The Racing Ray is a newish addition to Schwalbe’s line-up of XC tyres introduced in 2020 along with its rear-specific partner the Racing Ralph. Available in a plethora of sizes in 27.5” and 29” diameters, the Ray was updated for 2021 with Schwalbe’s new casings. Mine is still the older generation SnakeSkin, which has now been replaced with SuperGround.
The tread pattern on the Racing Ray is strongly directional with distinct longitudinal center knobs and ramped, supportive side knobs. All the knobs are also strongly rounded and lamellar to provide excellent traction and low rolling resistance.
The SnakeSkin casing is nice though not quite as strong as the new SuperGround, but also much lighter at the same time. I weighed my 29x2.35” sample at 690g which is quite good for a tyre that also measures very close to its nominal width at 59mm on a 27mm width rim. The tyre shows minimal wear after 1600km so I expect it to last at least twice as long.
As with all Schwalbe Evolution tyres, the Ray set up tubeless without fuss and is holding air very well with no sealant seeping through the sidewalls.
Performance
While I have not tested the Racing Ray as a rear tyre and see no reason to do so, it is nothing short of excellent on the front! Grip is fantastic, though obviously not quite up there with more burlier tyres, and extremely predictable. The tyre can be pushed and leant into corners at crazy speeds and won’t wash out unless the trail is just too soft to support it.
Front tyres play little part in how the bike rolls, but I have still not found the Ray draggy at all. It’s also surprisingly almost silent on hard surfaces.
Conclusion
Simply put the Racing Ray is a near perfect front tyre. The newer versions are likely heavier, but the I can’t find anything to complain about with the SnakeSkin version. Highly recommended for light trail and XC use!
Dry grip: 5/5
Wet grip: 5/5
Braking Traction: 4.5/5
Side Traction: 5/5
Rolling: 4.5/5
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