@@DandyHippo lol yes, just serviced suspension, one headset and some bearings on my 2 bikes for like 750 EUR. Still I have to replace brake pads, pins are going from China (they are standard metric screws, so no need to have brand on the package) and I still waiting for the price for my son´s bike :D wtf.... :D
Ha ha, bet none of you nay sayers have tried them. I too was cynical and wanted to hare them. Now I won’t consider anything else as a front tyre. They are brilliant in gnarly terrain
They will require a complete rethink on what psi we need to use! Automotive radial tires came to NA in the 70's on import cars. If I remember correctly, it was only two or three years later that every new car had them. It's best to understand that the casing fabric is not fully radial as the name would suggest. It"s a "more" radial weave with a shallower angle than a bias ply tire. It's the application of the casing that makes my day. Finally we are adventuring into the realm of higher performance designs, aside from using only layers and TPI . I expect other manufacturers (caught sleeping) are be in their labs working out a design to sell. So long as the weights are similar to existing tires it's a good direction to go. I'd happily have a DH or Enduro spec "radial" tire with more psi range to use for different terrains, same as with bias-ply of today but with more of the promised micro compliance resulting in more grip. I guess we'll see who's next to release a competing design.
good take on what's happening. i remember motorcycles changing to radial in the mid-80s. long after cars with their different tire physics and applied forces (not lateral like with single track vehicles). metzler did a hybrid kinda semiradial at first because the rims had to be adapted, too, mostly in width and profile. with bikes having much less applied forces at work compared to motorcycles and always fighting with weight, radial may become different from what we know in the motorized world. a little like with the adoption of motorcycle forks and shocks. exciting.
Henry you speak clearer on UA-cam than on the podcast. I imagine other Americans struggle to hear you enunciate words with fast speaking. Thank you for your content.
I'll just leave this here: bought the Albert, installed it, pumped it up to roughly 35psi before it blew off the rim. Installed it again(my mistake) to try if it still held air. Rode it for a few km down a train just for it to blow up again on the landing of a small jump. I don't know if I got a manufacturing defect or if the radial casing somehow has weakened the sidewall to an extend where it doesn't hold onto the rim, but I will say their stated max pressure is the lowest I have seen on any Mtb tire, even lower than on their other tires, which is concerning considering you are supposed to run it at slightly higher pressure than non radial tires.
I have the Alberts and tried them out with a bit more pressure than I used to. They felt great. Lots of grip and comfort. Then I added even more air and they only got better! Rolling resistance almost disappeared, they felt poppy, but still had comfort and grip. Amazing tires if you pump them up!
"Pump up the jam, pump it up While your feet are stomping And the jam is pumping Look ahead, the crowd is jumpin' Pump it up a little more Get the party goin' on the dance floor See? 'Cause that's where the party's at And you'll find out, if you do that" /Pump Up the Jam Technotronic
A lot of great points explained in a unique, different and easy to understand way. Enjoyed that perspective, thanks Henry!! Unbelievable how much of a difference the Radial casing makes and I'm also impressed at how well the system works in wet and damp conditions, the extra contact patch makes an insane and notable difference as I'm running closer to traditional pressures. The grip gives confidence and helps with composure to hit those technical rooty or rocky sections. I'm a big fan!
I have run Magic Mary in SuperTrail and Gravity Casing on the front in ultra soft for some years now and recently switched to the Gravity Pro Radial Ultra soft on my ebike enduro. It does indeed feel quite differently. There is more plushness and comfort and a bit more traction. I previously had problems on slippery, smooth rocks with the normal MM. The Radial works better. As for the intended surfaces, it works noticably better on muddy, loose ground and in loamy forest conditions. For hardpack the Albert would probably be better. I really like it! I was running 1,6bar (23 psi) in the front (gravity casing) for my 210lbs plus ebike weight. The radial worked fine for me with 1,7-1,8bar or 24,5 to 26psi. You do notice increase rolling resistance though. Thats why I would probably not use them on my trail bike. Especailly in the rear.
They really are a "bit" better than the normal MM Ultrasoft casings. Needed to add a couple psi (20 up to 22) or they give way a bit in the corners, but you do notice a small difference.
@@__marshie yeah, I think the video was cut a bit short and they left out the part where he rode the radial casing as well. Makes the ending a bit odd.
Not going back to non-Radial tyres. These Schwalbes really make the bike feel so much better. Supple and grippier. And that is comparing to the old non-Radial Schwalbe's I had before.
I doubt it's a coincidence they started with the heavier casing gravity oriented models. I'm guessing the XC/down country tires won't have enough sidewall support.
I run a Zipp 3 zero rim, 220mm rotor and powerful brakes and a Push ACS3 coil conversion. This could be the next step to improving the front end of my bike. It was pretty amazing in the Alps this year as it was
Yes I was on my Yeti the other day with 222mm rotors and a Zipp 4 negative zero rim and my electronically actuated suspension by Ferrari. It too was pretty amazing after I toured my yacht to the New Zealand coast to hit the local DH trails in their beautiful summer weather.
I wonder how these tires play with say.. cushcores for example. Would the sidewall benefit from some support? Or would the pressure be high enough to negate the need. I’m sure the dampness would be taken to a new level! Thoughts?
Also, what are the chances of more contact patch causing burping... lots of questions. Need a whole series on different tests such as how much psi does it take to burp the alberts on the rear with the gravity casing, trail casing, soft, super soft compounds?
Won't a more supply tyre make it easier to ding your rim? so then you'll need to increase the pressure to compensate? so then would there be any difference between running the new tyre at higher pressures compared to the old tyre at lower pressures?
@@andymtb3212 But he didn't demonstrate it, how much more pressure would you need to add to prevent you from dinging your rim? and would it still have a bigger contact patch compared to the old tyre? I'm not saying it wouldn't, I just need to see some evidence, especially considering the mountain bike industry is full of marketing hype
@@benjy288 exatclty what i was thinking all along. more tyre patch means tyre is deflecting more? so the tyre will get to the rim with less force? pump them up more, so the tyre is deflecting the same amount as a standard tyre and boom the contact patch is the same as would be on a standard tyre. I could be wrong but from how i look at it all you have done is ran more pressure to acheive the same result.
@@gaspertolar7950 Yea, I'm about 78kg and I currently have a syerra front tyre, its 60tpi so its not as supply, but because its not as supply I can run lower pressures at 17psi without any rim strike issues
@@gaspertolar7950the request from the DH team was a tyre that could be run at higher pressures with the same grip. The increase in pressure meant they didn’t need inserts for puncture prevention which in turn gave a performance benefit of reducing the un sprung weight on the bikes leading to wins. For us consumers, we have the choice of same pressures and more grip or like the DH teams, more pressure and ditching inserts if you run them.
Testing a radial tyre would be good though. Nice explanation on how they work but........ Also on the cardboard testing if there was a difference in contact patch it sure wasn't 30% I'm guessing tyre pressure rim was the same?🤷
If you choose the air pressure so that both tires have the same rolling resistance, then I would like to know how the riding experience is or whether the difference cancels out. Everything else sounds like pure marketing to me. The placebo effect is very powerful.
That's what I was thinking, if you adjust the air pressure so that both tyres have the same contact patch then what's the difference exactly? just the number on your tyre pressure gauge
@ you cannot think that in numbers, its silly. 30 psi radial feels different and probably still has a way larger cp than a 23 psi non radial. And the point is not to pump them to 50 or keep your non radial at 14 psi.. this thinking is silly and same as if unc had tits hed be an aunt. The feel is the thing, not just the contact patch
@ I'm not thinking in numbers, I'm thinking in contact patch, if you set up both tyres to have the same contact patch and to where you don't have any rim strike issues, then what's the difference between the two exactly? besides the number on your tyre pressure gauge
It's a good story, but it's made possible by tubeless technology. Tubes need stiffer sidewalls so they don't pinch flat. Radial tyres will become the next thing since it appears to be working out, plus they should be a bit cheaper to make. They'll be tubeless only.
I'm going to say what i said in a comment. The entire benefit of pneumatic tires is that the pressure everywhere in the tire is the same. The area of the contact patch is simply the weight divided by the pressure of the tire. 200lbs on 20PSI tires will give you a 10 square inch area contact patch. Maybe the contact patch is wider?
@@a.r.8850 Exactly. I have some heavy load range tires on my truck and even if the PSI is down into the 10's the rear still looks near as inflated and the fronts at 50psi. The outer tire carcass is so firm that it takes a lot of weight to even begin to deform the tire.
What they leave out in terms of puncture resistance is the fact that there is no steel belt in the bicycle radial. With that said, what does a goat head do, besides go on through the casing? A piece of glass is going to Ginsu knife the tire regardless of bias or radial. On the brighter side, radials will offer better ride quality and traction. I had a pair of radial XC tires in the early 90's that were made or offered by an obscure brand. They did work but were discontinued in a short time after the first couple batches were out. The issue was people throwing them on stupid narrow rims and wondering why they folded in the corners. Too supple was the reason the tires had been discontinued. (I hoarded wide rims due to the 90's sucking right out loud for rim choices) Not many people can understand why my trials bike has a 48mm wide rear rim. With a 2.5 on it! Road rims are worthless for dirtin' and worthless for anything wider than a 1.5...
I want to run these on my trail bike. But they have no options yet for that discipline. Shredda, Magic Mary and Albert are more in line for Enduro/DH But if they make one for their hans dampf, wicked will or nobby nick I'll give it a shot!
I've tried them on my Mountain unicycle, where tires are basically the only suspension, so its behaviour is very important. Does it make a difference? Yes, it feels more compliant at higher pressure, but it also feels very spongy at lower pressure. I like it slightly better for riding in rocky terrain with lots of sharp edges, but I think I might prefer the normal casing in smoother terrain. It's a good tire technology, but I don't think it is the revolution that Schwalbe claims and they should probably keep the normal casing around, at least for some models.
Someone said it’s like ground from air suspension to coil. Once winter is over Dirty Dans in dh casing are coming off and two radial Marys are going on.
2.6 Albert Radial measures at 2.4 when it's stretched. I'm not a fanboy or anything but failing at such a basic, yet so important thing makes me question about the effort they put into the new radials.
My freshly installed 47 mm tire is 42 mm on my rim. Gravel bikes have limited tire clearance, but I was brave enough to "size up". The rim can alter the width.
did not watch it till the end,too nerdy for me.. but have one of these(Albert) installed on this bike on my profile picture.. Rear tire on a hardtail and biggest difference of any tire swap so far in my riding career(10+year riding). I have insert in there as well,had to up my pressure by 0,3 bar (do not try and ride same pressure as conventional tire,just does not work). The way tire stabilizes rear end and smooths out the ride(especially noticable on carbon hoops) with much better braking traction,it is super reassuring. I did have old NOBBY NIC 2,4 on there before, in soft casing and this could have influence my judgment to be fair,but if you ride "stiffy" out back I think you can not go wrong.
I bet it makes a differance. I'm all for a casing that grips better at higher pressures 👍 I ran the DH22 (old wired ones) and I really feel the same thing that Henry talked about on the podcast a while ago about very heacy tyres with stiff casings. You are kinda chasing a level of comliance that you only reach at very low pressures. Which, in turn, is too soft when you hit things hard = bottom out. If this radial business is the real deal then I can pretty much bet my monthly allowance (aka pay check) that all brands will be introducing similar tech pretty soon.
I just climbed and descended 2500' on my radial Mary and Albert. I ran about 5 psi higher than normal for each. It was an absolute game changer. The grip was noticeable, but even better was having more air pressure for added suspension.
@gooutanddogreatthings More pressure gives your tires more compression before bottoming out on the rim. The only reason we run lower pressures today is for grip, but if we can get the same grip with higher pressure we get a little added suspension.
My dilemma... I have a Yeti SB160 with Continental Kryptoal front and rear, love them. Looking for less rolling resistance possibly to help on longer ride days. Was thinking Maxxis forekaster v2, or do I go with the radial Alberta's front and rear. Is rolling resistance any better then my Continental's being I can put more air pressure in the Alberta's and get more grip and compliance?
The Forekaster V2 is awesome. Side lugs still confidently large for turning and burning but rolling resistance is great! Id place it in-between the Rekon and DHR/F for grip
The radial construction adds rolling resistance, because the tire deforms more. I can't compare to the tires you mentioned, but I replaced a regular Magic Mary with the equivalent Albert and the rolling resistance is similar, despite running the Albert at slightly higher pressure and it having a less agressive profile.
I use Schwalve, maxxis (In front a Minion DHF but rear a Schwalve in ione bicycle good traction + fast rear), chaoyang cheap, kenda cheap and other brands and for me that I ´m a XC rider, the Schwalves are the fastest. But the durability ... that is not the best and that is why in other bicycles I use other brands. But for my main bicycles, no doubt: Fast is a priority and that is what they give to me. Very happy with my schwalbes.
I love mountain biking - but honestly it must get SO exhausting reviewing the tech and gear, year over year trying to split hairs on the "performance benefits". Its just wild.
I think these numbers are bs. If you have 200lbs on tires at 20PSI, you have 10 square inches of contact patch. The area doesn't change unless you change pressure or weight, but the shape might change a little. That's the whole benefit of a pneumatic tire.
Wait a minute! HOW the contact is 30% bigger with the same pressure? Because sidewals are MORE compliant - they BEND more - that how I understand it. So, to protect the rim you will have to put more pressure - to compensate more bending of the sidewall. This will decrease contact area. What is the point then?
Have the Albert tyre on the front and love it. The grip is amazing. May get one for the rear too but run it at a higher pressure. When I got the Albert tyre I increased my pressure from 1 bar to 2 bar 👍
"3x spokes are longer so you have to run the spoke at a higher tension to compensate" not remotely accurate. Longer spokes have more strain at a given tension so *theoretically* the longer the spoke, the less tension you need. d=PL/EA. After all, the only reason we tension is so the spoke can still maintain a force on the wheel while the wheel deflects, like a spring being shortened. And don't you dare try to tell me that the stiffness of the wheel is dependent on the spoke tension.
Wow, first tubeless tires, now radials. I for one am excited to see what other 20 year old tech the bicycle community can finally steal from motor vehicles. ABS anyone? Edit: Correction, radial tires were invented in the 40's and became standard in the 80's, so that's at least 40 year old tech finally introduced in 2025. Also, I am in no way suggesting ABS would be a good idea offroad, though off-road ABS does exists on newer dual sport motorcycles. So by my calculations MTBs will have it around 2065.
@@FreeTimeFeats ABS would be plain dangerous on a mountain bike, imagine riding a steep double black and ABS decides to release some brake pressure because it thinks that your wheel is about to lock, that's not what anyone would ever want to happen
@@sp00n Not really, pricing is exactly in line with the competing tires. Soft rubber, strong casing enduro/DH tires all seem to cost ~80€, whether Schwalbe, Maxxis or Continental.
Everyone getting payed to sell the coolaid. I'm desperately waiting for some independent reviews, but I guess everyone got money to produce ads (like this) on the launch, so they can't really do it yet. Good, but not a gamechanger and not better in all situations is my summary after testing them btw.
@ 100%. I am running a pair atm. Won’t bother putting them on again for the price. Every other rider who has tried them in my area repeats the marketing spiel back to me about them. Next front tyre will be High Roller 3. I predominantly ride loose over hard. Back to back testing with other tyres suggest these are pretty good.
@@thegriff9425 Were they more expensive for you? I bought the Albert specifically because they were the same price as getting the magic mary I was running before again and I wanted to try a slightly less "spikey" tread pattern. Somewhere in the 70-80€ range is about where most soft compound, stronger casing enduro/DH tires are nowadays and the high roller 3 seems to be the same.
None of the analogies make any sense to me. The presenter may be a better cyclist than me, but it takes me a while to find the edge of where a tire grips and where it doesn't . Van der Poel might get it in one run, but I might not. I do know that when radials came to cars, they went much faster and the tires lasted much longer. I wouldn't be surprised if this isn't the next great technology, but it may not be. I would love to see a blind test with a pro level rider, no offense.
These tires are not bad, just not worth the price. Increased suppleness is mostly negated by the high pressure you'll need to run. I will not buy them again unless they are cheaper than the regular casing.
Henry, your discussion of the spoked wheel and comparison to a radial tire sounded like complete fiction dressed up as well-intentioned gobbledegook. Jobst Brandt would be spinning past redline in his grave.
Correction at 6:29: crosses on a 3x are totally accidental. We use crossed wheel lacing to make sure that the spoke exits the hub tangent to the flange of the hub. Also - spoke _length_ has no bearing on its tension. EDIT2 - frankly - the entire analogy makes no sense. EDIT3 - also, contact patch is almost entirely up to pressure. Now what is true is that radial casing ought to be a little more supple because layers of the casing cloth are not working against each other - which is why it is used widely in car tires.
Just be done and get a fatbike. MORE traction, MORE float. From low PSI Land drover mode to high PSI pavement cruiser mode fat bikers know their fat tyres do it all.
Useless promo. Henry didn't even clarified that by "radial" they mean less than 45° angle of the threads (I think it's around 30°) and he proceeded to show how the equivalent position of a radial spoke would go "straight to the rim" which is not the case for this tyre. You pretend to explain and clarify how it works and you are actually more shady and dishonest than it would be flattering for you. Pinkbike could be a great source of technical knowledge but bills have to be paid... Pity...
Schwalbe.... Solving a tubeless problem whilst creating a different tubeless problem. Someone should do an article on a taped and tubed tyre v tubeless radial tyres.
![Lp. Сердце Вселенной #60 РОЖДЕНИЕ ЛОЛОЛОШКИ [Финал] • Майнкрафт](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/YoR0pAV9FVQ/mqdefault.jpg)
Honestly, the biggest thing that would improve my tyre performance, are affordable tyres than I can actually replace when the lugs are worn.
Bro ur in the wrong sport if ur looking for affordable stuff 😂
You said the taboo word, people don't seem to like that A-word in this sport! I agree with you though!
@@DandyHippoabsolutely. I was kayaking before this £2,500 and you had top notch kit that lasted 5 years with no maintenance.
@@DandyHippo lol yes, just serviced suspension, one headset and some bearings on my 2 bikes for like 750 EUR. Still I have to replace brake pads, pins are going from China (they are standard metric screws, so no need to have brand on the package) and I still waiting for the price for my son´s bike :D wtf.... :D
look for goodyear newton mtf/mtr, pretty good tyres for 40€ a piece
would love to try them but the price is a bit hard to schwalbe
Just get the front, rear isn’t as important for the feel
😂
Boom, boom🤣🤣
My local shop is selling them at the same price as other branded tyres
I see what you did there.
I tried Albert radial 2 day ago after changing from Assegai. Now Albert is my favorite! Comfort is on another level.
Good to hear you like it! I also just bought an Albert to replace the front Assegai but haven't fitted it yet.
Magic Mary Radial is the pick for Assegai replacement. Albert is like the MM Radial trail equivalent
well, the oil test showed exactly the same contact patch...
Indeed
I'm sure that they will work as effectively as a placebo.
The true reason for this design is to create seperation between you and your money.
Ha ha, bet none of you nay sayers have tried them. I too was cynical and wanted to hare them. Now I won’t consider anything else as a front tyre. They are brilliant in gnarly terrain
Let's wait and see the performance during UCI downhill and enduro world tour.
They will require a complete rethink on what psi we need to use!
Automotive radial tires came to NA in the 70's on import cars. If I remember correctly, it was only two or three years later that every new car had them. It's best to understand that the casing fabric is not fully radial as the name would suggest. It"s a "more" radial weave with a shallower angle than a bias ply tire.
It's the application of the casing that makes my day. Finally we are adventuring into the realm of higher performance designs, aside from using only layers and TPI . I expect other manufacturers (caught sleeping) are be in their labs working out a design to sell. So long as the weights are similar to existing tires it's a good direction to go.
I'd happily have a DH or Enduro spec "radial" tire with more psi range to use for different terrains, same as with bias-ply of today but with more of the promised micro compliance resulting in more grip.
I guess we'll see who's next to release a competing design.
good take on what's happening. i remember motorcycles changing to radial in the mid-80s. long after cars with their different tire physics and applied forces (not lateral like with single track vehicles). metzler did a hybrid kinda semiradial at first because the rims had to be adapted, too, mostly in width and profile. with bikes having much less applied forces at work compared to motorcycles and always fighting with weight, radial may become different from what we know in the motorized world. a little like with the adoption of motorcycle forks and shocks. exciting.
Henry you speak clearer on UA-cam than on the podcast. I imagine other Americans struggle to hear you enunciate words with fast speaking. Thank you for your content.
I appreciate this kind of content from PB. Feels like less of an ad and more informative.
What's the airspeed velocity of an unladen swallow?
African, or European?
I don't know that!?
Listen in order. To maintain air speed velocitya swallow must beat its wings 43 times every second
Not much when they grab the husk of a 5 pound coconut
I learned a lot on this one. Great vid!
I'll just leave this here: bought the Albert, installed it, pumped it up to roughly 35psi before it blew off the rim. Installed it again(my mistake) to try if it still held air. Rode it for a few km down a train just for it to blow up again on the landing of a small jump. I don't know if I got a manufacturing defect or if the radial casing somehow has weakened the sidewall to an extend where it doesn't hold onto the rim, but I will say their stated max pressure is the lowest I have seen on any Mtb tire, even lower than on their other tires, which is concerning considering you are supposed to run it at slightly higher pressure than non radial tires.
I have the Alberts and tried them out with a bit more pressure than I used to. They felt great. Lots of grip and comfort. Then I added even more air and they only got better! Rolling resistance almost disappeared, they felt poppy, but still had comfort and grip. Amazing tires if you pump them up!
Isn’t increasing pressure just reducing contact patch defeating the purpose of?
"Pump up the jam, pump it up
While your feet are stomping
And the jam is pumping
Look ahead, the crowd is jumpin'
Pump it up a little more
Get the party goin' on the dance floor
See? 'Cause that's where the party's at
And you'll find out, if you do that"
/Pump Up the Jam
Technotronic
@@pernyberg2816awa.....a place to stay
I really just want to know how to get that stupid purple line off my tire.
Shred more!
Thanks Henry! Best explanation of tire technology I've ever heard.
I was hoping for a 3d view of the radial tire internals. Would have made it clear.
It would have shown that they are not actual radials, if they would be honest...
I just bought a Spire, thanks in part to Henry. I am glad to see he is still running his.
A lot of great points explained in a unique, different and easy to understand way. Enjoyed that perspective, thanks Henry!!
Unbelievable how much of a difference the Radial casing makes and I'm also impressed at how well the system works in wet and damp conditions, the extra contact patch makes an insane and notable difference as I'm running closer to traditional pressures. The grip gives confidence and helps with composure to hit those technical rooty or rocky sections. I'm a big fan!
But you get them for free and they support you…..
Wow, been riding square tyres this all time. This is a life changer!
Excellent mini discussion and well explained Henry. Great work 👏
I have run Magic Mary in SuperTrail and Gravity Casing on the front in ultra soft for some years now and recently switched to the Gravity Pro Radial Ultra soft on my ebike enduro. It does indeed feel quite differently. There is more plushness and comfort and a bit more traction. I previously had problems on slippery, smooth rocks with the normal MM. The Radial works better. As for the intended surfaces, it works noticably better on muddy, loose ground and in loamy forest conditions. For hardpack the Albert would probably be better. I really like it! I was running 1,6bar (23 psi) in the front (gravity casing) for my 210lbs plus ebike weight. The radial worked fine for me with 1,7-1,8bar or 24,5 to 26psi. You do notice increase rolling resistance though. Thats why I would probably not use them on my trail bike. Especailly in the rear.
They really are a "bit" better than the normal MM Ultrasoft casings. Needed to add a couple psi (20 up to 22) or they give way a bit in the corners, but you do notice a small difference.
I was in need of these for my last ride! Very keen to try a pair.
Uhhh you rode the traditional tire but not the new one?
So I wasn't the onlyone who cought that...
He says “final lap” before the run. Guessing he did laps on both.
@@__marshie yeah, I think the video was cut a bit short and they left out the part where he rode the radial casing as well. Makes the ending a bit odd.
Great explanation. Thank you for the time spent
Not going back to non-Radial tyres. These Schwalbes really make the bike feel so much better. Supple and grippier. And that is comparing to the old non-Radial Schwalbe's I had before.
Now make one for us light trail riding types.
I doubt it's a coincidence they started with the heavier casing gravity oriented models. I'm guessing the XC/down country tires won't have enough sidewall support.
Been on Albert Trail 29s for a few months, feels good upfront, feels kinda slow out back.
If they come in Hans Dampf flavour, colour me interested. The HD has always just worked effortlessly for me.
I run a Zipp 3 zero rim, 220mm rotor and powerful brakes and a Push ACS3 coil conversion. This could be the next step to improving the front end of my bike. It was pretty amazing in the Alps this year as it was
Yes I was on my Yeti the other day with 222mm rotors and a Zipp 4 negative zero rim and my electronically actuated suspension by Ferrari. It too was pretty amazing after I toured my yacht to the New Zealand coast to hit the local DH trails in their beautiful summer weather.
I wonder how these tires play with say.. cushcores for example. Would the sidewall benefit from some support? Or would the pressure be high enough to negate the need. I’m sure the dampness would be taken to a new level! Thoughts?
Also, what are the chances of more contact patch causing burping... lots of questions. Need a whole series on different tests such as how much psi does it take to burp the alberts on the rear with the gravity casing, trail casing, soft, super soft compounds?
The FIRST thing you should say is “Shwalbe paid for this video ad”
Won't a more supply tyre make it easier to ding your rim? so then you'll need to increase the pressure to compensate? so then would there be any difference between running the new tyre at higher pressures compared to the old tyre at lower pressures?
He said if you add pressure they still have more contact patch
@@andymtb3212 But he didn't demonstrate it, how much more pressure would you need to add to prevent you from dinging your rim? and would it still have a bigger contact patch compared to the old tyre? I'm not saying it wouldn't, I just need to see some evidence, especially considering the mountain bike industry is full of marketing hype
@@benjy288 exatclty what i was thinking all along. more tyre patch means tyre is deflecting more? so the tyre will get to the rim with less force? pump them up more, so the tyre is deflecting the same amount as a standard tyre and boom the contact patch is the same as would be on a standard tyre. I could be wrong but from how i look at it all you have done is ran more pressure to acheive the same result.
@@gaspertolar7950 Yea, I'm about 78kg and I currently have a syerra front tyre, its 60tpi so its not as supply, but because its not as supply I can run lower pressures at 17psi without any rim strike issues
@@gaspertolar7950the request from the DH team was a tyre that could be run at higher pressures with the same grip. The increase in pressure meant they didn’t need inserts for puncture prevention which in turn gave a performance benefit of reducing the un sprung weight on the bikes leading to wins.
For us consumers, we have the choice of same pressures and more grip or like the DH teams, more pressure and ditching inserts if you run them.
Testing a radial tyre would be good though.
Nice explanation on how they work but........
Also on the cardboard testing if there was a difference in contact patch it sure wasn't 30%
I'm guessing tyre pressure rim was the same?🤷
I usually take a worn out Dh casing tire and put it inside of a softer and lighter tire. Double the weight, but double the protection.
If you choose the air pressure so that both tires have the same rolling resistance, then I would like to know how the riding experience is or whether the difference cancels out. Everything else sounds like pure marketing to me. The placebo effect is very powerful.
@@bertkreft9689 I’ve heard the knobs on the radials are shorter to compensate for the larger contact patch and rolling resistance.
Haha when you try these youll be amazed. The one thing in mtb that actually makes a difference. And this is coming from a Maxxis guy
That's what I was thinking, if you adjust the air pressure so that both tyres have the same contact patch then what's the difference exactly? just the number on your tyre pressure gauge
@ you cannot think that in numbers, its silly. 30 psi radial feels different and probably still has a way larger cp than a 23 psi non radial. And the point is not to pump them to 50 or keep your non radial at 14 psi.. this thinking is silly and same as if unc had tits hed be an aunt. The feel is the thing, not just the contact patch
@ I'm not thinking in numbers, I'm thinking in contact patch, if you set up both tyres to have the same contact patch and to where you don't have any rim strike issues, then what's the difference between the two exactly? besides the number on your tyre pressure gauge
I can't wait to try them when the DH season starts up this year
It's a good story, but it's made possible by tubeless technology. Tubes need stiffer sidewalls so they don't pinch flat. Radial tyres will become the next thing since it appears to be working out, plus they should be a bit cheaper to make. They'll be tubeless only.
"Less diagonal tire" would be more accurate name for this tires... or "Radial...ish tire".
I'm going to say what i said in a comment. The entire benefit of pneumatic tires is that the pressure everywhere in the tire is the same. The area of the contact patch is simply the weight divided by the pressure of the tire. 200lbs on 20PSI tires will give you a 10 square inch area contact patch. Maybe the contact patch is wider?
If your tires is as hard as a rock the pressure doesn't matter at all. It matters how much force is required to deform the tire.
@@a.r.8850 Exactly. I have some heavy load range tires on my truck and even if the PSI is down into the 10's the rear still looks near as inflated and the fronts at 50psi. The outer tire carcass is so firm that it takes a lot of weight to even begin to deform the tire.
What they leave out in terms of puncture resistance is the fact that there is no steel belt in the bicycle radial. With that said, what does a goat head do, besides go on through the casing? A piece of glass is going to Ginsu knife the tire regardless of bias or radial.
On the brighter side, radials will offer better ride quality and traction. I had a pair of radial XC tires in the early 90's that were made or offered by an obscure brand. They did work but were discontinued in a short time after the first couple batches were out. The issue was people throwing them on stupid narrow rims and wondering why they folded in the corners. Too supple was the reason the tires had been discontinued. (I hoarded wide rims due to the 90's sucking right out loud for rim choices)
Not many people can understand why my trials bike has a 48mm wide rear rim. With a 2.5 on it! Road rims are worthless for dirtin' and worthless for anything wider than a 1.5...
On the drop test to cardboard there are the exact same amount of lugs touching the cardboard. How exactly did the radial supposedly do better?
I want to run these on my trail bike. But they have no options yet for that discipline. Shredda, Magic Mary and Albert are more in line for Enduro/DH
But if they make one for their hans dampf, wicked will or nobby nick I'll give it a shot!
I got the Albert. Great for "regular" trail (that's basically all we have in my area). Love 'em.
Every time Henry says traditional casing I just think of sausages
2:25 - they are the same size
I've tried them on my Mountain unicycle, where tires are basically the only suspension, so its behaviour is very important. Does it make a difference? Yes, it feels more compliant at higher pressure, but it also feels very spongy at lower pressure. I like it slightly better for riding in rocky terrain with lots of sharp edges, but I think I might prefer the normal casing in smoother terrain.
It's a good tire technology, but I don't think it is the revolution that Schwalbe claims and they should probably keep the normal casing around, at least for some models.
Someone said it’s like ground from air suspension to coil. Once winter is over Dirty Dans in dh casing are coming off and two radial Marys are going on.
I'm definitely getting these tires for next season. If you need a bottom out bumper to protect your current rim and tire hit me up ;)
Who makes the tool box/butcher block top that is in the video?!
1:52 ? Bro, Schwalbe is just a Bird 😂
2.6 Albert Radial measures at 2.4 when it's stretched. I'm not a fanboy or anything but failing at such a basic, yet so important thing makes me question about the effort they put into the new radials.
My freshly installed 47 mm tire is 42 mm on my rim. Gravel bikes have limited tire clearance, but I was brave enough to "size up". The rim can alter the width.
So they now finally have achieved to make a MTB tire more expensive than a decent car tire? Congratulations 🎉
Agreed. Plus car tyres last 60 to 80 times longer.
did not watch it till the end,too nerdy for me.. but have one of these(Albert) installed on this bike on my profile picture.. Rear tire on a hardtail and biggest difference of any tire swap so far in my riding career(10+year riding). I have insert in there as well,had to up my pressure by 0,3 bar (do not try and ride same pressure as conventional tire,just does not work). The way tire stabilizes rear end and smooths out the ride(especially noticable on carbon hoops) with much better braking traction,it is super reassuring. I did have old NOBBY NIC 2,4 on there before, in soft casing and this could have influence my judgment to be fair,but if you ride "stiffy" out back I think you can not go wrong.
Wait, Did I miss the part where you rode the radial tire?
I bet it makes a differance. I'm all for a casing that grips better at higher pressures 👍 I ran the DH22 (old wired ones) and I really feel the same thing that Henry talked about on the podcast a while ago about very heacy tyres with stiff casings. You are kinda chasing a level of comliance that you only reach at very low pressures. Which, in turn, is too soft when you hit things hard = bottom out.
If this radial business is the real deal then I can pretty much bet my monthly allowance (aka pay check) that all brands will be introducing similar tech pretty soon.
@Pinkbike - In the last/riding segment, that’s a really nice colour jacket (the burgundy/wine). What is it?
What's the Weight of the DH Tire ?
I just climbed and descended 2500' on my radial Mary and Albert. I ran about 5 psi higher than normal for each. It was an absolute game changer. The grip was noticeable, but even better was having more air pressure for added suspension.
Isn't more pressure equal to less suspension?
@gooutanddogreatthings More pressure gives your tires more compression before bottoming out on the rim. The only reason we run lower pressures today is for grip, but if we can get the same grip with higher pressure we get a little added suspension.
@@ChristopherBloom What do you weigh or what was your before and after pressure -after adding 5 psi?
@TazErrant I'm about 160 with gear and previously rode about 19/24 psi.
@@ChristopherBloom Thanks - that gives me a good comparison. I'm 110 with gear and currently run 16/18.
My dilemma... I have a Yeti SB160 with Continental Kryptoal front and rear, love them. Looking for less rolling resistance possibly to help on longer ride days. Was thinking Maxxis forekaster v2, or do I go with the radial Alberta's front and rear. Is rolling resistance any better then my Continental's being I can put more air pressure in the Alberta's and get more grip and compliance?
The Forekaster V2 is awesome. Side lugs still confidently large for turning and burning but rolling resistance is great! Id place it in-between the
Rekon and DHR/F for grip
The radial construction adds rolling resistance, because the tire deforms more. I can't compare to the tires you mentioned, but I replaced a regular Magic Mary with the equivalent Albert and the rolling resistance is similar, despite running the Albert at slightly higher pressure and it having a less agressive profile.
I will give it a try on my DH bike :) ...when I finish front Magic Mary :D
I use Schwalve, maxxis (In front a Minion DHF but rear a Schwalve in ione bicycle good traction + fast rear), chaoyang cheap, kenda cheap and other brands and for me that I ´m a XC rider, the Schwalves are the fastest. But the durability ... that is not the best and that is why in other bicycles I use other brands. But for my main bicycles, no doubt: Fast is a priority and that is what they give to me. Very happy with my schwalbes.
To me Maxxis casing feels the same as Schwalbe radials… Schwalbe non radials are really stiff unflexy
Maxxis casing really are supple out of the box. But after a few demanding days, they get too soft
I love mountain biking - but honestly it must get SO exhausting reviewing the tech and gear, year over year trying to split hairs on the "performance benefits". Its just wild.
29 PSI additional 10% contact at what rider weight? Surely the rider weight is the most important info here before anything else.
10% more compared to non radial tires. Rider weight is irrelevant.
I think these numbers are bs. If you have 200lbs on tires at 20PSI, you have 10 square inches of contact patch. The area doesn't change unless you change pressure or weight, but the shape might change a little. That's the whole benefit of a pneumatic tire.
Will there BE a Downhill casing
Wait a minute! HOW the contact is 30% bigger with the same pressure? Because sidewals are MORE compliant - they BEND more - that how I understand it. So, to protect the rim you will have to put more pressure - to compensate more bending of the sidewall. This will decrease contact area.
What is the point then?
Well, not everyting is linear.
Schwalbe says: Adding 7 psi (0.5 bar) still gives you 10% more contact area than a regular tire
I'm sorry to say this henry, but I have a hard time keeping up with your videos that are very technical. I'll have to rewatch and give you examples
Add 12:40 do you say traditional tires deflect less? Because you say radial tires are drastically different, but you don't describe this
Schwalbe is bird, in englisch -a swallow. To swallow someting is -etwas schlucken- in german. It’s wierd or let‘s say it‘s just confusing.
Have the Albert tyre on the front and love it. The grip is amazing. May get one for the rear too but run it at a higher pressure. When I got the Albert tyre I increased my pressure from 1 bar to 2 bar 👍
Erm......where was the run using the other tyres?
"3x spokes are longer so you have to run the spoke at a higher tension to compensate" not remotely accurate. Longer spokes have more strain at a given tension so *theoretically* the longer the spoke, the less tension you need. d=PL/EA. After all, the only reason we tension is so the spoke can still maintain a force on the wheel while the wheel deflects, like a spring being shortened. And don't you dare try to tell me that the stiffness of the wheel is dependent on the spoke tension.
Wow, first tubeless tires, now radials. I for one am excited to see what other 20 year old tech the bicycle community can finally steal from motor vehicles. ABS anyone?
Edit: Correction, radial tires were invented in the 40's and became standard in the 80's, so that's at least 40 year old tech finally introduced in 2025. Also, I am in no way suggesting ABS would be a good idea offroad, though off-road ABS does exists on newer dual sport motorcycles. So by my calculations MTBs will have it around 2065.
They already are working on that.
Bosche iin conjunction with Magura have already done that too. Primarily designed for cargo and e-bikes though.
ABS is the worst idea ever on a mountain bike
Abs would take so much of the fun out of mtb. Please no. Maybe for ebikes and the people that want..... That. Not for the adrenaline junkies
@@FreeTimeFeats ABS would be plain dangerous on a mountain bike, imagine riding a steep double black and ABS decides to release some brake pressure because it thinks that your wheel is about to lock, that's not what anyone would ever want to happen
My buddy was sheepishly admitted to rocking these when I asked Wtf are those? Must be expensive
They are, early adopter fee as always. I did hear good things from friends using them though, so I might fall victim to the hype as well
@@sp00n Not really, pricing is exactly in line with the competing tires. Soft rubber, strong casing enduro/DH tires all seem to cost ~80€, whether Schwalbe, Maxxis or Continental.
Damn things are getting bad for pink bike guys are doing ad eps to pay da bills
Been in the MTB game since 91'...hands down the best $100 anyone can spend. Been running them in the front on a few bikes.
Everyone is drinking the coolaide.
Everyone getting payed to sell the coolaid. I'm desperately waiting for some independent reviews, but I guess everyone got money to produce ads (like this) on the launch, so they can't really do it yet.
Good, but not a gamechanger and not better in all situations is my summary after testing them btw.
@ 100%. I am running a pair atm. Won’t bother putting them on again for the price. Every other rider who has tried them in my area repeats the marketing spiel back to me about them. Next front tyre will be High Roller 3. I predominantly ride loose over hard. Back to back testing with other tyres suggest these are pretty good.
@@thegriff9425 Were they more expensive for you? I bought the Albert specifically because they were the same price as getting the magic mary I was running before again and I wanted to try a slightly less "spikey" tread pattern. Somewhere in the 70-80€ range is about where most soft compound, stronger casing enduro/DH tires are nowadays and the high roller 3 seems to be the same.
The radio casing... ;)
I'm sorry, but in the interest of complete objectivity you need to do those runs blindfolded.
Uh, where’s the ride on the radial???
None of the analogies make any sense to me. The presenter may be a better cyclist than me, but it takes me a while to find the edge of where a tire grips and where it doesn't . Van der Poel might get it in one run, but I might not. I do know that when radials came to cars, they went much faster and the tires lasted much longer. I wouldn't be surprised if this isn't the next great technology, but it may not be. I would love to see a blind test with a pro level rider, no offense.
Cars and motorcycles have been 7sing radial for a long time, why just now are bicycles going radial? 🤷♂️
But they don't ... These are not actual radials. Their threads have 30° angle instead of 45. That's it! Proper radial should have 0.
These tires are not bad, just not worth the price. Increased suppleness is mostly negated by the high pressure you'll need to run. I will not buy them again unless they are cheaper than the regular casing.
I’m running Magic Mary’s 2.5 with the gravity radial casing and they are legit 🤘🏻
It is not Schwalbi…little bit later in video… thank you please 🤣
Henry, your discussion of the spoked wheel and comparison to a radial tire sounded like complete fiction dressed up as well-intentioned gobbledegook.
Jobst Brandt would be spinning past redline in his grave.
If you aren't racing for big checks these more expensive tires and the minimal theoretical gains are pointless.
Paid partnership = bias
Correction at 6:29: crosses on a 3x are totally accidental. We use crossed wheel lacing to make sure that the spoke exits the hub tangent to the flange of the hub. Also - spoke _length_ has no bearing on its tension.
EDIT2 - frankly - the entire analogy makes no sense.
EDIT3 - also, contact patch is almost entirely up to pressure.
Now what is true is that radial casing ought to be a little more supple because layers of the casing cloth are not working against each other - which is why it is used widely in car tires.
Will we ever get any non-sponsored content on here again? PB fell off.
Science is cool and all but I'd rather just have the ride review.
yo chat is this bumbling!??
10% of what ?This is the big bussines of the really small changes this days...
Just be done and get a fatbike. MORE traction, MORE float.
From low PSI Land drover mode to high PSI pavement cruiser mode fat bikers know their fat tyres do it all.
Trail speed
Useless promo. Henry didn't even clarified that by "radial" they mean less than 45° angle of the threads (I think it's around 30°) and he proceeded to show how the equivalent position of a radial spoke would go "straight to the rim" which is not the case for this tyre. You pretend to explain and clarify how it works and you are actually more shady and dishonest than it would be flattering for you. Pinkbike could be a great source of technical knowledge but bills have to be paid... Pity...
Yeah this was shady. Pinkbike isn't what it used to be...
omfg 15 sec. and i can not more 🤮
A non-solution to a problem that didn't really exist
Man - please lay off the noise reduction - great videos but listening to robots is tiresome.
What a cheeky price tag. Not even interested
Schwalbe.... Solving a tubeless problem whilst creating a different tubeless problem. Someone should do an article on a taped and tubed tyre v tubeless radial tyres.
you failed to convince and taught me nothing in the process ... big waste of time
shwalbi
Reputable MTB review sites are saying that it is all marketing hype and 95% of riders wouldn't even notice.
It is completely noticeable. Name the frauds.
@@dommer742 Congratulations! I knew that I would bring out the Elite %5 of MTB riders with this comment.
I haven't ridden them but it sounds like most reviewers I follow say it is noticeable. Some may disagree on if they like it or not but most do notice.