Spyshot: Schwalbe Prototype Enduro Tire
German Cube Action Team rider Ludwig Döhl had an interesting front tire on his bike during his visit to Barcelona. It’s a prototype of a new gravity-all round-tire which is scheduled to be revealed officially in May.
The “FirstRide” logo combined the blue line indicate that this tire is part of the Schwalbe Development Program and only reserved for top pro-riders. This very same tire has already been successfully tested in the Downhill World Cup with Loic Bruni winning the Junior World Champs and Steve Smith taking the final round of the WC season 2012 in Hafjell.
“This tire is a true beast” says Ludwig Döhl underlining the tire’s amazing performance in downhill sections but is still light enough for enduro racing. This is due to the SuperGravity carcass offering the best possible relation between durability / puncture protection and rolling resistance. We estimate that this tire will weigh around 1.000 grams.
According to Ludwig the tire’s profile (i.d. the position of the knobs) will be slightly changed in production. Nevertheless it is clear that the open pattern offers great grip in both loose and hard-pack surfaces; the alternating knobs in the middle (in a 5-row-rhythm) might provide additional braking power! In a nutshell: We can’t wait to get this new tire on our bikes! Furthermore rumours say that Schwalbe will release another specific enduro tire very soon. Stay tuned for more info!
Words & photos: Robin Schmitt
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