Schwalbe Mountain Bike Tyres

The newest version of this tyre is the Evolution and features triple compound rubber in an attempt to deliver top performance in a variety of ways by being light, fast and gripping. It's available in several widths.

Riders using the Nobby Nic give very favourable reviews for its speed, grip and responsiveness in XC racing, including coping well with muddy conditions. It also has good traction in climbs.

However it doesn't appear to give such good results on wet rocky or rooty trails where there are comments that the Nobby Nic script becomes unpredictable I can slide quite a bit.

* Check Prices Here at the top Cycle Shops *

This tyre is marketed as an all-rounder all weather tyre for trail use, using the new Evolution carcass and tread dual compound technology. It also uses crosshatched sidewalls to toughen the tyre against damage. The tread shapes are a mixture of split and angled knobs in the centre of the tyre with angled side knobs.

Reviews of the Fat Albert mention that it is an easy rolling tyre despite its size, this probably being due to the lightweight carcass. At normal pressures there are some comments that this tyre can be slippery over rocks and roots, however it appears that dropping the pressure leads to a significant improvement which puts these tyres on a par or better than their competitors.

There are plenty of positive comments about grip and cornering under most conditions, although the tyre appears to wear quite quickly, which will be important if you are on any sort of tight budget because the price tag is quite high. However for serious competition these appear to make a good impression.

* Check Prices Here at the top Cycle Shops *

Also now in its Evolution version with a triple compound rubber the Racing Ralph is designed as a fast competitive all-rounder. It's also got extra tread on the tyre shoulders and the main tread is slotted for extra grip.

If you look at reviews of the Schwalbe Racing Ralph it's difficult to find anything negative as these tyres seem to deliver exactly what they promise. Particular mention is made by riders of its speed, low rolling resistance and responsiveness imany conditions including great acceleration and traction on corners. It also appears very resilient to pinch flats as the bead sits tight and there are no particular mentions of punctures, so the tyre is tougher than the light weight might imply.

All in all, if you can afford the price the Racing Ralph appears to be a top level racing competition tyre, but not for consistently rough or muddy conditions.

* Check Prices Here at the top Cycle Shops *