mtnbikej
J-Zilla
This is my second go around with this tire.
My first experience was a 2.25 Performance Series. Lightwieght, paper thin sidewalls, not intended for Tubeless. Of course I ran it tubeless. It actually set up well for a non tubeless tire. Held air ok after some extra Stans was added. On the back of the SS it hooked up well. Fast rolling, good bite. However Schwalbe's reputation for long lasting tires was correct....it burned out quick. It went from a great rear tire to a crap rear tire in about 3 rides. With the thin sidewalls, never had a problem with punctures or sidewall cuts. Tried it a few times as a front, again it was a good tire, but there were others out there that I preferred over this one. With the weak sidewalls, had to run more PSI than for a usual tubeless tire. This made the tire kinda harsh.
Move on to about 2 months ago, I started my second experience with the RaRa. This time it would be a 2.35 Evolution/Snakeskin version. Still light, still fast rolling. Stronger sidewalls than the Performance version. The 2.35 has a good amount of volume. I have only run this up front on the SS. Again mounted up tubeless with ease....does a good job holding air. It has been a solid tire up front....but lately have been finding it's limitations. With a couple hundred miles on it, some of the shoulder knobs are showing signs of wear. I am also beginning to get wet spots in the middle of the tread from the Stans. These tires are very finicky when it comes to pressure. 18-20 psi is good, over that....they start to get slippery....under that, they feel flat. The last couple of weeks, as my speeds have increased, I'm finding the tire wants to wander. It does not like to stay on the line in which I put it. At slow speeds it it not an issue. However, for a tire called the Racing Ralph, you'd think it would handle high speeds better. I don't get the same wandering issues with the 2.2/2.35 Ikons.
Overall, they are not bad tires. I just think there are better options out there. Better options at lower price points that last longer. Of the 3 different Schwalbe tire designs I have tried, I have found that I have had love/hate relationships with them in short amounts of time.
In the morning, the whole tire is covered in moisture. I've run it with Stan's and with Orange Seal. It's wet with both, but it never seems to lose more than a pound or two. I'm very tempted to order another one, but maybe you guys will come up with something else... Ikon in 2.35?
And thats the difference between me and you. I would run the XR3 as a rear on the SS, could never think about it as a front, but maybe you...the new XR4 is also just a bit step up.
