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Anyone who begins to Mountain bike tyres probably looks at the profile first. Obviously, it differentiates one model from another. However, the inner workings of a tyre are just as important as the rubber compound. The carcass forms the backbone of an MTB tyre, so to speak. The structure determines puncture protection, stability, damping and also the weight. And this is precisely where Swallow with its major relaunch. In future, there will be a choice of five different, completely newly developed carcasses. The aim: every biker can ride their tyres in exactly the version that best suits their personal area of use. To make it easier for bikers to find their way around, Schwalbe has given its new tyres concise, clear names.
New carcasses of Schwalbe tyres at a glance:
- Super Race
- Super Ground
- Super Trail
- Super Gravity
- Super Downhill
With the "Decade of Super", Schwalbe is completely redesigning its high-quality MTB tyre range and putting the carcasses in the foreground. The new Super family therefore comprises five new tyre designs that have been precisely tailored to the respective application. From the lightweight Super Race tyres to the extremely puncture-resistant Super Downhill tyres, everything is included.
In addition to the inner values, the classic Nobby Nic has also been given a more aggressive profile with more stable shoulder lugs. In addition, the former Feeride tyre Big Betty is back and will be available in a Super Trail, Super Gravity and Super Downhill version. The wide braking edges make it the perfect complement to the Magic Mary on the rear wheel.
The new Schwalbe Nobby Nic
No tyre has been fitted to mountain bikes more in recent years than Schwalbes Nobby Nic. A true touring classic! However, the Nobby Nic has recently lost more and more ground on trail bikes and full-suspension touring bikes and has been criticised. This is because the lightweight tyre with its shallow tread and thin sidewall was quickly pushed to its limits on more demanding terrain. The new edition of the Nobby Nic for 2021 wants to leave the image of the tame tourer behind - and also poach in serious trail terrain. The tread has been completely redesigned for this purpose. The side lugs are much more pronounced and self-cleaning is said to have been improved. The Nobby Nic is available in Super Ground and Super Trail versions, which also transforms it from a light touring tyre into a solid trail tyre. Anyone looking for a particularly light touring tyre for moderate terrain will no longer be served by the Nobby Nic. The new Nobby Nic costs between 59.90 and 64.90 euros in the high-quality Evolution version. Available in 26, 27.5 and 29 inch and widths of 2.25, 2.35, 2.6 and 2.8 inches. We have already weighed the new Nobby Nic in the BIKE test lab:
Nobby Nic Super Trail 29x2.35: 1100 grams
Nobby Nic Super Ground 29x2.35: 970 grams
A first detailed laboratory and practical test of the new Nobby Nic can be found in BIKE 10/20 - in stores from 1 September!
New: Schwalbe Big Betty
Anyone who has been on a mountain bike for a while will remember Big Betty. For many years, the massive tyre made a name for itself as a bike park and downhill all-rounder. Until it disappeared from the Schwalbe programme. Now the new edition is on the shelves. And this is particularly good news for bikers who ride their bikes in tough terrain. Until now, the classic enduro combination from Schwalbe consisted of Magic Mary at the front and Hans Dampf at the rear. The new Big Betty is the much grippier version of the Hans Dampf. Cornering grip is also significantly improved. Big Betty is available in 26, 27.5 and 29 inch and in widths of 2.4, 2.6 and 2.8 inches. The high-quality Evolution tyres cost between 59.90 and 67.90 euros, depending on the model.
Interview Carl Kämper (Product Manager Schwalbe)
BIKE: With five different carcass constructions, your new product portfolio seems very complex. Doesn't that overwhelm the customer?
Carl Kämper: The number of different tyre constructions has not increased at all compared to the existing model range. All carcasses make perfect sense and are necessary. The area of application can be deduced from the name, which means that everyone can find the right product.
With the new Super Trail tyres, you have closed the gap between the former Snakeskin tyres (now Super Ground) and the Super Gravity tyres. Overall, however, with the exception of the Super Race tyres, they have all become slightly heavier.
This is not so much due to the tyre designs, but to the fact that we have increased the amount of rubber and therefore the durability of all tyres. This gives us better inherent damping, better puncture protection and problems such as lug tears are now a thing of the past.
But what happened to the 800 gram tyre for touring and fast trail riding? The lightest Nobby Nic (Super Ground) in 29 inch weighs well over 900 grams...
Touring riders will also benefit from the better puncture protection, especially as the tyres still roll just as well. We believe that the better puncture protection outweighs the slightly poorer acceleration behaviour in any case. The change in riding behaviour and the greater prevalence of e-MTBs also require more stable tyres.
Have there been too many problems with the lightweight Snakeskin tyres in the past?
In the past, the intended use of a tyre was based heavily on the profile. A Magic Mary in the light snakeskin version, for example, looked like an enduro tyre, but was certainly too much for some applications, which caused frustration among customers. We therefore asked ourselves whether we were offering the right product. In the end, a more reliable tyre makes the customer happier than a 150 gram weight saving.
An end to high wear and tear at last?
With its relaunch, Schwalbe also focussed on the durability and wear of its round tyres. For years, there have been repeated complaints about studs tearing out on some models. The Schwalbe developers finally want to put an end to this. The solution: more rubber on the tread. This makes most tyres noticeably heavier. "In the end, a more reliable tyre makes the customer happier than a 150 gram weight saving," says Product Manager Carl Kämper, explaining the new Schwalbe philosophy. E-mountain bikers will certainly be able to cope with the extra grams easily, whereas touring bikers can easily be lugging around 200 to 400 grams more per set. We are currently testing whether the new tyres can boast significantly longer durability in the BIKE test lab. You can read the results in issue 10/20 - in stores from 1 September. The upgrade in figures: According to our measurements, a 29er Nobby Nic in the lightest available version (Super Ground) now weighs 940-993 grams. A Magic Mary in 29 x 2.4 is no longer available for less than 1200 grams, as the enduro pair Magic Mary and Big Betty are not available with lighter carcasses than Super Trail. This makes them real heavyweights. The days when Schwalbe tyres were among the lightest of all classes are definitely over for now.
