Schwalbe Big Betty / Magic Mary Review - So many miles of abuse and they're still going!
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- Опубликовано: 27 июн 2021
- We tested 10 sets of Schwalbe Magic Mary and Big Betty tires on a broad mix of terrain and have a lot to report back on.
Fitting the Schwalbe Big Betty and Magic Mary tires to our full fleet of E-MTB test rigs proved to be a struggle at times with their tight tolerances on the beads, but with some perseverance and the occasional profanity we got them mounted and aired up. After 100,000ft of vertical testing in a week on sharp edges and smooth rolls interspersed with high-speed rock gardens, we were astounded to suffer from zero flat tires, despite even destroying two rims. A truly impressive feat for a group of hacks like us, taking some heavy eMTBs to their limits on unfamiliar trails.
Traction and predictability across a wide range of conditions was the standout theme amongst all our test riders. We had one bike show up with tires from another major brand mid-way through testing, and we all felt that we just did not have the confidence that we had become accustomed to on the Schwalbe tire combo. The Magic Mary and Big Betty combination offered consistent grip and cornering confidence throughout testing that left us all very impressed.
For my 170-pound mass, I opted to run 24psi front and 26psi rear on the 2.6” casings, which I found to be the optimum setup to keep the sidewalls soft enough to conform to the trail while not deforming during hard cornering. The soft rubber compound is both sticky and slow enough to rebound that I never felt on the edge of grip and held up reasonably well for the test duration showing only a small amount of wear come the weeks’ end.
The Big Betty on the rear provided a great climbing tire in both 29 and 27.5”, hooking up well across a variety of ground conditions. On the descents, the narrowly spaced side knobs give the rider supreme confidence that the rear will not give out from under them during hard cornering efforts. Braking traction is also impressive, allowing for late braking in all but the muddiest of conditions without losing traction and skidding. The rolling speed of the Big Betty is reasonable, but it would not be our first choice for a tire to take on the longest rides in hardpacked terrain.
As you know, we think the Magic Mary is a great front tire that offers oodles of predictable traction across the full spectrum of conditions and may be as close as we have found to a perfect all round front tire. The only downside we could think of is the slightly slow rolling speed in high-speed smooth sections, and the occasional knob-squirm on the hardest packed corners. These are only minor nuances though, and we struggle to recommend against the Mary for most aggressive riders.
At $183 for the Big Betty and Magic Mary pairing, these Schwalbe offerings sit up at the top of the pricing scale for mountain bike tires, but we believe it is a case of you get what you pay for, with performance and durability to aid in the justification of their price.
In their Big Betty and Magic Mary combination, Schwalbe have produced one of, if not the best all-condition tire combinations on the market for riders seeking excellent traction without a sufferfest of rolling resistance. The pairing of Super Gravity casing on the rear with Super Trail on the front was faultless through a tough week of punishment on E-Bikes, offering impressive durability without a ton of excess weight.
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Rider 1 - "whats your thoughts on front and rear?" - Rider 2 "Well I don't know about you but I'm definitely an Assegai!"
Nailed it! One go
LMAO 😂
I don’t care if it’s sponsored or not, I’ve tried schwalbe few times and I know they perform so good
What's the difference between a poorly dressed man on a tricycle and a well-dressed man on a bicycle?
Attire
Haha! That is a good one!
Just changed my front tire from a Schwalbe Black Jack to a Magic Mary R26 x 2.35 while still running one BJack 2.25 on the back and damn what an amazing difference. Its performance, traction on sandy corners, glide like feel, burly/aggressive looking and the confidence it gives while blasting down the trails is awesome. I absolutely love it and will definitely buy it again! 😎👍🏽🍺🇲🇽
I have run WTB Vigilante, Maxxis Assegai, Maxis Minion DHF, and Magic Mary and without a doubt, the Magic Mary is the best front tire I have ever ran. It grips the best and rolls the best for me. I have never washed out with the Magic Mary.
That's good to know as I'm looking to change from dhf to a Mary but had worries with cornering on loose over hard. I know the dhf is good for it but don't feel comfortable on it in any loamy and or wet conditions. Any further comments you have on the Mary's are appreciated 👍
I run this exact set up. Still going strong. Will get the same set again. Ride in similar terrain as well. Highly impressed
Awesome to hear it!
I did a head on with a rock shaped like a sharp curb yesterday and Magic Mary somehow didn't pinch and also probably saved my rim. No marks and still looks perfect and no flat spot on my wheel. -26x 2.35
Hey man just seen your video it's just what I was looking for great information thanks for sharing 👍 🏁🏁👌
Run this MM/BB combo in 2.6 supertrail with cushcore on all my bikes! Great setup!
Just started running magic Mary up front nobby nic in the back. My favorite setup so far here in New England
Running this combo (trail/trail casings) on my long travel 650b steed.
Great looking tires (always a bonus), that won't let you down 🤘
joke/pun = ✅
I love and ride this setup too! For most people just not as cool as Maxxis Tires 🙈 best grip ever
good as the big M is, Schwalbe and WTB are killing it with their new tires. i've got a BB 2.8 ready to go on my ATE2 if it ever arrives, and the WTB Verdict on the front of my Slayer is right up there with the MM.
Yeah absolutely! It's rad to have more options that will raise the competition and also offer riders in certain areas better performance.
Best combo ever.Now we have even Big Betty Bikepark specific - dual compound Addix, witch is harder, more durable and faster rolling tire.
I really wanted to make you guys laugh but all my attempts fell flat
Haha. This is good!! 🤣
My 2021 Patrol came with big Betty back and MM front. Doing something right over in the mountains of Oregon
Tire prices keep going up and up. Must be due to inflation.
Hahaha! Funny and sadly, true...
that's a good one
lol alright that's it you're fired!
Was rocking Marys at Bachelor this weekend, forgot how good the corner in sandy corners.
Really wanted to try this combo after i saw the BB, my shop wasnt bringing in Schwalbe so im Assegai front, DHF rear. Also a great combo
i am going to try nearly the same Combo, only supergravity in the rear so i can run a little bit less pressure and ultrasoft and only 2,4 in the front for the wet days on the trail. do you think this would work great.
What did one tire say to the other? I wheel-y like you!
Solid!
Frontrunner!
How does they compare on wet/roots in western Washington winter conditions with DHF/DHRII ??
Thanks - gonna try this combo now
Are they good in super trail for smashing through rocks with 1.5 - 2.p bar at 65kgs?
I run this combo in 2.8" with the trail soft front and rear with nukeproof ARD tyre inserts on my Haibike Allmtn 6.0.
I'm really happy with it.
The big betty clears mud a lot better than the eddy currant.
Got them on my new 2024 cube 160 action team on Saturday magic Mary on from Big Betty on rear they are 2.4 evo line but man it's my first ebike first any bike in a decade maybe 15 yrs I remember Tioga 2.0 were the thing back in the day and they were huge! These 2.4 are massive to me so can only imagine a 2.6in!
I could ride Big Betty for days but there is just something Magic about Mary.
I'm about to buy this combo, but I'm torn between using the Super Gravity casing front AND back, or Gravity in back and Super Trail in front, like this review used?
I'm running Eddy Current front and rear on my Giant Trance E and recently put magic Mary up front. Huge difference. Loved the current but out here in Az the shale and dry terrain got sketchy in corners. So far a lot happier with magic Mary up front. Not sure I'm going to switch the rear yet because the Eddy current out back seems solid. I'll likely run the old Eddy I had up front on the rear once the current one is roached. Great tires either way so far. I'm running soft compound and holding its own well with no chunking like I have seen with extra soft.
The Nobby Nic tyres are really good too i have them on my bike.
I was hoping you tried the big betty on the front. Stock was low so thought id try it. Amazing. Burley relatively tight edging knobs really dig into the corners. Its become a fave
Just got a big betty 2.6 to go on th rear. Meant to get a 2.4 to match the front magic mary. Do you think I could swap them and be ok or no? I know I can just try it for myself, but that's a lot of effort lol
@@neshltd2303 over time i felt it took a little extra lean to get the edges to hook. It was pretty good on edge but i think the magic mary hooks up quicker and the betty is probably better on the rear. Tacky chan is their newest tire and it gets good reviews. You may want to get a super soft 2.4 tacky chan for tge front .Their stated widths are wider than other tires as well. Schwalbe 2.4 is wider than 2.4 conti, vee tire, maxxis and spesh. Schwalbe are good tires though. Current faves are conti argotal/kryptocal. They hook up and roll faster than anything ive tried and they last way longer than the others. Both 2.4. Supersoft front and soft rear.
Corrently on vee tire flow snap/attack. Grippy and tough and great prices can be found but they dont roll near as fast as those continentals and the vee tires are wearing faster as well. I'll go back to continentals for sure
I know this is a year old, but I'll tell you what I like on my Commencal 29er.
Magic Mary on the front and Hans Dampf on the rear 2.35." . It's what my buddy and I have been riding for a while. He has a 27.5 and rides 2.6"
No Mister, the 2.8" versions are not the favourite/most used versions of these tyres for 2 simple reasons: 1- everybody doesn't use a e-MTB (yet). 2- the 2.4" versions are good enough AND heavy enough not to add extra weight to our rigs. Excellent tyres anyways (despite of their disappointing weights).
Cheers!
Very helpful. Thank you.
So is the big Betty the equivalent to DHR2? Looks similar but expect shwarlbe to be better overall? 😅🤷
I was really wanting to run this setup, can't find it online anywhere for the size or casings? . Been on Maxxis for a while and love the Assagai F & Agressor R Combo for my local NM, USA terrain. I tried Michelin Wild Enduro F and R combo. Loved the feel, grip and rolling resistance combo, but after only 3 months side knobs already shredding off. Just put on Continental Kryptotal to give it a try since I couldn't find the combo from this video.
Giving up on your goal because of one set back is like slashing your other 3 tires because you got a flat
I use the new Magic Mary for a rear tire on FATS flow trails here in SC. Much better than the Rocket Ron I was using before. Still using Rocket Ron for the front tire and it works good there, but as a rear it was too thin and weak. Magic Mary is tough and has tons of traction in comparison.
I was trying to come up with a joke to make you roll over laughing… but I kept coming up flat.
Ha!
How would you compare them to DHR?
Was running big Betty magic Mary super gravity on my ragley marley hardtail for 2 years, no inserts with tubes 28psi rear 25 front.
0 punctures and I mean 0, those tyres never left the rim once installed.
Just got a big Al that came with max is dhf and dhr, and I'm not to sure about the maxxis to be honest, maybe I'm just not used to them yet, but as soon as these are semi worn I'll be going back to schwable.
my kind of review ... thamks 😊
i am 5'9" 177 lbs
Hello guys,nice review. Between big betty and eddy current in 2,4 super gravity both of them what would you prefer for rear?
Thank you. It sort of depends on where you live and the type of terrain however, big Betty is probably more versatile and so we would slightly choose that over the Eddie current.
Big betty and magic mary is my favourite combo and when it gets really wet n muddy dirty dan goes up front
I really want a 29” mm in 2.8 width for f you can get one?
Lightweight?! The old evolution tire was around 900gram for a 2.35inch. Was such an awesome front trail tire! Too bad schwalbe killed it and left only the 1200-1400gram heavy case tires. They're great, but they should've kept the lighter options too. At 1200grams, there is much more competition for hardcore front tires, such as the Assegai...
Thanks
I have the Eddy's
To be honest I find them average. The front one has washed out a few times.
The rear is good and stable.
Are you guys going to get your hands on the new YT decoy with the ep8? I’m really tired of no reviews being out yet…
Probably because they don't have any to send media outlets! haha 😂We will try though!
@@TheLoamWolf I guess I’ll just have to wait until I get mine in October ha.
My bike couldn't stand on its own because it is two-tired. I was stressed because I punctured my tire just before the big race. My mechanic turned to me and said "Don't worry, no pressure". What did the automobile tire say to the bicycle tire? I'm kind of a big wheel around here. I was trying to come up with another bicycle tire joke but I couldn't take the pressure.
Haha.
All this rubber talk is making me tyred 🤟🏴
Would love to be between Big Betty and Magic Mary!!😂 Great to see how these tyres compare to the Eddy Currents 👍
I tried E 13AT and SS, I think e13 tires are more tough and supportive . Something similar like videos combo
I would love a new set of Schwalbe's but if it does not happen I will just roll with it.
Haha! Solid solid!
What do you call 365 rubber melted down to make a tyre ..... a goodyear
VOLEVO SAPERE LE GOMME SCHWALBE ULTRA SOFT
COMPRANDOLE NUOVE DOPO QUANTO TEMPO VANNO SOSTITUITE?
Do you have some gear to spare?
I went to the petrol station to pump up the tyres on my car...
So I went to compressor and put 20p in the machine and it didn't work, tries it again and still no joy...
So I walked into the shop and said to guy behind the counter 'Hey man I think your machines broken I keep trying my 20p but it won't turn on...'
He replies to me 'its 50p now that's why'
I then replied 'Ah! that's inflation for you !
Good work guys i love the vids, that's got to make you laugh and earn me some tyres !?
Haha. That's a good one!
Whoever invented the tire is wheel smart
Honestly, no hate on maxxis, but anything that shines some light one tires other than DHF/DHR is good for the community.
i've been on a tire journey and basically all the riders and shops around me just say "just get a dhf/dhr" I know it's a good combo, tried and true, but I know there are some other good combos.
haven't tried thsi combo, but tried some vittoria and continential so far and love them both.
bought a set and i don't like that the lettering between both tires differ from each other!
how to those compare to Maxis? Where I ride most people run on cushcore. I'm told that the bigBetty/Magic Mary in supergravity does not required cushcorr. Not muth information on the web on this.
Hi ,i bought the Big Betty dh tires for the Price 50 euros pair . They are a bit hard to mount on the rims but thats ok. Like the traction and i Can ride low pression , also im not pro rider dont need thé best performance. For thé moment im happy with
Schwalbe does make good tires. But they are getting really expensive lately. It is after all just a bike tire folks.
What did one mountain bike tire say to the other during a tough climb?
"Hang in there, we're just going through a rough patch!"
If you ever want to simulate a big betty as a rear tyre get a cable tie and tie it round the rear brake lever so its 50% on, then go ride and bingo, thats what a big betty feels like
Good to know, I'm running a MM rear and was looking for something faster rolling. Guess BB isn't it. What do you prefer to run on the rear?
@@suney20 currently on the new 2.4 orange Nobby Nic. Very pleased with it, rolls well but not amazing as I think it looks and feels like a junior magic mary, grips well over wet and dry roots. Grip on hard or loose is very good, drifts controlably in sand and mud yet still bites enough to get moving. Slight loss of grip on transition from middle to side knobs but that allows the bike to be tipped into a berm quickly, never had it let go suddenly on the transitions, it just drifts controlably for a brief moment. Also had a 2.3 aggressor this year which is good but didn't have the bite I wanted (hence now on the NN) and a dissector which I didn't think much of. I'll probably stick to the NN for winter its been that good, if I need something more then I'll get another 2.4 Magic Mary
How would magic mary front and rear work?
They almost killed my missus!
Gonna get a pair of Bettys to even things up.
Paddy and Murphy come across a girl whose bike has a flat tire...
Murphy leaves Paddy to help her and goes on his way.
A few minutes later, Paddy passes Murphy on the girl's bike.
"What the feck happened"? asks Murphy.
"Well, I fixed her bike and be jaysus she takes her knickers off, lies on the ground and says, 'take what you want big boy!', so I took the bike.''
"Good on ye'' says Murphy, ''I'm sure the fricken knickers wouldn't fit ya anyway"
Why don't you test BikePark edition, could be perfect for an ebike, in my area is super dry (rains once per month - I guess you have similar weather?), so why not to try bike park edition? waaayyy cheaper and durability should be good (on the back).
I took out Magic Mary and Big Betty to discuss TPI, but my ego was over inflated
Telling people to buy two sets is not exactly helping the rest of us find some, 29" tan wall Big Betty's are impossible to find 😢
I sure am TIRED of not winning these giveaways…
My non-eMTB could hardly stand by itself at the top of the trail...new Schwalbes made no difference, it was just two tired...
boom! show yourself out.
@@TheLoamWolf walk of shame
@9:50 ultrasoft wears out ultra fast. I think they only make sense for racing.. or you get off on buying and changing tires
Pole unleashed a 190mm beast hope u can get one to test😁😁👍👍
That's the plan!
@@TheLoamWolf excited
Big Betty on the front ?
My dad caress 5 tires in his truck yet has no extra tube😂😂
Best all weather tyres are 2 assegais or wild enduros or michelin dh22 full stop.
My brother had a joke about a flat tire. He said he would spare us from it.
running Big bettys on my Rail 9.10 yea I said 9.10 video will up this week
changing cameras angles makes no sense and is a douche channel move.
Poaching viewers in the comments is a douche channel move. 😂🕵
I had a couple good tire jokes...but I'll spare you guys...🤣
badaboom pssss
Your channel is. Great i always skip through your videos becasue t thought you were the loam ranger lol i cant stand that guy! I assume alot of people do that.
Haha. Well, thanks for the feedback and hopefully you'll keep watching our videos without thinking we're too annoying. 😄
@@TheLoamWolf most definatly not. Haha ive been binge watching all of them! Keep it up guys!
S. Gravity is only for eBikes and heavy enduro / downhill. Otherwise S. Gravity is too heavy. I have SG Big Betty and Magic Mary combo, soft both. I'm satisfied with them but they could be lighter.. I regret that I haven't brought Super Trail versions. On my other bike I havd Wicked Will on the back.. Super Trail. I'm super satisfied with it.
Yeah we agree, very impressed with how durable Super Trail is! we've even ridden them on front of some eBikes!
@@TheLoamWolf I have Trek Rail 9.5 2021 but still stock XR4 on it.. Can't wait to wear them out. My plan is to slap Big Betty Super Trail soft on the rear, but for the front Magic Mary Super Trail soft (or some Eddy combo, depending on availability.. 🙄)
It is easier to choose for the eBike.
But when it comes to choice for my trail, enduro or (non XC) hard tail bike.. Definitely Super Trail or even Super Ground for the rear tire.
Wouldn't mind new tires, cause my old one's are TIRED xD
Haha. Wah waaahhhhh
pls review Eddy current´s in 2.8
I couldn't do anything else than retire my wheels after I've seen this video
haha this combo is like what i wnat to get at the boxxing day
What's your favorite rubber??
Well...
How does the magic Mary roll relative to the Assegai ?
Probably a little better. The Assegai may be one of the slowest rolling tires out. haha. But it grips like a MF!
@@TheLoamWolf totally agree! I ride the Assegai hut haven’t rolled on a magic Mary
I was going to post a tire based joke but all the ones I came up with fell flat.
Haha. Nice!
Why can't a bike stand on it's own?
...
Because it is two tired.
In my country these tires cost almost 3 times from maxxis
"don't go toilet paper crazy". I'm using that the first chance I get.
Haha. Be our guest.
Why is a unicycle always faster than a bicycle? Because a bicycle is 2 tired!
The Magic Mary let me down unexpectedly on a loose corner (one where I’d never had an issue before on other tires) and because of that, I don’t think I can trust it again. It just doesn’t seem to lock onto its side knobs
Was this on the new Mary's?
@@tjay_mac yes with the orange stripe
@@jameslee5237 I had the same experience with a soft Magic Mary, afterwards I tried a Specialized Butcher T7 that was already an improvement and finally a Maxxis Assegai MaxxGrip, which grips fantastically good and still doesn't wear too much in the front.
I once stole a tyre at gunpoint……
I was charged with Armed Rubbery.
Heyoooo!!! That’s a good one
Not Bad👍🏿👍🏿
@@TheLoamWolf sweet. 🤙🏴
The only way i like it is magic mary in the front and big Betty in the rear
im going to comment twice just in-"case" i dont win :)
Went 365 without a flat....can you guess the brand I use 😉😏?
Goodyear 😭
heyoooo.
Some of these tire jokes are wearing thin...sorry I've been a Maxxis Assegai/DHR guy. I guess I should try something else at some point, but not go "toilet paper crazy" lol
Haha.
The availability of magic marys in Australia is a joke 😒