Schwalbe Cyclocross tires 2024: In addition to its gravel range, the manufacturer from Bergisches Land is also expanding its range of cross-country tires. The Schwalbe X-One R is brand new, and with the X-One RS a familiar profile becomes even faster. The X-One Allround, on the other hand, is promoted to a mud tire. Here is all the information about the new cyclocross program for the 2023/2024 season.
The gravel boom cannot harm cross-country sport - on the contrary: many active people who ride their gravel bikes in the summer try out the short, intensive races in the fall, especially since they can still use their usual equipment in the hobby classes - not even You have to worry about the tire width. However, those who compete in the licensed classes are quite limited in this regard: according to the UCI regulations, tires wider than 33 mm are not allowed, and at the start the commissaires check with the measuring gauge whether a gravel tire has been fitted.
Schwalbe Cyclocross tires 2024: Three profiles for every purpose
This limits the choice of tires somewhat, but of course there are enough manufacturers who provide three to four cyclocross tires with different profiles. Typically there is an all-rounder in the portfolio, supplemented by a tire for dry ground and one or two mud tires. This is the case, for example, with the Schwalbe Cyclocross tires 2024, with the manufacturer from the Bergisches Land recently expanding its collection: with the Schwalbe X-One R is a model on the market this season that combines a new profile with the Souplesse casing, which has already proven itself on the road and in gravel. For this purpose, Schwalbe has retreaded well-known tires.
Schwalbe X-One R: New all-rounder with a fast Souplesse casing
Velomotion was already able to drive the Schwalbe X-One R (€74,90) as a prototype in the 2022/23 cross season. It (like the brand's new gravel tires) has broken away from the round profile knobs that have long characterized Schwalbe's range. Instead, there are now arrow-shaped tread blocks that alternate with longitudinally arranged lugs. This profile is rather open and not very deep - and therefore quite versatile: the tire actually always has grip on loose surfaces, and it also provides good traction on really muddy surfaces.
Traction in mud and grip on inclined slopes
The shoulder lugs in the longitudinal direction prove their worth on inclined slopes or in curves, where the X-One R offers a lot of control and does not stand out due to sudden smearing. Another good feature of the new tire is that it clears quickly. The toxic mixture of mud and sand that literally sticks together some profiles can't do much harm to the new Schwalbe - it simply throws the mixture away. The X-One R behaves inconspicuously on asphalt sections; The only thing you notice here is that it doesn't seem spongy when cornering, even with a pressure of around 2 bar. This tire only reaches its limits when it is extremely slippery - in conditions where, even with other tires, you are on the verge of jumping off and shouldering the bike.
Schwalbe X-One R: new all-rounder for racing
With these properties, the X-One R is a tire that is suitable for the vast majority of races. After all, when it comes to cross-country skiing, almost every course involves very different surfaces. You only need other profiles if it is extremely muddy or if the ground is hard in late summer or frozen in the dead of winter.
The former is Schwalbe's tried-and-tested métier X-One all-round (from €44,90), which should actually get a new name. Because Schwalbe is phasing out the grippier X-One Bite, the Allround is now the tire for rough terrain. With its round to oval profile knobs, it builds up a lot of grip, although the open profile only becomes clogged in sticky mud. It rolls smoothly on firmer surfaces, which also makes it a good choice for racing - for example towards the end of the season, where there are waterlogged paths and slush. In the affordable RaceGuard version, the Allround is also an ideal training tire.
Schwalbe X-One RS: Semi-slick for dry and frosty conditions
For dry routes at the beginning of the season or hard-frozen courses, Schwalbe has been offering a profile for years that is available in a similar form from various suppliers: a semi-slick tread with a flat profile, combined with shoulder lugs for lateral support or grip at very low air pressure. This tire was previously called Schwalbe X-One Speed - and where it finds perfect conditions, its tread works great. It rolls extremely fast and still has enough grip on loose ground; It is very reliable when cornering. As soon as it gets wet, however, it reaches its limits, so the “window of possibility” for using this tire is quite small. Perhaps this is the reason why Schwalbe is now using this profile as a Schwalbe X-One RS (74,90 €) as a pure racing tire with a Souplesse casing and takes the X-One Speed out of the range. You won't be able to use the RS too often when cross-country riding, but it is an interesting choice for an all-road racing bike or for gravel racing on routes that don't require a large tire volume.
All models are only available as a tubeless version, but can of course also be ridden with a tube or liner. Installation is usually easy, although it obviously depends on the rim in question, whether you have to use the compressor or can handle the floor pump.
Souplesse carcass with smooth rolling behavior
The Souplesse casing introduced by Schwalbe with the Pro One racing tire at the end of 2019 definitely has an influence on driving behavior. The special tire construction results in a three-layer sidewall, combined with just one layer under the tread. The latter reduces rolling resistance, but not puncture resistance thanks to the puncture protection layer. The Souplesse tires can be recognized by the clearly visible carcass threads - there is no additional rubber coating so that the tire is particularly supple.
The Souplesse construction has no influence on the weight - the Schwalbe cross tires all weigh around 400 grams. However, it makes the corresponding tires expensive; In the long term, X-One R and X-One RS will also be available in cheaper versions with standard casings. However, the top products are set for the current cross-country season - and if you want to become faster when cross-country, you should at least try out the Schwalbe X-One R.
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