Perpendicular carcass structure claimed to improve grip and reduce vibrations
Schwalbe’s new Albert and Shredda tyres borrow their carcass construction from the car tyre industry, using perpendicular radial plies rather than diagonal ones.
Bold claims around improved grip and traction, and a smoother-feeling ride accompany the brand’s new approach to carcass construction.
Three new tyres use Schwalbe’s Radial design – the Shredda gravity-focused aggressive spike, the all-rounder Albert and a radial version of the Magic Mary.
Costing from £73.99 / €73.90 for the Albert Trail Pro and Magic Mary Trail Pro to £79.99 / $104 / €79.90 for the Shredda Pro, Albert Gravity Pro and Magic Mary Gravity Pro, the new tech – to cycling at least – comes at a cost.
The Albert is available in 27.5in and 29in diameters, and 2.4in and 2.5in widths, while the Shredda front is only available in 29×2.5, but the Shredda rear can be bought in 27.5×2.5in and 29×2.5in sizes.
However, their weight is competitive. The Albert Gravity Pro 29×2.5in Ultra Soft tyres weigh 1,346g, which is similar to equivalent Maxxis, Continental and Vee Tire DH-casing tyres.
Radial tyre tech
Radial tyre constructions – in the automotive industry, at least – are nothing new.
Radial tyre carcasses are built using plies that run perpendicular (90 degrees) to the tyre’s direction of travel and typically use a ‘belt’ that improves stability.
Diagonal carcass (also known as bias ply) tyre construction plies criss-cross one another at sharper angles (typically between 30 and 45 degrees), forming a mesh-like pattern and giving them their strength.
Both tyre construction types can be built from as many or as few plies as the manufacturer wishes, depending on their intended usage.
Cycling’s take on radial tyre construction
Schwalbe’s mountain bike radial tyres are a slight modification of the traditional 90-degree radial tyre.
Its plies are still laid at an angle, albeit one less acute than a true radial tyre.
Schwalbe says the angle has been adjusted enough so it doesn’t need a belt to maintain stability, but like the secret ingredients of a chef’s sauce, the exact angle of the plies remains undisclosed.
What are the advantages of radial tyres in mountain biking?
According to Schwalbe, because the tyre’s plies are at a more obtuse angle, they’re under “less pressure” or tension, which means the tyre can deform better as it rolls over bumps.
Thanks to that additional deformation, there’s also an increase in tyre contact patch; up to 30 per cent for an equivalent pressure against a bias ply tyre. The tyre effectively ‘squashes’ more when it’s on the ground or contacting a bump, compared to a traditional mountain bike tyre.
A radial carcass design is claimed to be better damped compared to a bias ply model, with a quicker reduction in compression and rebound oscillation after an impact.
This ‘more controlled rebound’ and ‘smoother response behaviour’ should help improve bike handling and grip.
Details in Schwalbe’s press release are thin, but it’s safe to assume the rebound speed of the carcass remains more constant regardless of how compressed it is. As the tyre returns to its original shape, it’s still inflating/rebounding at a similar rate to when it’s nearly fully compressed. This should boost control.
There must be some disadvantages, right?
Even Schwalbe admits there are some cons to its radial design.
Rolling resistance is increased thanks to the larger contact patch; more of the tyre’s tread and rubber is in contact with the ground at any one time.
You may get more pinch-flat punctures because radial tyres are more supple compared to bias ply tyres. As the tyre hits an impact, it compresses more, thus opening up the potential for more pinch flats.
Schwalbe likens this to removing a volume reducer from an air spring; it’ll use more of its travel more readily.
New Albert Trail Pro and Albert Gravity Pro details and pricing
The new Albert comes in two variants: the Albert Pro Trail and the Albert Gravity Pro. The differences between the two are the number of plies in their construction. The Gravity Pro is made with a dual-ply casing, while the Trail version uses a single ply.
However, the tread is identical across both tyres, featuring an alternating two-three centre-block pattern and long side knobs, akin to Maxxis’ Assegai.
The tight block pattern – known as a small ‘pitch’ – has been designed specifically to keep as much tyre in contact with the ground as possible, working with the radial carcass.
It’s positioned as an enduro-focused all-rounder, but with a performance bias towards harder trail surfaces. It has a universal front and rear tread pattern, and is recommended for bikes with 150mm of travel or more.
While claimed weights for the Albert Trail and Gravity tyres aren’t publicised by Schwalbe, my 29×2.5in Albert Gravity Pro Soft and Ultra Soft tyres weighed 1,319g and 1,346g respectively.
Schwalbe Albert Trail Pro
- 27.5×2.4 Soft
- 27.5×2.4 Ultra Soft
- 29×2.4 Soft
- 29×2.4 Ultra Soft
- 29×2.5 Soft
- 29×2.5 Ultra Soft
- All models £73.99 / €73.90
Schwalbe Albert Gravity Pro
- 27.5×2.4 Soft
- 27.5×2.5 Soft
- 29×2.4 Soft
- 29×2.4 Ultra Soft
- 29×2.5 Soft (1,319g actual weight)
- 29×2.5 Ultra Soft (1,346g actual weight)
- All models £79.99 / $104 / €79.90
The new Shredda Pro
The new Shredda Pro’s spiked tread pattern has been designed for loose and loam trail surfaces, and its design was inspired by motocross tyres.
There are front- and rear-specific tyres, each with their own tread pattern.
The Shredda Pro Front uses a symmetrical square-shaped two-block centre pattern, but every other pair of knobs has a small bridge to increase stability.
Its side knobs are more rectangular, running with their longest edge in the direction of rotation. These are designed to grip when the tyre is leant over during cornering.
Designed with the radial construction in mind, an open and high tread is said to create ‘interlocking’ with the terrain, upping grip on loose surfaces.
Specific to the rear, the Shredda Pro Rear’s tread is shallower than the front’s and has a different design.
A two-two-three centre-block alternating pattern and larger vertically orientated side blocks, which also alternate in a one-two pattern, are claimed to provide uphill grip and traction (for electric mountain bikes) and plenty of braking performance.
Schwalbe hasn’t released claimed weights for the new Shredda.
Schwalbe Shredda Gravity Pro Front
- 29×2.5in Ultra Soft
- £79.99 / $104 / €79.90
Schwalbe Shredda Gravity Pro Rear
- 29x.2.5in Ultra Soft
- 27.5×2.5in Ultra Soft
- All models £79.99 / $104 / €79.90