Schwalbe Magic Mary Addix Compound Tires: Customer Review

Are you brand loyal with your mountain bike tires or are you one to experiment with different tire manufacturers when something new comes out? In this review, trail ripper Mathew Fitzgerald walks us through his new Schwalbe Magic Mary Snakeskin Addix Soft Compound 29" x 2.35" EVO folding bead tires. Schwalbe launched their new Addix compounds last year that offer a wide range of rubber compounds to meet a variety of different riding conditions, terrain, and rider preferences. Check it out!

Overview

At a claimed 885 grams, the Schwalbe Magic Mary finds the perfect middle ground for weight between tires meant for hard downhill abuse and semi-slick cross country riding. The tread pattern is aggressive and resembles that of a cut mud spike but do not shy away from these tires for dry weather riding.

Installation

I am an aggressive trail rider and ride a Santa Cruz Tallboy 3. I have the tires mounted on Stans ArchMk3 rims set up tubeless with orange seal. They have a great profile on these rims and I am running about 26psi. I have not run into any problems with burping even with aggressive cornering in bermed corners. The tires lose traction before the sidewall begins to fold. The tires are tight going on the rims and required tire levers to get mounted. This, however, aided in the tubeless setup, pumping up and sealing easily with only the use of a cheap floor pump.

Performance

On the trail, the tires offer amazing grip in dry and wet conditions. The rolling resistance or lack thereof was the most surprising feature of these tires. I put these on after running a Maxxis icon in the rear and Forecaster up front. The difference in rolling resistance was minimal and was well worth the added cornering traction and damping that a beefier tire has to offer. The only complaint I have with these tires is the tread life. These tires also do not suffer from the famous shearing off the cornering knobs that Schwalbe is usually known for, but the braking edges of the rear tire have significantly rounded and begun shearing off after just over 200 miles of trail riding.

Final Thoughts

Buy these tires if you are looking for a tire that will offer the most traction for the lightest weight and least rolling resistance. Look for a harder compound or at another tire for the rear if tread life is an important feature to you.