Schwalbe Magic Mary review

The Schwalbe Magic Mary is a trail tyre par excellence. Fear not, this is not a new ‘reworked’ version of The Mary. Not new. Still amazing.

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By ben_haworth

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Schwalbe Magic Mary review

It corners really well – better than other brands’ squarer profile tyres, for me anyway.

I’m biased, but good to see a reviewer picking out what is an often overlooked quality in a tyre IMO… 👍🏻

Im on a 2.4 MM and may replace it soon. Is the 2.6 the better bet?

Am I wrong in thinking the Mary predates the Shorty? I think it has been around longer, it was originally the “Muddy Mary” but was renamed to sound like more of an all rounder.

Schwalbe are getting better at offering soft compounds in lighter casing too, there’s a Super Ground Ultra Soft Magic Mary out there now.

there’s a Super Ground Ultra Soft Magic Mary out there now.

*Ears prick up*

My bad, Super trail, not Super Ground, so it’s still as heavy as a DoubleDown DHR2 or an Argotal in Enduro casing

https://r2-bike.com/SCHWALBE-Tire-Magic-Mary-29-x-240-Super-Trail-ADDIX-Ultra-Soft-EVO-Snake-Skin-TLE

There is a soft Super Ground Mary though, which is the new addition I was thinking of, not quite the sticky rubber but more like the older versions weight wise. 1087g so about 80g more than 3c EXO+ DHR2

https://r2-bike.com/SCHWALBE-Tire-Magic-Mary-29-x-240-Super-Ground-ADDIX-Soft-EVO-SnakeSkin-TLE

Righto, I thought that seemed a bit progressive for them George.

Still I’d like to try the ST version to see how it compares with my personal favourite WTB Verdict for enduroing.

I’m definitely not a serial tyre changer, just tend to use whatever’s cheap. My Focus e-bike came with 2.6 Magic Marys both ends and they have been superb. Seem OK in mud, too. Particularly at the front. Rear is knackered now at 1400 miles. I’m going to go for 1500, though. Front looks like it will do another 1500.

@Blackflag – I’ve never found the 2.6 to be better than the 2.4 anywhere. And it’s certainly worse (more vague) in loose stuff IME.

“It lacks a bit of traction-drive and straight-line-braking effectiveness.”

I don’t understand this – surely straight-line braking effectiveness is pretty important in a front tyre?

Thanks Ben

Rubbish cornering……on tarmac…. Probably polluted with diesel….
Short story shorter I’m a smashed up mess
I’d post pics but it’s teatime 😂
Honestly though, my favourite tyre

Have generally been able to get them for reasonbleish prices. Once the money bags STW pile on gathers pace that’s that ****!

I agree and have said so in the past, the MM DHR 2 combo is arguably the best UK do it all setup.

I really liked my 2.6 until i replaced it with the 2.4 which just worked better , especially in anything resembling mud .

I really liked my 2.6 until i replaced it with the 2.4 which just worked better , especially in anything resembling mud

I’ve never found the 2.6 to be better than the 2.4 anywhere.

2.6 works better on bigger, heavier bikes, especially eBikes. The pay off is increased braking performance and a little more comfort. On a lighter bike, they can be a bit more vague in the corners though, agreed. You also need to pay attention to pressures a little more too, I’d typically run say 24 in a 2.4 up front but around 20-21 in a 2.6.

I agree and have said so in the past, the MM DHR 2 combo is arguably the best UK do it all setup.

Until you try the Big Betty on the rear…

Rear is knackered now at 1400 miles. I’m going to go for 1500, though. Front looks like it will do another 1500.

Again, try the Big Betty on the rear next… Lasts a lot longer, rolls faster, better braking performance… Great rear counterpart to the Mary up front.

I’ve never found the 2.6 to be better than the 2.4 anywhere.

Better on Lakes rocky gnar, I thought, as the extra width bridges little gaps and whatnot.

Did have drawbacks elsewhere though, I will admit.

Once the money bags STW pile on gathers pace that’s that ****!

U wot mate?

I’ve recently swap over from DHRII in favour of the MM Purple. Two rides in and I’m liking it very much. I’ll be looking for a full DH version for an Alps trip in the summer as I won’t have to drag it up hill.

I’ve put a Magic Mary Addix Super Trail TL 29×2.6″ on the front of the BFeMax.
What a tyre! Grip is fantastic. Just did a day at BPW and felt super confident pushing it into the corners and features. I haven’t noticed the weight or drag people speak of, plus it clears well.
I paired it with a Minion DHR II 29×2.35″ in the back. Also plenty of confidence and rolls fast.
Lovely combo! Should add that I’m rarely impressed by a tyre, or kit/components in general.

Whether it sheds mud well depends on your mud. The shorty is markedly better at shedding the claggy clay based mud I have, but then its a bit weaker in other areas than the Magic Mary.

I think Ben is bang on. The MM is one of my two favourite front tyres, the other being the DHF.

Wonderful tyre; certainly more than capable or my riding (I don’t think I’ll be signing up for Rampage any time soon).

I am also rather liking the carbon rims that actually display the weave. So often you pay top dollar for carbon rims and then they’re painted matte black and look no different to alloy. If you’re going to pay a premium it’s actually nice to see the carbon.

It is a brilliant tyre but I would class it at the extreme end of “trail”. You can’t get away from the fact that it is heavy and draggy compared to a tyre at the other end of the “trail” spectrum. Which may or may not be an issue for a “trail” rider.

Edit. I thought it was heavy but in fact it looks like it is heavier than I thought at 1250g. Not sure what size though.

https://www.bikeperfect.com/reviews/schwalbe-magic-mary-super-trail-tire-review

Has anyone found an ultra soft super trail 29″ MM in the wild recently? Can’t find anywhere with stock.

Can anyone tell me what the real world widths are between the 2.35, 2.4 & 2.6 tyres?

I’m running a 2.35 which replaced a WT(2.5) DHF. I bought the 2.35 to trial and like it and now would like to go wider.
I can’t too wide though as my 2017 Pike has limited clearance.

I know there are only som many ways to arrange lumps of rubber on a tyre, but it looks an awfully lot like a Bontrager Jones ACX from the 00’s…..

But given I’m still on 26ers, I’m always glad that someone is still producing decent quality tyres at a reasonable price for my bikes!

Good review, I’ve just moved from Specialized butcher and slaughter tyres which always did me fine when I was a fair weather rider to a Magic Mary and Big Betty combo now I’m riding in all weathers, went for Super Gravity on the Betty and Super Trail on the Mary, first ride out on them tomorrow excited to feel the difference, been challenging riding this winter with a semi slick on the rear 😀

Mary is overkill for me a lot of the time, but it is a damn impressive tyre. I found it quite draggy, but for the level of grip it’s not a surprise. I don’t think my current forks would take a Mary anyway

Has anyone found an ultra soft super trail 29″ MM in the wild recently? Can’t find anywhere with stock.

R2-Bike in Germany has got them back in stock if you still need them?

Mine arrived this morning.

Needing a new MM anyone seen any deals on the 29×2.4 Ultra Soft Addix Mary?

Merlin is my usual go to for schwalbe tyres

Yeah, normally Merlin would be mine too. I guess I’ve gotten used to paying less than £40 for a tyre. Back to more normal prices it is then!

For the people who have tried both the 2.4 and the 2.6, can you elaborate more on the differences?
I generally like high volume tires, loved my 2.8 plus tires when that was still a thing.

My usual experience is that the wider, lower pressure tire smooths out rough, rocky rooty trail surfaces better, and is more predictable, since it just absorbs the small roots and rock edges, instead of being pushed around, so you can focus on the bigger picture shapes of the trail.

I haven’t done a back to back comparison, but I figured for wet roots especially, wider would be better:

lower pressure, larger contact patch can “wrap” around the roots more, hopefully containing something like rock or dirt, to provide some traction.

I am not worried about support or squirming in corners. If needed, I will use an insert to deal with that. I am also a slow rider (always near the bottom at our local enduro races), so not concerned with true  high speed handling.

Thanks for any  more info.

I should say it was a Soft and I’m not really a fan of the Soft addix as a front, but I didn’t really get on with the 2.6 Mary. I reckon the 2.4’s just the better tyre overall and more importantly, is better at the job I want the Mary to do. The 2.6 definitely does do better on harder rattly stuff, chattery roots and such, but it still felt a little uncontrolled and pingy and occasionally unconfidence inspiring. So it felt better, but it still didn’t feel especially great. Same on wet stone. I don’t think I ever rode it especially hard tbf but it still gave me some really unexpected scares at times I just didn’t think it should. And in return it was noticably less good in the mud, just inevitably lacked the cut of the 2.4. Probably the ultrasoft would fix a lot of this, I’d like to try that, but comparing like with like it was pretty clearcut. A perfectly decent tyre but the 2.4 is a hard tyre to beat (more on that later)

It’s probably a better allrounder, and I guess that’s what a lot of people want from a Mary. It was only worse at the pointiest end, where I suspect a lot of Magic Mary users just won’t go. But for me that didn’t make sense, I’d choose the 2.4 ultrasoft if I thought it would get mucky and a dhr2 maxxgrip if I thought it wouldn’t, there’s no time I’d choose the 2.6 Mary over those 2 and if I could only have one it’d be the 2.4.

Elephant in the room for me is the Argotal though, which is IMO better at everything, all the time, probably just by being a much newer design that’s learned from the Mary, Hillbilly etc. Carcass feels tougher but a little more supple for pretty much equivalent weight, it’s got a more damped controlled feeling, rolls pretty close to a soft mary but grips much like an ultrasoft, and is that bit more composed and has better consistency and feedback on hard and dry. Expensive, mind you, but tbf this isn’t a job where I penny pinch, I’d rather have teeth in my mouth than £20 in my pocket.

I bloody love the Argotal tbf, this was the first winter where I didn’t switch to the shorty maxxgrip for a bunch of it and so far it’s the first summer where I’ve never been tempted onto the dhr2 maxxgrip either. When they finally get that enduro supersoft out that might be me sorted, one tyre to rule them all, at last.

Thanks Northwind.

are you saying that the 2.6 (soft) M gave you some unexpected scares, that the 2.4 (soft) did not?