Furious Fred! The fastest MTB-Tire ever

Nothing rolls as fast: The autumn shows will see Schwalbe the launch the Furious Fred tire for Cross Country and Marathon. The U-block shoulder lugs are revolutionary: They are positioned against the direction of rotation in order to have more cornering control. Together with the other Schwalbe tires, Nobby Nic and Racing Ralph it forms a 3-Tire-Race-System, from which riders can select the ideal tire combination for each course.

Anyone that wants to win now needs make no compromise, because Furious Fred also makes none. No ifs or buts, it is designed for speed. “At 295 gram, presently it is not only the lightest MTB tire, but also the fastest”, stressed Schwalbe technician Markus Hachmeyer. “It rolls like a racing cycle tire.” Owing to an extremely thin rubber coating and fine 127 epi carcass Schwalbe technicians succeeded in improving the rolling resistance by over 25 per cent in relation to the preceding model Fast Fred. But beware: Furious Fred is not an allrounder, its grip is limited and risk of punctures is high.

“Its insane! Never before did I ride a faster MTB tire” said a delighted test rider and warned: “One should realize however how light this tire has been built.” His tip: “Combine Furious Fred with a puncture protection liquid such as Schwalbe Doc Blue.”

The Grip revolution: U-block-lugs grip better

Where does the additional Grip from come? “The new U-block!”, exclaimed Schwalbe technician Markus Hachmeyer. Schwalbe positioned these special U-shaped lugs against the rotation direction - and so turned on its head the traditional idea that lugs should run in the driving direction. “We began using U-blocks for the first time on our Downhill tires and in addition they worked well on the Nobby Nic”, described Hachmeyer. The U-shape of the lugs and the newly designed arrangement brought still more cornering grip. Reason: Every tire wants to move out during cornering. U-blocks, with their forward facing, half-open serrations prevent this. The surprising effect is: Less under-steer, more stability – restraining cornering forces.

3-Tire-Race-System: Tire-Combinations for every eventuality

Complete range: Racing Ralph, Furious Fred and Nobby Nic now offer an ideal tire combination for every track and all weathers. Selecting the correct combination of tires for front and rear wheel can increase total performance on grip and rolling resistance. Markus Hachmeyer, still an active competition rider, recommends different combinations, depending on how rough or wet the course is (see illustration).
“We rounded off our range intelligently. With the 3-Tire-Race-System we offer a universal combination system for ambitious Cross Country riders and for any circumstance”, stressed Hachmeyer.

High End Tires in different versions

The High-End models Racing Ralph, Furious Fred and Nobby NIC belong to the exclusive Evolution Line in the Schwalbe MTB range. All technical innovations flow first into these top tires, as for example the highly flexible Evolution-Carcass and the unique Triple Compound (a three-way rubber mixture for low rolling resistance, durable center tread and grippy shoulders). The high quality of the tires is underlined by the use of new graphics: Silver with a white border.

Further benefits: Racing Ralph, Furious Fred and Nobby Nic are also available in some sizes with the following special features:

- SnakeSkin-Sidewall -

a light and flexible woven layer on the sidewall guards tires against abrasion damage.

- Double Defense -

two system puncture defense with High Density Guard and Snake Skin sidewall. For the first time the protection belt from high-density Vectran fabric - the same used in the Ultremo - is also to be found in an MTB tire. While the proven SnakeSkin sidewall protects against sharp edged stones. There cannot be more security for light, fast off-road tires.

- Evo-Tubeless:

The new models now only weigh around 130 gram more than their “normal” folding tire counterparts. Additional benefits of the new Schwalbe Tubeless generation: Reduced rolling resistance stronger sidewall, easier assembly.

Further Information

Furious Fred