[Closed] Racing Ralphs

Depends on the ground imo. If you mainly ride on hardpack or fireroads then theyll be fine. If you spend more time in the brown stuff then look elsewhere.

I should have said mixed terrain, but the majority of riding will be in the slippery brown stuff.

Hated them, use bontrager xr2s now, same tread pattern ish. Although friends rave about Ralph's, I wasn't keen.

I've found them to be pretty slippy in the wet, especially on wet grass or roots, and particularly on smaller wheels. They seem to be a bit more adaptable on a 29er given the larger contact patch.

RRs are for summer only.
I use Schwalbe Smart Sam on the rear. It doesn't look like a winter tyre but grips well, rolls easily and lasts ages.

Ralph's are a good dry/summer tyre. Rubbish in wet/muddy conditions.

Had them on the back for this morning's ride. Plenty of sideways action, especially on roots. Helpful some of the time but on balance I think it's time to swap them out for a few months.

Waiting for a new NN to come from the Germans for a bit more confidence next weekend.

I'm a big fan of them.
They roll as good as SB8's but actually grip.
(Well, the 2.35"ones do anyway).
I ran them through last Winter.

There were a few rides when I could have done with more grip, but even those on Nics & Dampfs were sliding on those rides.
Sounds like mag test waffle, but the point at which they do let go seems quite predictable, & that's why I like them.

Need to be the right compounds also, as the cheaper ones aren't very good.

Great in the summer. But in the winter you may as well just roll on the rims.

Summer only. Shallow tread is ok in non gloopy wet, but if it gets claggy then it does not cut through or clear well.

Depends on the terrain. Had no issues with Ralph front and back round afan for 6hrs yesterday. Slightly drifty on the loose blue scar berms though I imagine most tyres would be. I don't have an issue with them over wet roots, nothing is very good. Not good in deep mud, but still okay. I run mine all winter too.

Tyres only being good at what they were designed for shocker....

I'd look more towards the hans dampfs then OP.
Mine are spot on for the conditions you are describing

Riding buddy used these up until last week on the night ride. Couldn't believe he was upright since the rains fell here in Epping Forest. The tyres did not clog with mud at all and he ran them with 25psi on his 29er hardtail. Maybe lighter people can get away with using these tyres in mud.

Just back from a slippery as hell, muddy cx race on my mtb. Ralph up front because it's got nicely pronounced side lugs to corner on and Dan at the back for traction up the climbs.

It doesn't get muddier than this and Ralph was as good/bad as anything else. Mud is slippery whatever tyres you use.

Racing Ralph in winter - death on a stick!

I've even come off going uphill

Fine on the back in summer

Puncture prone - I'm looking for something thorn proof, may go back to tubeless at this rate or stick some stans in the tubes!

Just back from a slippery as hell, muddy cx race on my mtb. Ralph up front because it's got nicely pronounced side lugs to corner on and Dan at the back for traction up the climbs.

It doesn't get muddier than this and Ralph was as good/bad as anything else. Mud is slippery whatever tyres you use.

I think pressure is king in cross type mud. I was on my Rons (Mtb) today but had literally just enough air to keep them on the rims. There was nothing I couldn't climb even at a snails pace. (Had one hairy moment but didn't panic-stand so we just about made it 😀 )