SchwalbeTHUNDER BURT Super Race 29 Inch MTB Tire(Return to Product Page)

Following the advice of Keegan Swenson and Dylan Johnson, I recently decided to try mountain bike tires on my gravel bike (2023 Canyon Grail). There is only room for 45mm in back, but room for at least 2.1 in front.

I had been running Terreno Dry 45s, and the 2.1, with a Schwalbe 45 (gravel) rear, allow me to blast through gnarl, loose gravel, etc that I previously would tiptoe through. And with no apparent loss of speed. An informal test on a local fast paved descent indicated that it was faster than with the Terreno Drys, and not much slower than my road bike! And I was riding with 15psi in front and 22 rear, well below Silca's recommendation.

I use this tire on my commuting bike, a Specialized Chisel. I installed my set (2.25 inch) about three weeks ago, and have to say I am pleased. First of all, the tires easily installed onto my Stan's Arch 29 inch rims (I think Schwalbe tires tend to mount easier than Hutchison and Continental tubeless tires). The tires hold air well, as three weeks on from install, each tire had only lost a few psi from the original inflation when I checked today (I use Orange Seal, bought from BTD on sale, of course!).

I will agree that these tires are fast. The reason I bought these tires is that I cannot find Hutchinson Black Mambas anymore. Both the Burts and Mambas have low profile tread on the tire center (with the Burts having a slightly higher profile tread), but the Burts are definitely faster. Time will tell on durability, but my experience with Schwalbe tires is that durability, while good, is not outstanding.

gravel rides, super light and fast, extremely low rolling resistance