I have been using this exact set on my 2019 29er Cannondale Lefty Ocho. They feel amazing, good grip, very little spin outs and extremely light for the long haul. Over all very pleased, however I would like a wider set for mud encounters while on my mountain rides. Good choice in tires, you can't go wrong with he best.
Piotr Sulej in our place where i live, we have roads and off-road routes. Its called cross country? I guess you don’t know what it means since you have a “pea” brain.
I'd like to know how the Racing RAY performs on loose over hard. The Phoenix area is dry, rocky, hard, loose & sandy. A tire that doesn't get ripped sidewalls is better than any race tire that can't finish the race.
Great review, I was looking forward to hearing about this combo and I'm glad the sizing is relatively accurate for the 2.25" tires. After you get them in the dirt would love to hear your thoughts on how they perform. Decent weights on them as well.
I dont mean to be offtopic but does any of you know of a method to get back into an instagram account?? I was stupid forgot the password. I would love any tips you can offer me!
@Alijah Maxwell i really appreciate your reply. I found the site thru google and Im in the hacking process atm. Seems to take a while so I will reply here later when my account password hopefully is recovered.
@@LoveMTB Schwalbe should send you stuff to review, in your videos you review the whole lineup not only Magic Marys like the rest of the channels, great job
Been running the same combo in 29" since Christmas on my Yeti ASR. Back seems very sensitive to pressure - it's fine until it gets a touch too low then will wallow. The front is pretty good too - not as much bite as my Ardent Race was but still plenty - and much lighter. Good review - but you keep saying THread when I think you mean Tread :)
How did you like them in the long run? I ran a pair of Nobby Nic both front and rear in 29x2.25 in the past and I loved them for the winter, I was thinking about getting this combo for the summer, but I'd like to hear your opinion about them.
After one season my new Racing Ralph started losing side knobs. One was completely ripped off and couple was ready to go. I guess it's a pay for soft and grippy rubber
I have a set of Racing Ralph tires on my 2013 Giant Anthem and they are still going strong. I guess I don't ride as much as some :) Or they don't make them like they used to lol
I just installed those and have mixed feelings. They are very quite on pavement road but not very light, rear Ralph was 650 grams. On gravel they don't grip soon enough in corners... Maybe I will lower the pressure to 26 psi or lower but then it's rolling resistance will be higher and it's not best already.. Maybe I wasn't able to get max out if it today , I will try more in next week. I feel for rear tire is better thunder Burt and front Ron..
Hey!! What would you advice between Ray/Ralph vs. Ron/Ron same evo series?? Riding conditions dry, hardpack, grass, forest trails, mountain trails, rocky roads, fire roads, mostly dry, we try to avoid wet and mud, only if we stumble upon some, but usually no wet conditions for us. So, what would you advise?? Thank you and keep up the good work you're doing for us here..cheers!!
I used a racing Ralph once, and don't want to use it ever again, they don't last very long, are expensive and don't even grip very well, actually I rate Maxxis Crossmark higher on grip and it doesn't roll noticeably slower, now I'm running Vittoria by chance, Barzo up front (very similar thread to this schwalbe front tire, just a bit larger knobs) and Saguaro in the rear, don't see myself coming back. Saguaro seems to last long (but didn't ride long enough to tell how long) and grips really well in the rear, rolling resistance is good and Barzo grips really well in the front, mayby not as predictable as Saguaro in the loose, but I'm good with that :) Nevermind that Schwalbe casings are very flimsy, I'm not willing to sacrifice function over few grams, you'd be surprised how well heavier tires (Vittoria TNT for that matter) dampen the ride, which is really nice on a hardtail. Unless you are racing in the world cup, or consistently just seconds behind the best guys in you local races, trying to lose weight to get you higher will gain you nothing.
I raced on the older racing ralphs from 2015 thru 2018 and loved them on hardpack or slight loose over hardbpack and found even thought they wore a little faster, they still had GRIP so I didn't mind if they wore slightly faster. I was riding /training over 300 km a week and went thru a new set every 8 months or so, so that didnt seem bad to me for the amount of time I was on them.
@@LoveMTB I had friends who had the racing ray and who raced and felt the older ralph was a better tire even up front. Ive shied away from them because of hearing more than one racer say they dont give much warning before blowing out in corners. My ralphs were just fine front and back for me. What about the rocket ron? Ever use it both front and back? ifso, what were your feelings on it as a rear tire?
I have just receive a pair of them in 2.25. In my scale the ralph was 601 gr and the ray 640 gr. Comparing them with my current tires, a pair of Maxxis ikon 2,20 3c exo tr, I found the snakeskin casing to be slightly thicker than on the 3c ikon's. So I suspect that they won't be a big tire. In the end it was true. One thing I tried to understand before I ordered them was the true size. I ask a couple of people and a local bike shop for their opinion. It seemed from their experience that Schwalbe had the reputation to be true to size or a bit wider. At least for their trail-enduro tires. So when I mounted them on my 22,5 mm inner width rims I didn't expect the width to be just 54,1 mm. That is far from the advertised 57. The 2,20 ikon' is specked 57-622 too and apart from being a bigger volume and wider,being closer to the factory specifications. I inflated them at 50 psi and waiting to see if in a couple of days will get wider. I will fit them on another wheel set with 25 mm inner width too and comment the results.
@@LoveMTB I haven't ride them yet but their rubber looks way softer than maxxis compound. Even the red that is the hardest looks damn soft. They should be fast rolling judging from their design. Today I mounted them on the 25mm rim. They were 55 mm wide at 20 psi. The ikon is 56 mm. The big difference is on tire height though with more than 2 mm more for the Maxxis. I am considering to return them or shell them and buy the 2,35 version. I ride on tech terrain with my hard tail and a bigger tire makes sense.
@@LoveMTB Yes,actually I suspect that the 2,35's would be in the same size as maxxis, or a bit bigger. The weight will be average the same for the real same dimension tires ,as the ikon 3c weights around 660-680 gr. But I ride on tarmac too in order to get there. Tough decision
@@LoveMTB Today I decide to give them a chance and test them. Obviously were harsher comparing them to the higher volume ikon's, not only because of less width but also due to smaller diameter,aka lower tire height... I run ikon's at 21 psi but this pair need at least 24 for my 72 kg. But they were seriously fast and that was easy to feel from the first pedal stroke!!! In tarmac I couldn't believe they were so fast rolling. It's true that they are quiet on road and the faster you go on tarmac the better they roll comparing them to ikon's. Off road now the Ray felt really stable and predictable on the front. The Ralph wasn't bad at all and impressed me on some tech climbing with the provided traction. Only in some wet rocks with tiny loose staff I noticed instant loss of traction. It takes some time getting used the feeling of different tire front/rear. The softer compound and the design of those tires give's a nice result of good grip and very fast rolling. I am convinced that the smaller total circumference and so lower final ratio, wasn't the only reason that R/R felt so fast to me. The only bad for me that I ride with 4 cm negative saddle to bar drop is that I felt a tiny rise of front wheel due to the Ray design. It is something the could fixed by a tiny sag increase or lowering your stem if you have a tiny spacer under your stem. I am pretty sure the 2,35 will be the sweet spot!!!
Been running the same set for about two months, pleasantly surprised about how good they roll and still have good grip. Used them in a few 50 to 70 mile races and long rides for fun. For reference: tubeless, front about 1.6 bar, back about 1.7 bar. The wear, no problems there. Depends on where and how you ride, i guess. Been riding schwalbe for about 10 years.
Have not ridden yet in those conditions, but i rate the grip similar to rocket rons so far. Shoulders are quite simular, i like the cornering characteristics.
The thing about Schwalbe in general is that they roll better than most. I do gravel races and have tried several different "gravel tires", and I think the Schwalbes just have lower rolling resistance. Haven't tried the Ray/Ralph combo though...how do you think they would compare to a pair of TBurt's (which I now ride if the course is a bit rougher)? How does the rolling resistance compare? @@LoveMTB
Do you have any updates on how you're liking this combo? Any issues with punctures? I'm running a hans dampf front and rock razor rear on my sb100. These would save quite a bit of weight where it counts!
Is that a Hope rear hub? I just built a wheelset using the Pro 4s and the pawls are slipping (intermittent loud click) even when removing most of the factory grease. They're sending me new pawls so we shall see.
@@LoveMTB Yeah I watched that. I have been running the new racing ralph all year and it has been great. But I had a warranty issue with it, so I can get a brand new tire from schwalbe. The problem is Schwalbe is out of stock of the new racing ralph 2.25, so I thought to maybe try the thunderburt. I ride in pretty dry and fast conditions, but descends can be technical and rocky. Thunder burt looks super fast, but I am nervous it will be too little tread for me.
Hope they work out for you, I had some Rocket Rons at one time that wore away unbelievably quickly, and I tried Hans Dampf once: knobs tearing off, endless punctures, would never seal tubeless properly and finally wouldn't re-seal after removing them one time. Be interesting to see if they are any better.
Were you strictly trail riding and they wore out so fast? I've been running mine for about a year and they still look new. I never ride on pavement and our trails are pretty soft in Arkansas though.
@@LoveMTB So, i have called up a few carbon wheel companies and they are out of stock on the 25-27MM internal sizes. Would i regret buying some 23mm internal rims running the Ralph and Ray 2.25 tires?
Very interesting, I'm still using up Pacestar Ralphs and Rons as I bought a bunch a couple of years ago when they were going for £28 a piece. I see Schwalbe have brought out new casings this year too, maybe I need to get with the times!
Yep, i switched from Schwalbe and Conti to Vittoria Mezcal and Barzo, the Vittoria tires are slightly heavier but last longer than the Schwalbe but not as long as the Contis, but the Vittoria tires are really fast rolling, they feel soft and plush (unlike the Contis which feel rock hard even at 1 bar), the Vittoria has good protections and great uniformity (i have never gotten a Schwalbe tire that is as uniform as the Vittoria, Schwalbe tires always have some small bumps, imperfection or isn't even round and straight), Vittoria tires seal very easily in tubeless setups unlike some Schwalbe that has leaked sealant through the sidewalls even though they claim to be tubeless ready. Also, Schwalbe tires, atleast the ones i get, even if they are not worn out they get old to fast, they start to crumble and dry up very fast. So, Schwalbe is overrated, Vittoria is my new favourites, give them a try if you don't care about weight as much.
i'm going to get this set for spring/summer 2021, can't wait! :)
Well explained. But I also like to see a video with test results after using this tire combination
.
Here is review - th-cam.com/video/unVF0Wx5frs/w-d-xo.html
my buddy is riding the Ray on his race bike and loving it. Great video, thanks!
These tyres are on an XC Bike I'm getting on Saturday..
The 2020' Vitus Rapide CRX.. sighs, cant wait!!
Just ordered a set of racing ray and racing ralph. Will mount then this evening and give them a try tomorrow.
I have been using this exact set on my 2019 29er Cannondale Lefty Ocho. They feel amazing, good grip, very little spin outs and extremely light for the long haul. Over all very pleased, however I would like a wider set for mud encounters while on my mountain rides. Good choice in tires, you can't go wrong with he best.
Is it good for asphalt?
I had Nobby Nic F&R on my Ibis Mojo HD and they were great. No problems at all.
My do it all setup is Nobby Nic front and Rocket Ron/ Racing Ralph at the back :) The combination worked so far for me.
@@LoveMTB Ohh yeah...good suggestion would try definitely :)
Id like to try these soon after covid perhaps
Good review. Think I'll try a Ray with my Razor already mounted.
Im using this now, its the best tire combo i have tried so far! Is so quiet on pavement
why would you use knobby tires on the pavement?
Piotr Sulej in our place where i live, we have roads and off-road routes. Its called cross country? I guess you don’t know what it means since you have a “pea” brain.
Are ralphs faster than conti race kings?
I only use Shwallbe No other love them all !
I'd like to know how the Racing RAY performs on loose over hard. The Phoenix area is dry, rocky, hard, loose & sandy. A tire that doesn't get ripped sidewalls is better than any race tire that can't finish the race.
Great review, I was looking forward to hearing about this combo and I'm glad the sizing is relatively accurate for the 2.25" tires. After you get them in the dirt would love to hear your thoughts on how they perform. Decent weights on them as well.
I dont mean to be offtopic but does any of you know of a method to get back into an instagram account??
I was stupid forgot the password. I would love any tips you can offer me!
@Sterling Kevin Instablaster ;)
@Alijah Maxwell i really appreciate your reply. I found the site thru google and Im in the hacking process atm.
Seems to take a while so I will reply here later when my account password hopefully is recovered.
@Alijah Maxwell It worked and I actually got access to my account again. I am so happy:D
Thanks so much, you really help me out!
@Sterling Kevin No problem :)
finally you are using decent rims, that's great, I remember when you were mounting tires on 22mm :(
@@LoveMTB Schwalbe should send you stuff to review, in your videos you review the whole lineup not only Magic Marys like the rest of the channels, great job
Been running the same combo in 29" since Christmas on my Yeti ASR. Back seems very sensitive to pressure - it's fine until it gets a touch too low then will wallow. The front is pretty good too - not as much bite as my Ardent Race was but still plenty - and much lighter. Good review - but you keep saying THread when I think you mean Tread :)
Don't be a Karen Lad! What's wrong with you 😭
@@thetruebrit85 do you realize that you answered to a 4 yo comment? 🤣
How did you like them in the long run? I ran a pair of Nobby Nic both front and rear in 29x2.25 in the past and I loved them for the winter, I was thinking about getting this combo for the summer, but I'd like to hear your opinion about them.
I run this combo on my Anthem 2 29er and cannot fault them at all.
I have those Ralphe & Ray, and they are great (replace conti race king)
Which is more faster in an XC race?
After one season my new Racing Ralph started losing side knobs. One was completely ripped off and couple was ready to go. I guess it's a pay for soft and grippy rubber
I have a set of Racing Ralph tires on my 2013 Giant Anthem and they are still going strong. I guess I don't ride as much as some :) Or they don't make them like they used to lol
I just installed those and have mixed feelings. They are very quite on pavement road but not very light, rear Ralph was 650 grams. On gravel they don't grip soon enough in corners... Maybe I will lower the pressure to 26 psi or lower but then it's rolling resistance will be higher and it's not best already.. Maybe I wasn't able to get max out if it today , I will try more in next week. I feel for rear tire is better thunder Burt and front Ron..
wow, it seems that the latest generation of light ralph/ray has somehow gained up to 70 grams in weight! long gone the days of 420gram 26" rocket rons
Hey!! What would you advice between Ray/Ralph vs. Ron/Ron same evo series?? Riding conditions dry, hardpack, grass, forest trails, mountain trails, rocky roads, fire roads, mostly dry, we try to avoid wet and mud, only if we stumble upon some, but usually no wet conditions for us. So, what would you advise?? Thank you and keep up the good work you're doing for us here..cheers!!
I used a racing Ralph once, and don't want to use it ever again, they don't last very long, are expensive and don't even grip very well, actually I rate Maxxis Crossmark higher on grip and it doesn't roll noticeably slower, now I'm running Vittoria by chance, Barzo up front (very similar thread to this schwalbe front tire, just a bit larger knobs) and Saguaro in the rear, don't see myself coming back. Saguaro seems to last long (but didn't ride long enough to tell how long) and grips really well in the rear, rolling resistance is good and Barzo grips really well in the front, mayby not as predictable as Saguaro in the loose, but I'm good with that :)
Nevermind that Schwalbe casings are very flimsy, I'm not willing to sacrifice function over few grams, you'd be surprised how well heavier tires (Vittoria TNT for that matter) dampen the ride, which is really nice on a hardtail.
Unless you are racing in the world cup, or consistently just seconds behind the best guys in you local races, trying to lose weight to get you higher will gain you nothing.
I raced on the older racing ralphs from 2015 thru 2018 and loved them on hardpack or slight loose over hardbpack and found even thought they wore a little faster, they still had GRIP so I didn't mind if they wore slightly faster. I was riding /training over 300 km a week and went thru a new set every 8 months or so, so that didnt seem bad to me for the amount of time I was on them.
@@LoveMTB I had friends who had the racing ray and who raced and felt the older ralph was a better tire even up front. Ive shied away from them because of hearing more than one racer say they dont give much warning before blowing out in corners. My ralphs were just fine front and back for me. What about the rocket ron? Ever use it both front and back? ifso, what were your feelings on it as a rear tire?
I have just receive a pair of them in 2.25. In my scale the ralph was 601 gr and the ray 640 gr. Comparing them with my current tires, a pair of Maxxis ikon 2,20 3c exo tr, I found the snakeskin casing to be slightly thicker than on the 3c ikon's. So I suspect that they won't be a big tire. In the end it was true. One thing I tried to understand before I ordered them was the true size. I ask a couple of people and a local bike shop for their opinion. It seemed from their experience that Schwalbe had the reputation to be true to size or a bit wider. At least for their trail-enduro tires. So when I mounted them on my 22,5 mm inner width rims I didn't expect the width to be just 54,1 mm. That is far from the advertised 57. The 2,20 ikon' is specked 57-622 too and apart from being a bigger volume and wider,being closer to the factory specifications. I inflated them at 50 psi and waiting to see if in a couple of days will get wider. I will fit them on another wheel set with 25 mm inner width too and comment the results.
@@LoveMTB I haven't ride them yet but their rubber looks way softer than maxxis compound. Even the red that is the hardest looks damn soft. They should be fast rolling judging from their design. Today I mounted them on the 25mm rim. They were 55 mm wide at 20 psi. The ikon is 56 mm. The big difference is on tire height though with more than 2 mm more for the Maxxis. I am considering to return them or shell them and buy the 2,35 version. I ride on tech terrain with my hard tail and a bigger tire makes sense.
@@LoveMTB Yes,actually I suspect that the 2,35's would be in the same size as maxxis, or a bit bigger. The weight will be average the same for the real same dimension tires ,as the ikon 3c weights around 660-680 gr. But I ride on tarmac too in order to get there. Tough decision
@@LoveMTB Today I decide to give them a chance and test them. Obviously were harsher comparing them to the higher volume ikon's, not only because of less width but also due to smaller diameter,aka lower tire height... I run ikon's at 21 psi but this pair need at least 24 for my 72 kg. But they were seriously fast and that was easy to feel from the first pedal stroke!!! In tarmac I couldn't believe they were so fast rolling. It's true that they are quiet on road and the faster you go on tarmac the better they roll comparing them to ikon's. Off road now the Ray felt really stable and predictable on the front. The Ralph wasn't bad at all and impressed me on some tech climbing with the provided traction. Only in some wet rocks with tiny loose staff I noticed instant loss of traction. It takes some time getting used the feeling of different tire front/rear. The softer compound and the design of those tires give's a nice result of good grip and very fast rolling. I am convinced that the smaller total circumference and so lower final ratio, wasn't the only reason that R/R felt so fast to me. The only bad for me that I ride with 4 cm negative saddle to bar drop is that I felt a tiny rise of front wheel due to the Ray design. It is something the could fixed by a tiny sag increase or lowering your stem if you have a tiny spacer under your stem. I am pretty sure the 2,35 will be the sweet spot!!!
Been running the same set for about two months, pleasantly surprised about how good they roll and still have good grip. Used them in a few 50 to 70 mile races and long rides for fun.
For reference: tubeless, front about 1.6 bar, back about 1.7 bar.
The wear, no problems there. Depends on where and how you ride, i guess. Been riding schwalbe for about 10 years.
Have not ridden yet in those conditions, but i rate the grip similar to rocket rons so far. Shoulders are quite simular, i like the cornering characteristics.
I'm guessing the same thing because I have been on my Rocket Ron's for almost a year now.
Great vid👌I want a pair of Ralphs haha maybe with TBurt in the rear however Dont know yet, I do lots of urban street and Gravel
Maxxis Crossmark are perfect for such conditions, they are essentially semi slicks, work good off Road and last very long.
The thing about Schwalbe in general is that they roll better than most. I do gravel races and have tried several different "gravel tires", and I think the Schwalbes just have lower rolling resistance. Haven't tried the Ray/Ralph combo though...how do you think they would compare to a pair of TBurt's (which I now ride if the course is a bit rougher)? How does the rolling resistance compare? @@LoveMTB
Do you have any updates on how you're liking this combo? Any issues with punctures? I'm running a hans dampf front and rock razor rear on my sb100. These would save quite a bit of weight where it counts!
Is that a Hope rear hub? I just built a wheelset using the Pro 4s and the pawls are slipping (intermittent loud click) even when removing most of the factory grease. They're sending me new pawls so we shall see.
Great video!!! 👍
Well explained and well showed the details.
Could you show the link of the wheelset of the vídeo? Price, model, weight.. thanks
@@LoveMTB thank you!! 👍
@@LoveMTB thank you!! 👍
@loveMTB was wondering, can I use 2.35 combo on Bontrager Kovee 23mm rims ? Or better to take 2.25 ? Or maybe Pirelli Scorpion instead ?
2.35 will be fine
@@LoveMTB thanks a lot ! Will give them a chance of light trails wit XC riding! All the best !
35psi ? Why soon much ? You doing more road riding?
Just bought this set for 2020 season.
How do you like the new racing ralph to your thunder burt setup?
@@LoveMTB Yeah I watched that. I have been running the new racing ralph all year and it has been great. But I had a warranty issue with it, so I can get a brand new tire from schwalbe. The problem is Schwalbe is out of stock of the new racing ralph 2.25, so I thought to maybe try the thunderburt. I ride in pretty dry and fast conditions, but descends can be technical and rocky. Thunder burt looks super fast, but I am nervous it will be too little tread for me.
Hope they work out for you, I had some Rocket Rons at one time that wore away unbelievably quickly, and I tried Hans Dampf once: knobs tearing off, endless punctures, would never seal tubeless properly and finally wouldn't re-seal after removing them one time. Be interesting to see if they are any better.
Were you strictly trail riding and they wore out so fast? I've been running mine for about a year and they still look new. I never ride on pavement and our trails are pretty soft in Arkansas though.
Marlin 6 upgrades?
I am gonna build up a new wheel set and give these tires a try. What would be the ideal internal rim width for these 29x2.25 tires?
@@LoveMTB So, i have called up a few carbon wheel companies and they are out of stock on the 25-27MM internal sizes. Would i regret buying some 23mm internal rims running the Ralph and Ray 2.25 tires?
Could I use racing ray front and back
@@LoveMTB thanks mate
Sweet video. I have an i30mm rim, would you recommend the 2.35" versions? Those just came out...
They missed a beat by not offering 2.35 variants.
@@LoveMTB The old style RR came in a 2.35 version, quite liked it as a dual use race / light trail tire.
How does the Ray compare with Rons? I really like Rons up front with a Ralph on the back but I'm tempted to try a Ray.
@@LoveMTB Yes, I saw that and have seen a few riders with Ralph front Burt rear too. Not sure I'd try the new Ralph up front unless it was very dry.
Very interesting, I'm still using up Pacestar Ralphs and Rons as I bought a bunch a couple of years ago when they were going for £28 a piece. I see Schwalbe have brought out new casings this year too, maybe I need to get with the times!
I was having really a hard time installing these tires on my 622x27.4 rim. Why do you think so?
@@LoveMTB installed already. Thanks. I just noticed that it has shorter height than my maxxis ikon.
SB100? Tell us about it ;-)
I m used 2.1
All of these Schwalbe tires wear out so quickly
Yep, i switched from Schwalbe and Conti to Vittoria Mezcal and Barzo, the Vittoria tires are slightly heavier but last longer than the Schwalbe but not as long as the Contis, but the Vittoria tires are really fast rolling, they feel soft and plush (unlike the Contis which feel rock hard even at 1 bar), the Vittoria has good protections and great uniformity (i have never gotten a Schwalbe tire that is as uniform as the Vittoria, Schwalbe tires always have some small bumps, imperfection or isn't even round and straight), Vittoria tires seal very easily in tubeless setups unlike some Schwalbe that has leaked sealant through the sidewalls even though they claim to be tubeless ready. Also, Schwalbe tires, atleast the ones i get, even if they are not worn out they get old to fast, they start to crumble and dry up very fast.
So, Schwalbe is overrated, Vittoria is my new favourites, give them a try if you don't care about weight as much.
Do these have the patented Schwalbe Wobble?
@@LoveMTB That's good to hear... especially for the price these things cost!
@@LoveMTB Whaqts the verdict post ride? How do they perform VS say a Thunderbolt rear / Rocket Ron Front?
What tires are you running on your race bike now?
@@LoveMTB I just got a new Scott Spark that came with Maxxis 2.35 Rekon tires. Does your current set up roll better than the Rekons?
@@LoveMTB From what i found online they are 750 grams each and my rims are 25MM inside width DTSwiss 1700X wheelset.
@@LoveMTB Rekon 2.35
@@LoveMTB Just watched your video. I was only off about 3 grams. That is the actual video i was looking for also. Thank you