Schwalbe G-One Ultrabite review

Schwalbe’s winter-friendly gravel offering, the G-One Ultrabite is exactly what you’d expect; an aggressively treaded tyre that really does bite into mud.

While Schwalbe’s signature rounded tread performs well off-road, using the tyre front and rear makes riding linking road sections more of a chore.

Unless you ride exclusively on gravel, mixing up your tyre pairing could be a wise move.

Schwalbe G-One Ultrabite specifications and details

The most aggressively treaded of Schwalbe’s gravel G-One line-up, the Ultrabite has been developed for off-road use, including less favourable conditions in the wet and mud.

The tyre tread isn’t directional like many of the best gravel tyres (although Schwalbe still has mount markers on the tyre). It features circular knobs along the centre line, linked in pairs, and fairly large rectangular knobs on the tyre’s shoulders.

Each knob features siping for water dispersal during wet-weather riding.

The black Evolution line tyre (as tested here) is available in three sizes, from 40mm to 2in, as well as a 2in option for 650b wheels.

Schwalbe claims this version offers greater durability and puncture protection through the use of the Super Ground carcass.

In contrast, the Performance line version offers tan sidewalls for 700c wheels only, and has the faster RaceGuard construction.

Schwalbe G-One Ultrabite performance

Starting with the tubeless setup, I was impressed with the Schwalbe G-One Ultrabite tyres, really living up to their ‘Tubeless Easy’ name.

While the bead was fairly tight to get on the rim, that meant I was able to inflate the tyres and seat the bead all the way round using a track pump.

I haven’t been able to do this with other Schwalbe tyres I’ve tested before, such as the G-One Overland, and only with some Teravail tyres. It’s always a treat when setup is so easy.

Once inflated on my WTB i23 CZR rims, which measure 23mm wide internally, the tyres measured up true to size, at 40mm exactly on the shoulder. The widest part measured 1.5mm wider on the chunky shoulder knobs.

This is perhaps something to bear in mind if you’re limited on tyre clearance, especially where muddy gravel riding is involved.

I ran the Ultrabites at a fairly high pressure to start, knowing I’d have a fair bit of road climbing and forestry gravel roads before I encountered anything more sloppy and loose.

The Ultrabite tyres performed as you’d expect on tarmac, proving far from nippy. Having said that, they were not as draggy as some more XC-inspired winter gravel options such as the WTB Sendero.

As soon as I veered off the asphalt and onto the forestry roads, the Ultrabites really came to life.

Even at higher pressures, they offered ample grip over flowing gravel roads, encouraging some speedy cornering and flat-out descending. On longer, sustained fire-road climbs, they didn’t feel too slow, either.

When it came to the more ‘British gravel’ – mud and singletrack – the Ultrabites performed on a par with some of the best gravel tyres for mud, including my current favourite, the Vittoria Terreno Wet.

Having the confidence to plough through boggy, sticky and wet sections is a real plus in the wetter months and winter, when you never quite know what you’ll find.

The rounded, widely spaced knobs also meant that mud was shed really easily.

The level of puncture protection offered by the bead-to-bead reinforcement seemed good, with no signs of pressure loss.

Interestingly, Schwalbe recommends that for some, taking a leaf out of the mountain biker’s manual and using the G-One Ultrabite as a grippy front tyre, combined with a G-One Bite or G-One Allround at the rear, is a good idea to reduce overall rolling resistance.

Generally speaking, it does make good sense to prioritise grip where it’s needed most (at the front) and favour speed at the back if ultimate traction isn’t your only priority.

The G-One Ultrabite makes a very grippy front tyre.

Schwalbe G-One Ultrabite bottom line

If you’re lucky enough to live close to miles upon miles of gravel roads, tracks and trails, and want to keep plugging away through less favourable conditions, the Ultrabite certainly warrants attention.

As with many mud tyres, the downside is the tyre’s performance on the road, so consider carefully how much tarmac you need to cover between off-road sections if you’re tempted by the Ultrabites.