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Submitted by
TropicalPassage
a Weekend WarriorDate Reviewed: April 21, 2013
Strengths: Light weight. Fast.Weaknesses: Durability. Air leak (I run tubeless).Bottom Line: These tires came with my Giant XTC 29er. When new, everything is good but after using for a year, the rear tire knobs are beginning to tear. The rubber is also starting to harden as I can see more cracks appearing after each ride. This bike is only used for XC rides and I would use my other bike - a full-suss for technical single track rides. Given that I don't use this bike often, the wear is considerably fast.
The side wall on both tires are also worn (white thread under the rubber is beginning to show). As mentioned, I only use this for XC rides. I am really puzzled about this and wonder if the rubber actually degrade by itself.
Since I am running tubeless, the tire used to be able to hold the same amount of pressure for 2 weeks. Nowadays, it would loose about 10psi after 4 days.
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Submitted by
SlowriderAZ
a All Mountain RiderDate Reviewed: April 18, 2013
Strengths: Fast rolling and lightWeaknesses: Easily punctured. Burps often when tubeless. Expensive.Bottom Line: I got these when I got my new Intense Carbine 275. Been thru two rears since December 2012. Thin sidewalks can't handle rocky terrain. Poor traction during technical climbs. Rocks go right thru these weak tires. Very disappointing for the price. Don't waste your time or money. There are other tires that roll fast and more durable.
Similar Products Used: Specialized Captains, Specialized Purgatory, Maxxis Ardent,
Bike Setup: Intense Carbine 274, Fox 34 CTD Kashima fork, Fox CTD Kashima shock, i9 Torch hubs with Trail 24 rims.
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Submitted by
AlexDate Reviewed: March 15, 2013
Strengths: Light, solid grip ('bite') on trail surface - even loose terrainWeaknesses: Flimsy, thin sidewalls = CONSISTENTLY unreliable durabilityBottom Line: As a racing tire, I will start by admitting that the RR has a great balance between strong handling/performance characteristics (great trail hook-up, with either high or low air pressure) and weight. There's just enough tread to make for a comfortable ride on looser/technical terrain. But in my many experiences with the RR, these pros are outweighed by unreliable durability - consistently. I've tried to give these guys the benefit of the doubt and run the RR from time to time on my race bike, and I literally haven't gotten more than 3 rides out of a set before tearing a sidewall or sometimes even puncturing the tire around some of the knobs. It's worth mentioning that I'm not an aggressive rider, and I'm probably pushing 145lbs wet. Most of the rides I've done on these have been ultra-XC races on what usually involve a majority forest road / double track, so these haven't really been run through anything too rocky. Now, if I saw this type of damage when running other tires, I'd be the first one to question my finesse and handling abilities, but I rarely have problems with other brands - especially related to sidewall damage. For example, I've been running a set of Ikons (EXO) on my SS bike for 2 years without ever having a flat (the Stan's goo has long been dried up, and they still hold air well) - and that bike has been through some REAL singletrack! Overall, I could care less about weight / handling if I can't trust the durability during a race. I'd much rather run something heavier and sacrifice a few seconds/minutes difference over a 100 miles than blow out a sidewall and end the day prematurely. If these were $50 tires, fine - at least the durability would be reflected in a more reasonable price. But for $85-90 a pop, these have become the butt of a joke around my local trails ("Ha - you blew up your Schwalbe Racing Ralph [or even worse, Furious Fred] tire during a road ride - you should have known better than to run those in the first place!")
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Submitted by
Tjay
a All Mountain RiderDate Reviewed: March 8, 2013
Strengths: -traction
-braking
-cornering
-weight 560g
-tought sidewall
-easy to mount on roval & stans
-holds air very well, no air leak and sealant leak even after 1 week
-Oh yeah, very low rolling resistance. Which means, FAST!Weaknesses: -it slips off real easy on rocks and roots but this is not realy a weakness since all round XC type tires are like this (such as ikon, rocket ron).
-price! $90 eachBottom Line: I have the 2013 Racing Ralph TLR Snakeskin version and use this on my AM bike. Yup! YOu'd be surprise how much traction this thing has. Almost identical to nobby nics but the rara are a lot faster. I have my bike setup with rara rear and nonic front.
Note: 300 miles on tire in almost a month.
Favorite Trail: Demo, Saratoga Gap
Duration Product Used: 300 miles
Price Paid:
$90.00
Purchased At: online
Similar Products Used: ikon 2.2
crossmark 2.1
race king 2.2
rocket ron 2.25
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Submitted by
SlDate Reviewed: February 25, 2013
Strengths: Low rolling resistanceWeaknesses: Wont hold air as a tubeless set up . Using stans sealant.Bottom Line: I bought a 2013 giant anthem 29 er... These tires came as stock... Theynsay tubeless ready on the side... I have been trying to get them to seal on the sidewalls for over a week. Addidng air and the usual,swishing motions to spread the stans inside.... I though maybe it was me but my riding partner got a,set of these tires and had exactly the same issue... The bike shop treid to seal and they thought they had but later after i had them home they lost air again. There seems to be many many small holes that keep "erupting" and spewing a tiny plume of stans .... Then it happens somewhere else . Rather random and not confidence inspiring.... Need to look for some other rubber now.
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Submitted by
Abraham
a Weekend WarriorDate Reviewed: February 22, 2013
Strengths: light weightWeaknesses: not the jack of all tradesBottom Line: I use these tires since last year. I ride my bike to my work place on road and on week end I go to the trail. Most of our trail here are muddy terrains as it has been raining all the year in our place.
I run it in 2.10 size on both wheels. However it grips well on wet soil when run straight and easy to recover the line while riding but don't try to lean with it in such condition. Otherwise it shows its best traction on dry soil at its best performance. On dry soil the side knobs stick very well on dirt I've ever done a high speed lean in and it doesn't shows any slip.
The term 'racing' means light weight and easy to handle but it isn't a versatile tire. So don't ever expect the best in any condition of trail.
Favorite Trail: JPG, UI forest
Duration Product Used: 1 year
Price Paid:
$38.00
Purchased At: local bike shop
Similar Products Used: Maxxis Larsen TT
Bike Setup: Wimcycle, Indonesian made bike
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Submitted by
dartvaderDate Reviewed: December 17, 2012
Strengths: Light fast rolling, good traction set up tubeless very easy .Weaknesses: None that i could find.Bottom Line: This is an xc racing tire, and does what its designed for gracefully, don't buy this tire if your ride downhill or ride heavy trail .that is not what it was designed fore, I love this tire, best tire I have owned, comparable to maxxis Ikon .
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Submitted by
Matt
a All Mountain RiderDate Reviewed: December 12, 2012
Strengths: Great rolling resistance, lightweight, bites hard on steep climbsWeaknesses: Very twitchy on loose dirt / gravelBottom Line: I recently got a 2013 Giant XTC 0 and these tyres were supplied on the bike.
Great tyres for hardpack riding, general XC, tabletop jumps, steep climbs, They feel really good on this bike. The absorb the shock pretty well. They are pretty fast too for a MTB tyre. Compared to my old 26er Maxxis tyres on my old XC bike I'm about 5 - 6 kph faster on the flats on average and I can reach top speds on the road I couldn't hit previously. Granted some of this will be the bike.
Now I'm no pro but but I have been riding MTB for a long time and I ride faster than most of my mates and once you hit loose gravel or dirt on these things, they just washout from under you at anything more than the slightest lean going into a corner. They have collected up pretty quickly straight after and that has saved me from some big off's so far but I just don't trust them now and I'm now finding I'm looking to avoid the really loose stuff on fast descents which is making life much less fun.
At 30kph+ riding on flat loose gravel, the front and rear and all over the place at the same time. I don't dare try and lean in at all at this speed because I'd be off in an instant. It feels like riding with two flat tyres. I'm sure there are better tyres out there for this style of riding but they should definitly be at home in these conditions, esp for the cost of these things.
I'll try a more agressive tread for my next set and will try to stay upright until then.
Overall I'd still recommend them for hard dirt \ road, light trails \ jump parks.
Favorite Trail: Fox Creek MTB Park
Duration Product Used: 3 months
Bike Setup: 2013 Giant XTC 0 - Stock so far
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Submitted by
Ben
a All Mountain RiderDate Reviewed: November 10, 2012
Strengths: Weight, speed and very easy to setup tubelessWeaknesses: Very little traction for an aggressive rider which does not lead to any confidenceBottom Line: I ran these tires as a sample on my rear wheel until there death last week. 3 months total. Coming from maxxis ikon I immediately noticed that it does not corner as well or grip nearly as we'll in loose hard pack.
Overall if I was buying a tire I would get maxxis ikons instead as they are much better
Purchased At: Sprung
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Submitted by
wawa56
a Cross Country RiderDate Reviewed: November 5, 2012
Strengths: good general tire for diverse conditions.Weaknesses: New TL-Ready, snakeskin are MUCH heavier than publishedBottom Line: I've been running Racing Ralphs for years. Always been the best combination of weight and performance. Last week I purchased the new TL-Ready, snakeskin version. published weight on the packaging is 605 g. On my scale the tire weighed in at 665 g. 60 g heavier than published weight! I contacted Schwalbe and received this response:
Hi,
Published weights are approximate. Schwalbe’s variance on the published weights are +/- 8-11%.
This is not a warranty issue on this tire.
Regards,
gb
My advice is to weigh your tires before you mount them. Most bike shops will return the tires as long as they're not mounted.
Needless to say I'm pretty disappointed in Schwalbe. Will definitely be looking for another brand.
Price Paid:
$79.00
Similar Products Used: Racing Ralph ( older versions), Kenda SB8, Continental X King, Maxis IKON
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Submitted by
BrentP
a RacerDate Reviewed: September 25, 2012
Strengths: Unbelievable grip when cornering in every condition I've ridden them on.
Climbing traction is superior to anything I've used in the past.Weaknesses: Pricey, but when you consider the mind blowing performance these tires offer they're worth every penny, so I gave them a 4/5 value rating.
No other weaknesses in my opinion.Bottom Line: I've been a religious Kenda user for years, but when I noticed all the European riders at the Trans Rockies race were on Schwalbe, I finally made the decision to fork over the 'big bucks' and try out the Racing Ralphs. I've had them on about a dozen rides so far, and I still can't believe how good these tires are. When everyone else is spinning out on steep climbs and dumping their bikes, I'm pedaling to the top on sections I've never been able to before. The cornering performance is simply unbelievable. Where previously I was having to dump excessive speed on technical switchbacks, I'm now riding through them at least 50% faster with absolutely no drama. If they do skid, they hook up again immediately. They are absolutely confidence inspiring.
So far I haven't found any conditions where they don't work supremely well. On today's ride, I encountered everything from jagged rock gardens, heavily rooted single track, very soft and sandy single track that was under remediation by a trail crew, hard pack, and slippery fallen autumn leaves over hard pack. Nothing caused these tires any grief (I have yet to ride them in the wet or mud). I've stopped expecting to get flats in rocky and rooty terrain, as I've had zero issues to this point with them.
After reading so many reviews that state these tires are flimsy and flat easily, as well as have no cornering or climbing grip, I have to wonder about the skill level (i.e. lack of it) of of the people writing the negative reviews. Anyone who thinks these tires have anything less than 'tank like' traction is doing something wrong, in my opinion, or doesn't have their bike set up properly. I couldn't be happier with these tires, as they have really upped my game and I can't wait to race on them.
Favorite Trail: Too many to mention in Kananaskis Country, Alberta
Price Paid:
$105.00
Purchased At: Calgary Cycle
Similar Products Used: A variety of Kenda tires over the years
Bike Setup: Santa Cruz Blur XC with Spinergy Xyclone wheels
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Submitted by
247Date Reviewed: September 6, 2012
Strengths: Light an durable (evo snakeskin.) Handle 95% of trails Great!!Weaknesses: a little pricey (get them on sale) but the Best $$ can buy!Bottom Line: best all around tire (if you need more traction up front get the Nobby Nic.)
But all around nothing is better and lighter for most terraine. Fine as anything I have used on roots and rocks.. These tires are the Standard by which everything else is judged!!
I gave a 5 on value also because if you buy a tire 50-75% of the price (you will probably end up buying the best tire after that!)
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Submitted by
mark stringerDate Reviewed: August 21, 2012
Strengths: light and thats about itWeaknesses: theres just no grip. As a rear tyre its twitchy all the time and just unreliably poor in corners in almost any condition apart from perfect dry hardpack at 10kph. After 1 month of trying I've now got a shredded elbow and leg from one wash out too many at speed and I've ripped it off the bike. nil point.Bottom Line: not very good to be honest. I dont see this as a stable grippy tyre unless you are just pooling around. its jittery at speed and useless in mud and anything loose. nil point.
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Submitted by
mr1twoDate Reviewed: June 20, 2012
Strengths: Lots of grip. When really pushing the pedals on uphill gravel I even started to lift front end of the bike. When cornering it gives much confidence. Fast on tarmac too.Weaknesses: Paper thin and it shows- it is not suited for gravel of any sort- maybe for dirt. Ruined it(big puncture with a bang) after only 50km(30miles). Almost crashed because of that. Very fragile- now I can see big number of cuts through the rubber part(after repair did another 70km). For this price, I would expect something a bit more robust. Big disappointment there.Bottom Line: As a non-professional rider I cannot recommend this tire to anyone for using it on part tarmac, and on rough gravel descents- you will have to carry your bike. I hope my next choice will be a bit tougher than this piece of paper. It is a shame really, because I like the grip on that very surface that destroyed it. If they choose to make a heavy-edition with same profile, I might consider about it.
But for this kind of weight loss(it weights only 500g for 2.25), you loose a lot of rubber that is essential for tire endurance.
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Submitted by
Mikie WatsonDate Reviewed: June 14, 2012
Strengths: Never had the chance to find oneWeaknesses: Casing is waaaaaayyyy tooooooo thin! Customer service is absolutely deplorable.Bottom Line: 26 x 2.25 Racing Ralph Snake Skin Tubeless Evo Pacestar Triple Compound came as OEM on the rear of my 2012 Yeti AS R5c. Picked the bike up from the shop with gear in hand. Road 2.3 miles on the road to the singletrack (relatively flat, packed sand) found the ONLY rock on the trail and proceeded to get a 1/2 inch slice between the outside knobs. 500 feet of off road is all this tire has seen. Most expensive tire I ever bought. Contacted Schwalbe via customer service. Never heard from them. Signed up on their website and wrote a review. Never heard from them.
I had recieved a pair of Kenda tires at a race in the giveaway. When I could not get them to seal as tubeless, I contacted the rep. He apologized and told me that that particular tire was way below my scope of riding. He sent me 3 sets of their top of the line tires to try. Then followed up several times!
Bottom line: Schwalbe wants your money. Kenda wants your business. Go with Kenda!
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