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Think you can cut it like a pro? Schwalbe makes it easier with new Tread Cutter

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If you peek behind the tape at just about any professional downhill event, you will surely spot a familiar tire that looks way more worn than it should be considering it is on a sponsored rider’s rig. Often that is intentional as riders and their mechanics are looking for every bit of speed they can get. We’ve regularly spotted pro mechanics behind the race van  amongst a pile of chopped rubber tread blocks with some headphones on, taking on the mind-numbing task.

But now Schwalbe introduces the first tread cutter made specifically for mountain bike tires, and it’ll make mechanics’ and DIYers’ lives a little easier…

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You can go pretty crazy trying to pick out the perfect tire for a particular trail as there are always a handful that will do more than a good enough job. However, you may have a favorite go-to that you want to use but it could stand to be a little faster, and when racing down the clock, incremental improvements matter. Despite getting all of the free tires they want, pros like to stick to one or two favorites and modify them as needed. Most teams just use regular cutters, snips, razor blades, or something repurposed from the motorsports side of things.

Schwalbe’s Tread Cutter is sized just right to fit in between the close quarters of a mountain bike’s tread and features a great little “height adjustment” so you can dial in how much you want to chop and keep it consistent, while bobbing your head to the latest K-pop. This will also surely speed things up when you’re about to snip what could turn into 3+ beers worth of knobs.

SchwalbeTires.com

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15 Comments
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Pete
Pete
8 years ago

Serious question here. I’ve never really understood cutting tires. Why not just buy/use a tire with a smaller or different tread pattern?

Daniel
Daniel
8 years ago
Reply to  Pete

Pete, Are You Serious? He Just… He Just… Told You That.

Nick
Nick
8 years ago
Reply to  Pete

I’d like to like what Daniel said, but there is not a like feature. This is my “like”

Erik
Erik
8 years ago

That’s just a tile snips with a depth adjustment gauge and a Schwalbe logo

Doug Dewar
Doug Dewar
8 years ago

You know if I was a tire manufacturer – I would sell a tool like this too – heck I would give them away. Next thing you know Schwable will be marketing side wall cutters…………

Eugene Chan
8 years ago
Reply to  Doug Dewar

Continental could just put a jagged pebble in a blister-pack and call that a sidewall cutter.

gringo
gringo
8 years ago

We have been doing this for many, many years on the world cup…..but to think that some weekend warrior is going to cut tread off his expensive tires in order to improve his ‘performance’ on his sunday loop…..i just can’t even fathom.

This is a great tool for about 40 people in the world…..for the others….not so much.

bbb
bbb
8 years ago
Reply to  gringo

I used to cut off the knobs of some fast 26″ XC tyres to convert them to fast gravel, forest, road “(semi) slicks” for my drop bar MTB.
After “shaving” they were lighter and faster than any of the shelf touring/commuting tyres available. They were good enough for fast road riding…

SUMSKILLZ
SUMSKILLZ
8 years ago

Reminds me of the time I used wood screws to make a studded tire, I used tile snips to remove the height of some lugs. It all worked well for a few runs…

captain derp
captain derp
8 years ago

@gringo a lot of privateers and amateur racers do it too.

JBikes
JBikes
8 years ago

Hey, at least they actually modified a pair of flush end cutters instead of just slapping a logo and profit margin on. Label these as Enduro optimized, charge an extra $5.

Skip
Skip
8 years ago

Buy a couple spoke wrenches too. Preferably in close enough sizes. Support your LBS

jeff
jeff
8 years ago

I’ve bought more than one pair of snips just for cutting side knobs off of high volume tires. Some times the perfect volume tire doesn’t have the right size tread.

Cesar G
Cesar G
8 years ago

This would be great even for my small bike that usually needs a beefy 2.1 tread tier now I can go slightly bigger and adjust knobs so it wouldn’t rub swing arm and maybe even use a small DH tier or a used one I don’t need from my DH sled and make it usable on my small bikes rear till it’s no good… Great tool for even amateur or privatiers racers too thinking of ordering this ASAP…

krackgoat
krackgoat
7 years ago

with 2 kitchen knives it took me a good 3 hours shaving off a beefy tyre to fit in the rear haha. wish i had this cos i spoilt 2 kitchen knives

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