and intended format, with a Racing Ralph on the rear has produced a significantly different ride – as you’d expect. The more power and grip-oriented tread pattern, does what you’d expect from it, with a wide and grippier tread pattern that eats into the trail. The strong side wall construction also holds you on the right line, whilst flexing just enough to put the maximum tread onto the trail, allowing the speed-oriented Racing Ray to do its job by focusing on getting you along the trail as quickly as possible. Having the Racing Ralph 2.35 at the rear, acts like a well-engineered engine house, driving you forward and holding the line, whilst the Racing Ray Addix at the front, maintains the speed.

It’s a great XC tyre combination that works in harmony, and which seems perfect on the U.K. trails. What has been surprising is how hard wearing the Racing Ray Addix Speed compound has been, lasting all summer with regular trail rides every week, on the hard packed trails of the Yorkshire Dales and Moors. Having the Racing Ray Addix Speed and Racing Ralph Addix Speed working in unison is a fast flowing and confidence inspiring setup that we can definitely recommend, and which will provide you with many months of endless trail riding fun.

We’ll be changing the Ray and Ralph compound in our next tests, and seeing how the more versatile Speed Grip compound works in the more unpredictable autumn conditions. Keep checking in to find out!

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]]> Schwalbe Pro One TT Tan Wall Tyre https://pedalnorth.com/schwalbe-pro-one-tt-tan-wall-tyre/ Fri, 24 Jun 2022 14:14:35 +0000 https://pedalnorth.com/?p=27960 #top .av-special-heading.av-l4sj0hnv-cb66844c1c3f828da92c7b05f0039659{ padding-bottom:10px; } body .av-special-heading.av-l4sj0hnv-cb66844c1c3f828da92c7b05f0039659 .av-special-heading-tag .heading-char{ font-size:25px; } .av-special-heading.av-l4sj0hnv-cb66844c1c3f828da92c7b05f0039659 .av-subheading{ font-size:15px; }

Schwalbe Pro One TT Tan Wall Tyre

by Robert Thorpe & Ben Thorpe

Schwalbe Pro One TT tan wall 25mm

When the schwalbe pro one TT tan wall 25mm arrived here for a test, it was obvious that we needed to hand it onto a speed freak – thankfully Ben fits the bill, having a love of fixed gear urban riding and lo-pro bikes. This tyre however would be going onto his Giant TCR.

Fitting this high performance tubeless tyre was reasonably easy. What riders often don’t think about though, is the seating width requirement on narrow wheels. They made be made for speed, but they first need to be well seated. Thankfully, they were quite easy to fit, and due to the regular changes coming up for tyre tests, we fitted them with a good old fashioned tube, and it was simplicity itself. It’s a folding tyre and it went onto the rim easily and had stayed firmly there.

The tyre is quite narrow for a 25mm and this, together with its firmness and shape retention under load and speed, means that it’s fast rolling. That’s what Schwalbe intended thankfully, because it’s a high end race tyre, using their technical knowledge built up from their work with the leading world tour teams. In developing this tyre, Schwalbe wanted a tyre that created ‘souplesse’ – which to you and I means a tyre that rolls easy (it does), has excellent grip (it does, even on the Dales rutted roads), and it’s a strong performance tyre that won’t easily puncture (touch wood, none so far). To achieve this, the compound is new and gives more strength to the tyre, especially on the side walls, which retains shape and gives that increased grip that we all love – especially on loose corners.

For the weight watchers among you, Schwalbe say that the tyre is a light 205g. We found them slightly heavier, but not unduly so, and they sit well, feel good and performance is overall quite good, so hey, what’s a little weight discrepancy. What you get on the road is definitely a fast and safe tyre, that likes the road and wants to hug it as you belt out bursts of speed. Just ask Ben  😉

Oh, and yes… we love the tan wall finish, which in our book is what most tyres ought to look like. Old school rules here, so thanks Schwalbe. 🙂

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Schwalbe One tubeless tyre 30c

]]> Schwalbe One tubeless tyre 30c https://pedalnorth.com/schwalbe-one-tubeless-tyre-30c/ Tue, 21 Jun 2022 18:40:05 +0000 https://pedalnorth.com/?p=27913 #top .av-special-heading.av-9wvrvzd-1bfaba2a92354b9c62cc3fc40fa056d3{ padding-bottom:10px; } body .av-special-heading.av-9wvrvzd-1bfaba2a92354b9c62cc3fc40fa056d3 .av-special-heading-tag .heading-char{ font-size:25px; } .av-special-heading.av-9wvrvzd-1bfaba2a92354b9c62cc3fc40fa056d3 .av-subheading{ font-size:15px; }

Schwalbe One tubeless tyre 30c

by Steve Smales

Schwalbe One tubeless tyre 30c

Over my time in cycling, various brands have been omnipresent. Campagnolo was the way to go for many years…. then Shimano seemed to take the baton. Tyre brands seem to very much have their moment, slip into the shadows, then re-emerge. Wolber, Clément, Michelin, Continental and Vittoria have all had their purple patch…. probably driven by sponsorship of world class professional teams – but we should always remember not to assume brand presence in professional cycling necessarily means these are the best products.

Schwalbe seem to sit in a select group of really sound tyre brands with consistently good products. Hutchinson and Panaracer occupy this space also. Well developed products that perform well.

My last experience of Schwalbe tyres was in around 2013 when the Ultremo ZX was a well liked option and recognised as being one of the fastest tyres around. This was at a point in time where the tubeless road thing hadn’t really happened yet. The fatter is faster thing was only just beginning to happen. Over the space of a year or two, I’d run 23’s, then 25’s and finally 28c widths of the ZX tyre with good success.

So why did I move to other brands? Because ten years ago, Schwalbes wider tyres had a very tall profile for the rim braked bikes of that time. Clearance was an issue that forced me onto rounder profile tyres, such as the much missed Vittoria Pave 27.

Wind the calendar forward to 2022 and here I am trying the 30c variant of the Schwalbe One tubeless on a pair of thoroughly modern 19mm internal width disc brakes wheels.

After a flawless mounting without the need for tyre levers these seated and inflated first time and without the initial need for sealant or profanity. 60ml of Stans sealant was then added. After an initial test ride to get the sealant distributed, I reduced the pressure to 70psi as a starting point and headed out onto the road.

After a careful first few minutes, I rapidly found these to be be a fast rolling, supple, tubeless tyre. Without doubt on a par with other offerings from Michelin, Continental and Vittoria. A particularly nice feature of these is the profile, which on the Syncros wheels gives a nice round profile. I appreciate that weird things happen to a tyre contact patch when a bike is leant over… but a nice round profile is good for all important confidence when leant over and committed. The sidewalls have just enough rubber coverage to protect the construction of the tyre, without degrading the suppleness of ride or giving that horrible dragging sensation that some armoured tyres give.

Conclusion

After around seven hundred and fifty miles of use, I’d normally start to see evidence of the rear tyre starting to develop a flat central section to the tread, but this doesn’t seem to be the case, hence early indications for longevity are good. The tyre rolls well as I’ve said and performs well too, retaining shape when required. In terms of a general tyre for training and leisure, that’s all that we want.

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]]> Schwalbe Aerothan Tube and 28mm Pro One Tyre https://pedalnorth.com/schwalbe-aerothan-tube-and-28mm-pro-one-tyre/ Thu, 10 Jun 2021 07:25:30 +0000 https://pedalnorth.com/?p=22796 #top .av-special-heading.av-kpqjvk0g-5602e7cae4b6a62a07dc9ad6ef87dafc{ padding-bottom:10px; } body .av-special-heading.av-kpqjvk0g-5602e7cae4b6a62a07dc9ad6ef87dafc .av-special-heading-tag .heading-char{ font-size:25px; } .av-special-heading.av-kpqjvk0g-5602e7cae4b6a62a07dc9ad6ef87dafc .av-subheading{ font-size:15px; }

Schwalbe Aerothan Tube & Pro One 28″ Tyre

by Chris Galley

Spring and summer usually means that you can look forward to removing those all season or winter tyres and replacing them with that fast rolling and lightweight set of tyres ready for pushing your limits. Personally, I’ve ridden Continental tyres pretty much all my cycling life for good reason. They cover all bases and give superb resilience, grip and weight. So when I was asked to have a look at Schwalbe Tyres it was an opportunity to get out of my comfort blanket and test a new tyre manufacturer to me and see how other tyres stack up against my tried and trusted tyre manufacturer.

First box to open was the Schwalbe Aerothan inner tubes. These are extremely light at 41grammes for the 28″ 700cc tube. A futuristic looking translucent compound designed to work with the Schwalbe Pro 1 tyre and which drastically reduces weight from my previous Vavert inner tube at 136 grams. That might not seem a lot but it really does liven up the steering but I’ll talk about the ride shortly. The compound appears sturdy too and fits well into the tyre. These tubes are designed to minimise rolling resistance, increase puncture protection and are set to deliver new standards with inner tubes. Best of all, they’re 40% lighter than previous tubes, and more resilient too.

Aerothan tubes consist of 100% thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), including the valve, and are therefore fully recyclable. Like all Schwalbe tubes, Aerothan tubes may be returned to Schwalbe at no cost using the tube recycling programme. The material of used tubes is recycled to make sealing or insulation material. In a world where we all need to do more, this is a good move from Schwalbe.

The Schwalbe Pro 1 tyre is not the lightest tyre (weighing in here at 263 grams for each of my test tyres), giving a heavier weight than the 235 gramme publicised. The Continental all season tyre I removed weighs in at 240 grams and our other test tyre, the Pirelli P Zero Race SL, is 245grams. However, it does have a decent grip pattern and is packed full of technology to mark this tyre out as a potential great product. This tyre installs easily, but you have to remember to watch for the directional arrow as they only fit one way. In usage, these tyres deliver everything they say. The overall weight saving with the tyre and Aerothan tube takes a couple of rides to get used to as the wheels become prone to dancing around a little, and it needs a new level of fine motor skills to control. In terms ofthe protection offered, I’ve experienced no punctures as yet, they’re grippy and stable in the corners and are notably fast rolling.

Climbing and sprinting is easier than ever on these boots, and fellow riders have told me they give off a distinct sound as the tyres bite into the tarmac. Tyre pressures are lower than most tyres and I do find myself checking those pressures more often now as they continually feel soft to the touch; but once checked I have to keep reminding myself that they play well at lower pressures. They bite well into the tarmac and handle the rough country lanes well. Cornering is confident and they basically just roll really well. With the Aerothan onboard, you’ve got a feisty mix that wants to race; but once you’re aware of this, the fun begins.

Overall then, in terms of both value and performance, these are excellent tyres and perform well – especially with the Aerothan tubes. I’m no scientist, so I really have no way to support Schwalbe’s claims on their data for these tyres; but in reality they are well worth the money, they fit well and on my Canyon Endurance CF they’ve changed the riding dynamics of the bike – especially when climbing and sprinting and that’s always a win for me.

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