Schwalbe

Racing Ralph Double Defense TL Ready Tire - 26in

Nearly a decade ago, riders of that era's spindly XC bikes experienced the lightweight, low-profile, and high-volume ride of Schwalbe's Racing Ralphs. Chainstays lost paint, opinions swayed, and those twitchy XC bikes evolved into the trail-taming monsters that they are today. And during that time, Ralph continued to nurture the advancement with updated casings, new sizes, and multiple rubber compounds. However, until this 26in Double Defense TL Ready Tire, Schwalbe hadn't messed with the tread pattern.

Aside from the new Double Defense TL casing, this tire's side knobs received attention from Schwalbe's technicians to address cornering traction. We'll take a closer look at that in a second. First, the new casing.

Schwalbe enhanced its TL Tubeless Ready casing with a high-density Vectran fabric — the same that's found on its high-quality Ultremo road tire. And when combined with the SnakeSkin sidewall protection, the Racing Ralph boasts an incredible level of puncture-resistance without sacrificing any of its highly respected ride and low-weight reputation.

Back to the tread pattern, though, the favored, tightly-spaced centerline knobs remain, as do the wide and supportive transition knobs. Which brings us to the ones that prevent washing out when on the edge — side knobs. They're now cupped, or "U-shaped," and they're angled to offer up more surface-area to ground. So, the Racing Ralph is now able to charge into corners harder than ever.

For added assurance, and high-speed capability, Schwalbe uses its PaceStar rubber compound, which places hard rubber down the center for low rolling-resistance and improved wear life. Additionally, the side knobs receive a softer rubber compound. So, in essence, you get the speed of a hard-compound tire, mated to the cornering grip of a softer tire, only without sacrificing wear life for traction.

The Schwalbe Racing Ralph Double Defense TL Ready 26in Tire is available in a 2.25-inch width and in the color Black with White labels.