Schwalbe's Magic Mary is the new mainstay of their gravity range, replacing the Muddy Mary as their all-conditions tyre. Before it was even released it was clocking up downhill World Cup and World Championships wins. This year this tyre took Steve Smith most of the way to the series overall title. On the enduro race circuit they have taken Nico Lau to Trans-Provence and numerous national race wins. We have been putting in time on them since last May to find out what all the fuss is about.
The profile of the Magic Mary
Details:• Purpose: All-mountain/trail/enduro/downhill (dependent on carcass)
• Sizes available: 26, 27.5 and 29 inch
• Carcass: Evolution-Snakeskin, Super Gravity and Downhill
• Compounds available: Trailstar (intermediate), Vertstar (soft)
• Tubeless ready: Evolution Snakeskin and Super Gravity carcasses
• Weight: 795g, 1045 or 1190g (dependent on carcass)
• MSRP: $93.25 (Super Gravity)
ConstructionSchwalbe offer the Magic Mary in three carcass options: Evolution-Snakeskin, Super Gravity and Downhill. The Evolution-Snakeskin uses two layers on the sidewall and three under the tread, reinforced with a Snakeskin protection layer on the sidewall. For the downhill tyre there are four layers on the sidewall, reinforced with a Snakeskin layer on the outisde and Apex snakebite protection inside, under the tread there are six layers. On the Super Gravity tyres there four layers on the sidewall, reinforced with a Snakeskin layer and the Apex snakebike protection, unlike the other two options, the Snakeskin layer extends under the tread, supporting the two carcass layers there. In terms of weight, this means a 26 inch Magic Mary is 795g in the Evolution-Snakeskin option, 1045g in Super Gravity and 1190g in Downhill. All tyres with the Snakeskin and Super Gravity casings are tubeless ready, but they don't feel there is the same demand for the downhill tyres.
The three carcass options (from left to right): Evolution Snakeskin, Super Gravity and Downhill. The Snakeskin layer is red and the Apex protection is in blue.
Schwalbe offer two compound options on the tyre - the softer, downhill-orientated Vertstar and the harder and faster-rolling Trailstar. Both options are made up of several different compounds to try and maximise traction where it matters most and offer some additional longevity where they suffert the most abuse. They offer an extensive range of combinations of carcass, compound and wheelsize. In 26" and 27.5" wheels they offer every possible mix, but as there is no market for 29" downhill bikes right now, the 29" tyres are only available in the Trailstar compound with the Snakeskin and Super Gravity casings - there is no downhill or soft compound option.
SetupMichael from Schwalbe offering some expert help with the mounting.
We tested both the Super Gravity casing in, 26" and 27.5" in the Trailstar compound. Mounting the tyres tubelessly depended very much on the rim, with the DT Swiss EXC 1550 wheels they needed a compressor to seat. With the newer DT Swiss Spline ONE EX 1501 and Stans Flow EX wheels they were an utter joy to work with, more or less seating without even needing a pump. We chose to keep our pressures conservative, but many of their enduro racers like Nico Lau and Adam Craig drop the pressures down to around the 20psi mark for racing.
Out on the TrailClimbing: The 290g weight saving in comparison to the downhill tyre makes a huge difference, saving that kind of weight from the rotational mass will completely change a bikes handling. What surprised us about these tyres was how well they rolled, considering the big, aggressive tread pattern and 1kg+ weight. While they didn't exactly dance up long transfers, they don't suck the life out of you, like a full set of downhill tyres. When you get to technical climbing, having a big sticky tyre means you have more traction, more of the time, which helps you tackle obstacles.
Cornering: One of the biggest innovations in the Magic Mary is the block size - having bigger, sturdier blocks means the tyre stands up better to aggressive riding. Combine that with healthy gaps in between them and they allow you to feel where on the tyre you are so well. You know exactly when you transition from the centre to the side and the shape and size of the blocks means that when you lean in they bite and you can hold it there. Unlike some other big block tyres, they encourage you to use the side, rather than push through it. It takes a little adjustment at first to get used to where you can push them to, but pretty soon it is very noticeable when you switch to another tyre with less side, you really miss the grip.
We put a lot of time in on these tyres on the rocky and rooty trails around Sospel in France.
Braking: Under hard braking the square centre tread keeps them composed. They brake in a nice, straight line and don't squirm about too much.
All-weather performance: Maybe the most impressive thing about the Magic Mary is how much of the year they work for and the range of different surfaces they work well on. We first mounted them in May and are still on them now in January - we've used them from dusty summer conditions, through to wet, muddy winter. They are a true year-round tyre and we were continually impressed with how well they performed, no matter what we asked of them. Whether it was on slick, wet rocks where we just wanted to understand what traction was available, or throwing up the inviting loam of deep pine forests, they felt good.
Lifespan: This is the one area where Schwalbe tyres traditionally don't perform as strongly as some of their competitors, and unfortunately the Magic Mary is no exception. They have worked on their compounds and the drop-off isn't as dramatic as it was a couple of years ago, but they're not going to last forever. With the level of technology that goes into these tyres, both in terms of carcass and compound, they aren't cheap, which inevitably makes people more sensitive to lifespan. That technology offers great performance, but we suspect a good part of their target audience would prefer to be able to buy them in a single, harder compound, sacrificing outright performance for a simpler, cheaper tyre that lasts longer.
Pinkbike's Take: | There's a very good reason why the Magic Mary is quickly becoming the number one choice of privateer racers in both downhill and enduro. Today they have the dubious privilege of having their logos blacked out by more racers who are unhappy with the tyres they are supposed to be using than with any other tyre. Quite simply, they perform outstandingly in most conditions, offering impressive sensitivity and outright grip. Also, with the extensive range of sizes, carcasses and compounds the chances are they offer them in combination to suit your bike, your trails and your style of riding. Many other tyre companies are still playing catch-up on that front right now. We stand by what we said when we first looked at these tyres: These are the new benchmark for aggressive tyres. - Matt Wragg |
www.schwalbetires.com
for real, i would actually start visiting pinkbike as much as I used to if the Waki had a weekly article on the main page or something, the last couple years I've visited the webpage just to see race results and race pics.
Keep it simple..durometer should be a # and sidewalls should be specified by how many plys it is..
I found it a total nightmare when I went from Maxxis to Schwalbe, I pretty much know where I'm at with them now though.
hawleyusa.com/thcStore/Catalog/ItemDetail.aspx?id=TIRE67943
Grip was great in softer dirt, not very sticky on hard surfaces like rocks and roots. I found out that you MUST run downhill tube in these tires to prevent a lot of pinch flats.
Anyone riding hard will have to run the vertstar.
On a sidenote I also managed to pinch flat the tyre, so that even Stan's sealant didn't manage to seal it back. Had to buy special patches to fix it. Wonder if the same thing would happen if I had the Evolution Snakeskin tyre on?
Just bought Magic Mary, Hans Dampf, Rock Razor all supergravity version for 37€ = 51$ a piece. All to be used at this year Trans Savoie
WFT!?!? Are we being edited/censored now as well?!?!
And my comment was valid although I won't mention it as I hope this will reach you my fellow PBviewers.
"Psh……."
Top of the line are like 35-40 eur. and the cheapest version with Performance dual compound (the longest lasting one) is 17 eur, and is pretty amazing for an entry tire.
I've running one as a front tire in the performance compound, and compared to my older DHF and Intense DH this is amazing. Best grip so far and really fast roll. The roll suprised me the most to be frank.
After I spend the current rear tire I might try the Hans Dampf/Magic Mary combo, or go Rubber queen in the rear.
Schwalbe Magic Mary 2.35 650b SnakeSkin Trailstar: 931g
www.pinkbike.com/photo/10567503
"The 290g weight saving in comparison to the downhill tyre makes a huge difference, saving that kind of weight from the rotational mass will completely change a bikes handling." Does a 25% reduction of angular momentum equate to a 25% equivalent reduction in tire weight? If so how come this never gets talked about? In a world where people sacrifice things like suspension and braking performance, not to mention spend mega bux on carbon rims to save weight, why are they so quick to pile on rotational mass and push it further from the centre if rotation that has a much greater effect on handling than saving weight elsewhere?
Anyone else with fresher/greater physics knowledge than me want to pipe in?
Moment of inertia for a spinning wheel is approximately I = mr^2, if we ignore weight of the hub and spokes (these are much lower than the weight of the rim and tire). As you can see, moment of inertia for a 29er wheel is 24% greater than a 26er of same mass (I assume that's the 25% value you mentioned), due to the higher r value. But the angular speed will be 12% less due to the bigger diameter. The actual increased inertia of the bigger tire is partially counteracted, which I think is why people don't talk about it that much. The difference between a 650B and 26" is even smaller.
Reason I ask, is because I've had FR cased (Schwalbe) tyres before on the DH bike, and it was the worst thing I've ever done to my DH bike. When I went back to dual ply, the stability was instantly improved (the best way I can describe the FR casings, were that they were "skittish)
I run a tubeless DH bike, and if you pay attention to your own article, the DH casing is not tubeless ready.
But now i own a slopestyle bike and i often go downhilling at the local mountain bike park (Bromont in Quebec) and to keep the weight as low as possible, i mounted a set of schwalbe rocket ron ... yeah those little cross country tires. And to be honest, (beside the fact that they have a lot less grip) these tires do not seem fragile at all, and with the right pressure, i dont have more pinch flats than i had with the michelins. What i am saying is that i am confident the supergravity one will do the trick for DH.
(so yeah i am comparing a 2.8 DH tyre to a 2.25 cross country one....)
No one's complaining here.
Ordered the Vertstar SG
...bcs Baron 2.3 have better > lower weight than MagicM
Gils1991, how are the side knobs on Der Baron, their support, grip and feeling? Im asking, bcs on the pictures every 2 knobs looks like so far from each other, so im afraid of losing grip in some conditions while cornering. Can you give me some info? Thx
Ideal tyre for the trails I ride most of the time (rock faces, roots and loam, DRY OR WET)
I don't think 36,95 € is too much for a top of the line tire...
Im asking, bcs side knobs and their durability and cornering support its weak point of all Schwalbe tires.
do these magic marys grip as well as a super tacky minion on the front, if so I will get one, anybody know?
The Hans Dampf also brakes like total ass compared to the Minion, up front anyway... haven't used either as a rear.
www.starbike.com/en/schwalbe-magic-mary
I got mine before Christmas, shipped to the UK, no probs.
Rock Razors too, if you are planning ahead to slightly drier weather in the UK (which is due sometime in 2017 )
www.starbike.com/en/schwalbe-rock-razor
I tryed: 1 normal taping, Double taping, Double taping+extra tape on the sides, riding the tire with an inner tube (so it sets after the rim?)
Any one more tips i could try?
Will be fitted tubeless to my Flow EXs
I find 2.35" tires too narrow for riding DH, so it would have been nice to have the option of a 2.5" width, but it seems these days that most companies are no longer offering the wide sizes for new models. (i.e. Maxxis Minion DHR II, High Roller II, and now Schwalbe Magic Marry...)
Cheers dudes.