I’ve got a Magic Mary up front and Albert on the rear in the radial flavour. Riding for a week in Molini (Italy) next month and then at Ard Rock. Wondering about sticking an insert in the back but with the new casing and slightly higher pressures what are people running?
What carcass do you have? I don't think the radial will make any difference for inserts tbh but <maybe> an insert might affect the radial performance? Haven't tried that combo myself. I was told the "radial effect" is all from the treadface not the sidewall though
Molini is pretty puncturey ime, I've hardly ever put holes in a doubledown, but I did at least 2 out there and one of them was a big un so I'd be inclined to go to the tougher end of your options. I don't really like inserts for normal riding, I always feel like it's better to invest that weight in a tougher tyre but this might be an exception
Awesome riding btw!
Should have said I’m running gravity casing.
That's a tough decision! If it wasn't for a race or a riding holiday I would go without with a gravity casing on the rear. But the last thing I want to do on a riding holiday or a race is stop for a flat, so I would personally be sticking an insert in the rear for peace of mind.
We've just had a big discussion about inserts so I can't be bothered to type all my thoughts out again.
I'll just say run a pair. The foam loop adds an insignificant amount of weight and you'll benefit from protecting the front rim while diving into rock gardens.
The last tyre I destroyed beyond repair was on the front. Annoyingly I had an insert hanging up in the garage because I couldn't be bothered to fit it the day before a ride. So it cost me the price of a new tyre.
They also make your bike feel different. They give a very muted, heavily damped feel to the tyres and I want that feeling to be consistent across the bike and not have a front tyre that squirms and burps on heavy impacts.
I ran a pair of Gravity Albert’s at Dyfi last weekend.
No inserts as I only have 27.5, although at no point did I feel a rim strike or anything like it at the pressures I was running. 27 f 35 R (at the start of the day) 100kg.
There was cut a on a rear sidewall rim to tread, but was superficial.
Not actually ridden them anywhere else.
There was an interview with Schwalbe on Pinkbike a little while before the radials were announced. They said, give them the weight of your insert so they can use it in the carcass, and you'll have a much better solution overall. I presume this is the intention behind the radials i.e. they're instead of inserts.
Read somewhere that the radials may burp easier than standard tyres. Has anyone found this to be the case?
Not that I’ve noticed. I haven’t burped one yet.
I didn’t like the Albert in deep dust. Felt a bit floaty, but that issue has solved itself anyway.
