Finally new tires also for me! Racing Ray and Racing Ralph are cross country tires.
At the end I gave up the front Rocket Ron in favor of this fantastic Racing Ray, after having had the opportunity to compare them live I realized that Racing Ray's teeth are (in my opinion) more than enough. Rocket Ron would have given me more grip on the mud and soft, but I would have lost some rolling on paved roads, which remains an important part of my journeys.
For the rear, as I had already anticipated, I combined the new Racing Ralph. I have had the opportunity to do only thirty kilometers, mainly on paved road, so I will have to wait before posting an opinion that has a logical sense.
After bike shop's owner insistence I have not fitted new tires tubeless, using a tubeless ready rim's conversion kit, but I inserted the inner tube in a product called speedymousse, that allows avoiding 95% tires drilling. This mousse is an expensive product (I paid € 189 for both wheels!!) that comes from motorcycling sports but should give the feeling and the benefits of a tubeless driving, greatly raising the protection of Racing (Ralph and Ray) to other tires level, much more protected. Obviously weight also rises (the mousse weighs about 250 grams per wheel), but considering that Super Moto X weighed twice the new Schwalbes I mounted, I do not feel any driving difference. Moreover, when I want to replace these tires, I can use the same speedymousse on any new tires (as long as they are 27.5 "), because they are reusable. You can also use lower pression on tires, without risks, using this mousse.
For now I can say that these tires are absolutely silent, practically little more louder than Super Moto X, but believe me when I say there's almost no difference. Considering the less protruding studs I can suppose they are quiter also than Smart Sam and Rocket Razor, which represented other possible choices for my rear rim.
During short stretches of rough terrain I could take pleasure of the front Racing Ray while descending a staircase of an isolated church, made of pebbles, roots and grass. Holding that much more security. Of the rear Racing Ralph I can say that, just leaving my home has crushed a dinosaur size s*it, but it has not slipped!
someone says s*it bring good luck...but as soon as I got home I wash the bike! Reading datas reported on Schwalbe's website I was afraid Racing Ralph has less grip on the paved roads or wet but, for now, it does not seem absolutely.
Rolling seems excellent for both tires, I have not noticed excessive speed decrease compared to the previous Super Moto X, but we are talking about sensations and not certainties.
Another thing, certainly less important, is that aesthetically I like them more. With the Super Moto X, R&M SuperCharger looked more like a motorbike than a bicycle. Now it's back to being a bike with nice aggressive wheels, whose shapes remain within the line of mudguards without more overflowing.
Moving from a 2.40 " balloon tire to a 2.25"'s one, you lose some bouncing properties on the rear but it's not too evident.
Furthermore, when washing the bike, it is easier to pass a brush between tires and mudguards.
I feel satisfied, after these first impressions, but I will be more sure of all this only in a hundred kilometers.
