I'm just about to buy some UST tyres for the first time for my light-weight XC hardtail – not sure if I want to pay in weight for the grip of 2.1 High rollers or go all out for some light Racing Ralphs. What do you think – anybody rode both?

Thanks in advance!

Ralphs are a great tyre, and certainly not short on grip.

I use racing ralphs on my race mountain bike, they are great, light, and fast rolling but the side walls are a bit week and they are not ultra gripy, they are gripy enough for me.

I have never used high rolers though.

I friend of mine said that the Kenda Small block 8 are ment to be really good.

Ralf are fast and grippy but i had to get the snakeskin ones to stop the sidewall issues (pinched tubes at first when running tubed) dunno if i would tubeless ralfs without the sidewall protection versions.

I use normal Evolution Racing Ralphs as tubeless and have never punctured. I really don't understand all the comments about how fragile they are, I tend to fit them when I'm going somewhere rocky!

yer but your a XC mincer!! 😉

sliced mine clean open at dalbeattie.

I have some Continental Flow UST tyres that i'm selling. I have 3, one new and two that have had light summer duty. They are 2.3 wide and only 710g.

£30 for the lot plus postage?

They make a great xc tyre and seal really well.

yer but your a XC mincer!!

Hell yeah, but I can mince with the best of them, whilst not trashing my tyres…

I friend of mine said that the Kenda Small block 8 are ment to be really good.

But don't consider them unless it is bone dry. I haven't had a puncture yet on my (tubed) Ralphs, but had 3 punctures during one ride with Small Block 8s. Mud sticks to the Small Block 8s, then flints get pushed through since they have no puncture protection.

I can't understand why you'd be comparing those two tyres, surely they are for completely different kinds of riding? I'd be comparing RRs with Panaracer fire XCs or something.

sorry but i think your wrong there

the 2.1 high roller is a eXCeption model which is their XC version

Weight: 480g

weights of the RR here

Triple Compound 26×2.10: 460 g
Triple Compound 26×2.25: 520 g
Triple Compound SnakeSkin 26×2.25: 570 g
Triple Compound DoubleDefense 26×2.25: 610 g
Triple Compound 26×2.40: 570 g
Triple Compound 29×2.25: 580 g
Triple Compound 29×2.40: 640 g
Triple Compound Tubeless 26×2.10: 640 g
Triple Compound Tubeless 26×2.25: 710 g

as you can see, they compare weight wise so the difference is rubber and tread pattern.

i think you can compare them, i've run both the 2.1 HR and the 2.2 RR and the 2.35 versions.

I stand corrected 🙂 Was thinking of the 2.35 version.

The 2.35 HR is around the same size (if not a bit smaller) than the 2.25 RR and NN

I don't understand the whole Schwalbe are fragile thing either. Im using most likely THE thinnest mtb tyre going at the mo from Schwalbe and haven't had a single puncture (apart from when i hit a nail/spikey thing but even a DH tyre wouldn't have survived that basterid thing!)

2.1 high roller comes up pretty small but is nice and grippy. And if you get the exception series it's sub 500 grams. Probably better than the racing ralph in wet conditions although the ralph will roll quicker.

Hmm. My last set of tyres were 2.4 Ralphs and my current are 2.35 High Rollers (wire, 60a compound).

They are completely different tyres and I came to the conclusion that: I'll use the Ralphs for racing and High Rollers for normal riding.

I did the swap when I was camping at Afan the other week and High Rollers are much better over rocks. I rode White's level with both sets of tyres in near-identical conditions. I certainly have in my head that the Ralphs are fragile, which didn't help. They were cut up pretty badly but didn't puncture as I coddled them through the rougher stuff. They do wear fast and did get punctured by a tiny bit of flint in The Chilterns a few weeks ago. The High Rollers were much more sure-footed and led me to descend faster. The treads are pretty squishy though and may be an acquired taste.

I'd say, if you don't mind a bit of weight and rolling resistance and you like to lean the bike right over in corners, High Rollers are great fun. If you want something quick and usable for every day, Ralphs are pretty good.

i have 2.4RRs on one bike and 2.35 hr's on't other.

ralphs are surprisingly grippy in all but the clag. i love em.