Singletrackmind
Well-known member
Compare Schwalbe Albert, Magic Mary and Shredda tires and what trail conditions are best for each.
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Compare Schwalbe Albert, Magic Mary and Shredda tires.
- Thread starter Singletrackmind
- Start date
Right, @Singletrackmind, these three tyres share Schwalbe's radial casing but they're aimed at genuinely different riders and conditions. Here's the breakdown: Albert is the all-rounder of the trio.
The tightly packed, repeating tread pattern offers performance across a range of terrain and is better suited for dry conditions than the Magic Mary, with lower knob height for improved rolling speed.
It works well in loose-over-hard conditions and with some moisture, but its limitations show in deep moon dust and legitimately wet terrain. Its hardpack performance really stands out, particularly if you want consistent cornering grip across a range of lean angles.
For your San Diego dry, rocky stuff, the Albert is probably the strongest everyday choice. Think of it as Schwalbe's answer to the Assegai but with that radial casing compliance bolted on.
Magic Mary is the wet weather and soft terrain specialist. The taller, more widely spaced knobs excel in loose or wet soil.
EDIT: @E-NUB reports The tire is called 'Shreddas' not 'Shredda'. Not yet independently verified — take with a pinch of salt.
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Gila Man
Active member
I'm running the Gravity Pro 2.5 Alberts (ultra soft-26 psi front, soft-28 psi rear) on my Gen 4 Levo in the Phoenix area. Our trails are a mixture of clay, loose rock over clay/limestone and exposed granite. I'm not a bike park, jumping guy so a lighter tire for "flickability" is not my concern. I'm a trail rider that prefers steep, technical climbs along with moderately fast descents. The exposed granite in our area can easily tear a thinner tire's sidewalls open. The Albert's offer phenomenal traction and with the Gravity Pro casings along with being able to run higher pressures, are a great defense against tire and rim damage.
@Gila Man, that's a properly dialled setup for the Sonoran terrain. The Gravity Pro casing on the Alberts is the right call when you've got exposed granite trying to fillet your sidewalls, and running them in 2.5 gives you enough volume to absorb the chatter from loose rock over hardpack without needing to go silly low on pressure.
26/28 PSI front/rear is interesting given the conditions. Most desert riders I've seen data from tend to creep higher, but the radial casing behaves differently under pressure than conventional construction, so you can get away with lower numbers without the tyre folding over in corners. The ultra soft front makes sense for those steep technical climbs where you need every bit of traction on limestone slabs, and the soft rear keeps things predictable on the descents without shredding compound on the granite.
@mtbbiker is running a similar philosophy on his Yeti LTe down in SoCal with a Magic Mary Trail Pro front and Albert Gravity Pro rear, though your terrain sounds considerably more abrasive than typical Southern California dirt. The Gravity Pro casing weight penalty is real, but for a trail rider who values not walking home with a slashed tyre, it's cheap insurance.
If you ever find the ultra soft front wearing faster than you'd like on that granite, the soft compound in the same Gravity Pro casing would be worth a look for longevity without giving up too much climbing grip.
Gila, how does the Albert do when there’s deep kitty litter or sandy conditions? Im a little concerned that the Albert will give up too much when there’s deep, dry sections of trail.
That's a fair concern, and honestly the Albert's Achilles' heel is exactly that scenario. The tightly packed, lower-profile tread pattern that makes it so good on hardpack and loose-over-hard doesn't have the knob height or spacing to dig through deep kitty litter or sand. It tends to float on top rather than bite through, which on a 23kg+ eMTB means you can find yourself ploughing rather than riding.
For your Scottsdale terrain, if you're hitting sections with proper deep decomposed granite or sandy washes, the Magic Mary front would give you noticeably more purchase in that loose stuff thanks to the taller, more widely spaced knobs. You could run a Magic Mary front with an Albert rear and get the best of both worlds: the front digs in where you need steering traction through the deep stuff, and the Albert rear keeps rolling resistance sane on the hardpack sections between.
Given you're on the Levo 4 with Maxxis Assegai DH MaxxGrip already working well for you in Arizona rock, you might find the switch to Schwalbe's radial casing takes some adapting regardless. The radial construction feels noticeably different in how it deforms, particularly at the pressures you'd want in kitty litter. If the deep loose stuff is a regular feature of your rides rather than the occasional patch, the Albert alone probably isn't your answer.
EDIT: @Gila Man reports The Albert's struggle in sandy washes, deep kitty litter, and deep dust conditions. The front will plow and the rear spins when momentum is lost. Short distances (30-50') require maintaining speed; lo. Not yet independently verified — take with a pinch of salt.
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Gila Man
Active member
The Albert’s are not great through sandy washes, deep kitty litter or deep talcum powder dust. The front will plow and you can feel the rear spinning once you lose momentum. A short blast (30-50’)across a creek bed means keep your speed up, anything longer and the Alberts are struggling. For the rock and hardpack, they’re top-notch.
@E-NUB - yes, enter the Shreddas. Schwalbe's nuclear option. If the Albert is the sensible all-rounder and the Magic Mary is the wet-weather specialist, the Shredda is what happens when Schwalbe asked themselves "what if we just went completely mental?"
It's aggressive, with the tallest knobs Schwalbe has ever put on a tyre, a wide-spaced, square-edged tread pattern, and a moto-esque profile. Specifically, the greatest tread depth Schwalbe has yet produced: 10mm on the shoulder and 8mm in the middle.
It comes in separate front and rear versions. The front uses very spiky two-wide centre knobs and widely spaced side knobs to sink into softer dirt; the rear uses an alternating 3-2 centre arrangement but with far more widely spaced, spikier knobs than the Albert.
It's only available in Addix Ultra Soft compound. This is a traction-focused tyre. Where it fits in the trio: the Shredda is the answer to exactly the problem @Gila Man and Powerslider described with the Albert.
It's meant to shine in loose conditions where other tyres would pack up, wash out, and give up. Sandy washes, deep kitty litter, steep loamy chutes - that's its territory.
It's a very location-dependent tread pattern, so don't go buying a set for your local hardpack tracks. The catch?
These are probably some of the slowest rolling tyres you'll ride, with drag in keeping with other mid-spikes and mud tyres, plus a bit more rumble on hardpack.
Gila Man
Active member
Public Service Announcement:
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Bike Tires Direct have Schwalbe tires on sale for 30% off with free shipping until the end of April.
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