Schwalbe’s Racing Ralph has been one of the best XC race tires and a byword for back wheel speed for decades and the latest version adds a ton of carcass and compound tech to a new tread. So is Ralph still winning when it comes to Racing and cross-country riding?
The V2.0 Ralph launches alongside the new front-specific Schwalbe Racing Ray tire which means Ralph has a superbly capable partner that work perfectly together as a front/rear MTB tire combo.
Design and build
Like most of Schwalbe’s speed tires, Racing Ralph comes in three versions. Basic Performance and then two different premium constructions. Fully ‘Snakeskin’ wrap-protected Super Ground and Super Race which just gets a slim central anti puncture strip and a short reinforcing curtain where the tire meets the rim. Interestingly, the two constructions are very similar in weight, with Super Ground actually being lighter in some versions, but the Super Trail is the most supple and therefore the fastest so we went with that for the test. At a hair over 750g, it’s heavy in terms of a race tire though, adding over 160g compared to Specialized’s Renegade rubber.
Schwalbe also raised some eyebrows among racers when they ditched the long (and fast) running semi-slick design of the ‘classic’ Racing Ralph in favor of a small, closely packed paddle tread with overlapping, relatively tall side tread ‘lozenges’. Again, I went for the fastest ‘Speed’ compound in Schwalbe’s Addict range which comes with an offset red stripe for easy recognition and correct rotation alignment.
As to the exact composition of the rubber, Schwalbe’s MTB product manager Robert Mennen told us: “Whether we’re using a mono or multiple compound in a tire will be one of our trade secrets. With ADDIX, mono/dual/triple is one tool among many but it’s no longer in the foreground as it was a few years ago.”
Performance
Schwalbe was one of the first tire brands to really make tubeless work. Accurate sizing and enough carcass structure to stop it writhing around like an eel when presented to the wheel meant Ralph popped onto every rim we tried with no drama.
It’s very predictable and vice-free in the way it changes the feel with pressure too. The lower you go the softer, smoother and grippier it feels, the higher the more ‘high energy’ and skippy it feels. Whatever pressure you run it will feel more elastic and floated than you’d expect though as the Super Race carcass is so supple it flows and wraps spectacularly well over trail trauma. It treads a great balance between feeling lively, springy and alive to boost the speed/pedal response sensation without the sliding around on marbles or hysterical rebound vibe a lot of race rubber suffers from. While reinforcing is minimal, the supple triple-ply side, double-ply top carcass also does a remarkable job of dodging rock and other impact damage.
My test team even broke a carbon rim while using the Racing Ralph without the tire being harmed. While you can definitely feel the extra weight when accelerating, that suppleness and whatever Schwalbe has done with the Addix Speed rubber makes it a very fast-rolling tire. Not as insanely quick as the early feedback from racer mates on the new Rick XC tire, but fast enough to keep pace with much slicker, sketchier tread. Unsurprisingly the paddles add noticeably more braking and driving grip in softer and looser conditions. The consistent grip over onto the edges makes them more predictable leaning into turns, riding off camber sections or carving across ruts. While it’s listed as the dedicated rear partner of the Racing Ray front tire, both of these attributes make it a useful front-end option for faster, drier 'kitty litter’ conditions.
Whichever end you’re using it, those perpendicular tread lozenges don’t offer a huge amount of sideways bite though so expect it to slide – but not snap out – relatively early when pushed hard through turns. Using a broad insert can rub the carcass up the wrong way too and as you can see from the pictures those thin paddles soon start to get torn up. That’s not created any holes or rips in the base rubber though so presumably it’ll just wear down to more of a semi-slick over time.
Verdict
The latest Racing Ralph is a super supple, easy-speed tire that’s extremely impressive year-round on the rear and a potential summer front choice too. While weight watchers won’t like the grams it adds on the scales, they’re only apparent when accelerating and repaid in impressive toughness and control in rougher conditions. The traction and flow of the Ralph means you’re likely to carry higher speeds through tech sections and turns too, reducing the impact of that extra weight. While the tread gets tatty relatively quick it’s likely to remain usable right down to the nub which helps mitigate the high price. In other words if you asked me what rear tire I’d default to for racing and fast recreational cross-country riding all year round, my answer would be Racing Ralph.
Tech specs: Schwalbe Racing Ralph Addix Speed Super Race
- Price: $98 / £68.99 / €68.90
- Sizes: 26 x 2.25in, 27.5 x 2.25in, 29 x 2.1, 2.25in or 2.35in (tested)
- Options: Super Race and Super Ground carcass, Addix Speed or Addix SpeedGrip compound, Transparent or Black walls
- Weight: 752g
