MTB Tire Test: Schwalbe Racing Ralph Super Ground Addix Speed

The Racing Ralph is one of Schwalbe's best-known tires, and we've tested many versions over the years. The legendary 2014 Schwalbe Racing Ralph TL-R "Evolution line" (read our review) with the triple compound PaceStar compound was the first tire we uploaded to our database. Almost 10 years later, the 2023 Super Ground Addix Speed is our 9th Racing Ralph test and hopefully marks a resurrection of the mountain bike section on our website.

Ad Buy Schwalbe Racing Ralph Super Ground Addix Speed at Amazon.com

Even though this website started with mountain bike tires, there have been few reviews of mountain bike tires lately. We get a lot of questions about this lack of mountain bike tire tests, and the simple answer is that we test the tires that get the most votes from our pro members. For everyone that wants to see more mountain bike tire tests, please read the explanation below:

When you sign up for our Pro Membership, you get access to the "tire voting system" (top right menu option "Pro Members"), where you can request tires and then add your monthly vote to the tire you like to see tested. At the start of every month, all (active) members get a new vote and can vote again. Each month, the 5 most popular tires then "win" and will be tested in the next month(s). There haven't been many mountain bike tire tests lately because the mountain bike tires simply do not get enough votes.

For all those that want to see more mountain bike tires: please consider becoming a member. We kept the price low as we want to keep the data available to anyone, but it simply needed the direct support of our members to be sustainable. Currently, the voting list standings look good to resurrect the mountain bike section, as a couple of mountain bike tires are in a good position to win in the next months.

We've also "upgraded" the mountain bike section with the hard surface wet grip tests, and all new mountain bike tests will now include the wet grip test. We also added wet grip test data of 11 other mountain bike tires that we tested in the last 3 years, and it will serve as a starting point for wet grip testing of mountain bike tires.

Let's get on with the Racing Ralph Super Ground Addix Speed: we tested the 29x2.35 version, and we'll mainly compare it to the Racing Ralph Super Race Addix Speed (read our review) and Thunder Burt Super Ground Addix Speed (read our review) that we both tested in 2021. Of course, we will also compare it to some popular tires from competing brands that we upgraded with hard surface wet grip test data.

Manufacturer Specifications

Manufacturer Specs
Brand	Schwalbe
Model	Racing Ralph Super Ground Addix Speed
Year	2023
Supplied By	Bought in store
New or Used	New
Mileage	0 km
Price Range	High
Buy At	Ad Amazon.com
Manufacturer part number	11654029.01
EAN	4026495880275
TPI	67
Compound	Addix Speed
Bead	Folding
ETRTO	60-622
Size Inch	28"
Width Inch	2.35
Specified Weight	730 grams
Max Air Pressure (psi)	50
Made In	Members Only
Available Sizes	29x2.10 29x2.25 29x2.35 27.5x2.25 26x2.25

Schwalbe Racing Ralph Super Ground Addix Speed Test Results

Size, Weight, and Thickness Measurements

Size, Weight, and Thickness Measurements
Specified Weight	730 grams
Measured Weight	758 grams
Measured Width Carcass	54 mm (un-round)
Measured Width Tread	56 mm
Measured Height	54 mm (un-round)
Measured Knob Height Center	2.7 mm
Measured Knob Height Edge	4.1 mm
Measured Total Thickness Center (excluding knobs)	1.9 mm
Measured Total Thickness Sidewall	Members Only
All size measurements are taken at an air pressure of 35 psi / 2.4 bars on a 17.8 mm inner width rim.

Rolling Resistance Test Results

Rolling Resistance Test Results
Inner Tube	None (40 ml sealant)
Rolling Resistance 55 PSI / 3.8 Bar	Members Only
Rolling Resistance 45 PSI / 3.1 Bar	Members Only
Rolling Resistance 35 PSI / 2.4 Bar	16.5 Watts CRR: 0.00495
Rolling Resistance 25 PSI / 1.7 Bar	19.0 Watts CRR: 0.00570
All numbers are for a single tire at a speed of 29 km/h / 18 mph and a load of 42.5 kg / 94 lbs. Use the formula: RR (Watts) = CRR * speed (m/s) * load (N) to calculate rolling resistance at a given speed and load.

Puncture Resistance Test Results

Puncture Resistance Test Results (higher is better)
Total Puncture Score Tread	29 Points
Total Puncture Score Sidewall	Members Only
Tread Puncture Force Sharp Needle	Members Only
Tread Puncture Force Blunt Needle	Members Only
Tread Total Tire Thickness	1.9 mm
Sidewall Puncture Force Sharp Needle	Members Only
Sidewall Puncture Force Blunt Needle	Members Only
Sidewall Total Tire Thickness	Members Only

Hard Surface Static Grip Test Results

Static Grip Test Results
Wet Grip Average	58 Points
Wet Grip Center	Members Only
Wet Grip Edge	Members Only
Measured Knob Height Center	2.7 mm
Measured Knob Height Edge	4.1 mm
Grip in points = coefficient of friction * 100 MTB grip test rim width = 30.0 mm
Wet Grip Test and Off-Road Tires (info)

Conclusion

The 2023 Schwalbe Racing Ralph Super Ground Addix Speed is the fastest rolling Racing Ralph we've ever tested. It is a bit surprising that it rolls faster than the Racing Ralph Super Race Addix Speed (read our review) that we tested in 2021, as the Super Race casing is lighter and should be faster. Compared to the Thunder Burt (read our review) with the same casing and compound, we see performance coming in as expected, as the lighter and less knobby Thunder Burt rolls a bit faster.

When we look at the newly introduced hard surface wet grip test, we see the Racing Ralph coming in below average. We do see mountain bike tires scoring lower in this test when compared to road tires, as the knobby treads simply aren't designed to offer a lot of on-road grip. Knobby treads reduce the contact patch, and the higher the knobs, the more they flex under pressure, reducing grip even more. The hard surface wet grip test result should be seen as the maximum grip a tire can provide on a smooth surface.

If you're interested in fast Schwalbe mountain bike tires, we recommend the Super Ground casing over the Super Race casing with the same compound.

Ad Buy Schwalbe Racing Ralph Super Ground Addix Speed at Amazon.com

RATING: 4.5 / 5
TEST VERDICT: Highly Recommended

Comments