MTB Tire Test: Schwalbe Rick XC Pro

Schwalbe is probably the most influential brand when it comes to mountain bike tires and when they launch a new tire, it's big news. The Rick XC is their latest design, and more importantly, it also provides a peek at what direction Schwalbe will take for the next couple of years. The Rick XC is a pure XC tire and it falls in between Schwalbe's Thunder Burt and Racing Ray / Racing Ralph when it comes to speed and grip.

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What we see as a big thing is that Schwalbe dropped the Super Ground and Super Race casings and the Rick XC is now only available in a "Pro" version. We feel that's a good choice and we hope this is the way forward at Schwalbe as the lineup became quite confusing with all the different casing and compound options. To add to the confusion, our tests didn't indicate any real differences between those casing designs and thus we won't miss them.

Schwalbe did keep the different compound options and the Rick XC is available with either the Addix Speed or Addix SpeedGrip compound. We feel that's a good thing as our test results show a clear difference between these compounds with the SpeedGrip compound offering roughly 15% more wet grip than the faster Speed compound.

Something that might still be a bit disappointing for some is that the compound is still tied to the sidewall color just like it was with the Super Ground and Super Race casings.. If you want the grippier compound with transparent sidewalls, you're out of luck.

Also surprising is that the Rick XC comes from a different factory, in a different country, than all of the previous tires from Schwalbe that we tested over the past 10 years. From experience, we know the factory makes a huge difference to the final product and it indicates a big shift inside Schwalbe. From this point of view, the Rick XC test results will also be extremely important as it will be an indication of future products that come from the same factory.

The Rick XC Pro is available in both the 29x2.25 and 29x2.4 sizes. We've tested the 29x2.4 version with transparent sidewalls and the Addix Speed compound.

Manufacturer Specifications

Manufacturer Specs
Brand	Schwalbe
Model	Rick XC Pro
Year	2024
Supplied By	Bought in store
New or Used	New
Mileage	0 km
Price Range	High
Buy At	Ad Amazon.com
Manufacturer part number	11654521
EAN	4026495927604
TPI	67
Compound	Addix Speed
Bead	Folding
ETRTO	62-622
Size Inch	29"
Width Inch	2.40
Specified Weight	760 grams
Max Air Pressure (psi)	50
Made In	Members Only
Available Sizes	29x2.25 29x2.4

Schwalbe Rick XC Pro Test Results

Size, Weight, and Thickness Measurements

Size, Weight, and Thickness Measurements
Specified Weight	760 grams
Measured Weight	768 grams
Measured Width Carcass	56 mm (un-round)
Measured Width Tread	59 mm
Measured Height	55 mm (un-round)
Measured Knob Height Center	2.0 mm
Measured Knob Height Edge	4.0 mm
Measured Total Thickness Center (excluding knobs)	2.2 mm
Measured Total Thickness Sidewall	Members Only
All size measurements are taken at an air pressure of 35 psi / 2.4 bars on a 17.8 mm inner width rim.

Rolling Resistance Test Results

Rolling Resistance Test Results
Inner Tube	None (40 ml sealant)
Rolling Resistance 55 PSI / 3.8 Bar	Members Only
Rolling Resistance 45 PSI / 3.1 Bar	Members Only
Rolling Resistance 35 PSI / 2.4 Bar	15.7 Watts CRR: 0.00471
Rolling Resistance 25 PSI / 1.7 Bar	18.5 Watts CRR: 0.00555
All numbers are for a single tire at a speed of 29 km/h / 18 mph and a load of 42.5 kg / 94 lbs. Use the formula: RR (Watts) = CRR * speed (m/s) * load (N) to calculate rolling resistance at a given speed and load.

Puncture Resistance Test Results

Puncture Resistance Test Results (higher is better)
Total Puncture Score Tread	28 Points
Total Puncture Score Sidewall	Members Only
Tread Puncture Force Sharp Needle	Members Only
Tread Puncture Force Blunt Needle	Members Only
Tread Total Tire Thickness	2.2 mm
Sidewall Puncture Force Sharp Needle	Members Only
Sidewall Puncture Force Blunt Needle	Members Only
Sidewall Total Tire Thickness	Members Only

Hard Surface Static Grip Test Results

Static Grip Test Results
Wet Grip Average	61 Points
Wet Grip Center	Members Only
Wet Grip Edge	Members Only
Measured Knob Height Center	2.0 mm
Measured Knob Height Edge	4.0 mm
Grip in points = coefficient of friction * 100 MTB grip test rim width = 30.0 mm
Wet Grip Test and Off-Road Tires (info)

Conclusion

The Rick XC continues Schwalbe's tradition of top notch mountain bike tires. The factory switch doesn't look to have had any negative impact as the Rick XC performs as expected and comes in between the Thunder Burt and Racing Ralph / Ray in most of our tests.

Overall, we feel the Rick XC is an excellent addition to Schwalbe's XC lineup as it fills the huge gap between the Thunder Burt and the rest of Schwalbe's lineup. When compared to tires from competing brands, it's hard / impossible to find tires that offer better overall performance.  

Schwalbe already offered the most diverse mountain bike tire lineup and with the introduction of the Rick XC, it will be even easier to just stick to Schwalbe's lineup and mix / match tires and compounds during the season.

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RATING: 5.0 / 5
TEST VERDICT: Highly Recommended

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