Schwalbe Rocket Ron Tire [Rider Review]

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Cross Country tires have become significantly more capable in recent years, and Schwalbe's Rocket Ron is one of the fastest rolling and grippiest XC tires you can get your hands on. Our friend Andrew has been running them on his bike for some time now and loves the combination of grip and speed. Read on for more!

Overview

I’ve been a fan of Schwalbe tires for years and the Rocket Ron tires don’t disappoint. The three key factors in this tire are grip, handling, and weight. This tire excels in all areas compared to its competitors.

I like the tread pattern on the Rocket Ron tire and find the square-shaped knobs to have plenty of grip. These tires are the next step up in aggression from Racing Ralph and offer significantly more tread and traction. By comparison, many of the modern V tread shaped cross-county tires don’t seem to offer the same level of grip and confidence. These tires perform exceptionally well on different types of terrain but do very well on hard pack dirt. I have plenty of confidence going into corners and ripping down trails. These even stand up to light trail riding.

The handling of these tires is phenomenal. I think there is magic mixed into the rubber.

I’ve ridden Schwalbe tires for over six years on various mountain bikes and there's a reason I keep coming back to them in spite of their high price tag. Nothing else comes close to the feel and quality of these tires. Tires are such an important part of the bike, and while tread is important so is the compliance of the ride also. I ride at about 25 PSI on these tires and the ride feels perfect. It’s the balance of firmness and bump absorption. I like to feel the tires eat up the small bumps in the trail while not washing out. These tires don’t have much sidewall strength because they’re cross country tires, so make sure to play with tire pressure to accommodate your weight to achieve great ride quality.

These tires beat every other similar tire in its category by a long shot. I’m not sure how Schwable does it, but all of their tires come in at exceptional weights. The only downside and mostly trail and endure riders will point out is sidewall strength and durability. That’s not a problem for me and should be considered by the rider when selecting a tire. Most of my riding is cross country and done on fire roads or light trails. I’m not going through rock gardens on these tires. With the convenience of tubeless tires it's not unreasonable to swap out tires a couple of times a month if you go to a bike park or ride more aggressive terrain.

Final Thoughts

All in all, these are phenomenal tires and I ride them every day. They’re durable and have good mileage for a mountain bike tire. If you’re looking for a lightweight all-around tire this is for you. If you shred and slash a lot of tires get something heavier.