MTB Tire Test: Schwalbe Racing Ralph Super Race Addix Speed

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  • Schwalbe Racing Ralph Super Race Addix Speed
Performance compared to all other MTB tires
(100% is best)
Pro Members get 11-point radar charts



Schwalbe Racing Ralph Super Race Addix Speed road bike tire on a rolling resistance test machine

The Schwalbe Racing Ralph Super Race with Addix Speed compound now is the fastest version of the Racing Ralph you can buy. Schwalbe introduced their "Super" casings back in 2020 with a big marketing campaign they called "The Decade of Super". As they're talking about a decade, we're going to assume this will bring some stability to their lineup for the next 10 years. Hopefully, this gives us the ability to catch up and test some of these tires before they get replaced by the next version.


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Schwalbe's lightest casing now is the "Super Race" casing which is a 3 layer 67 TPI casing that's still much stronger than the 2 layer 127 TPI LiteSkin/TL-Ready casing that Schwalbe offered in the past 10+ years. According to Schwalbe, they went with a triple layer 67 TPI casing as it offers better stability and sealing when used in a tubeless set up which is now much more common than it was just 5-10 years ago.


Although the Super Race casings are relatively easy to set up tubeless, and they hold air well, it's still recommended to regularly check your tire pressures. If you want trouble-free tubeless operation, it's recommended to step up to the Super Ground casing that features an extra layer of cut-resistant material that also helps to keep the air in.


The Super Race casing is only available with brown/transparent sidewalls (for now at least) which probably isn't the right look for everyone. The available sizes are also quite limited as they only carry these in the 29x2.25 and 29x2.35 sizes (read more about the size in the conclusion).


Manufacturer Specifications


Manufacturer Specs
Brand Schwalbe
Model Racing Ralph Super Race Addix Speed
Year 2021
Supplied By Bought in store
New or Used New
Mileage 0 km
Price Range High
Buy At Ad Amazon.com
Manufacturer part number 11654049.01
EAN4026495879552
TPI 67
Compound Addix SpeedGrip
Bead Folding
ETRTO 57-622
Size Inch 29"
Width Inch 2.25
Specified Weight 640 grams
Max Air Pressure (psi) 54
Made In Members Only
Available Sizes 29x2.25
29x2.35

Schwalbe Racing Ralph Super Race Addix Speed Test Results

Schwalbe Racing Ralph Super Race Addix Speed  mountain bike tire on a rolling resistance test machine

Size, Weight, and Thickness Measurements


Size, Weight, and Thickness Measurements
Specified Weight 640 grams
Measured Weight 659 grams
Measured Width Carcass 52 mm (un-round)
Measured Width Tread 54 mm
Measured Height 51 mm (un-round)
Measured Knob Height Center 2.4 mm
Measured Knob Height Edge 3.9 mm
Measured Total Thickness Center (excluding knobs) 2.2 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)

(current protocol)
Conti MTB 29 (225 gr butyl)

(test protocol)
Rolling Resistance
55 PSI / 3.8 Bar
Members OnlyMembers Only
Rolling Resistance
45 PSI / 3.1 Bar
Members OnlyMembers Only
Rolling Resistance
35 PSI / 2.4 Bar
20.1 Watts
CRR: 0.00603
23.6 Watts
CRR: 0.00707
Rolling Resistance
25 PSI / 1.7 Bar
21.5 Watts
CRR: 0.00644
26.0 Watts
CRR: 0.00779
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

Schwalbe Racing Ralph Super Race Addix Speed  mountain bike tire on a rolling resistance test machine
Puncture Resistance Test Results (higher is better)
Total Puncture Score Tread 28 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 2.2 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 61 Points
Wet Grip Center Members Only
Wet Grip Edge Members Only
Measured Knob Height Center 2.4 mm
Measured Knob Height Edge 3.9 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


  • Schwalbe Racing Ralph Super Race Addix Speed
Performance compared to all other MTB tires
(100% is fastest - lightest - highest - strongest)

Pro Members get 11-point radar charts

The Schwalbe Racing Ralph Super Race is a solid performer in our tests and it's quite clear the latest edition of the Racing Ralph has been beefed up at the expense of increased weight and rolling resistance. We do think the Super Race casing is a bit of a missed opportunity as there is only a very small difference between the Super Race and Super Ground casings. We would have gone with a triple layer 127 TPI casing instead of the 67 TPI casing.


We now have the same situation with the Schwalbe casings that also exists with their Addix "Speed" and "SpeedGrip" compounds: the differences are hard to find. In our opinion, the Super Race casing combined with the Addix Speed compound should have been one of the fastest tires out there, just like the 2014/2015 Racing Ralphs with the old PaceStar compound were.


The weight of the Racing Ralph also keeps on increasing with every new version they release. The Super Race 29x2.25 version now has a specified weight of 640 grams, while back in 2014/2015, the TL-Ready version had a specified weight of 535 grams, and the TLE version was 605 grams. On top of that, they downsized the casings and the 2.25 version is now close to the size of the older 2.10 version.


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


RATING: 4.0 / 5
TEST VERDICT:
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