It’s got a lot more competition than it used to have, but whenever it’s remotely dry enough we grab Schwalbe’s Rock Razor to gift us extra gears under power and extra seconds on descents. It really is that much faster than other chunkyknobbed tyres.
The hard-based triple-compound rubber mix and closely spaced, alternating tread pattern of small ramped blocks cut drag whether you’re coasting or cranking. Because the side knobs are slightly smaller than on the Minion SS and Slaughter they don’t drag in a straight line even on super-wide rims, leaving the medium compound feeling clean and blisteringly fast. Lots of small blocks (with flexible gaps between them) plus a thinner double ply under the crown of the Super Gravity carcass give it excellent trail moulding connection and communication too. Add the way the sipes splay open under load and the amount of braking and driving grip from the Rock Razor never fails to surprise us if we’ve been using other similarlooking tyres. The siped mid-size knobs in the softest rubber of the TrailStar mix provide ample edging and cornering grip for really driving it through corners too. Quad-ply sidewalls mean it’s superbly stable and predictable under heavy cornering or impact loads at low pressures but it damps impacts well enough to flatter rather than clatter your suspension set-up. Sealing and seating is as simple as you’d hope from the ‘TubeLess Easy’ labelling and the low tread means it lasts well in terms of mileage compared to a big-knobbed tyre. Considering the large carcass volume and enhanced survival protection it’s a reasonable weight, and even the 700g SnakeSkin version – which uses a faster-rolling PaceStar compound – is usefully scuff tough.
Best for: Rear
Weight: 970g
Width: 57mm
Price 82$