Schwable’s Magic Mary has long been one of my favourite tyres for aggressive enduro-style riding. One of the reasons I liked them in the past is because the old 2.35in tyre blew up wider and taller than many Maxxis tyres with 2.5in printed on the sidewall, which made it more forgiving in rowdy terrain.
However, since Schwalbe switched to the ADDIX range of compounds, they seem to have shrunk in the wash especially in the SuperGravity casing.
Confusingly, the ADDIX Magic Mary with 2.35in printed on the sidewall measured 2.27in across the casing, while the new 2.6in Magic Mary measured up at 2.35in exactly.
I found the smaller version a little wooden and uncomfortable when I tested it in the SuperGravity casing, but the so-called 2.6in tyre is better all-round if you can forgive the extra weight.
The tall tread pattern is even more spaced-out in 2.6in, making it better in soft and muddy conditions. There’s plenty of edging tread and a generous gap to the centre tread to help it bite into corners and off-camber slopes.
Meanwhile, the substantial centre tread means there’s awesome amounts of braking grip too, which gives it an advantage over the Maxxis Assegai, EXO WT, 3C Maxx Terra, 2.5in and Michelin Wild Enduro Front, 2.4in Gum-X / Magi-X.
It really comes into its own over rough, rocky terrain and hardpack, where it offers great traction and comfort thanks to the large volume and well-damped casing, which keeps it stuck to the ground through pinball sections.
There’s plenty of sidewall support from the SuperGravity casing and the shoulder blocks are well-supported, so it never becomes vague when pushed into hardpack berms, unlike some more mud-specific options, such as the Michelin Wild Enduro Front, 2.4in Gum-X / Magi-X or WTB Verdict 2.5 TCS Tough High Grip 29 x 2.5in.
Despite the impressive grip and size, it’s not too bad in terms of rolling speed. It is heavy, of course, although a lighter SnakeSkin version is available.
It’s not quite as good in sticky mud as the Maxxis Shorty 3C Max Terra EXO 29 x 2.5in, but it handles sloppy trails very well for a less mud-focused tread pattern.
The ADDIX Soft compound isn’t quite as sticky on wet rocks as Michelin’s Gum-X or Magi-X either, but it’s more of an all-rounder than the Maxxis Shorty and the Michelin Wild Enduro.
It performs brilliantly in muddy, rocky and hardpack terrain.
How we tested
This tyre was tested as part of a grouptest. All tyres were tested back-to-back on the same tracks, keeping all other variables as consistent as possible to ensure our findings are as reliable and accurate as they can be.
Product
| Brand | schwalbe |
| Price | 99.00 AUD,65.00 GBP,98.00 USD |
| Weight | 1340.0000, GRAM (29in) - |
Features
| Features | Measured carcass width (at 25psi on a 30mm rim): 2.35in |
| br_tyreSizes | 27.5in, 29in |
