MTB Tire Test: Schwalbe Thunder Burt Super Race Addix Speed 29x2.35

The Thunder Burt is Schwalbe's fastest mountain bike tire that comes with a knobby tread, and it attracts significant interest from our website visitors and Pro Members. The Thunder Burt features many small knobs in the center of the tread and large knobs along the edges. The tread pattern makes the Thunder Burt fast in a straight line, yet grippy when leaned over on the edge knobs.

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The Thunder Burt has been around for more than 10 years, and one of the first tires we tested back in 2014 was the original TLE version with Schwalbe's PaceStar compound. We've seen numerous updates since the original Thunder Burt, and the latest addition is the big 29x2.35 size, which is a welcome addition to the lineup as the 2.10 and 2.25 sizes seem outdated for most mountain bikers with the ongoing trend towards larger mountain bike tires.

The 29x2.35 Thunder Burt is available only with the Super Race casing featuring transparent sidewalls and the Addix Speed compound. There's also the Super Ground casing, which comes with black sidewalls and the same Addix Race compound, but its maximum size is still 29x2.25. We didn't find much of a difference between Schwalbe's Super Race and Super Ground casings, and as long as you don't mind the transparent sidewalls, it doesn't matter much.

We've tested the Schwalbe Thunder Burt Super Race Addix Speed in the 29x2.35 size. We're going to compare it to the 29x2.25 Thunder Burt Super Ground Addix Speed (read our review), 29x2.10 Thunder Burt Super Race Addix Speed (read our review), a selection of Schwalbe mountain bike tires in the 29x2.35/2.40 size, and a selection of tires from competing manufacturers.

Manufacturer Specifications

Manufacturer Specs
Brand	Schwalbe
Model	Thunder Burt Super Race Addix Speed
Year	2026
Supplied By	Bought in store
New or Used	New
Mileage	0 km
Price Range	High
Buy At	Ad Amazon.com
Manufacturer part number	11654234
EAN	4026495891462
TPI	67
Compound	Addix Speed
Bead	Folding
ETRTO	60-622
Size Inch	29"
Width Inch	2.35
Specified Weight	710 grams
Max Air Pressure (psi)	50
Made In	Pro Data
Available Sizes	29x2.10 29x2.25 29x2.35

Schwalbe Thunder Burt Super Race Addix Speed Test Results

Size, Weight, and Thickness Measurements

Size, Weight, and Thickness Measurements
Specified Weight	710 grams
Measured Weight	701 grams
Measured Width Carcass	54 mm (un-round)
Measured Width Tread	56 mm
Measured Height	Pro Data
Tire Circumference	Pro Data
Measured Knob Height Center	1.4 mm
Measured Knob Height Edge	3.8 mm
Measured Total Thickness Center (excluding knobs)	2.1 mm
Measured Total Thickness Sidewall	Pro Data
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)
Measured Width	54 mm
Rolling Resistance Real tire width in mm: 47-50 = 42 psi/2.9 bar 51-55 = 38 psi/2.6 bar 56-60 = 34 psi/2.3 barHigh Air Pressure (38 psi / 2.6 bar)	Pro Data
Rolling Resistance Real tire width in mm: 47-50 = 35 psi/2.4 bar 51-55 = 32 psi/2.2 bar 56-60 = 29 psi/2.0 barMedium Air Pressure (32 psi / 2.2 bar)	Pro Data
Rolling Resistance Real tire width in mm: 47-50 = 28 psi/1.9 bar 51-55 = 25 psi/1.7 bar 56-60 = 23 psi/1.6 barLow Air Pressure (25 psi / 1.7 bar)	17.3 Watts CRR: 0.00519
Rolling Resistance Real tire width in mm: 47-50 = 21 psi/1.4 bar 51-55 = 19 psi/1.3 bar 56-60 = 17 psi/1.2 barExtra Low Air Pressure (19 psi / 1.3 bar)	Pro Data
The MTB section is a multi tire size section, air pressures have been adjusted to the measured casing width. 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	31 Points
Total Puncture Score Sidewall	Pro Data
Tread Puncture Force Sharp Needle	Pro Data
Tread Puncture Force Blunt Needle	Pro Data
Tread Total Tire Thickness	2.1 mm
Sidewall Puncture Force Sharp Needle	Pro Data
Sidewall Puncture Force Blunt Needle	Pro Data
Sidewall Total Tire Thickness	Pro Data

Hard Surface Static Grip Test Results

Static Grip Test Results
Wet Grip Average	67 Points
Wet Grip Center	Pro Data
Wet Grip Edge	Pro Data
Measured Knob Height Center	1.4 mm
Measured Knob Height Edge	3.8 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

More than 10 years after the release of the first Schwalbe Thunder Burt, the Thunder Burt Super Race Addix Speed in the 29x2.35 size is still one of the fastest rolling mountain bike tires you can buy today. We also see improvements in puncture resistance and wet grip compared to the previous samples we had on the test bench. We're also happy that we finally had a sample that came in under the specified weight, which is promising.

We did notice that the 2.35 Super Race isn't much larger than the 2.25 Super Ground we tested in 2021. We see that more often lately, and it's the result of manufacturers downsizing their tires due to the wider rims that are popular these days. If you need more volume, Schwalbe's 2.40 casing is an actual upgrade, but we don't expect the Thunder Burt to become available in that size any time soon. The Rick XC Pro Speed (read our review) might be the better choice if you're looking for more volume.

If you're looking for a fast XC mountain bike tire, the Thunder Burt is still an excellent choice.

Compare the Thunder Burt Super Race and Rick XC Pro on our comparison section.

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RATING: 5.0 / 5
TEST VERDICT: Highly Recommended

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