Schwalbe Nobby Nic Tyres - Review

Schwalbe Nobby Nic Evo 2.25

I have been using these tyres as a front and rear combination for over a year now and thought I'd give you my opinion on them.

I've put these tyres though their paces and have tried them in various conditions now from dry dusty conditions to wet sloppy mud on rocks and roots.  They have been used for general trail use and not racing or downhill.

Before putting on the tyres my first reaction was that despite looking quite chunky with their very squared nobbles they are surprisingly light.  Not light like say Schwalbes Racing Ralphs or my previous Continental Supersonics which weighed about 100gram less per tyre.  But for a trail tyre or a marathon muncher 570g isn't that bad at all.

Getting them on the bike proved to be easy enough, folding tyres never are in my opinion, and being able to get a tyre on without busting my figures is always a bonus.  Once on they sat nicely and evenly within the rim.  You'd be surprised at the amount of tyres I've fitted to bikes that have a rise or dip in them.

On the Trails

On the trail these tyres are what its all about and I could find very little to fault with them.  They rolled surprisingly well.  Looking at them they remind me of Panaracer Fire XCs with their high square nobbles but just behave totally different.  I'd easily say they were some of the fastest I've owned considering the tread. They picked up speed quickly and effortlessly.

Cornering was also another surprise but when you consider how they are made I guess I shouldn't have been.  They are very sure footed and grip well giving great confidence without just letting go when you've got your bike leaned over.  The reason lies in the rubber on the tyre.  The top tread is made of a hard rubber for ware and speed but the sides are soft for extra grip.

In the mud these tryes cleared ok.  They never seemed to hold onto the mud giving you what effectively would be a slick tyre like some tyres Ive owned in the past.  They shed the mud quickly at speed sending great chunks up into the air.

Over rocks and roots they were solid.  Reassuringly grippy meaning I could attack wet rooty descents with more confidence than previous tyres that I've owned. 

In conclusion these tryes are one of those rare breeds that seem to do everything well.  Granted there are lighter faster rolling tyres but not many that also have the great grip and will give you the same confidence.

There are some negative points that I shall draw your attention to and ones I've found other users mention.  The sidewalls are quite flimsy, with riders reporting tearing them with ease.  This being the case it is important to run the tyres with the recommended pressures in them to ensure this weakness is not exposed.  As yet I've no problems with this issue, but there are a number that have so it can't be ignored.

At £40 a tyre they are expensive and if used on the roads lots will wear down quite quickly.  But you are paying for a good quality tyre.  The question in my mind remains not should I buy them but do I get these or the Rocket Rons which are also excellent tyre by Schwalbe which have a smaller tread but by all accounts are just as good but suffer from wearing issues as they are very soft.

Previous Tyres Used

WTB Velociraptors 2.1
IRC Mythos 1.95
Specialised Hardrocks 2.1
Panaracer Fire XC 2.1
Continental Explorers 2.1
Continental Supersonics 2.1

Posted in: Schwalbe Nobby Nic