MTB Tire Test: Schwalbe Thunder Burt Super Ground Addix Speed

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



Schwalbe Thunder Burt Super Ground Addix Speed road bike tire on a rolling resistance test machine

The Thunder Burt is now Schwalbe's fastest mountain bike tire as they discontinued the ultra-light Furious Fred a while back. Over the past few years, there have been various versions of the Thunder Burt. The current generation has moved to Schwalbe's Super casings with a Super Ground and Super Race version available in several sizes. As the name suggests, the Super Race should be a bit faster than the Super Ground, while the Super Ground offers a bit more protection.


Ad Buy Schwalbe Thunder Burt Super Ground Addix Speed at Amazon.com


It's been a while since we've tested an MTB tire, and we get quite a lot of questions asking us why there aren't more MTB tests. The answer is quite simple: Our Pro Members decide which tires get tested, and more votes for MTB tires means there will be more MTB tests. It looks like the Super Race version of the Thunder Burt is racking up quite a few votes and has a good chance of being tested in the near future as well.


The Schwalbe Thunder Burt Super Ground looks promising as it uses Schwalbe's fastest version of their Addix compound: Addix Speed. Although not all tires with the Addix Speed compound are fast, and we've been critical of the consistency of Schwalbe's Addix compounds. It looks like our sample of the Thunder Burt Super Ground came out of the factory with the Addix Speed compound as it should be. This Thunder Burt is very fast, even though it's much heavier than the specified weight.


Manufacturer Specifications


Manufacturer Specs
Brand Schwalbe
Model Thunder Burt Super Ground 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 11600657.02
EAN4026495879750
TPI 67
Compound Addix Speed
Bead Folding
ETRTO 57-622
Size Inch 29"
Width Inch 2.25
Specified Weight 615 grams
Max Air Pressure (psi) 54
Made In Members Only
Available Sizes 29x2.10
29x2.25
29x2.35
27.5x2.10

Schwalbe Thunder Burt Super Ground Addix Speed Test Results

Schwalbe Thunder Burt Super Ground Addix Speed  mountain bike tire on a rolling resistance test machine

Size, Weight, and Thickness Measurements


Size, Weight, and Thickness Measurements
Specified Weight 615 grams
Measured Weight 680 grams
Measured Width Carcass 53 mm (un-round)
Measured Width Tread 54 mm
Measured Height 51 mm (un-round)
Measured Knob Height Center 1.5 mm
Measured Knob Height Edge 3.9 mm
Measured Total Thickness Center (excluding knobs) 1.6 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
13.9 Watts
CRR: 0.00417
17.4 Watts
CRR: 0.00522
Rolling Resistance
25 PSI / 1.7 Bar
15.7 Watts
CRR: 0.00471
20.2 Watts
CRR: 0.00606
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 Thunder Burt Super Ground Addix Speed  mountain bike tire on a rolling resistance test machine
Puncture Resistance Test Results (higher is better)
Total Puncture Score Tread 26 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 1.6 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 56 Points
Wet Grip Center Members Only
Wet Grip Edge Members Only
Measured Knob Height Center 1.5 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 Thunder Burt Super Ground Addix Speed
Performance compared to all other MTB tires
(100% is fastest - lightest - highest - strongest)

Pro Members get 11-point radar charts

The Schwalbe Thunder Burt Super Ground with Addix Speed compound is an extremely fast tire even though our sample is quite heavy. We're happy to see an Addix Speed tire that rolls faster than the old PaceStar compound versions that made Schwalbe famous back in the early part of this century. We're hoping Schwalbe fixed the consistency of the Addix Speed compound, and we're going to see consistently good results from tires with the Addix Speed compound now.


We're still not sure why the weight of Schwalbe's tires keeps on increasing every generation. We wouldn't have been happy as an end consumer when the promised weight is 615 grams, and you end up with a 680 grams tire. We're looking forward to testing the Super Race version of the Thunder Burt, but we're a bit puzzled the specified weight of the Super Race is 645 grams while the Super Ground is 615 grams. Maybe there is an error in the specified weight of the 29x2.25 Super Ground.


Very fast tire if you don't mind the weight.


Ad Buy Schwalbe Thunder Burt Super Ground Addix Speed at Amazon.com


RATING: 4.5 / 5
TEST VERDICT:
Highly Recommended


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