Schwalbe Shredda Tire Review
Overkill at its best.
Last fall, Schwalbe announced a slew of updates to its tire line, all centered around a new Radial casing. But Schwalbe didn’t just mate that casing to classic treads. Instead, it debuted two new Radial-only tires, the aggressive-all-conditions Albert, and the incredibly niche Shredda.
The Shredda is mean. It’s aggressive, with the tallest knobs Schwalbe has ever put on a tire, a wide-spaced, square-edged tread pattern, and a moto-esque profile. This is very much not a “jack of all trades, master of none” tire. Instead it’s a “hyperfixate on one specific and obscure aspect of one trade so singlemindedly that you become a reclusive master of the art” tire. The Shredda is meant to shine in loose conditions where other tires would pack up, wash out, and give up.
Schwalbe Shredda Tire Overview
- Sizes Available: 29/27.5” x 2.5
- Tread Patterns Available: Front (29” only) and Rear (27.5 and 29”) specific patterns
- Compound: Addix Ultra Soft
- Casing: Gravity Pro Radial
- Weight: 1,498 g (Front, 29”) | 1,422 g (Rear 27.5”)
- Price: $104
Schwalbe markets the Shredda as an e-bike tire for “the steepest uphill passages.” And yes, you can go uphill on the Shredda. But honestly, talking about this as an e-bike-specific tire feels awfully close to “e-bikes are just crappy dirt bikes” territory. Your legs and/or motor will give up before you find the uphill traction limit of the Shredda.
So instead, I’ve focused my time with the Shredda on its downhill performance in those same “steepest passages.” And, as we’ll get into later, I’ve found it to be incredibly well suited to steep, scary lines in loose conditions.
Tread Pattern and Compound
The Shredda Front looks, from a distance, a bit like a meaner Dirty Dan. It’s got the same 2-2-2-2 tread pattern, minus the Dan’s small far outside blocks. But the blocks are even taller, and better-supported than those on the Dan. They’re spaced wide, with plenty of room to clear sticky mud.
Similarly, if you squint, you can see a bit of Magic Mary in the Shredda Rear. It’s got a 3-2-2-3 tread pattern, but again, these knobs ate their Wheaties and grew up big and blocky. Both front and rear tires share pretty minimal siping and look like the simple, meaty tires we’re used to seeing on dirt bikes.
Since the rear-specific tread pattern is available in both 27.5-inch and 29-inch sizes, you could run it in the front. It’s got a slightly more “normal” profile, with a smoother transition between cornering and center knobs, and less sea between the islands of knob. So if you want the Shredda experience, in a slightly less aggressive package, you could run dual rear treads.
Finally, the Shredda is only available in Schwalbe’s Addix Ultra Soft compound. This is a traction-focused tire. If you’re looking for something that rolls faster, or lasts longer, at the expense of that traction, you should be looking at a different tread pattern, like the excellent Albert or Tacky Chan.
The Radial Difference
The Shredda is awesome in loose conditions, but you already knew that from looking at the pictures, right? We’ll go deeper into that performance in the next section, but it’s worth talking about why Schwalbe can pull off those absurdly tall knobs without making a tire that’s totally terrifying anytime it hits a slick root or rock.
Schwalbe’s new Radial tires use a casing that aligns its internal strands closer to parallel to each other than more perpendicular traditional tire constructions. Practically, that means that for any given casing thickness, the tire is more supple, and can conform to the terrain better. You can run higher pressures, without compromising on grip, and experience less casing squirm.
That’s especially apparent with Schwalbe’s DH casings. I’ve spent a lot of time with a DH Dirty Dan on the front of my bike, and I’ve routinely run it around 17 PSI in wet conditions. That old Schwalbe casing is so stiff and wooden feeling that you need to run absurdly low pressures to get it to conform to the terrain.
This new Radial casing is more supple, and allows the knobs to contour to firm terrain so much better that I’m quite happy running 24 PSI in the front, and 27 in the rear. And that ability to wrap around roots and rocks, without the knobs folding and squirming out is a key ingredient to the Shredda not being as terrible as it should be on firm terrain.
No, I would not want to ride a bunch of off-camber slabs with Shreddas on my bike. But Schwalbe’s Radial casing means that when I’m out on a ride that’s mostly soft and loose, I can still survive the occasional root hallway and rock roll.
The Privilege of Shredda Conditions
Enjoying the Shredda comes with privilege, and that privilege has two ingredients. First, to enjoy the Shredda, you’ve either got to be on an e-bike, shuttling, or be absurdly strong. These tires roll slowly. They’re loud on pavement, and only marginally quieter on hardpack. I’ve spent plenty of time pedaling heavy, slow tires around and these are next level in their inefficiency. I have never pedaled a tire combination that felt this silly and overkill on the way up.
Second, the Shreddas truly shine in conditions that are, by their very nature, ephemeral. The Shredda comes alive in deep loam, in wet scree, in loose silt, and in very steep terrain. These are all finite resources. There is zero reason to ever ride the Shredda on a sanctioned trail. They’re overkill for anything within the bounds of “normal” mountain biking.
In skier terms, these are reverse sidecut, reverse camber powder weapons, optimized for the steep and deep, but squirrely and silly anywhere else. They feel slow and vague on anything that’s remotely flat or hardpacked. You can survive sections of traditional trail on them, but it doesn’t feel good.
When you get into those truly steep scree chutes, those “oh boy, this is a really bad idea” fall lines, and bigger mountain lines, the Shredda shines. It’s got traction for days. It’s so confident, so composed, it gives you space to stop thinking about traction and instead focus on carving the next turn. The Shredda feels like a cheat code that can only be engaged when things are truly dire. It’s got significantly more traction on tap in loose conditions than any other mud spike, or aggressive tire I’ve tried.
Shredda Alternatives
Overkill is underrated. It’s fun to run tires like the Shredda, even if they really only make sense for 5 percent of your riding. But it’s worth being realistic in your choices. If you’re looking for a true specialist that you’ll only swap on for steep, loose riding, then the Shredda is the obvious choice as long as you swap it back out again before your next ride. But, if you’re looking for a seasonal tire, something to put on for winter but still ride plenty of flatter hardpack trails with, there are better alternatives on the market.
The latest Maxxis High Roller delivers slightly lower, but similar levels of grip in loose conditions to the Shredda, while being much more versatile. The High Roller is still fun on bike park flow trails, where even the thought of riding A-Line on the Shredda makes me uncomfortable.
Similarly, the Specialized Hillbilly handles loose, wet conditions well, while still managing to be more well-rounded than the Shredda.
Finally, Schwalbe’s own Magic Mary is a great choice for anyone looking for an aggressive, open tread that doesn’t feel terrifying when things dry out.
For Now
Most tires are generalists, pretty OK at most things with no real blind spots. That’s great. It makes sense for the majority of riders for the majority of the time. But there’s something special about having the right tool for the job, even if that job is quite niche and intimidating. If you’re looking for all the traction in the worst conditions, the Schwalbe Shredda is ready to rumble.
Learn more: Schwalbe Tires
