Magic Mary Radial

Only if you don’t like your chans. They definitely roll slower than a soft TC – that much you can be sure of. Depends what you’re after, but these really are the first time I rode a decent modern tyre and thought ‘wow, these really are different’.

Rave review of the radial Albert from MBR here, the writer is one of the best tyre reviewers out there IMO…

I’ve tested hundreds of mountain bike tyres, and the Schwalbe Albert Radial Gravity Pro has the most planted and supremely-damped ride quality I’ve encountered

Yep – what he ^ said.

benpinnickFull

Only if you don’t like your chans. They definitely roll slower than a soft TC – that much you can be sure of. Depends what you’re after, but these really are the first time I rode a decent modern tyre and thought ‘wow, these really are different’.

Yeah, call me curious… thinking the Mary/Albert are worth a go on the big bike, and the Chans can stay on the trail bike

And the perfectly good Continentals that I’m dead impressed with……

So MM front, Bertie on the rear?

I like the MM radial I put onto my bike. Much more grippy than the Max Terra DHF. But I really wasn’t prepared for what a nightmare it was trying to get the damn tyre onto my rim. Broke a tyre level and scratched my rim. I hear that Shwalbes are like that, but it would put me off buying another Schawlbe. I’m worried that if I ever had a flat on the trail, I would be totally unable to get a tube into the tyre!

All tyres slacken over time. Schwalbes tend to start tight then go ‘about right’, other start that way but end up slack.

So they make a 2.5 and a 2.6 but no 2.4, what’s the logic there?

https://www.schwalbe.com/en/Albert-11654589

Probably just be me but I’m eyeing up the Shredda rear as a front tyre 😀

I got sent an albert in a mary box, apparently not the first they’d had so if you’re buying in a shop take a second look, maybe they have a packing issue! Should get the replacement on monday

Re that review, “Clogs up more than an assegai” isn’t great new, that’s pretty much the assegai’s achilles heel already especially at lower speeds (I think maybe this is a “pro development” thing, racers go fast enough to clear the treads, I don’t always). But sounds brilliant otherwise. The weight claims in that article are a bit weird? Like, there’s real world weights of 1332g for an Albert Gravity out there, that’s almost a hundred grams more than a dhr2 dh in 29er but they say it’s light, and compare with the doubledown which is lighter again? Not that 1350g is at all bad for a 29er dh tyre but it seems weird the way they talk about it.

@benpinnick

Have you gone for trail or gravity compound. I put eddy currents on my e-bike and as the compound is so strong it has ruined my bikes small bump compliance so going to try these to get that back. Assuming trail will be even more compliant than gravity but obviously higher risk of punctures ?

I haven’t tried the gravity, but the trail casing is extremely supple (for a 1200g tyre).

I have the normal version of the MM on the front, it is the Ultra soft DH version as it was all I could get my hands on at the time. Aside from the added weight I can’t really tell the difference between the DH version and the trail version.

Question – If the radial tyres offer more grip over the normal versions would it be worth going the the Soft version for longevity?

At the back I use the Big Betty in soft compound, I like it mostly as a summer tyre. For me I don’t like how it performs on technical climbs, I find that the square edge knobbles spin out when trying to negotiate obstacles, especially in the damp. I think something with ramped knobble would do better in those situations. I’m think something like the TC, not seen any news of those going over to radials.

Hi,

Are you using the trail or gravity carcass? what bike are they fitted to and riding weight please? Considering these for 19kg Transition relay and im 80kg riding weight and ride light.

Ta

Any new experiences now the weather has turned?.

Tempted to try these in some form but also tempted to give some Kryptotals a go too.

Mine (trail magic mary) is underweight, came it at 1160 vs the claimed 1220. Not that this is a big deal but every online report I’ve seen has them a bit overweight (pretty much par for the course for tyres, infuriating as it is)

Haven’t ridden it enough to really comment on performance, I need to spend some time fannying around with pressure. But it does definitely deliver to some extent on the promise

1143g https://r2-bike.com/SCHWALBE-Tire-Magic-Mary-Trail-Pro-29-x-250-Radial-ADDIX-Ultra-Soft-TLR-Black

Personally I’m sticking with Wild Enduro Front and still waiting for the Kryptotal Fr Trail Soft. The Mary doesn’t seem right for hardpack and the Albert clogs worse than an Assegai according to the MBR review.

At the back I use the Big Betty in soft compound, I like it mostly as a summer tyre. For me I don’t like how it performs on technical climbs, I find that the square edge knobbles spin out when trying to negotiate obstacles, especially in the damp. I think something with ramped knobble would do better in those situations

Leading edge ramps cause less braking traction, gain better rolling speed. Never seen a trailing edge ramp.

Leading edge ramps cause less braking traction

Doesn’t sound right, are you sure?

The braking edge on a tyre is the rear edge not the front.

Look how a tyre wears when you ride steep trails all the time.

Always the rear edge of the knobs that gets worn down more.

When I rode a lot more flatter XC type stuff my tyres would wear down in an evenish way.

Now about 90% of my riding is steep handcut trails they tear the rear of the knobs more than wear down evenly.

Yeah, agree with the two above. ramps on the leading edge of the knobs on the rear tyre  give better rolling resistance at the expense of some climbing traction (ie more likely to spin out going up hill) . They don’t really affect braking

Interesting comments above. I saw a review on YouTube last night claiming the radial Albert cleared better than the Assegai. Given a recent bad crash in damp clay with an Assegai I was looking for something a bit more versatile and even considering going back to the DHF up front.

I think its not going to be much different to an Assegai – they’re pretty similar treads although the albert is a slightly closer spacing, so I can see how people would think it wont clear so well but there’s more to it than just that one factor. They’re similar enough treads. The Albert is probably closer to a Kyrptotal  F:

Onzadog
Free Member

Interesting comments above. I saw a review on YouTube last night claiming the radial Albert cleared better than the Assegai.

TBH I think if you’re comparing clogginess at all with an assegai that’s probably a bad sign, they are (at lower speed) one of the cloggest modern tyres I’ve used, they need speed to clear. I think I said earlier but I think this is partly about pro-led and downhill-led development, it’s probably never a problem if you’re greg minaar and going at a million miles an hour all the time but when you’re me at the golfy in december with a fully clenched arse it’s not so good. Maxxis need some absolute cowards on their test team

At the back I use the Big Betty in soft compound, I like it mostly as a summer tyre. For me I don’t like how it performs on technical climbs, I find that the square edge knobbles spin out when trying to negotiate obstacles, especially in the damp. I think something with ramped knobble would do better in those situations

Leading edge ramps cause less braking traction, gain better rolling speed. Never seen a trailing edge ramp.

Doesn’t sound right, are you sure?

Damn, I meant driving traction. As in a more ramped tread would make the poster’s climbing even worse.

Interesting comments above. I saw a review on YouTube last night claiming the radial Albert cleared better than the Assegai.

Amateur tyre reviewers in “don’t know what they heck they’re talking about” shocker. Like many of us here 🙂

On the picture above, I’m assuming it’s not the camera angle, because the lines on the centre block don’t quite match up, but that Schwalbe tyre hasn’t even been bonded together straight.

I am absolutely not spending that much on a tyre that looks that poorly manufactured. And that’s ignoring the fact they still haven’t worked out how to keep the tread attached to the carcass.

On the picture above, I’m assuming it’s not the camera angle, because the lines on the centre block don’t quite match up, but that Schwalbe tyre hasn’t even been bonded together straight.

Nah its not the angle, and Schwalbe are the worst of the major brands for that, but it does look worse than it would otherwise due to the unusual horizontal sipe that crosses the middle line. Ive not seen a tyre with that before and it makes the smallest mis-alignment look way worse.

The alignment doesn’t personally bother me, and the block life of the current tyres is as good/better than other brands I’ve tried. Its been a while since I had a Schwalbe tyre where the blocks just fell off.