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Schwalbe is not one of the more well known tires in the US unless you happen to ever talk to one of those riders who are one of those "in the know" type of riders.  I was fortunate enough to be turned on to the Schwalbe Ultremo tires recently by just such a rider and I am forever grateful.  These are some good tires.

One ride on a bike equipped with Schwalbe Ultremo tires makes it clear that those guys at the German headquarters of Schwalbe, where the company has been developing tyres since 1901, know exactly what they are doing.  The years of experience have served them well because with every generation of tire, they only get better and the Schwalbe Ultremo is the pinnacle of Schwalbes expertise as of today.

Schwalbe Ultremo Features and Benefits

The Schwalbe Ultremo fits the mold of a race tire in almst every way.  It is a very lightweight tire coming in at 195 grams and it features what Schwalbe calls a Triple Nano Compound that is designed to reduce rolling resistance.  They also feature a couple of revolutionary design features into the construction of their Ultremo tire.

The first being radial construction technology.  They incorporate a dense weave of "Vectran" radially into the tire compound that provides superior puncture resistance and flat protection.  The Schwalbe Ultremo offers better puncture protection than many training tires and is probably the best true "race tire" on the market when it comes to durability.

The second is that the tire compound is permeated with microscopic bits of "ceramic" material that also serve to protect as another layer of protection against sharp bits of glass or rocks that become embedded into the tire.  Ceramic particles will wear the invading object smooth and render  it harmless.

Schwalbe Ultremo Riding Impressions

First impressions of the Schwalbe Ultremo was not what I expected.  The hype of these tires had me believing that they would walk on water and improve my speed by 10 mph on the flats but as  you might have guessed, that is not the case.  The tires roll very fast, they are no question a race oriented tire but what I did notice was that they were a bit of a harsh ride.

I typically ride either Michelin Pro Race Tires or Continental GP4000S tires and they are quite comfortable.  I recently tested a pair of the new Michelin Pro Race 3 tires and the Pro Race 3 tires were noticeably more comfortable than the Ultremos.

It is important to note however, that Ride Comfort is VERY subjective.  I found the Michelins to be more comfortable but your mileage may vary of course.

There is no question the Schwalbe Ultremo is a race oriented tire...it's fast and light and you can really feel it the quality in the corners because it corners on rails.   The tires confidently stay glued to the road and inspire confidence in the rider, you just need to be careful they don't inspire more confidence than your skill level can handle, because that could be a little less fun.

Conclusion

To summarize, I think the Schwalbe Ultremo tires are an outstanding choice for a race or performance oriented rider.  The latest incarnation is super fast, lightweight and offers much improved puncture protection than previous model tires.  If you want a second opinion, here's what RoadBike magazine had to say about the Schwalbe Ultremo bicycle tire in a head to head test they conducted in 2007.

ROADBIKE Test winner 05/07

“Schwalbe’s new Ultremo is an ideal allrounder that no other manufacturer even came close to in the test. An extremely light tire, it offers the best puncture protection and rolls well. More importantly however: In all riding conditions, it is so surefooted, it can be relied upon absolutely on the road - even in the wet it offers still good traction.

You need to remember that when you get into this class of tire, the differences between them are very small.  I'd be hard pressed to find a noticeable advantage to these tires over say the new Michelin Pro Race 3.  They are both superb quality tires and both handle very well.

I would have to give a small edge to the Michelin Pro Race 3 tire in ride comfort but I will admit I felt faster on the Ultremo, even though my computer didn't measure a difference.  Maybe it was the exotic name that inspired me, who knows.  I know that if you are looking for a high quality race tire then you won't go wrong with either the Michelin or the Schwalbe Ultremo tire.

Pair 2x Schwalbe Ultremo ZX HD Evolution Road Bike Tires Orange 700x23c    US $114.99

Pair 2x Schwalbe Ultremo ZX HD Evolution Road Bike Tires White 700x23c    US $114.99

Pair 2x Schwalbe Ultremo ZX HD Evolution Road Bike Tires Green Stripe 700x23c    US $114.99

Find a great deal on Schwalbe Ultremo tires here.

Michelin has been in the tire business for quite some time and in fact, are reputed to be the first company to produce a race ready, high pressure clincher style tire that offered good traction on the road when the speeds went up there.  Prior to that the tubular tire was the only option for a racer or performance rider.    Michelin is credited with the advent of the clincher style tire becoming so popular with riders of today.

Michelin Pro Race 3

The Michelin Pro Race 3 is the latest incarnation of the venerable Pro Race line and replaces the wildly popular Pro Race 2.   The Pro Race 3 specs list it at a very respectable 190g of weight and Michelin claims to have improved rolling resistance by up to 27% over the Pro Race 2.   I don't have the kind of sophisticated equipment required to test this claim but I can tell you that they ride great and feel very solid on the road at all speeds.  They also corner very nicely in our opinion but much of a road tires feel is very subjective to the rider.  I can tell you I like them.

I test rode them on a Trek 5900SL mounted on some Mavic Ksyrium SSC wheels.....typical set up that many riders will encounter.    It is not uncommon for tires to behave differently on different wheels so your mileage may vary but my experience is that a tire as good as a Michelin Pro Race tire, will probably perform well on a wide variety of wheels.

The trend of late has been to go as narrow as possible when it comes to racing tires but I can tell you that for me personally, not much can beat the all around effectiveness of the 700 x 23 tire size.  I will occasionally even run the 25mm tire as well if it is a crit race or a lot of descending as I want as much contact patch as possible when cornering at high speed.  Recent studies have suggested that a higher pressure tire that has a wider cross section of tread in contact with the ground can actually improve rolling resistance.

I have ridden the Michelin Pro Race 3 tire for a few weeks now and it would seem that the tire is getting better with a little bit of mileage on it.  I don't know this for sure, but my butt-o-meter tells me that they have more grip, especially in damp conditions.  Maybe some residue from construction?  I don't know....but you can't beat a tire that gets better with age.

A few other big tire manufacturers such as Continental and Schwalbe, have begun producing front/rear specific tire combinations.   Michelin Pro Race 3 is not that way, the front and rear are the same design and quite frankly with a slick design tread, I see no need for a front and rear specific.   The whole point of a race tire is to keep a nice rounded profile that minimizes rolling resistance yet maximizes grip.  This was always the advantage of a tubular tire but the Michelin has overcome the issue with the Pro Race line of tires.  The "slick" design keeps the rounded profile and the rubber compound they are using is very sticky.    The only downside to the Pro Race 3 is that it wears fairly quickly compared to a training style tire.  This is not a flaw, but rather something inherent in most race style tires.

Conclusion

In conclusion, tires are a very personal choice for most people and what one loves, another might despise.  It all depends on what you are used to riding.  What can be said for a tire that is designed as well as the Michelin Pro Race 3 is that it performs well at almost everything it does, making it very hard to develop a bias against it.  I put it through it's paces from Greenway trails to street conditions to wet weather and the tire works well in every condition. I would estimate that after testing the Michelin Pro Race 3 tires under almost every condition I could produce, they work best at 120PSI in dry conditions and I could duplicate the grip in wet conditions by reducing pressure about 10-15 lbs.

The wear was quite acceptable, even for a race tire and they held up very well under training mileage.  I personally would even use them as a training tire but others opinions may vary.   I typically race Schwalbe Evolution tires and I would consider them the very best tire on the market for racing, but the Michelin Pro Race 3 tire may be changing my mind.  I would at least put their performance in the same category as the Schwalbe Evolution and THAT is some rarified air up there.

NEW Pair Michelin Pro Race 3 Tires Blue Black 700 x 23 Tubes FREE SHIPPING    US $85.00

Michelin Pro Race 3 Clincher Tire 1 700x23 Full Tread    US $16.60

Michelin Pro3 Race Tire Dark Blue 700 x 23c New    US $34.99

Michelin Pro 3 Race Road Bike Tyre Pro3 Folding 700 x 23 Red    US $37.86

Michelin Pro3 Race Service Course Road Bike Tires 700x23C 23 622 White Gray Pair    US $45.00

2 x Michelin Pro 4 Service Course Clincher Tire Black Replaces Pro 3 Race    US $84.00

New Michelin Pro Race 3 700x23 racing clincher tires YELLOW Pair 2    US $78.00

New Michelin Pro Race 3 700x23 racing clincher FLASH YELLOW pair 2 tires    US $78.00

2 x Michelin Pro Race 3 Road tyres 23mm IVORY WHITE    US $71.05

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