Review: Schwalbe Magic Mary and Rock Razor Tires
Schwalbe introduced two new gravity oriented tires at Interbike 2013, the aggressive Magic Mary and semi-slick Rock Razor. The Magic Mary with its big beefy knobs is a descendent of the Muddy Mary, but shares some design characteristics right between the Muddy Mary and Dirty Dan, helping it thrive in loose conditions. The Rock Razor has a semi-slick section or low height center knobs along the middle of the tire for low rolling resistance, along with large side knobs for cornering.
Magic Mary
The new Magic Mary is the successor to the Muddy Mary, and the big chunky knobs and open tread design provide excellent control and traction in a wide variety of conditions. The tubeless ready 2.35″ width tire comes in 26″, 27.5″ and 29″ sizes, in their VertStar and TrailStar compounds, and Super Gravity and SnakeSkin sidewall protection systems. The Super Gravity versions weigh around 1050 grams each and retail for $94, while the SnakeSkin comes in at 800 grams and costs $82.
- 26 x 2.35 – Super Gravity VertStar, Super Gravity TrailStar, SnakeSkin TrailStar
- 27.5 x 2.35 – Super Gravity VertStar, Super Gravity TrailStar, SnakeSkin TrailStar
- 29 x 2.35 – Super Gravity TrailStar, SnakeSkin TrailStar
The tire is meant for loose or wet conditions, where traction, cornering and braking in less than optimal conditions is paramount. The knobs are monstrous, blocky and aggressive, and they have lots have siping for an additional bite into the terrain. The open tread design has a two-three center line-up design (the three are ramped), along with big beefy angled shoulder knobs. All the large siped knobs, tread pattern and design provided increased grip in corners, better braking and tractor pulling traction in soft, loose and muddy conditions. Of course, the large knobs and heavy weight come with poorer acceleration and rolling resistance, which is to be expected with a tire that isn’t meant for cross-country racing or use on hardpack.
Measured specs:
- Weight – 1058 grams (27.5″ Super Gravity TrailStar)
- Width – 2.28″ carcass and 2.31″ knobs
Rock Razor
The new Rock Razor is a semi-slick tire meant for the Gravity and Enduro world, with low center knobs for fast-rolling and acceleration, and is optimized for the rear wheel. The tubeless ready 2.35″ width tire comes in 26″ and 27.5″ sizes (no 29″ as yet), in their TrailStar compound and Super Gravity protection system, or their PaceStar compound and SnakeSkin sidewalls. The Super Gravity weighs around 950 grams each and retail for $93, while the SnakeSkin comes in at 680 grams and costs $89.
- 26 x 2.35 – Super Gravity TrailStar, SnakeSkin PaceStar
- 27.5 x 2.35 – Super Gravity TrailStar, SnakeSkin PaceStar
The tire tread has a very low height along the center in a four-three line-up design, and has large, tall and beefy shoulder knobs just like the Magic Mary. The center tread pattern makes for a quick roller, and once rolled over for cornering; the monstrous side knobs take over for traction and control purposes. The low tread height mimics what many mechanics alter on racer’s tires at many Enduro events; they cut down the knobs to gain extra speed from the tire.
Measured specs:
- Weight 940 grams (27.5″ Super Gravity TrailStar)
- Wdth – 2.25″ carcass and 2.3″ knobs
Continue reading for more on the Schwalbe Magic Mary and Rock Razor and full photo gallery.
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