Market: Schwalbe Addix – the mountain bikers among us will probably come across this name more often in the coming months and years. However, this is not a new tire, but a series of new rubber compounds that will be used in the EVO versions of the Schwalbe tires. They replace the well-known PaceStar, TrailStar and VertStar compounds.
A bicycle tire is a complex construct - no matter how inconspicuous the plain black exterior may seem. Often - especially on MTBs - they are reduced to their width and profile, but that is only half the truth, if at all. The rubber compound used is at least as important for grip, rolling resistance, damping and, above all, durability. How well does the tire stick to wet roots? Do the side knobs buckle when cornering? Does the surface stick to asphalt and increase rolling resistance? All of these factors are significantly influenced by the rubber compound used. This is made up of a large number of different ingredients that are combined into the desired mixture in a specially coordinated process - a bit like at the bakery.
With Addix, the German tire specialist Schwalbe is now proud to present four new such rubber compounds for the EVO variants of mountain bike tires in its portfolio. Schwalbe Addix was developed over a period of two years; Rubber expert Wolfang Arenz, who has already worked for many other manufacturers and has a wealth of experience in this area, was in charge of the rubber mixtures.
The four new compounds serve four different areas of use at the same time: XC-Race (Addix Speed), XC/AM/Trail (Addix SpeedGrip), Enduro/Downhill (Addix Soft and Addix Ultra Soft). Incidentally, in the case of Schwalbe it will be very easy to identify who is using which tires in the future: a colored stripe on the tread indicates the corresponding rubber compound.
Schwalbe Addix: The four new compounds
Schwalbe AddixSpeed
The mixture for the racers: Low rolling resistance was the top priority during development. Compared to the predecessor compound PaceStar, the new compound is clearly ahead in terms of both grip and durability.
Schwalbe Addix SpeedGrip
The all-rounder: The so often quoted golden mean is the new Compound SpeedGrip: With still quite low rolling resistance, grip and, above all, durability are significantly better than with the Speed-Compound.
Schwalbe AddixSoft
Attention Enduro and Gravity pilots: The new rubber compound for demanding terrain, good cushioning and lots of grip is called Addix Soft. Compared to its predecessor, the Trailstar, it performs better in all areas.
Schwalbe Addix Ultra Soft
If you can't have enough grip, you should rely on the new Ultra Soft compound, which replaces the VertStar tires. A popular choice, especially in difficult conditions on the front wheel.
Schwalbe Addix: Which tires are available in which rubber compound?
Of course, not every profile makes sense with every rubber compound. Very few drivers would probably want to run a low profile race tire with the softest compound. For this reason, Schwalbe has an official overview table of which compounds are available for which tires.
