FIELD TEST
Hits
•;Fast-rolling
•;Lightweight
•;Good traction
Misses
•;Pricey
Crazy Fast and Crazy Light
SCHWALBE THUNDER
BURT 29X2.1" TIRES
Schwalbe is a German tire producer
that has dominated the mountain bike
market in the last several years. While
many riders are familiar with its trail and
burlier all-mountain tires, Schwalbe offers
a couple of tires dedicated to cross-country
racers. The Thunder Burt tires are all about
going fast on the XC course.
Tech Info: The Thunder Burt is a minimalist tire designed with nothing but speed
and efficiency in mind. This tread has a
smooth center pattern with ramped outside
knobs that progress in size but are still very
subtle. The shoulder knobs are the tallest
to give riders a little extra grip when leaning hard in corners.
These tires are some of the lightest out
there, tipping the scales at 430 grams
per tire. Our test tires come in 29x2.1",
but Schwalbe does offer these in 26- and
27.5-inch diameters and a 2.25-inch width
option. The Thunder Burt uses a Lite Skin
sidewall that has minimal protection to
keep the weight down but still offers a
little reinforcement to keep the tire stiff.
Schwalbe also uses its PaceStar compound
in the tread to provide more traction and
increased durability. This tread is tubeless
ready and retails for $91 per tire.
On the Trail: We mounted our tires to
a pair of ENVE M50 carbon wheels. The
Thunder Burts mounted up and seated
without any issues and held air through-
out our entire testing period. Schwalbe
produces its tire sealant that works
well with its tires. To ensure
a good seal, we used
Schwalbe’s recom-
mended fluid.
Mounted on the carbon rims, the Thunder
Burt has a rounded profile that is true to
width.
Schwalbe recommends running these
tires between 30 and 50 psi, depending on
rider weight and conditions. We started our
tires at 35 psi but quickly dropped to 30.
After a couple rides, we dropped the
pressure even further and found a comfortable spot at 25 psi in the front and 26–27
psi in the rear. These pressures gave us
good traction but still allowed the tire to
keep its shape.
The Thunder Burt is a seriously fast
tire with little to no rolling resistance. On
our groomed cross-country trails, the
tires rolled effortlessly and grabbed ample
amounts of dirt with the tacky tread compound. When leaned over in corners, the
shoulder knobs hooked up well but did
require a little more finesse than beefier
XC or trail tires. Even over more technical
sections of trail, the Thunder Burts rolled
quickly and felt stiff. Up steep climbs, the
rear tire hooked up and held traction
effectively.
We did some wet-weather riding and
were reminded that these tires are aimed
at drier, loose-over-hardpack conditions.
Considering that these are race tires, the
wear was typical. We wouldn’t recommend
using these as everyday training or trail
tires; instead, save them for your
biggest events where every gram
and second will count. ❏
