schwalbe racing ralph...best all around tire?

Dave Taylor

Dave Taylor

Rex kwan Do
Gonna give these a shot. Friend suggested them. What d o you guys prefer for an all around tire? I am more a fan of grip and durability than weight. Running tubeless on my stache.
 
Its a really good tire for grip and holds up well running tubeless however the treds do wear out quickly. Despite this they are a very popular tire right now.
 
if you dont mind the weight, nobby nics are ralphs bigger, meatier brother.
 
They just revised the knobby nic. The new one looks killer

Also like the WTB trail boss.

When buying Schwalbe tire, only consider the snakeskin versions. All the others offer a very thin sidewall.
 
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My next set may be Maxxus Ardent Race. Ill keep an eye on this thread as ive heard lots of positives on the rac'n Ralph's - thanks for starting the thread, very helpful
 
Racing Ralphs are pretty awful. From the high pricetag to the tread wearing out unusually quickly to the thin sidewalls - spend your money elsewhere. Maxxis Ikon's are the tire of choice for me at the moment.
 
Best traction tires money can buy are WTB Trailbosses. I have ridden shit i never thought i would and did and all i have ridden wit who seem to have issues with traction on these rides are always on Racing Ralphs....Schwables are great tires but if your looking for solid traction i would go knobby nics or something else. Racing ralphs don't have much knob...and every bike and rider are different so some tires work differently for others
 
xc62701 said:
Racing Ralphs are pretty awful. From the high pricetag to the tread wearing out unusually quickly to the thin sidewalls - spend your money elsewhere. Maxxis Ikon's are the tire of choice for me at the moment.
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are you talking about the really really nice ones? i have to disagree here. yes, the paper thin ones suck and i wouldn't touch them.

i'm noticing my rear is on the way out (looks like i have 700 or so miles on it), but man, this tire has been bomb proof. i've never felt confident descending on other tires like i have with this tire. everything else feels fragile compared to the racing ralphs. I really want to change them but now that the rear is starting to look like a file tread in the middle, i'm liking it more. the sidewalls on these are super thick and makes me feel indestructible.

remember that tire pressure has a big influence on grip. i'm sure if you run the trailboss at 30 psi it would suck just as much as a racing ralph ;)
 
xc62701 said:
Racing Ralphs are pretty awful. From the high pricetag to the tread wearing out unusually quickly to the thin sidewalls - spend your money elsewhere. Maxxis Ikon's are the tire of choice for me at the moment.
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I love the Ikons too. I wanted to try the Ardents so I put them on my carbon build this winter. They're good, but I definitely prefer the lower profile Ikons. They're lighter and I've ridden them in all kinds of conditions with no issues (although with any Maxxis tire, I'd definitely go with the EXO sidewall protection. The non-EXOs are paper thin and rip very easily.) But I agree with James on the grip question -- that doe seem to be all about pressure. I like to run my race set-up around 20-22 psi, and I usually have pretty good traction, which is a major plus on a SS since I have to be out of the saddle a lot more often.
 
I really like the ralphs and rons over a broad type of conditions as a race tire. They have a supple ride feel. I tore a few schwalbes, but I hate to judge by tearing, b/c sometimes you just run over shit the wrong way. For loose conditions, a larger knob is a better choice. In AZ I would run the nic or ron for better loose over hardback. I think it depends on where you ride, and what you expect from your tire as others have commented. I ran Ikons for years, but now that I ride ralphs, I find the ikons less supple, but still a great all around tire that can ube sed for racing and general XC riding.

I am a schwalbe fan.
 
gingertooth said:
Best traction tires money can buy are WTB Trailbosses. I have ridden shit i never thought i would and did and all i have ridden wit who seem to have issues with traction on these rides are always on Racing Ralphs....Schwables are great tires but if your looking for solid traction i would go knobby nics or something else. Racing ralphs don't have much knob...and every bike and rider are different so some tires work differently for others
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@gingertooth did you ride the "Tough" or the "light" version of WTB Trailboss? I am wondering if the "Tough" versions feel too heavy. thanks!
 
Tough and they are indestructable.....But they weight 920 grams a piece. so they aren't for everyone but you will never flat on them.. You can try the lights but i dont what the outcome will be on those..
 
I run a ardent 2.25 front and a 2.1 Ignitor rear. Both are EXO/TR ready. I love this setup but was thinking about running 2.4 ardent front and 2.35 High Roller II rear. I had the Hans Dampf really grippy, but once the side knobs started the go the tire become very unpredictable.
 
I'm currently running maxxis ikon on the rear. No issues in mud, loose, hard pack or anything. I have a ardent race sitting and awaiting to be installed in the front to replace my 3 year old maxxis crossmark. Again- maxxis is just bombproof for me
 
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