Schwalbe Albert and Shredda MTB Tires

Schwalbe, the tire specialist from Reichshof, presents two new high-flyers: Albert and Shredda. The highlight of the matter? The construction of the carcass could represent a groundbreaking new technology for off-road tires of the future. Sounds good? Rides that way too!

No, not at all. Traditionally, in the bicycle sector, you only find diagonally woven carcasses, where the threads used usually run at a 45° angle to each other. Depending on how densely it is woven, this textile has different properties. This value is measured as TPI (Threads per Inch) and as a rule of thumb: the higher the TPI value, the higher the quality of the tire.

In the automotive industry, however, you rarely encounter this construction. The diagonally arranged threads bring several advantages but also a number of problems, which is why almost exclusively radial tires are used in the automotive sector. But why not for bicycles? A radial carcass requires a significantly stronger bead core in the form of a wire, which does not exist in this form in folding tires.

A radial tire is significantly more supple than its counterpart. The shorter threads in the carcass are overlapped with less tension, allowing the rubber to deform better at specific points. A more supple carcass means it can deform more easily under pressure. This, in turn, means that the tire offers better traction at the same pressure. More grip means more safety and results in more riding fun.

Furthermore, radial tires offer about 30% more contact area than conventional tires at the same air pressure. Even with a 50% increase in air pressure, the contact area is still 15% larger, and the tire retains its flexible properties. This allows the air pressure to be freely chosen according to the rider's preferences - with almost no negative effects on damping behavior and comfort!

At Albert, which we were able to test extensively in Finale, the improved handling is particularly noticeable for riders like me, who would like to shred but do not have the necessary confidence and experience to keep up with the young, wild Enduro bros. The larger contact patch and more flexible response provide significantly more grip, damping, safety, and comfort. The tire absorbs impacts better and uses the suspension travel more effectively - it practically clings to the ground.

This applies to both mountain bikes and e-MTBs, which bring significantly more traction to the ground with these tires.

The fact that the system works excellently even in racing has already been proven by Schwalbe athletes: A total of 14 World Cup victories speak for themselves.

During the development of the Albert, Schwalbe's developers utilized insights from the development of the Tacky Chan. The fundamental question was: What should a tire look like that provides me with a lot of safety in every situation? The shoulder lugs of the Tacky Chan were adopted, providing extended braking edges, durability, and good transferability of lateral forces. Overall, the tire is designed to be more closed and rounder. There are only two different types of lugs.

Carl Kämper, Product Management & Development MTB, says: „We have much more rubber on the ground and several knobs that are constantly in contact with the surface. Combined with the larger contact area of the radial tires, this gives you an extraordinary amount of control while riding, whether braking or accelerating. The tire adapts extremely well.“

Actually, I can only confirm this statement. During the test setup, we were sent on a short downhill section. Our demo bikes, equipped with the well-known Magic Mary (Super Gravity compound) in 2.4", performed as expected. I make no secret of the fact that I am not a big fan of e-bikes. The entire bike feels too sluggish to me, and I have to concentrate significantly more on the trail due to the additional mass to maintain control. The oversized suspensions help and patiently absorb many mistakes, but I don't really feel safe with them in technical terrain. The Pivot Shuttle AM was no exception.

The first laps were still quite cautious. But as I got used to the bike and the ground became more familiar, I slowly got into the flow. Then the product manager ordered a pit stop, during which new tires were mounted. At that point, we editors didn't know what new product we were about to encounter. "Blind testing" is what it's called in technical jargon, as I learned.

The first run with the Albert Gravity felt different, although I couldn't immediately pinpoint the difference. The ground seemed grippier, I felt a better sense of control, and the sections lost some of their sharpness - crazy, but noticeable.

At the launch event in the evening, I got to know the aforementioned technical details. All I could say with certainty at that time was that the tire seemed more coherent to me, especially in this technical trail section, which I normally wouldn't have wanted to ride with an e-MTB.

The new Albert comes in two versions: Trail, for scaredy-cats like me, as an option for an improved all-mountain experience, and Gravity, for the wild dogs among you. Uncompromising performance, but still enough control and safety reserves, so you don't necessarily have to plan a short vacation in the hospital. Despite the excellent characteristics, the tire is not intended for racing use, but is aimed at ambitious weekend warriors.

The second new addition to the lineup, the Shredda, I unfortunately could not test on-site. However, the hard facts from the product presentation raise high expectations. The tire is available in a front and a rear version and was specifically developed for technically demanding trails with the E-MTB. The front tire impresses with the greatest tread depth that Schwalbe has ever produced: 10 mm on the shoulder and 8 mm in the center. Visually, the tire thus resembles a motocross tire.

While the central knobs stand on the tire like pyramids (for stability and abrasion resistance), the angled shoulder knobs deform while riding and interlock. Even when steering and in a strong lean, the tire is supposed to offer a lot of control. The tire not only provides advantages in uphill riding; particularly on soft ground, the tread depth along with the open tread design ensures good interlocking. This makes the tire ideal for efficiently transferring impulses on soft ground despite the higher weight of an e-MTB.

Robert Mennen, Product Manager MTB, says: “When developing the Shredda, the goal was: Master technical trails! The long knobs transmit steering forces even on steep uphill sections.”

Therefore, the tire's tread looks so powerful – function is clearly in the foreground here. On the Shredda Rear, the tread depth is slightly less, but the extreme protrusion of the many knobs stands out. Individual knobs are reinforced with bridges to ensure even more stability and durability.

Mennen says: “With the shoveling effect of the many knobs, we bring the power to the ground – both when braking and accelerating.”

The new radial construction in the bicycle sector brings many advantages, especially for riders who do not feel 100% confident in rough terrain. More traction, better damping behavior, and excellent handling are clear benefits that elevate the riding experience to a new level.

From personal experience, I can only speak for the Albert in the Gravity option, as we have not yet received the trail versions of the tire. A direct comparison would certainly have been interesting.

I can't give any personal impressions of the Shredda, but it seems to be an exciting new option for (electrified) endurists and anyone who wants to become one. If you want to make your e-bike look like a KTM, you will surely be happy with these hardcore studded tires.

In fact, there are no negative points that I would have noticed with this tire. The weight maybe? But let's be honest: Anyone who pays attention to every gram on an enduro e-bike should find a sense of humor elsewhere.