The mudguards are off and I’ve treated myself to these final run Schwalbe Stelvio’s for my early morning blasts/blowups before work with the hope of some extra speed and performance. In keeping with the upcoming St Patrick’s Day theme, they have bright green side-walls!
 Green Schwalbe Stelvio Tyre |
Schwalbe Stelvio Tyre |
- They were a breeze to fit, no tyre levers needed (on R-Sys’ at least) and sat nice and true on the rim with only a slight adjust needed once a bit of pressure was in the tube.
- Weighing in at an actual 237g you’re not going to see them at the Tour any time soon, but they roll very well and compared to other high-mileage tyres are very competitive. Out of the packet they don’t feel especially heavy at all. (What you gain in weight you also often gain in puncture protection).
- The compound seems quiet and compliant without bogging down, a godsend with the roads in their current state.
- A RACEGUARD puncture protection belt has performed faultlessly and there aren’t even any visible cuts, which considering the state of the roads is a great performance.
- The dual compound gives a nice fast roll on the straight ahead while the silica sides give confidence and plenty of grip in the bends (no slides yet).
|
Striking looks and great grip |
|
Hard not to notice the colour |
Rated from 85psi up to a very impressive, though downright harsh 145psi (yes I did run them at this just to see) they should cater for every rider. They’ve become a respected set of tyres this week dealing with everything the Lakes’ roads have to throw at them. No real cuts or obvious wear, a funky colour and grippy even on the steepest of frosty/wet climbs. If you need a set of fast tyres that can cope with regular riding or are just starting out at this racing malarky, I’d strongly recommend a pair and with them being the final run and now superseded by the Schwalbe Durano PLUS, they are quite a bargain.
Technical Spec:
These are a 23mm folding clincher tyre, ideal for fast riding. They feature the RaceGuard protection belt which will try its best to keep sharp objects out although no tyre is puncture proof as such. The claimed weight is 235g, ours weighed 237g which is very close and nice to see a manufacturer not making crazy claims. It can be run between 85 and 145 psi – a big range to cater for all riders.
