The new Schwalbe Racing Ray might just be the best front-specific MTB tire around. I’ve been testing it alongside National Champions to find out just how good it is

Racing Ray is one of the newer additions to the Schwalbe XC Race tire family, joining the gene pool as a front-specific sibling to the legendary Racing Ralph which has been one of the best XC tires for decades. The Racing Ralph has also received a recent update, and the Ray and Ralph work superbly together as a front/rear pairing in a surprisingly wide range of conditions.

But how does it compare to other options in the Schwalbe lineup and competitors from other brands? We’ve been testing it ourselves and working with some seriously fast National MTB Champions for over a year to find out and the results have been impressive.

Design and build

In pursuit of maximum speed, I tested the Super Race carcass version of the Racing Ray. This uses a 60tpi polyamide material triple layered on the sides, and double on the top with a thin ‘Raceguard’ anti-puncture layer under the center tread. There are short ‘chafer’ strips around the lower edge to provide extra pinch flat and leak protection too.

As a result, Racing Ray is around 150g heavier than a truly stripped-down tire like the S-Works version of Specialized’s Fast Trak. At 57mm across, my ‘2.35in’ sample actually measures 2.24in so it’s definitely in the Maxxis claimed widths category, but what it loses on the scales it wins in terms of survivability. 

Racing Ray comes in Addix Speedgrip (blue stripe) or the Addix Speed (red stripe) compound. Again in the interests of sheer speed, I went for the latter, but I can’t tell you any more in terms of exact composition as Schwalbe keeps that information to themselves.

Performance

There’s enough stress going on pre-race without worrying if your tires are going to play nicely when it comes to setup, so it’s a big relief that Schwalbe’s race rubber never gave me any bother. Even the Super Race carcass has enough structure to hold its shape (and sealant) rather than flopping around and it popped cleanly and obediently onto every rim (Hunt/Proven, Zipp, Reserve, E-Thirteen) type I tried.

While we’re talking pressures, there are no vices in terms of a sudden fold or flop point as you lower the psi. Yes it definitely gets more squirmy/ground hugging as you drop through the teens, and more pert and pingy as you increase through the twenties but it’s a predictable progression that’s easy to manage.

Whatever pressure you decide on though, I guarantee that the Super Race carcass will feel like you’re running several psi less in terms of supple, ground molding, speed massaging performance. Over the past year, the several sets of Super Race tires we’ve been running have shown an awesome ‘Tai Chi’ ability to flow and flux around what we expected to be killer blows from rocks etc without splitting or even burping. We’ve even broken a carbon rim under them without actually puncturing the tire. The only thing that’s upset them has been running inserts in a set of blackwall Rocket Ron tires where the internal friction created stress marks in the carcass on the outside.

Speaking of Rocket Ron, its larger, wider-spaced knobs mean that it’s still my go-to fit and forget fast all-rounder for year-round use. That’s most noticeable when turning in hard where Ron will bite earlier and more solidly, while Ray can sometimes slide or slur the same situation. The thinner side paddles will also slip earlier when braking or driving. 

However, if it’s mainly dry/loose or I’m willing to go slightly easier on wet roots/rocks/ corners in return for less rolling resistance, then Ray is the clear winner. Given that I’ve tested both Ray and Ron in the same compound and carcass, it’s clear that it comes from a combination of the more continual centreline tread and the shaping of the intermediate side knobs. That adds a clear overall advantage over other brands when tested across a wide range of surfaces too (even if some are comparable in specific scenarios). I can say that with confidence too as it’s the go-to front tire of previous National MTB Marathon Champion (and current bronze medal holder), Amy Henchoz. And so far, every similar tire I’ve done a head-to-head run down with her on (even when switching wheels between her Intense and whatever I was riding) has proved considerably slower in terms of rolling speed. A lot of them have been much less trustworthy/consistent in terms of grip too, either because of harder compounds, stiffer carcasses or both. As a result, it not only rolls faster but you can carry more speed through technical sections and it feels gloriously alive and eager to get a shift on, without being slippery, slappy or sloppy when pushed hard.

Verdict

Smaller knobs and centreline tread mean Racing Ray needs a more subtle pilot than Rocket Ron, particularly in wetter conditions. It’s got a definite edge in terms of rolling speed though and still grips remarkably well in a broad range of surfaces and scenarios. It’s the combination of that grip with ‘as fast as most rear only semi-slicks’ rolling speed that makes Ray a genuine Race – or just fast recreational use – champion. The high price is partially mitigated by impressive durability in terms of impacts/pointy things and mileage too.

Tech specs: Schwalbe Racing Ray Addix Speed Super Race

• Price: $98 / £68.99 / €68.90
• Sizes: 26 x 2.25in, 27.5 x 2.25in, 29 x 2.1, 2.25in or 2.35in (tested)
• Options: Super Race and Super Ground carcass, Addix Speed or Addix SpeedGrip compound, Transparent or Black walls
• Weight: 747g