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Has anyone tried them?
Are they even available yet?
I was thinking of starting a similar thread. Wondering if anyone from the real world has tried them yet. Well, the Albert
Definitely interested because I'm a total tyre nerd, also tbf schwalbe's current carcasses are a wee bit crap ime so it'll be interesting to see what might come out of that too.
Proper top level pisstaking to call it radial though, since it's just not true, it's not a radial at all- just a slightly different bias ply. Their PR stuff is full of just straight up lies and contradictions, I love the bit that basically goes "What is a radial tyre? It means that the plies run straight across the tyres. These tyres don't do that." WTF guys. But that's just marketing people not being able to help themselves, doesn't take anything away from the tyres.
Lead times shown here https://r2-bike.com/search/?qs=schwalbe+radial&search=
With only 27.5 in stock I can only guess the first batches of 29ers have sold out.
Bump.
Couple of UK shops are now listing them.
Seems to be called Trail Pro.
These or Wild Enduro Front do you reckon? Pinkbike review of WEF says their edge knobs are much easier to find due in part to the squarer profile.
Some distributors have them...
A handful of shops have them in already...
We don't have any more @ Schwalbe HQ until the next drop (first drop was all pre-ordered) so sadly I have to wait in line until there is any free stock to get my own... Planning to run an Albert Super Gravity Soft Radial rear and a Mary Super Gravity Ultra Soft Radial front and without inserts, though will see what is spare and take what I'm given I guess!
also tbf schwalbe’s current carcasses are a wee bit crap ime so it’ll be interesting to see what might come out of that too.
Would you care to elaborate...?
Some context as to your criticism might help, especially as it's not like significantly better riders than either of us win on these tyres win World Cup level events week in and week out...
Nope sorry that's a variant.
Gravity Pro 27.5 Soft 1255g
Trail Pro 29 Ultra Soft 1220g
Gravity Pro 29 Ultra Soft 1340g
mboy
Free MemberSome context as to your criticism might help, especially as it’s not like significantly better riders than either of us win on these tyres win World Cup level events week in and week out…
We've talked about this before... are you on the clock just now? 🙂
"Super" switchover was imo botched. Not necessarily as individual tyres but as a range. Superground is pretty weak, for some tyres and some people it'll be an excellent option just like old snakeskin was, but what on earth is a superground magic mary even for? Enduro-country?
Supertrail of course is "intense all-mountain and trail rides to enduro use" which sounded good to me. And it's a reasonably tough trailbike sidewall but with a weaker middle, and everything's only as tough as its weakest spot. I don't know if it's 100% true but Schwalbe's own fluff said that the Superground and Supertrail have the same construction in the centre and the Supertrail just adds sidewall protection, tbh that seems plausible based on my riding experience and is completely stupid. Like using a heavy chain on a weak fencepost.
And it's not even especially light. For contect it's the only 1100g+ carcass I've ever had repeated front punctures with. I'm a light person and a reasonably tidy rider, and not super fast- I usually use an exo on the front, I can almost but not quite get away with it on the back. I can use conti's trail carcass on the back. These are both tyres that are equivalent to or lighter than supertrail in general as well as tougher. I mean, they're still not tough, they're just tougher.
OK so I'll go Supergravity? And SG is tough but it's also very heavy. Now the old supergravity was excellent for me, and well balanced, one of the best carcasses I've used (though weight still varied wildly). I wore out at least 2, probably 3 old SG Rockrazors and I don't think I ever had a flat, and they were actually quite light. A great tyre, I've stockpiled those 😉
The new SG may well be more protective, it's noticably slower but is way heavier. I mean ffs a 29 x 2.4 big betty or mary's real world weight is over 1400g. That's a downhill tyre, simple as that.. And that's literally the lightest schwalbe carcass I can do my normal everyday riding on. A doubledown dhr2 weighs 150g less, and that's the tyre I keep in the shed and fit for france or fort william or a week of uplifts. FFS a DH dhr2 or shorty is under 1300g (all measured weights from R2 btw, obviously everyone's claimed weights are bollocks)
Basically they forgot to do this sort of tyre, or just couldn't do it. They did an xc tyre, a trail tyre, and 2 dh tyres. Now sure as you say there are people that this works for, having a super tough tyre for your one world cup run makes sense and maybe a 1400g dh tyre makes sense for an enduro pro, especially in these days of inserts. But that makes literally no difference to us. Meanwhile with Schwalbe I, a 10 stone, competent but not aggressive rider, need a tyre that's heavier than any tyre Maxxis even make in that size so that I can ride glentress without flatting regularly.
So even if you think each of these tyres is individually good, and obviously I don't, that's a bad range. There's a huge gap between ST and SG, because ST is too weak and SG is too heavy and it's a really key gap that competitors pretty much all have a tyre in and Maxxis literally have 3. And it bugs me that it's a gap they've filled before and decided not to any more.
So anyway the Trail Pro just might fill that gap up a bit, if it delivers on promise, which is why I'm keen to try it.
We’ve talked about this before… are you on the clock just now? 🙂
Always on the clock... You know that! 😉
I know we have talked before, I just find it unfair to criticise something and provide no context for others, that's my point... I hate the music of Coldplay... If I left it there, it doesn't provide any context as to my criticism of them... So specifically, whilst I find their music quite boring and almost "paint by numbers" in its formulaic approach, it's Chris Martin's voice that goes through me... His tone (or lack of), the nasality of it, the fact he seems to have made an incredibly successful career out of having zero talent that I can find etc... Now I'm putting some context as to why, personally, I can't stand their music... The fact that he dresses like a total wannabe hipster half his own age and is so high on his own self importance, just makes it worse!
Anyway... Back on topic...
I do think your issue with the Super Trail casings is quite an isolated one... It's not something I have seen or heard of except for a handful of very isolated issues, and/or people using them in situations far beyond their remit. For context, I am a LOT heavier than you (95kg currently, so a good 30kg heavier I suspect) and also riding a full fat eBike right now... I put in a request for Super Gravity versions of the Tacky Chan in soft and a 2.6" Mary to go on it. They were of course, out of stock in our warehouse, with delivery dates for free stock (as in not already pre ordered by distributors) months away... So I had two choices... Go out and buy my own tyres at or near rrp from a shop, or go with Super Trail versions that I could get for free from work...
I think you know where this is going...
I'm not the smoothest of riders either for context, but so far, no problems at all running a lighter casing than I would expect to be able to get away with at my weight, riding style and on an eBike too... Tend to run the pressures about 25/26 rear and 21/22 front and all is good with the world... I expected to have killed at least the rear Super Trail carcass by now, but nothing of the sort!
In speaking to many other good riders I know who ride Schwalbe out of choice, I know a lot of guys who at least run a Super Trail on the front now, and a handful who have switched front and rear... No issues...
For context, I have owned a 1.9TDi VW Passat that had its engine seize at only just over 120k miles... The "most reliable" engine in the world according to everyone on the internet (I've owned several more of the same engine since, and they do go on for a long time in general), and not only that but one with a full main dealer service history too... When I explained what had happened on t'internet there was of course dozens of people literally up in arms that I'd question the reliability of their god-like engine of choice, and that I must have done something on purpose to make it seize whilst doing 75mph on the M4 in the fast lane at 11 o clock at night... But sure enough, something happened in the engine and it dropped a valve, and caused said piston to valve interface and it was only my quick reactions dipping the clutch that stopped my tyres from locking up more than momentarily and causing a big accident!
Whilst I didn't rush out to buy another one, I did accept that my experience was incredibly rare and not at all indicative of the product from the many hundreds of millions of miles other users have had with it without their engines seizing...
And whilst I still despise Coldplay, I will begrudgingly accept that there are people out there who will pay good money to see them play live, and that whilst I might not understand how they derive enjoyment from said experience, that they do and I should not judge them (too much!) for doing so... 😉
If you wanna sell (or swap) a SG 29er Rock Razor let me know... probably my favourite rear tyre ever for my local trails and trail centres in the summer... But again, you and I are exceptions to the rule here as more and more people want all of the grip all of the time, and fast rolling harder use tyres are incredibly unpopular when it comes to sales figures, hence it was canned... Yet we had significant demand for a Super Ground Magic Mary, hence it was introduced into the range!
https://enduro-mtb.com/en/schwalbe-albert-mtb-tire-test/
However, the new casing’s increased deformation is expected to result in slightly higher rolling resistance. According to Schwalbe, the Albert with radial casing should offer the same rolling resistance as a Magic Mary in the old casing, which is mainly due to the tread pattern.
Interesting
So just how slow will a MM be?!
Perhaps that's at the same tyre pressure. And they did say you should be able to run these higher to get the same deformation/grip while gaining bottom out rim impact protection.
Perhaps that’s at the same tyre pressure. And they did say you should be able to run these higher to get the same deformation/grip while gaining bottom out rim impact protection.
Nail hit firmly on the head there...
Run it at the same pressure you would have run a non radial tyre at, it will be slower... But have more grip... Run the pressures higher (roughly 30-40%) and you'll experience similar grip and rolling resistance to the old tyre at the lower pressure, but increased sidewall support and all the benefits that go with that too...
mboy
Free MemberI do think your issue with the Super Trail casings is quite an isolated one…
Happened the same with both the tyres I had and also the only other person I know who tried them flatted the first ride out we did, then ripped it a few weeks later. Local stockist stopped selling them completely which says a lot, they still sell superground for xc people and supergravity for everyone else. So nah definitely not isolated. And sure we have quite <hard> trails here but they're not generally puncturey. Just the fact that I can jsut about get away with an exo which is frankly a dated and pretty flimsy carcass says a lot to me.
Maybe you can confirm though if the schwalbe info is correct and if the ST is still just the same construction in the middle as the superground? I know they've evolved some of these designs over time, maybe newer models are improved?
TBH I'd assumed the superground magic mary was entirely for OEM purposes so brands can lighten their enduro bikes! It's just such a weird thing to even exist.
I've not tried Schwalbe tyres for a long time. I'm normally riding an Exo minion dhf up front and an Exo+ minion dhf 2 out back.
The thing that's kept me from trying Schwalbe the last couple of tyre swaps is not feeling confident about picking the right casing that offers the same balance if weight and resilience I run now. I'm not sure if it's me not understanding or the manufacturer explaining it very well but I've normally just given up and stuck with what I know.
It's an upcoming trip to Tremp/Ainsa that recommended double down tyres that has got me pondering again.
As a counterpoint to Northwind's experience, I spent a week riding Morzine this summer with a 2.6 Ultra soft Super Trail Mary up front and a DH Betty on the rear - no issues at all.
Would love to try a radial but I stocked up on cheap tyres in the spring and have enough for a few years. They can wait.
Been doing a bit of reading on these Radial tyres, they're certainly of interest to me/us. I hoping to find a pair over winter and give them a demo day or two at Dyfi, well, the boy will demo them, i'll be sitting interpreting what he says in terms of riding and grip as well as punctures (or lack of them hopefully). More grip and higher pressures are certainly an interesting concept.
We're 100% a Conti fanboi currently on his DH bike, but he runs MMs on the Enduro/day-to-day bike.
I have a radial Mary on the front and it's a great tyre. Grippy AF but also draggy too. It's a fair trade off I think, seems like I got more performance upsides than downs, but don't buy it it you don't have gravity on your side. It's a slog on the flatter stuff.
One thing no one has mentioned that I have seen is that the tread is wider spaced on the new one. So there's less groups of nobbles which means better mud clearance but slightly worse dry performance I guess (dry hasn't been a feature of my riding this far)
Are you running different pressures @benpinnick compared to previous tyre combos ?
I got a Super Trail Hans Dampf for £17 off Merlin because I needed a rear tyre for my mullet bike in a hurry.
I'm not gonna write an essay on it, but, I haven't got round to fitting an insert and I've been really impressed with how durable it's been. Including on some very rocky trails in the Lakes and Hebden. Better ride feel than the SG casing too.
The tyre is still a Hans Dampf unfortunately, so it's started regularly trying to kill me now the trails are wet again.
The thing that’s kept me from trying Schwalbe the last couple of tyre swaps is not feeling confident about picking the right casing that offers the same balance if weight and resilience I run now. I’m not sure if it’s me not understanding or the manufacturer explaining it very well but I’ve normally just given up and stuck with what I know.
+1
When I get a tyre I like I stick with it, until it's discontinued/unavailable.
After a few sticky Magic Mary's on the front (and various rears) it was suggested by one of my LBS's (who I trust knows me & my riding) I went onto the original E13's. Went through a few pairs and then when they were all gone he recommended Michelin Wild Enduro's (Magi-X/Gum-X combo).
They're now getting hard to find in the original spec so when I needed a new pair of tyres for my eeb I put on the Butchers that had come with it, punctured the rear every ride - now replaced with Michelin's again.
I predominantly ride in the Tweed Valley, so rough conditions for both my normal bike & eeb - also run sub 20psi and no inserts for a 75kg old man.
A pal though has just got the new Schwalbe's and has been raving about them - be interesting to see what others say too.
Oh, and when radial tyres came into motorbikes back in the early 80's they were a game-changer; pretty much the same grip but twice the longevity of the old cross-plies for the same outlay.
I've got one, had it about two weeks now.
It's a Magic Mary Trail Pro-TLR 29 x2.5 Ultra Soft - Radial, catchy name.
It's certainly a lot better than the worn tyre that it replaced. It's got pretty stunning grip on roots, loose and mud. Even on an Ebike you can feel it drags a bit. Probably the best tyre I've ever used, but it's probably best suited to ebikes and gravity bikes. The firmer compound might be better suited to normal bikes.
Trail Pro 29 Ultra Soft 1220g
70g more than the 1150g Super Trail, so fair enough swap out a light insert for a slight net weight saving.
If you're on a trail casing from another brand (e.g. 1050g 29er) with a light insert (90g), no radial offering for you (yet) unless you want to gain another 80g? And not much room to fit one in the range given this is "trail pro"?
I see them coming more and more into stock but still bloody expensive... R2 don't have the trail version in yet but once they do might e worth a group buy, they're 54 euro (plus postage and brexit tax) but it'll still work out cheaper, it's just that the minimum order size means you've got to order at least 3...
Could be interested in a group buy.
Are all Schwalbe tyres going to be radial, or will you still be able to buy the non radial versions?
I’ve always used Magic Marys on both the downhill bike and also now on the trail bike now that they do the ultra soft compound in super trail. I much prefer them to anything Maxxis offer, so just curious if I’m still going to be able to get what I like or whether I’m going to have radial as the only option.
I'm in the US looking for a Magic Mary Trail Pro Ultra Soft 29 if anyone has any leads.
A few sites expect re-stock Nov 1, I'm hoping to find one sooner if possible.
Thanks.
Are all Schwalbe tyres going to be radial, or will you still be able to buy the non radial versions?
I suspect unless they're really lightweight tyres that might have a reason to remain crossply, cheap tyres they can't be bothered to update, or road tyres which might go full radial (The new tyres aren't actually 'radial') then most will migrate to radial. The ability to run higher pressures without losing grip/comfort* seems like a ono brainer for a more consistent ride in corners.
* comfort is obviously compromised at times - but its not all the time, just those times where a softer tyre would have provided more overall cushioning.
I like mine.
@Northwind - Im unaware of any non-radial related casing changes from Super Trail to Trail Pro, not that that means they're not there, but I don't know of anything. That said, for me Trail has always been fine. I usually destroy tyres at the rim bead, and Schwalbe are really good for not doing that.
bgreenback
Free MemberAre all Schwalbe tyres going to be radial, or will you still be able to buy the non radial versions?
I reckon it'll only ever be their more full-on tyres, anything that slows a tyre down is a hard sell for most people but at least everyone understands "ultrasoft" or "moar knobbly".
Thanks Ben. Yeah I have zero issues with the sidewalls on any of the schwalbes I've used too, not since the old days anyway.
Aaaagh. I am just so conflicted, I want to try these AND the highroller III DD AND I really want that enduro/ultrasoft argotal that's coming Any Time Now but I can't afford 'em all to try! Especially with the HRIII at £80. Tredz has the trail pro MM at £69 now, that's tempting. It's a good thing, to have such awesome seeming choice but it's still frustrating, especially as we're just tipping into "soft argotal isn't quite cutting it" season.
On that note, all credit to Schwalbe for giving it a good clear name to google! And on the same note, **** you Maxxis 🙂
**** it, ordered a trail pro mary in ultrasoft to try. Not waiting for the argotal and the HRIII is expensive! Dead curious to see how it works
“Aaaagh. I am just so conflicted, I want to try these AND the highroller III DD AND I really want that enduro/ultrasoft argotal that’s coming Any Time Now but I can’t afford ’em all to try!”
Try the Hillbilly T9! It’s a really good tyre in the same ilk as the MM, Argotal and HR3 and bizarrely good value compared to all of them.
Didn't really like the T9 tbh. Thought they bottled it on rubber compound, tbh, it's like they tried to make a tyre that can go on either end and just made a middle instead, not for the first time. Maxxgrip Shorty is just plain better when it's really orrible. And whatever sorcerty it is conti put in their soft rubber makes the argotal work better all the rest of the time. TBH I've felt the same about the Mary, but I'm dead curious about this casing, I'm a low pressure person and I hate pinginess so I reckon they might work well for me.
I mean, fair enough, Specialized are like 70% as expensive. But I don't begrudge that £30 or whatever on a 2 grand bike, especially for this sort of pointiest end of riding where being just a little bit better keeps your blood on the inside 🙂
So by way of an update, I have the Radial MM Ultra front and Radial Albert Soft rear. Patternwise there's not too much to report - I mean the Mary tread pattern is well known - this 2.5 version spreads the tread a bit wider, meaning it clears better but its not that different, and the Albert is what you would think it would be - a stable, relatively fast rolling tyre in the mold of the Kryptotal F that its very close to.
Its the casing thats different. The ride quality is unlike anything I have ridden before. It takes a while to bed in fully but when it does its like a huge upgrade for your suspension - its really responsive to the terrain, masking small lumps and bumps like no other tyre I have ridden. Its super stable, can be pushed hard into the corners but also grips like you let 10 psi out. The comfort levels and grip are way better than anything else I have ridden, and the damping effect is really, really noticeable.
Go buy some. That is all.
Go buy some. That is all
And they're not too bad for rolling resistance? Any worse than the none radial version of the same tyres?
Might have to get a set when I've worn my continentals out
Dammit, @benpinnick - I just got my Tacky Chans after your last glowing review - now I need these too? 🙂
Only if you don't like your chans. They definitely roll slower than a soft TC - that much you can be sure of. Depends what you're after, but these really are the first time I rode a decent modern tyre and thought 'wow, these really are different'.
Rave review of the radial Albert from MBR here, the writer is one of the best tyre reviewers out there IMO...
https://www.mbr.co.uk/reviews/tyres/schwalbe-albert-radial-gravity-pro-tyre-review
benpinnickFull
Only if you don’t like your chans. They definitely roll slower than a soft TC – that much you can be sure of. Depends what you’re after, but these really are the first time I rode a decent modern tyre and thought ‘wow, these really are different’.
Yeah, call me curious... thinking the Mary/Albert are worth a go on the big bike, and the Chans can stay on the trail bike
And the perfectly good Continentals that I'm dead impressed with......
So MM front, Bertie on the rear?
I like the MM radial I put onto my bike. Much more grippy than the Max Terra DHF. But I really wasn’t prepared for what a nightmare it was trying to get the damn tyre onto my rim. Broke a tyre level and scratched my rim. I hear that Shwalbes are like that, but it would put me off buying another Schawlbe. I’m worried that if I ever had a flat on the trail, I would be totally unable to get a tube into the tyre!
So they make a 2.5 and a 2.6 but no 2.4, what's the logic there?
https://www.schwalbe.com/en/Albert-11654589
Probably just be me but I'm eyeing up the Shredda rear as a front tyre 😀
I got sent an albert in a mary box, apparently not the first they'd had so if you're buying in a shop take a second look, maybe they have a packing issue! Should get the replacement on monday
Re that review, "Clogs up more than an assegai" isn't great new, that's pretty much the assegai's achilles heel already especially at lower speeds (I think maybe this is a "pro development" thing, racers go fast enough to clear the treads, I don't always). But sounds brilliant otherwise. The weight claims in that article are a bit weird? Like, there's real world weights of 1332g for an Albert Gravity out there, that's almost a hundred grams more than a dhr2 dh in 29er but they say it's light, and compare with the doubledown which is lighter again? Not that 1350g is at all bad for a 29er dh tyre but it seems weird the way they talk about it.
Have you gone for trail or gravity compound. I put eddy currents on my e-bike and as the compound is so strong it has ruined my bikes small bump compliance so going to try these to get that back. Assuming trail will be even more compliant than gravity but obviously higher risk of punctures ?
I haven't tried the gravity, but the trail casing is extremely supple (for a 1200g tyre).
I have the normal version of the MM on the front, it is the Ultra soft DH version as it was all I could get my hands on at the time. Aside from the added weight I can't really tell the difference between the DH version and the trail version.
Question - If the radial tyres offer more grip over the normal versions would it be worth going the the Soft version for longevity?
At the back I use the Big Betty in soft compound, I like it mostly as a summer tyre. For me I don't like how it performs on technical climbs, I find that the square edge knobbles spin out when trying to negotiate obstacles, especially in the damp. I think something with ramped knobble would do better in those situations. I'm think something like the TC, not seen any news of those going over to radials.
Hi,
Are you using the trail or gravity carcass? what bike are they fitted to and riding weight please? Considering these for 19kg Transition relay and im 80kg riding weight and ride light.
Ta
Any new experiences now the weather has turned?.
Tempted to try these in some form but also tempted to give some Kryptotals a go too.
Mine (trail magic mary) is underweight, came it at 1160 vs the claimed 1220. Not that this is a big deal but every online report I've seen has them a bit overweight (pretty much par for the course for tyres, infuriating as it is)
Haven't ridden it enough to really comment on performance, I need to spend some time fannying around with pressure. But it does definitely deliver to some extent on the promise
1143g https://r2-bike.com/SCHWALBE-Tire-Magic-Mary-Trail-Pro-29-x-250-Radial-ADDIX-Ultra-Soft-TLR-Black
Personally I'm sticking with Wild Enduro Front and still waiting for the Kryptotal Fr Trail Soft. The Mary doesn't seem right for hardpack and the Albert clogs worse than an Assegai according to the MBR review.
At the back I use the Big Betty in soft compound, I like it mostly as a summer tyre. For me I don’t like how it performs on technical climbs, I find that the square edge knobbles spin out when trying to negotiate obstacles, especially in the damp. I think something with ramped knobble would do better in those situations
Leading edge ramps cause less braking traction, gain better rolling speed. Never seen a trailing edge ramp.
Leading edge ramps cause less braking traction
Doesn’t sound right, are you sure?
The braking edge on a tyre is the rear edge not the front.
Look how a tyre wears when you ride steep trails all the time.
Always the rear edge of the knobs that gets worn down more.
When I rode a lot more flatter XC type stuff my tyres would wear down in an evenish way.
Now about 90% of my riding is steep handcut trails they tear the rear of the knobs more than wear down evenly.
Yeah, agree with the two above. ramps on the leading edge of the knobs on the rear tyre give better rolling resistance at the expense of some climbing traction (ie more likely to spin out going up hill) . They don't really affect braking
Interesting comments above. I saw a review on YouTube last night claiming the radial Albert cleared better than the Assegai. Given a recent bad crash in damp clay with an Assegai I was looking for something a bit more versatile and even considering going back to the DHF up front.
I think its not going to be much different to an Assegai - they're pretty similar treads although the albert is a slightly closer spacing, so I can see how people would think it wont clear so well but there's more to it than just that one factor. They're similar enough treads. The Albert is probably closer to a Kyrptotal F:
Onzadog
Free MemberInteresting comments above. I saw a review on YouTube last night claiming the radial Albert cleared better than the Assegai.
TBH I think if you're comparing clogginess at all with an assegai that's probably a bad sign, they are (at lower speed) one of the cloggest modern tyres I've used, they need speed to clear. I think I said earlier but I think this is partly about pro-led and downhill-led development, it's probably never a problem if you're greg minaar and going at a million miles an hour all the time but when you're me at the golfy in december with a fully clenched arse it's not so good. Maxxis need some absolute cowards on their test team
At the back I use the Big Betty in soft compound, I like it mostly as a summer tyre. For me I don’t like how it performs on technical climbs, I find that the square edge knobbles spin out when trying to negotiate obstacles, especially in the damp. I think something with ramped knobble would do better in those situations
Leading edge ramps cause less braking traction, gain better rolling speed. Never seen a trailing edge ramp.
Doesn’t sound right, are you sure?
Damn, I meant driving traction. As in a more ramped tread would make the poster's climbing even worse.
Interesting comments above. I saw a review on YouTube last night claiming the radial Albert cleared better than the Assegai.
Amateur tyre reviewers in "don't know what they heck they're talking about" shocker. Like many of us here 🙂
On the picture above, I’m assuming it’s not the camera angle, because the lines on the centre block don’t quite match up, but that Schwalbe tyre hasn’t even been bonded together straight.
I am absolutely not spending that much on a tyre that looks that poorly manufactured. And that’s ignoring the fact they still haven’t worked out how to keep the tread attached to the carcass.
On the picture above, I’m assuming it’s not the camera angle, because the lines on the centre block don’t quite match up, but that Schwalbe tyre hasn’t even been bonded together straight.
Nah its not the angle, and Schwalbe are the worst of the major brands for that, but it does look worse than it would otherwise due to the unusual horizontal sipe that crosses the middle line. Ive not seen a tyre with that before and it makes the smallest mis-alignment look way worse.
The alignment doesn't personally bother me, and the block life of the current tyres is as good/better than other brands I've tried. Its been a while since I had a Schwalbe tyre where the blocks just fell off.
So how we getting on? I've just bought a replacement for my front Magic Mary trail ultrasoft, was very impressed but not satisfied with it, going to try a Highroller 3 now that the Exo+ has arrived. This is super long, sorry, I am a tyre pervert and I'm also sorting out my own thoughts with this post! This is all from a "competent but not awesome rider" perspective, frankly I don't give a single crap what pros think of a tyre, it's irrelevant to most people. All the testing around the scottish borders and mostly in the tweed valley, it's been a fairly dry winter which I think is pretty much ideal magic mary territory. On a Bird am9 on coils, and on a titus loco moto #endurohardtail. I think always paired to a dhr2 rear.
First things first, yep the "radial" thing works, in fact it is fantastic, it is exactly what they claimed it is and honestly might end up being the biggest step forward in tyres since the first Hillbilly or TLR as standard. I like pretty low pressure generally cos I'm very light and don't mind a little smear but obviously not everyone is like that... This, you can either have this at your normal pressures and have it still act soft in the good ways, or have it at a higher pressure for stability and have it still feel as soft, it is awesome- basically changes the rules on this and changes the compromise that all tyres have, and is the only tyre that actually makes me not hate riding a higher normal-person pressure. For someone like me that likes soft feeling tyres, but who also wants a stabler tyre for corners more than I do and can't tolerate smear, it'd be even better. It is quite a lot slower than a normal Mary mind you but that's an excellent tradeoff for harder use, you could build my favourite tyre ever on this carcass for sure and I hope someone does. I think there <might> be another less obvious tradeoff, more of that later.
But... I'm not satisfied with the complete tyre, in the end. The centre is spot on, the rubber could be a little softer but it's perfectly capable... but it's just so <round>, and on top of that the sideknobs are small and super sloped, it feels like I've squeezed it onto a 717 or something instead of a 30mm. And they're pretty much unsupported too, which I think might be exaggerated by that super reactive carcass giving way beneath them more easily than normal? So there's ime a lack of side grip which is really pretty intrusive on offcambers, rut edges, ugly line changes etc like dropping into parallel gullies, considering how well the tyre performs the rest of the time. It's quite an oldschool feeling thing, this, it reminded me of early 2000s tyres when everything was more compromised and nothing excelled at everything especially in the soft.
So, frinstance, up at the golfy on a soft but not swampy February day, absolutely loving it, it's making things feel easier when it's mostly "middle of tyre" work, not just grippy but super composed, I'm thinking this is overall the best tyre I've ever used in these conditions... (I'd ask for softer rubber than the Ultrasoft for wet stone, but it's not drastic and the radial helps with that), then inspired by all that I try and work an offcamber, or ride a slightly brave transition from a high line into a gully, or make a little mistake and bump an edge I shouldn't and it just runs out of edge and gives abruptly and falls to the bottom, earlier than even something midrangey like a dhr2 would. Quite specific situations but stuff that happens often enough especially on a tyre that feels so good. Oh yeah I never really ran out of grip in corners, I think it's something that happens when you're a long way into the sides, and frankly I don't ride flat corners hard enough to find out.
(I went back up the next day on a maxxgrip dhr2 to test that idea, and rode a bunch of the same trails in the same conditions, of course the dhr2 was less good much of the time but it did never once caught me out like thta, and basically let me ride how i wanted without fuss. And was more consistent and, well, trustworthy, consistency is so valuable in a hard-use tyre. Putting the two tyres side to side the Mary is visibly round, in fact it's clearly the smallest radius'd tyre out of every tyre I have fitted currently, even though one of those is an assegai squeezed onto an old narrow rim)
It's not that it doesn't work, it's just lacking a balance but balance is important, balance is where trust lives. I mean, I went for entire rides where it wasn't an issue at all but because that specific sort of trail feature didn't exist, and by the end I was thinking about it quite a lot and making decisions I didn't want to make based on it. I'd give up straightline/centre grip for more sidegrip, or drag for more sidegrip. And I'm not sure you'd have to give up anything much just to have more sideknob support and have them be just a little taller and squarer, frankly like absolutely everyone else's midspikes now are. But a tyre that's this slow, and this excellent at times, kind of needs to not have that hole imo.
I don't remember ever feeling that about the normal Mary tbh. But then it is quite a bit faster which gives it those excellent allrounder chops. This is why I wonder if the carcass might be effectively taking away support from the knobs and not just doing good stuff but also deflecting under sideload more easily (I'd like to try the dh version) Looking at pictures (I don't have a standard Mary to compare any more) the radials look like they might blow up rounder across the board, but I'm not sure about that?
This one, well it's noticably slower than a Soft Argotal and sure it's got more grip and composure quite a lot of the time (cos Conti ****ed up on the rubber and haven't released the supersoft enduro they need to yet) and the Conti just has no answer to the carcass tricks, but the MM is competing in the same space and it has a lot less grip some of the time. I'm not totally happy with the Argotal either, for this sort of riding when it gets slippier, but I slightly prefer it because of that consistency. (I a/bd the Argotal and MM on the hardtail and settled back on the argotal there)
It's not even <that> much faster than a maxxgrip shorty, and sure it's better on hardpack but the shorty will get you safely down ugly stuff that the Mary won't even try, and give you margin for error in ruts and such. Not as cleverly, but it's just got better rubber and tread on its dumb old carcass. Now comparing a MM to a Shorty might sound daft but the slow carcass of the Schwalbe essentially pushes it into a harder category than it'd usually be in, and to be fair it massively helps it to compete in that category.
What I want, I realised, is an Argotal and a Shorty and a DHR2 on this carcass 😛 Or, maybe this Highroller 3, if it works out like I hope. Or maybe Big Betty. I'm not sure I have a use for it in faster rubber though I can see it could work for some. Dead curious to try the Albert when things are drier.
Or, a fresh design or Mary V2 midspike from Schwalbe (have not tried the Shredda or seen one in the flesh but I guess that with the radial carcass it'll be like pedalling a paving slab? And tbf it still looks very round for such a spiker)
The Mary is over a decade old, and I don't think the tread's changed much if at all in that time? And it's still excellent. Maybe they've just pushed that old dog a bit too far. I realised I always describe the enduro soft argotal as "A Magic Mary except better at absolutely everything all of the time" and I totally stand by that but, this Magic Mary is "A Magic Mary but way better at some stuff and worse at others" and tbf I'm not sure it's as good on balance.
Massive impressive ambitious swing and a near miss. Or, maybe, knocked it out of the park 9 times out of 10 but an unexpected miss the remaining 1, which ends up less good than a solid hit 10 times our of 10, this is not territory where a tyre can ever afford to miss.
Kinda excited about this Highroller though. I was holding out for a Maxxgrip Exo, that's such a good combo in the dhr2 but exo+ will do and they're down to £55 at Biketart. I'll miss the carcass sorcery.
Ive just put a magic mary radial (trail,ultra soft) on the front of my fuel exe - coming from a continental argotal supersoft DH. I've only done 3 rides on it so far , but I like it, it really takes the edges off the bumps, like your suspension is working a bit better. I dont think I have the pressure ( I went 3 psi higher than I ran the previous tyre at) right yet though, think I need to go up a couple of PSI as it felt slightly squirmy at one or two points.
I still have the conti kryptotal rear on the rear, just waiting to wear that out , then I'll probably try an albert radial on there.
I'll probably try an albert radial on there.
I've recently fitted an Albert radial DH soft to the rear to go with an Albert Radial DH super soft on the front.
I can't decide if it's draggy or not as I've also switched from a 27.5 to 29 rear wheel, not changed the gearing and it's been a bit soft under tyre recently.
Previously on a Kryptotal R in DH soft.
Love the front, still unsure about the rear.
My kryptotal fr super soft & r soft combo is about ready to be replaced and I’d like to try the schwalbe radials but I’m a bit torn on whether to go with an Albert or Mary for the front.
One thing I love about the contis is that they work well all year round, though admittedly with a bit of compromise in the mud.
My question is which tread is the better all rounder front tyre? How well does a radial Mary handle summer conditions and how well does an Albert handle winter conditions? Also, how do the 2.5 and 2.6 variants compare?
Most of my riding is Surrey hills type terrain, more dirt and roots, not so much rocks. And I’ll be putting an Albert on the rear.
@appltn, I wouldn't usually post this since it's a lot of "I don't know" but I'm not sure any civilians have done a uk summer on a radial tbh so probably this is as good a bet as anyone's! I took mine off before this dryer spell.
I reckon the carcass magic could be even better in the dry, with the extra hardness and chatter, it probably won't have the heroic lifesaving "I can't believe there's grip here" feel but for smashing through dry stone and roots I'm 100% sure it'll be awesome. I'm imagining charging down sainte foy cattle tracks or blown out washboard downhill, it ought to eat that stuff up. Though it could also feel excessively slow if you're not getting the same advantage from the tread and tack. But it could be a great payoff on that one wet day or when you change plans at the last minute. I'd say for sure it'll be fine, it just might not be ideal. British summer tyre job is difficult especially if you're picky like me.
Just based on the fact you like the kryptotal for year round I reckon the mary might not be the right choice for you, it's one step up pretty much. I definitely wouldn't be happy on a kryptotal front for year round, I could be happy on an argotal or mary. But I've not used an Albert at all even in nonradial so just can't compare.
(tbh midspikes tend to struggle a wee bit with loose-over-hard, summer built paths and roads and trailcentres or even stuff like lower-level innerleithen crumble, if they can't bite sometimes they skate. The standard Mary can be like that, I've no idea if the new one will though, it's different enough)
Has anyone here tried a direct comparison with the pro trail and pro gravity casings? I'm tempted by an extra soft Mary pro from Tredz (£59 with a £5 off voucher code) for my Enduro bike, but not sure which to go with. I'm about 85kg in riding kit and ride fairly hard but I don't usually get many pinch flats so I tend to ride fairly light casings (currently on an exo+ assguy and DD dhr2) so I'm thinking trail.... but then these are very different so maybe the gravity is a better bet?
Any thoughts?
First ride today on radial tyres.
I fitted a Magic Mary trail ultra soft front and an Albert gravity soft rear onto my Mondraker Raze. Set them up with 27 f and 32 r which is about 4 psi more in the front and 6 in the back than the assegai f and DHR2 r, both 3c maxx terra exo+, that they replaced.
Pretty impressed with them tbh.
I didn’t notice much more drag when climbing which is good. First thing I noticed on the trail was that they have a similar feel to plus tyres when riding along in that they seem to roll nicely over the little roots and stones. Thankfully they don’t seem to have the squirm that the plus tyres did in faster corners.
I’m off to BPW Thursday, keen to see how they get on there.
I think maybe the issue with the Albert in mud is that the knobs are a bit lower than the Assegai , so with a certain mount of mud, they are less likely to stick up and out
edit: it didn’t quote ;
I would still go with the radial trail if you currently ride EXO. Yes, it’s a more suppple traction feel, but the overall feel of the tire is normal for its casing level. The radials Gravity is still a very strong/stiff casing.
So if you have been happy with the support and feel of the light casings like EXO or EXO+, stick with the trail version. If need be, you can always add an insert to get some extra casing stability and rim protection if you find it’s a little bit to flexible or prone to rim strikes, for you.
I would say, the Gravity casing is a fair bit stiffer feeling than Maxxiss double down, so if you were in DD with Maxxis, and were holding off on Schwalbe’s super gravity casing because you worried it was too stiff for you, the new Gravity Radial would be the right choice.
I was impressed with the tyres at BPW plenty of grip and no burps or punctures.
I’ve been riding with Albert soft trail front and rear lately and have found even at around 35psi that the trail casing on the rear is a bit squirmy. Going up a few more psi helps but then it feels too harsh.
Going to go back to the gravity Albert on the rear as I could run that a bit softer.
The Albert on the front is decent in the current conditions.