Introduced all the way back in 2009 as a “freeride” tire (you know, before we started calling everything “enduro”), the Dirty Dan finally gets a couple new options. Originally a 26″ only model, they introduced a 27.5 version last summer alongside their lightweight Super Gravity casings. Now, there’s a new 29×2.0 (520g) option for big wheelers with their tubeless ready PaceStar compound. That’s their XC-ish triple durometer compound and gets slightly lower profile knobs…but it’s still a spiky looking mud machine.
There’s also a new, fatter 26×2.35 (1015g) in their Super Gravity VertStar compound, which is their softer rubber mix with taller spikes. Visual comparison of the two after the break. The 27.5×2.35 (1345g) size gains a wire bead version for DH, too.
Pacestar (left) gets a much lighter casing and rubber mix with slightly lower knobs. Vertstar (right) is softer and heavier with more durable casings for gravity riding.
For commuters, the Marathon tire is celebrating 12 years of protecting flats with a new, more durable version. It keeps their 5mm deep SmartGuard insert, a lightweight, highly flexible rubber that sits between the tread and inner casing. As the pic illustrates, it prevents common road hazards from ever reaching the tube should they penetrate the tread. The bigger change is a new “anti-aging” sidewall that help prevents cracks in the rubber caused by frequently riding the tires with too low air pressure, something Schwalbe found was a common problem among casual users. Lastly, it’s now certified for e-bikes that’ll run up to 50km/h (~31mph).
