More grip for Schwalbe tyres: Magic Mary and Tacky Chan in Gravity Pro version

BIKE conclusion Adrian Kaether, Editor Test & Technology

The grip of the new Gravity Pro tyres from Schwalbe is impressive. These tyres really stick to rocks and roots and make nasty descents child's play. Both the very soft Ultra Soft compound and the Tacky Chan tread have made a significant leap upwards. Real sticky rubber for downhill fans.

Gravity Pro: Two become one

Until now, Schwalbe has offered two different tyre constructions for extreme use: Super Gravity for enduro use and Super Downhill - well, for downhill. This division is now a thing of the past with Schwalbe's completely restructured MTB portfolio. The new Gravity Pro carcass is intended to combine both constructions in a single variant.

Six layers for a hallelujah: weights from 1230 grams

So will fans of puncture protection have to do without something in future? No, says Schwalbe. The structure of the Gravity Pro reads like a brute: six carcass plies under the tread and four plies on the sidewall ensure maximum stability and puncture protection. This is more than previous designs and reflects the experience gained from racing. A lot helps a lot.

Nevertheless, the weight remains ok. The Romy is the lightest gravity tyre from 1230 grams without a radial. Most other options are upwards of 1300 grams. The Schwalbe Albert 29 x 2.6 Radial is said to be the heaviest tyre in the weight table at 1425 grams. Only the Eddy Current for e-bikes is even heavier at 1480 grams. This is more in line with Super Gravity than Super Downhill.

This basis is supplemented by the fabric-reinforced Apex puncture protection, which has been tried and tested at Schwalbe since 2016. This additional protective insert is located in the sidewall and reduces punctures during hard impacts, while at the same time increasing the (riding) stability of the sidewall. Additional burping protection has also been added thanks to the optimised use of material. Tubeless tyres should therefore not be so easy to push to the limit at low air pressure.

Radial without compromise

The Gravity Pro tyres are available in both the classic diagonal design and Schwalbe's radial construction. Previously, radial tyres had to be inflated by 0.2 to 0.3 bar to prevent the tyre from becoming too soft on the downhill. The more flexible carcass required less pressure for the same contact area. With the Gravity Pro in radial, however, Schwalbe has designed the sidewalls to be so stable that you should be able to ride classic tyre pressures again.

The theory is simple: you get all the advantages of the radial construction - 30 per cent larger contact area, noticeably more grip, higher damping as well as additional safety and control - without having to compromise on sidewall stability or puncture protection. Schwalbe has also significantly expanded its radial portfolio. Instead of Magic Mary, Shredda and Albert, the Gravity line-up now also includes Eddy Current, Tacky Chan and the new Romy with a radial construction.

Ultra Soft: Grip revolution through cushioning

Alongside the new carcass, Schwalbe has completely redeveloped the Ultra Soft adhesive rubber (purple stripes). Schwalbe promises 50 per cent more damping than the previous Ultra Soft compound. Schwalbe wants to reduce the bouncing effect of the tyre to a minimum thanks to the high damping. This is because the less the tyre pushes off the ground, the longer the tread remains in contact with the ground and the greater the grip.

The new Ultra Soft should offer significantly more safety, especially in the rain and on muddy tracks, and stand out much more than the Soft Compound (orange stripe). Thanks to its high silica content, Ultra Soft should also not harden in the cold. This would be a clear advantage over MaxxGrip and Co. Because Schwalbe has not made the rubber softer, but increased the damping, the durability probably remains at a high level. Schwalbe promises that the new Ultra Soft Compound is significantly more durable than previous soft compounds from the competition.

Tacky Chan: Fine-tuned for better driveability

The Tacky Chan tyre, originally designed as a fast downhill tyre trimmed for precision, has also been revised and will now also take over the tasks of the discarded Big Betty tread on the rear wheel. The new version comes exclusively in 2.4 inch diagonal or 2.5 inch radial and benefits from an optimised profile.

The most important changes: A new division of the tread blocks ensures easier to control driving behaviour thanks to faster repetition of the tread blocks. The tread pattern now repeats itself after two blocks instead of four, which should result in more transparent handling. The more closed transition area between the centre and shoulder lugs enables smoother turning and increased braking traction.

In particular, the transition from the centre to the shoulder rocker was sometimes criticised as being too rough on the old version. The new design is intended to provide more predictability and confidence here - without diluting the qualities of the Tacky Chan in terms of rolling and precision.

Gravity Pro: Selection and availability

The new Gravity Pro construction is used on various tyres: Magic Mary, Tacky Chan, Albert, Eddy Current, Shredda and the new Romy. It is available in both the classic diagonal construction (RRP 74.90 euros) and the radial version (RRP 79.90 euros). The new Ultra Soft Compound is available for various models in Gravity Pro and Trail Pro versions - depending on the intended use and requirements.

Monster grip: how Gravity Pro and Ultra Soft ride

At a press event in Molini di Trioria, we were able to try out Schwalbe's new Gravity Pro tyres in detail. We rode longer on the new Magic Mary Gravity Pro with Tacky Chan on the rear wheel on the e-bike as well as on the new Tacky Chan Gravity Pro with Romy on the rear wheel. All radial, always the Ultra Soft rubber at the front and the Soft compound at the rear. The trails were wet at the beginning but not muddy, and the ground was relatively grippy.

Despite mostly good conditions, the new Schwalbe combos impress with an extremely predictable and predictable ride feel and a deeply advanced limit range. Thanks to the Gravity Pro Radial carcass, the bikes are extremely plush and secure on the trail. Even at normal air pressures of 1.4 / 1.6 (85 kg rider), the tyre clings softly to the trail without lacking support or stability in corners. We found the Magic Mary on the e-bike to be particularly smooth and intuitive to ride.

We liked the combination of Tacky Chan at the front and the faster and lighter Romy at the rear even better. The front tyre is particularly precise. The high damping of the rubber is noticeable and makes the tyre literally stick to the ground. This conveys much more confidence than the previous Tacky Chan, which is probably due to both the new tread pattern and the revised compound. The rear breaks out in a controlled manner at the slip limit, with good braking traction and what still feels like relatively fast rolling on the rear wheel. However, we have not yet been able to test how the tyres perform in deep mud when the tread gets really clogged with sticky soil.

Is Schwalbe setting a new benchmark in terms of grip and damping? The World Cup downhill victories of racers like Amaury Pierron, especially in bad weather, speak in favour of this. But the new Schwalbe series is not completely extreme in terms of weight and rubber. We are therefore looking forward to a direct comparison with brutal tyres from the competition. However, Gravity Pro should certainly cut a fine figure as a downhill-orientated all-rounder.

>> Pirelli Scorpion Race DH T Test: Rolls like a rusty lock, but the grip...

>> How bicycle tyres are produced: A visit to Specialized's new tyre bakery

>> Black and snappy: A look behind the scenes at Schwalbe