Racing Ralph. For racers and riders in regions where hardpack and scrabble dominate, and where climbing is mandatory, there may be no better tire on the market. The Racing Ralph SnakeSkin Tubeless Easy Tire may not be the most versatile tire out there, but when you love speed and grip, and require a decent level of protection at light weight, it is hard to beat. We feel Ralph is more versatile than Rocket Ron, and saves us weight compared to Nobby Nic. Why? Primarily the low profile knob configuration and alignment. Schwalbe calls the Ralph an out and out racing tire, but we know many riders prefer it for every day use. With it's more closely spaced center knobs, you do get a little more protection and longer wear, and the side knobs deliver just enough traction, especially at the low pressures enabled by tubeless set-up. Without SnakeSkin sidewall protection, we would wholeheartedly agree with Schwalbe.

As with all of it's high end racing tires, Schwalbe utilizes the triple compound PaceStar rubber composition in the Racing Ralph. You get the firmest compound on the center knobs, the supple medium rubber in the casing, and the softest in the outer edge knobs for maximum grip. When running low pressures in tubeless set-ups, the shape of the tire changes at ground contact, from a rounded profile to a wider, flatter surface that now has more active grip and more overall traction. As you lean into a turn, this conforming shape stays on the ground, even while the edge force from the rim wants to push it away.

It is this ability to stick, hold, and be predictable that makes such a fast rolling tire a good descender on hardpack. Even in loose material, this tire will hold you in place. While it may not be an ideal mud or soft surface tire, the fact of the matter is that although knob spacing is tight in the center, it widens at the edge, and it doesn't cake up much, so don't worry if conditions change, you can still push the Ralph to perform. One note on the 29er version of this tire: due to the increased ground footprint zone, the variation on knob placement and height is different to optimize the larger surace area.