Schwalbe Thunder Burt Tire 29in

Schwalbe's tire lineup is relatively clear and linear, with models that make it fairly obvious what their intended place or purpose is upon first sight, with little need for more research. We like this about Schwalbe's approach, and a great example of this is the Schwalbe Thunder Burt Tire. Designed as a hybrid between the virtually slick Furious Fred XC tire and the Racing Ralph technical trailXC tire, Thunder Burt toes the line with a tread pattern that can fly over hardpack but still handle semi loose and loamy terrain. This light and fast tire, coming in at roughly 395 grams, makes it ideal for racing and going fast in dry, hard conditions. The tread pattern Schwalbe used is its PaceStar Triple Compound with a hard center tread that gets progressively softer compounds toward the edge. This provides faster rolling characteristics with excellent cornering traction. The minimal centerline tread means low rolling resistance, and, with the U block shoulder tread, it still holds its own in the turns or in deeper loose stuff. These tread blocks are angled toward the outside of the tire and work to counteract the lateral forces endured when cornering in order to maintain traction and to keep the bike stable. Schwalbe's EVO compound is the lightest and fastest it makes, while the SnakeSkin version is a bit heavier, with the tradeoff being added protection against punctures. We'd recommend the latter for tubeless setups.