Down-country bikes are the trend. The upgraded, trail-orientated race bikes are lightweight and therefore cut a fine figure both on home trails and on climbing-heavy single trail tours. Heavy trail tyres are usually fitted to prepare them for demanding descents. However, as we have seen in the past on various BIKE comparison tests have repeatedly criticised: Together with the other robust, downhill-oriented equipment, the coarser tyres also increase the weight and rolling resistance. Swallow wants to have developed a suitable mountain bike tyre for down-country bikes with the new Wicked Will for the 2022 model year. Scott relies on all models of the new Spark 900 on the new Schwalbe tyres.
The lightweight alternative to the Nobby Nic
The Wicked Will should roll almost as well uphill as a cross-country tyre and provide grip and traction like an enduro tyre downhill. At least that's the manufacturer's promise. The well thought-out tread pattern should ensure this. The centre lugs have small ramps, which should ensure easy running on harder surfaces. At the same time, the Schwalbe engineers want to have utilised the space so well that the countless lugs can build up a lot of grip.
From hometrail to alpine cross
With the Wicked Will, Schwalbe wants to have designed an all-round tyre that offers enough grip on demanding descents while keeping rolling resistance low so that even long climbs don't become torture. With the Wicked Will, Schwalbe is once again offering an alternative for touring riders who are looking for a lightweight tyre and for whom the 2021 revised Nobby Nic is too heavy. Depending on the area of use, the all-rounder should also be easy to combine. An aggressive Nobby Nic or Magic Mary at the front and a good rolling Wicked Will at the rear for enduro riders. For cross-country riders with downhill ambitions, on the other hand, the Wicked Will should provide safety at the front, while a real cross-country tyre à la Racing Ralph provides the necessary propulsion at the rear.
You can choose between three carcasses for the Wicked Will. Super Race stands for high speed and low weight (820 grams). Super Ground is supposed to be a mix of low weight (830 grams) and good puncture protection. The Super Trail casing is said to offer excellent puncture protection with high lateral stability and weighs 920 grams. Schwalbe has limited the rubber compound to the good rolling Addix Speedgrip. From spring 2022, the Wicked Will will be available for 62,90 Euro each tyre will be available in size 29 x 2.4 inches.
