Submitted by
EagleRider
a Cross Country Rider
from Eagle, Idaho Date Reviewed: October 6, 2009
Favorite Trail:
Boise Front
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$50.00
Purchased At:
VeloMech
Strengths:
Weight, snake skin sidewalls, low rolling resistance
Weaknesses:
Price, cornering on hardpack
Similar Products Used:
Kenda Small Block 8
Bike Setup:
Salsa Selma 29er SS
Bottom Line:
I could write a book here. Bought the new bike with the Ralphs, had 4 crashes in one month. The final one I broke my femur. Each crash was a washout. Tried lowering the tire pressure to gain more grip. After some hospital time to think about it... my conclusion is: knobs in the middle are good, too few knobs between the middle and the outside knobs. The tire seems very rounded and bouncy. When you're on hardpack and cornering, you lose contact with the middle knobs, into few knob zone (washout starts) by the time you get to the large outside knobs its too late.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
ez5
a Weekend Warrior
from ontario Date Reviewed: July 1, 2009
Favorite Trail:
Frankenstein
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$70.00
Purchased At:
jenson
Strengths:
lighweight, good volume
Weaknesses:
traction, price
Similar Products Used:
weirwolf lt, exiwolf, rampage, klaw.
Bike Setup:
flagstaff w/am classics.
Bottom Line:
like someone else on here posted had 2.4 front 2.25 rear. very lightweght, but sidewalls are so thin they squirm at low pressure, the rear was useless under 25psi i thought they were going to come right off the rim.
scary at full speed in corners, very low rolling resistance but washes out easy, was sideways a few times.
grip was pretty horrible in dry to dusty straight climbs unless you use a fairly tall gear, so these may suit a single speed setup better.
the 2.25 is not enough volume even on a full suspension, put 2.4 on the back and weirwolf on front now its much better.
surprisingly good traction in wet-muddy conditions, even at higher pressures.
bottom line: makes a decent lightweight most weather tire, but lacks the traction and stability to make it truly fast in anything but optimal tacky hardpack.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
hamster styles
a Weekend Warrior
from Denver, CO Date Reviewed: June 23, 2009
Favorite Trail:
Buffalo Creek
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$53.00
Purchased At:
bike29.com
Strengths:
Light Weight, Decent rear wheel traction, Fast rolling
Weaknesses:
Weak sidewalls, Not very solid in the corners, Mud traction
Similar Products Used:
Rampage
Bike Setup:
2009 Niner Rip9, Tubeless Flows, Chris King Hubs
Bottom Line:
I ran the 2.4 front and the 2.25 rear when I first setup my new bike. I never felt very confident in fast or loose corners, always kind of sketchy. Finally I decided to switch to a Rampage up front, which was a great decision. They actually punctured twice on my first ride...on a flat dirt road. The last straw was a series of small leaks that formed along the seam between the sidewall and tread after about a dozen rides. These might be good tires if you only ride smooth trails.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
DrewC
a Weekend Warrior
from Colorado Springs, CO Date Reviewed: May 31, 2009
Favorite Trail:
Technical climbs
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$50.00
Strengths:
Grips well at Fruita, which was mostly on hardback trails.
Weaknesses:
Durability and grip did not match my expectations. I found I couldn't stand and pedal in my easiest gear when the trails had a little too much gravel because the rear wheel would spin. At first I attributed the slippage to bike geometry and my weighting, but after mounting my old tire again, I could stand and pedal without spinning.
Similar Products Used:
Stock Bontrager XDX tires
Bike Setup:
Stock Gary Fisher Rig, except for a conversion to 1X9
Bottom Line:
I mounted this wheel on my rear tire and was hoping for great traction on our local trails. When choosing a tire, I'll take extra weight to get a strong, durable product that grips. This tire did not fit the bill. The traction didn't live up to the reviews on this page, and I got a flat tire from a piece of wood that pierced the tire. I've never seen wood become embedded in a tire and assume it was due to an attempt to reduce materials and save weight that led to a less than beefy tire.
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Submitted by
rbaldinellii
a Weekend Warrior
from Tyler Tx Date Reviewed: May 17, 2009
Favorite Trail:
Tyler State Park
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$56.00
Purchased At:
Bike Bling
Strengths:
Crazy amounts of grip for a front tire. Thing just wouldn't wash out.
Weaknesses:
None Yet
Similar Products Used:
Bontrager Jones, Maxxis Crossmark and Ignitor and others
Bike Setup:
07 Gary Fisher Paragon
Bottom Line:
I got to tell you, I really wanted to believe this tire wasn't that good, but it is. We ride on terrain thats root covered, soft dirt, sand, mud, clay, and just about everything in between. The tire just did everything perfectly. It tracked well and would hold a line like it was on rails. Just an excellent tire period!
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Submitted by
55rpmasher
a Racer
from winnipeg Date Reviewed: March 4, 2009
Favorite Trail:
falcon lake
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$50.00
Purchased At:
olympia cycle and sk
Strengths:
Rolls great, hooks great
Weaknesses:
WEAK sidewalls. Way to easy to tear, the tread has at least another year in it but there is no way they will ever hit dirt again
Similar Products Used:
Tire junky to many to list
Bike Setup:
Niner Air9, Reba, King hubs and DT swiss x470 rims, Thomson stem and post, XO/XT/XTR drivetrain, eggbeaters, spec Phenom SL, American classic headset, Avid juicy ultimates and Bontrager Xlite carbon flat bar.
Bottom Line:
Dont use them on Rocks!!!! Run below 30 psi and careful of psi when converting to tubeless or they will peel of the rim. Schwalbe has to many techs they could be using on this tire and are not. Then make us pay through the nose for them.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
jamesmichael
a Cross Country Rider
from newbury park, ca. Date Reviewed: February 15, 2009
Favorite Trail:
I love them all, even fire roads
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Strengths:
riding resistance, grip, hook tight to rims, and running tubeless
Weaknesses:
Not an issue yet, I hope it won't be but light side walls
Similar Products Used:
none
Bike Setup:
vasago bandersnatch, 2.4 rr in front, and 2.2 in back. 355 rims with 240 hubs. 24.5 lbs sweet.
Bottom Line:
I started out at 30psi front, and back slipped a bit, so lowered to 26psi front, and the same in back. I think I might go lower, but that will have to wait. I love the combo. They are very fast, and hook tight in turns. The only weak part is me not trusting. That will improve with time.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
anthony.delorenzo
a Weekend Warrior
from Whitehorse, YT, Canada Date Reviewed: February 6, 2009
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Strengths:
Fast, good grip, large volume. Did I say fast? FAST!
Weaknesses:
Expensive, but I bought mine 2 for 1.
Similar Products Used:
Rampage, Exiwolf, Wierwolf
Bike Setup:
Misfit DiSSent singlespeed, Reba fork. Tires mounted on Sun Equalizer 27 rims.
Bottom Line:
Wow... I noticed a difference right away. These tires picked up my pace and helped me rail corners. Not quite as much grip as the Rampages, but a slight trade off for a lot more speed. My new tire of choice.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
mtbnachos
a Cross Country Rider
from San Diego Date Reviewed: November 9, 2008
Favorite Trail:
Noble Canyon, CA
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$55.00
Purchased At:
eBay
Strengths:
Light, rolling resistance, grip
Weaknesses:
Expensive
Similar Products Used:
Rampage, Ignitor
Bike Setup:
Vassago Jabber, Niner EMD 9
Bottom Line:
I'm reviewing the 2.25 versions. These tires are my go to tires for racing, period. They are fast, grip, and have exceptional volume. I used them for my enduro races and they take such a load off my legs.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
racerdave
a Cross Country Rider
from wi Date Reviewed: August 18, 2008
Favorite Trail:
tight singletrack
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Purchased At:
Universal Cycles
Strengths:
High volume, fast rolling, predictable cornering
Weaknesses:
Price. These things aren't cheap.
Similar Products Used:
Rampage, WeirWolf LT, Exiwolfs
Bike Setup:
Monocog 29er
Bottom Line:
Awesome tires. They roll fast and are predictable in corners.
The high volume is amazing. For a rigid bike, I started at 25 in the front. Too much, Took it down to 20 and they feel great. (i'm about 200 lbs) They don't bottom out on the rim, yet are still stable and secure. Running them tubeless.
They really make bumpy braking areas smoother at the lower pressures. Huge difference between running these at 30 and 20.
Rear grip is good climbing too, although I have them mounted in the "front" position. I've had some minor slippage on climbs, but I've been able to just shift slightly rearward and it grabs again. Might be better in the "rear" rotational position.
All in all, I'm very impressed with these tires and they do well in rooty, rocky (round rocks; we don't have real jagged rocks around here) singletrack.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
fritZman
a Cross Country Rider
from Canada Date Reviewed: July 9, 2008
Favorite Trail:
Buffed & fast
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Strengths:
Light, fast, comfy, grip
Weaknesses:
Price?
Similar Products Used:
29er - Geax Saguaro (fast but lousy in the wet), Panaracer Rampage (heavy & slooooow)
Bike Setup:
Niner EMD, Formula K24 180/160, WB Magic 4", Stan's Flow with Hadley thru-bolt hubs,
Bottom Line:
Review for the 2.4 29er tire.
These tires rock!
I'm fairly heavy @ 195lbs and have hammered these babies into rocks, roots, you name it. They're a LOT tougher than I ever thought possible for their weight (low 600 gr).
The key here, due to their large size, is to run LOW pressures. When mounted tubeless, at 195lbs I can get away with 18-19 psi before I bottom out too much. I think their durability improves dramatically (so does comfort and control) with lower pressures as they conform to rocks rather than fight it. If you're running tubeless, keep dropping the pressure (even if you bottom out once or twice a ride) until they start to feel really heavy and floppy, then add 1/2 a psi and your golden.
Speed wise, they're a good cog faster than anything else I've tried.
Grip wise, I've carried more cornering speed than previously thought possible. Even in the wet these tires are quite predictable.
They simply are the best all-round tire I've ever tried (a lot of credit to the larger 29er tire and tubeless setup).
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Victor
a Racer
from Coatesville, PA Date Reviewed: May 17, 2008
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$60.00
Strengths:
Width, weight.
Weaknesses:
Price.
Similar Products Used:
WTB Exiwolf 2.3
Bike Setup:
Seven Cycles Verve, full rigid
Bottom Line:
Raced French Creek (famous for copious and jagged rocks) with the 2.4 tire up front. Impressive. This is now my tire of choice for my rigid set up. It's light, has low rolling resistance, and has high volume.
The Exiwolfs are now second string.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Paul Cupach
a Weekend Warrior
from Albuquerque Nm USA Date Reviewed: April 21, 2008
Favorite Trail:
Otero Canyon
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$43.00
Purchased At:
Bike 29
Strengths:
Rolled slightly faster than the Rampages. Just as good of a grip as the Rampage in the soft sand/hard pack/slick rocks
Weaknesses:
Sidewall blew out on a rocky AZ trail. Was going down a steep, fast, rocky jeep path. A rock flipped up and took a .5 to .75 inch gash out from the sidewall...tire was flat in 10 seconds. Stans juice couldnt save it...no way! Ralph is not a mud tire...the mud and soft/loose wet dirt stuck to this tire and continued to build-up without hesitation.
Similar Products Used:
Maxis Ignitor...poor grip in slick/deep stuff Panaracer Rampage....great grip just as good as the Racing Ralhp
Bike Setup:
RIP 9, Manitou Minute 29 120mm fork, Stans Flows with WTB laserdic lite hubs/DT swiss spokes, Formula K18 brakes, XT Crank, X.0 twist shift, X9 RD, XT FD, Niner flat top bars, Mallet pedals
Bottom Line:
I really liked the tire...I just wish the tire sidewall didnt blowout...It isnt rated as a UST tire so the sidewall isnt as stout as other UST tires...this might have saved it!! I was running tubeless at about 26-28psi...it was gripping the trail great. Ill put the Rampage back on till I buy a new Ralph. As far as the mud considerations...when the knobs broke through to contact the rock/hard pack trail the tire stuck to the trail pretty good even though the tread pattern was full of mud/dirt/debri.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Transwave
a Cross Country Rider
from Sweden Date Reviewed: January 8, 2008
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Purchased At:
pedalogerna.com
Strengths:
Low weight, the side knobs do their job, very fast for its size (2.40)
Weaknesses:
Price
Similar Products Used:
WTBs
Bike Setup:
Full rigid Niner MCR with Racing Ralph 2.40 F&R
Bottom Line:
Do you dream of a big, plushy tyre with decent grip, and has at the same time low weight and great speed? Stop dreaming and get the Racing Ralph 2.40! It has an excellent compromise of all the desired properies an XC tyre should have!
It seems to be made for a full rigid bike. The extra volume really makes a differense. RR 2.40 has about the same air volume as WeirWolf 2.55, but is lighter and rolls easier without sacerficing too much grip, especially in curves. It works great in sand, mud, snow and on hard surfaces. Althow it is expensive, it deserves maximum value rating, because you get such a damn good phat XC tyre for your money.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
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