Magic Mary Radial vs Assegai: 15 Timed Runs

[RoJo]

I think this has made my front tyre choice for bike park season pretty easy.

I finally tested the Magic Mary Radial Gravity Ultra Soft against the Assegai DoubleDown MaxxGrip. The Mary was much smoother in the rough, had huge braking confidence, and came out 2.86 seconds quicker in my 15-run comparison.

What surprised me most is that I do not think it gives anything away in rolling speed either. It was already edging ahead on the smoother, flatter opening section before grip really became a factor.

It is going straight onto my DH bike for the season. I just need to keep an eye on the slight extra bounciness, and I’ll report back if it fails to live up to expectations over proper bike park mileage.

 

[Lfhao]

great video! Thanks for sharing your experience

 

[Millns84]

Very interesting. I've always seen Mary as a wet conditions tyre and Assegai for dry conditions. Hearing about the rolling improvement on the Mary has got me tempted, although I've also heard about the knobs squirming a bit on hard pack.

I've just put a Assegai maxxterra up front and an Agressor 2.5 on the rear. It's my fav combo for summer, but there's so much going on with tyre tech that I'm curious to try new things.

No doubt Maxxis are scrambling to get radials on the market too. That'll be interesting.

 

[deanFBM]

@RoJo it's mad your differences in timings versus my experience with feel. Though saying that, my experience on an assegai aligns with what I would have said is a good tyre on the track you're testing, which Ive ridden loads. My experience of an assegai is too floaty in soft, but really consistent on hardpack/slight loose over hardpack.

Surprised by the Mary, I wonder whether the changes that have occured since I've ridden them has made them more suitable to hardpack/slight loose over hard pack, my last experience is a few years ago on super downhill ultrasoft, they were ok in soft conditions, vague on hardpack/loose over hardpack. Hence surprised of the result on this track.

Also interesting how slow the kryptotal f is on your timings, to me it's a good rolling tyre, works just as well as an assegai on your test track conditions, but quite a bit better in soft conditions.

 

[Nomadic Dad]

Amazingly thorough and great test as ever but yes you should definitely to do an updated test again as the new Pro version in Ultra Soft as like you said they updated the compound for 2026. I'd never ridden a radial before the current new version but have done a video of my initial thoughts from riding it at the Golfie the other week but be warned it's random thoughts over POV footage not scientific like yours.

 

[ozzybmx]

The Schwalbe Albert radial is an awesome tyre on Summer hardpack, the Mary which I have swapped up front with Albert rear does very well in Winter.
At the moment I am on my second set of Kryptotals, last being DH casing SSf/Sr, now on enduro casing SS front and S rear. They are really good tyre and I have another set ready to go.

Tyre choice is very rider dependant, then weather, then terrain. I say rider first as I know very good young XC riders that can leave 99% of blokes like they are standing still on 500g Maxxis Aspens in most conditions and trails... where we think we need 1200g knobblies.

 

[RoJo]

Just to feedback on longer term performance of Mary Gravity Radial...
I have run Ultra Soft Front/Soft Rear on my DH bike (Trek Session) for the past two weeks at Tignes/Val, Pila, Les Arcs, Les Saisies, Chatel, Champery World cup track, and rounding it off with a 10km vertical day at Morgins.

Faultless! The grip is sensational, it hooks up on lines where you wouldn't expect it to stick. It rarely burps (no sealant down the sidewall, hardly loses pressure after a day), and you can actually run at pressures similar to conventional tyres if you accept the very occasional sound or feeling of a flat rear tyre in return for the ludicrous level of grip (add 2psi if you can't live with this).
I was completely used to the bouncing sensation after half a day and never observed it again.

Other than grip here are two major advantages:
1) Ride quality. It's like a suspension upgrade, it just glides over braking bumps and allows you to do relentless park laps.
2) On Enduro courses, it felt like it was gaining speed over rough roots/rocks. Obviously it isn't, but when you hit something that you expect your bike to hang up on but it keeps on rolling, it's quite a surprise. I haven't tested this but I bet the rolling resistance over rough surfaces is better.

I am in no way affiliated with this brand, but I can't recommend them highly enough. If you're going to do a race this year, or just want a better feeling bike...

I'll post wear pictures when I get home, which are impressive given the abuse they have had.

Enjoy this cheat code!

 

[skizzian]

hmm, perhaps it's time to get the MM Radial out of the winter clothing drawer
put it on the front with the new Pro Tacky already on the rear