World Edition August 2013 10th Year

Now available for all disciplines, from Enduro to Downhill – Super Gravity technology establishes itself … Page 4

Schwalbe launches its fastest touring tire to date in a tubeless version … Page 11

Fastest Marathon of all times

Complete range of Super Gravity tires

tubular and tubeless version

The new top racing bike tire is available as folding,

With Schwalbe One to the top

ing forward to presenting our new point-

of-sale material at Eurobike. And we will

be offering the MTB display at attractive

trade fair conditions.”

Sales

With its narrow dimensions, the counter dis-

play fits on any sales counter (approx. 40 cm

high, 25 cm wide and 20 cm deep). It is fil-

led with Schwalbe One or the likewise new

triathlon tire, Ironman. “Just unpack and

mount, attach the label, finished – that’s all

that’s needed to set up the display”, says

Philipp Hawle from the Schwalbe Point-of-

Sale-Marketing Department.

The 160 centimeter high floor stand is

made up of two counter displays. They

are anchored in the stand and, in a split

second, the sales aid presents the new

Elegant presentation

top racing tire, Schwalbe One. “Become

one with speed” is the message on the

display.

There are also innovations as far as the

MTB tire display is concerned. Schwalbe

will launch four new packages of twelve

tires each at EUROBIKE 2013 in August.

These comprise: One set with 26 or 29

inch tires, a mixed package and a slim

version with narrow tires (54 millimeters/

2.1 inch). For further information please

contact your local distribution partner.

Philipp Hawle stresses: “We are look-

For the new top tires Schwalbe One and Ironman, Schwalbe also offers

attractive point-of-sale material. Whether counter display or floor stand:

The displays in matt-black lacquered cardboard that have been matched

to the tire packaging are high-quality eye-catchers in the shop.

New for the point of sale:

Two counter displays and

the floor stand for the

Schwalbe One.

EUROBIKE, 8.28. – 8.31.2013

in Friedrichshafen, Germany

Hall A 5, Stand 300.

2 Schwalbe profil 2 2013

Schwalbe One Ironman

Pink makes the Dutch bike chic

There is a real eye-catcher! Whether in

the shop window or on the Dutch bike: This

Delta Cruiser in magenta with reflective strips

catches the eyes of presumably mainly female

customers. The tire, which was originally

produced exclusively for a bike manufacturer,

quickly developed into a cult object. Due to

the high demand, Schwalbe is now launching

it for the replacement

market in the size

for classical

Dutch bikes:

40-635.

New Product Manager Race Peter Krischio is the new Product Man-

ager Race. The engineer had already been in

charge of the Schwalbe laboratory for three

years. Before that, after many years in the

industry, he gained extensive practical expe-

rience in his own bicycle shop in Gummers-

bach. He knows exactly what dealers need.

Krischio is the successor of Christian Lade-

mann, who left the

company. “I have

made my hobby my

job! It gives me great

pleasure to approach

the bicycle and tires

from a new angle

every day”, says the

42 year-old bike en-

thusiast, who owns

about a dozen bikes

of all kinds. His objectives: “To constantly fur-

ther develop the high level of the Schwalbe

One and promote tubeless technology.”

Six national championson Schwalbe One

The new Schwalbe One has been a

credit to its name and its riders at the

national championships at the end of

June. In France, Arthur Vichot of Team

FDJ won the road race in Lannilis (Brit-

tany) four seconds ahead of the time

trial champion Sylvain Chavanel. Riders

from the RadioShack Leopard Trek Team won no less than four national titles: In Croatia, Ro-

bert Kiserlovski won, in Belgium, Stijn Devolder, and in Luxembourg, Bob Jungels. In addition,

Jungels also secured the title in the time trial competition. Likewise in the time trial race, Fa-

bian Cancellara won his altogether tenth national title in Switzerland. The Finnish champion

also rode Schwalbe One: Jussi Veikkanen from the Team FDJ.

Interesting tire test: The German magazine “Mountainbike”

(edition 3/13) tested five top tires and the corresponding

cheaper versions of the same tires. The result: Nobby Nic

won in both categories! In its Evolution version, the popu-

lar allrounder was declared the “clear test winner” with the

test result: “Outstanding”. In the Performance version,

Nobby Nic was recommended as a “Best Buy” tip. “We

are particularly pleased about this, because, for this seas-

on, we have equipped all Performance versions of our

MTB tires with a dual compound”, says Head of Marketing,

Carsten Zahn. “In addition, the Performance version is

also available now as a clincher tire – both very attractive

models for the retail trade!”

Double victory for Nobby Nic

Twice first place for

Nobby Nic: Test winner

in the Evolution version,

“Best Buy” tip in the

Performance version.

Dear Schwalbe Partner

For the very first time, an important state guest,

Chancellor Angela Merkel, will visit the world’s

leading industry trade fair. Her visit to EUROBIKE

shows that considerably more importance is now

attached to the bike by those in the political arena

than in past years. Let’s hope, bike riding will

continuously get a greater focus in Germany and

internationally.

Again, we look forward to welcoming you

to our stand at the trade fair this year. Among

other things, we will present the racing bike

tire Schwalbe One, our fastest and most reliable

competition tire to date. Its name alone reflects

the importance we attach to this tire. For the

Schwalbe One, we have even placed TV com-

mercials with the Eurosport channel for the

Tour de France – a first for our company.

Please join us at our stand and check out

exciting new tires, sales aids – and a very special

surprise in the touring sector.

Best regards.

Frank Bohle

3 Schwalbe profil 2 2013

Masthead Editor: Ralf Bohle GmbHOtto-Hahn-Str. 1, 51580 Reichshof-Wehnrath, Germany Phone: +49 2265 1090, Fax: +49 2265 70 22 info@schwalbe.com, www.schwalbe.com Publisher: Vincentz KundenmedienPostfach 6247, 30062 Hannover, GermanyPhone: +49 511 9910-310, Fax: +49 511 9910-309 Staff Editor: Claudia Müller (V.i.S.d.P.) Layout: Angelika Jungvogel Coverphoto: Graham WatsonPrinting: BWH GmbH© Vincentz Network GmbH & Co. KG

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valent downhill tires. All Super Gravity models are Tubeless

Ready and can be ridden without a tube.

The allrounders: Magic Mary and Hans Dampf Magic Mary, the successor to the popular Muddy Mary, has

an intermediate profile specifically designed for competitions,

with chunky shoulder knobs for increased braking traction and

cornering grip, even in soft, muddy terrain. Kull: “Magic Mary

is the best choice for about 80 per cent of all routes, that’s

how versatile it is in its applications. These range from Enduro

tours to bike-park riding and the Downhill World Cup.” Hans

They have sturdy sidewalls and they are puncture-proof like a

downhill tire, but at the same time they deliver “much surer

and responsive handling” according to downhill rider Stevie

Smith, who won the World Cup in Hafjell (Norway) on Magic

Mary. “Many of the top teams in the Downhill World Cup and

the Enduro World Series are already using Super Gravity tires,”

adds Michael Kull from Schwalbe Marketing.

The first tire with this technology was Hans Dampf in

2012. Today Schwalbe offers four tires for all conditions from

dry to muddy: Dirty Dan, Magic Mary, Rock Razor, and Hans

Dampf. The Super Gravity versions represent an impressive

700 gram saving for the bike when compared with the equi-

Schwalbe is now launching a complete tire range with the new Super Gravity

technology. There are altogether four models, including the new Magic Mary

and Rock Razor, to meet every performance requirement from Enduro to

Downhill. All tires are also available in the 27.5 inch size.

Super Gravity wins with revolutionary carcass

The revolutionary

tire design saves a

full 700 grams on

the bike.

Technology

4 Schwalbe profil 2 2013

Super Gravity wins with revolutionary carcass

Dampf is similarly versatile. “Although not quite so extreme.

It is generally more docile as regards handling and is suitable

above all for all-mountain riding,” clarifies Michael Kull.

The specialists:Dirty Dan and Rock RazorDirty Dan, the mud specialist tire that helped Danny Hart be-

come Downhill World Champion in 2011, is now lighter and

faster with the Super Gravity carcass.

The semi-slick Rock Razor tire is the fastest in the Super

Gravity series. When fitted to the rear wheel, it helps riders

eat up any dry and fast route. With Hans Dampf or Magic

Mary on the front wheel, it is the best combination for En-

duro races on dry ground. By the way, the name was chosen

via a crowd-sourcing competition on Schwalbe’s Facebook

page.

Super Gravity carcass with completely new wrapping Super Gravity is an innovative carcass technology. Until 2012

Schwalbe used only dual casing, i.e. a double carcass con-

struction, for a downhill tire. This effectively consists of four

layers that overlap on the center where they form a total of

six layers. The Super Gravity carcass, on the other hand, is

produced by Schwalbe like the carcass of a motor cycle tire.

Again this involves two layers of carcass. But this time they

overlap across the sidewalls rather than in the center (this is

called the “turn-up method”). The result is still four rugged

layers at the side but only two in the center, which means

four layers fewer than you get with a tire designed purely

for downhill. This technology is so extraordinary that Schwal-

be has applied it for a patent. To make the outer cover even

more cut-resistant, the technicians at Schwalbe gave it a ro-

bust, flexible SnakeSkin layer.

The developers also turned their attention to the apex. This

small wedge, which is also used to strengthen automobile

and motorcycle tires, plays a key role as regards the tire’s

sturdiness in the bead area, where the forces that can pene-

trate the tire have the greatest impact. The new apex, now

with its optimized shape and its harder rubber mix, counter-

acts these forces.

By borrowing technology from motorcycle production,

Schwalbe has managed to create a synthesis of downhill and

freeride tires that has given rise to a new tire category. Super

Gravity embodies the desired properties to such an extent that

the tire is the best choice not only for downhill and enduro

races, but also for freeriding. “Solid at the sides, but flexible

in the middle – that way it can adapt itself dynamically to any

ground conditions,” comments Michael Kull.

Flexible and good grip:

Two carcass layers under

the tread.

Stable and safe:

Side wall with

four carcass layers.

SnakeSkin all around:

Protects against cuts.

Strong apex:

Protects against punctures.

Super Gravity range

In addition, Magic Mary, Hans Dampf and Rock Razor are available in a pure SnakeSkin version that, with 700 to 800 grams, is ideal

for all-mountain tours. Only Magic Mary is available as a 100 % downhill version (wire tires, double carcass, 1,250 g).

Tire Size Weight Compounds

Rock Razor 26 x 2.35 920 g TrailStar

Rock Razor 27,5 x 2.35 965 g TrailStar

Hans Dampf 26 x 2.35 1.015 g PaceStar, TrailStar, VertStar

Hans Dampf 27,5 x 2.35 1.065 g TrailStar

Hans Dampf 29 x 2.35 1.135 g TrailStar

Magic Mary 26 x 2.35 1.045 g VertStar, TrailStar

Magic Mary 27,5 x 2.35 1.100 g VertStar, TrailStar

Magic Mary 29 x 2.35 1.165 g TrailStar

Dirty Dan 26 x 2.35 1.015 g VertStar

Dirty Dan 27,5 x 2.35 1.075 g VertStar

Dirty Dan

Super Gravity carcass

Hans Dampf Magic MaryRock Razor

Technology

5Schwalbe profil 2 2013

With Schwalbe One, the company underlines its ambitious

objectives in road racing. “This is the fastest and at the same

time the most reliable competition tire we have ever produc-

ed,” emphasizes Holger Jahn, Managing Director at Schwalbe.

From September, Schwalbe One will be available as a folding

tire, tubular tire and in a tubeless version.

Specifically for the manufacture of these tires, Schwalbe set

up a dedicated high-end factory within its production plant in

Indonesia. “It is a completely new unit where only Schwalbe

One tires are being produced, with fixed vulcanization and

production units that are used exclusively for this tire. Here

the most skilled workers in the entire Schwalbe plant can be

With Schwalbe One to the topSchwalbe One is the name of the new road racing tire. This name

alone indicates how significant the new tire is for the company. It

is produced by Schwalbe in a high-end factory set up exclusively for

the manufacture of this new top-class tire. Schwalbe One made its

debut appearance at the Tour de France, where Teams RadioShack

Leopard Trek, AG2R and FDJ were equipped with it.

Technology

6 Schwalbe profil 2 2013

Phot

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found,” stresses Senior Product Manager Markus Hach-

meyer. “This helps to ensure a consistently high quality

and reliability.”

The new triple compound: Minimum roll- ing resistance, maximum cut resistanceA completely new compound, the OneStar triple

compound, was developed in order to achieve the

extremely low rolling resistance. “In recent years,

there have been major developments in com-

pounding, without which such rubber mixes

would not have been possible. The new

triple compound is based on special

polymers that have only recently be-

come available,” reports Markus

Hachmeyer. As a result, Schwalbe

has achieved a great improve-

ment in the familiar trade-off between rolling resistance,

wet grip and durability. The technicians have subjected

innumerable compounds and more

than 50 prototypes to laboratory

tests and practical trials.

However, the OneStar triple

compound is not only faster,

it also delivers good grip

and it is at the same time

more cut-resistant than

previous compounds. The

tread contour with its more

robust tire shoulder also

helps to make the tire more

reliable.

With its 205 grams, the

new racing tire, due to a

With Schwalbe One to the top

Professional cyclist Jens Voigt could

be acquired as a testimonial for the

Schwalbe One Campaign. He was the

first to test the Schwalbe One in a

race. In the Schwalbe laboratory,

he convinced himself of the puncture

protection of the tubeless version.

Schwalbe One:

Only 205 grams,

extremely fast,

high degree of

puncture protection.

Technology

7Schwalbe profil 2 2013

slight increase in the amount of material used, is just a little

heavier than the Ultremo ZX, which is still available. But the

technical benefits more than offset this supposed disadvan-

tage: thanks to the innovative triple compound, rolling re-

sistance is minimized. At the same time, the compound, the

V-Guard, and the new tread pattern make the tire extremely

puncture-resistant.

Jens Voigt from Team RadioShack Leopard Trek confirms

this fact: “I am very satisfied with the performance of the

Schwalbe tires. I never experienced such wet grip, such great

cornering with traditional, hand-sewn tubular tires in the past.

And I’m thrilled with Schwalbe’s persistence and the way the

company is putting its heart and soul into constantly improving

these racing tires!”

Three systems: folding, tubular and tubeless versionsSchwalbe One is available as a folding tire, a traditional hand-

sewn tubular tire and also as a modern tubeless version. Mar-

kus Hachmeyer sees the change to the tubeless system as a

positive move: “Until recently, there were hardly any tubeless

tires for racing bikes. However, this system offers outstanding

benefits in practice. The rolling resistance is noticeably lower

than with conventional folding and tubular tires because this

system minimizes friction losses. At the same time, tubeless

systems are extremely safe since a sudden loss of air is almost

impossible. There are no longer any tubes that can overheat

and burst. A puncture protection fluid seals up small holes

within a fraction of a second.”

Technology

Schwalbe TOUR Transalp: Seven days, 19 passes

For the third time, Schwalbe was the main sponsor of Europe’s

most important racing bike stage race for everybody, the

Schwalbe TOUR Transalp that began on June 23rd. This year,

Schwalbe Managing Director Holger Jahn, took part in his

fifth Transalp.

Breathtaking alpine passes and fantastic panoramas

combined with top sporting performances make the Tour

Transalp an incomparable race. In the eleventh edition,

650 teams of two rode from Sonthofen in Germany over

the Austrian and Swiss Alps to Arco on Lake Garda in Italy.

They had to negotiate 800 kilometers, 19 passes and an

altitude of 18,500 meters in seven stages.

Low temperatures, rain, and snow posed major challenges

for the “Transalpisti” this year. The second stage was cancel-

led due to snow on the Hahntennjoch pass. The queen stage

was also at risk: Snow on the Stelvio pass. “Six days of rain

and iciness. And, nevertheless, we were proud of our sport-

ing performance, to have finished it once again”, Holger Jahn

concludes. As the only one in the field, he already rode on the

new 25 millimeter Schwalbe One tubeless. “Super grip with

extremely smooth straight-line running. Six bars were

enough to make the tires unbelievably comfortable. The

descent from Passo Mortirolo to Aprica was the sports

highlight. The tires rolled over this really very difficult

passage as though they were mounted on rails.”

Schwalbe is the title sponsor of the race organized

by the German bike magazine TOUR and, in addition

accompanies the riders with a race service van to pro-

vide technical support. At the stage destinations, tech-

nicians helped with fitting tires, tubes and rim tapes,

which can be subjected to heavy wear through the

brakes when travelling downhill.

This Tour Transalp will remain a sad memory due to

an accident. During the first stage, a 47 year-old rider fell

on a straight stretch, without anyone else being involved,

and died at the site of the accident. “We are shocked.

None of the riders forgot the accident during the Tour.

Our thoughts are with his relatives”, says Holger Jahn.

“It is difficult to accept that our sport that we all engage

in with passion also has this quite different side.”

Athletic challenges,

great panorama –

that‘s the Tour Trans-

alp. Active racer for

the 5th time: Schwalbe

Managing Director

Holger Jahn (photo,

center, left). Right:

Peter Krischio, new

Product Manager Race,

provided race support.

8 Schwalbe profil 2 2013

Phot

os: U

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Gei

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XX

Smart Sam Plus – now also “e-bike ready”

Schwalbe’s popular mountain bike tire is now even more versatile. In the

extremely puncture-proof version, Smart Sam Plus, it bears the e-bike ready

50 seal. This means that it is approved in accordance with the Standard

ECE-R75, valid throughout Europe, for fast touring and mountain e-bikes

(in the sizes 57-559, 57-584 and 54-622). This makes it the ideal tire for

the booming offroad e-bikes. In addition, for 2014, Schwalbe will launch

three new sizes: 54-559, 57-584 and 42-622.

World Cup victories on Thunder Burt With fast tire combinations, Tanja Žakelj became European Champion in June and, just before

that, won her first two World Cup victories. The 23 year-old cross-country cyclist puts her faith

in Thunder Burt on the rear wheel, whereas at the front, Racing Ralph provides the necessary

control. In May, the Slovenian from Unior Team won her first World Cup in Nove Mesto (Slo-

vakia) and just a few weeks later repeated this in Val di Sole, Italy, where she won a sweeping

victory with a lead of 20 seconds. Shortly after this, she crowned her achievements with the

European Champion title in Bern and she headed both the UCI World Ranking List and the

MTB World Cup. “For the first time, in first place in the XCO World Cup and in the UCI ranking.

That is something really special for me”, says Tanja Žakelj. After years of top places, the Junior

World Champion title in 2006 and the U 23 World Champion title in 2008, she is now having

her most successful season. About her tires, Tanja Žakelj says: “Schwalbe tires are definitely the

best that I have ever ridden! Racing Ralph is my universal tire. It has carried me safely through

the World Cup races this year. Rocket Ron has a fantastic grip on wet ground. And Thunder

Burt is the lightest tire I have ever ridden. It rolls perfectly and is extremely fast on dry grassy

ground.”

The new cross-country competition tire

Thunder Burt likes dry terrain, weighs less

than Racing Ralph and rolls even more

smoothly than Furious Fred, Schwalbe’s

fastest MTB tire to date.

With Thunder Burt, Schwalbe completes

its range of XC tires for dry conditions. The

tire fills the gap between Furious Fred, a

lightweight at 300 grams, and Racing Ralph,

weighing in at almost 500 grams. At just

400 grams, Thunder Burt also lies in the

middle in terms of weight. “However,

Thunder Burt’s rolling resistance is even

lower than Furious Fred’s”, points out

Carsten Zahn, Schwalbe Marketing Mana-

ger. “We recommend this one for fast, dry

XC race routes or as a rear-wheel option.”

Schwalbe equipped this tire with features

from its exclusive Evolution technology: a

honed 127 EPI carcass and fast PaceStar

At lightning speed with Thunder Burt

Triple Compound. In addition, the tire is

Tubeless Ready and can be ridden with-

out a tube with a puncture protection

fluid, such as Doc Blue.

The technicians broke new ground with

their tread design. They positioned unusu-

ally numerous, small and flat blocks at the

center. These allow Thunder Burt to roll very

smoothly without sinking into the

ground. The stronger outer

blocks provide grip and

control. Thunder Burt

will be available in

26, 27.5 and 29

inch sizes.

Phot

o: C

anno

ndal

e / A

le d

i Lul

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Phot

o: T

eam

UN

IOR

/ Gre

ga S

topa

r

9Schwalbe profil 2 2013

Phot

os: U

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Gei

ßler

Market

10 Schwalbe profil 2 2013

No other medium offers access to a com-

pany and its range of brands as directly,

up-to-date and exclusively as facebook.

“Multimedia and interactivity provide a

whole new range of communication pos-

sibilities with retailers and consumers”,

says Johannes Binner who, together

with Michael Kull, is responsible for the

Schwalbe facebook site.

“We describe our personal impressions

of the events, give practical tips, or stimu-

late discussions on, e.g., applications and

choice of tire. This entertains our Schwalbe

fans and strengthens brand loyalty. Blunt

advertising and self-praise, on the other

hand, are completely out. We could get on

our customers’ nerves with these”, explains

Johannes Binner. It’s not the direct adver-

tising, but gently arousing curiosity about

new tires and technologies that works.

Therefore, the Schwalbe community is

shown exclusive new tires or the new

super gravity technology is explained in a

video. This creates anticipation and que-

stions on when the new tire will be avail-

able on the market. The most recent exam-

ple is Thunder Burt, where the sophisticat-

ed technical details, in particular, aroused

great interest among users. “The fact that

the bikers were so interested in the tire

Michael Kull (left) and

Johannes Binner from

Schwalbe Marketing

are often on the spot at

competitions and sports

events. Among other

things, they provide the

contents for the face-

book page.

design and functionality surprised us”,

says Binner. “In the future, we will make

this a focal point.”

An exclusive look behind the scenes With its race support teams or a stand at

the finishing line, Schwalbe accompanies

around 20 international mountain bike and

road race events from the MTB World Cup

and the Schwalbe TOUR Transalp up to Iron-

man competitions. In the past, mostly the

participants and spectators were aware of

this. Now, Schwalbe is also showing its pre-

sence at the events via facebook. This way,

biking fans who were not able to attend get

an impression of the event and an exclusive

look behind the scenes.

Actively include the users and allow them to participate Schwalbe’s biggest campaign on facebook

and probably unique in the bike sector to

date, has been the search for the name of

Rock Razor, the new enduro tire. More than

10,000 users all over the world participat-

ed in this campaign. “The aim of this type

of campaign is to actively involve the users

and allow them to participate in Schwalbe’s

life. This way, our customers can see that

we don’t only have products and techno-

logies but also many bike enthusiasts and

lots of exciting stories.”

www.facebook.com/schwalbetires

www.facebook.com/SchwalbeNorthAmerica

The tire community The Schwalbe community is growing on facebook. More than 15,000 facebook

fans are following when races are won, experiences exchanged, new tires pre-

sented, or reports published about sports events. Also many specialist retailers

take part in the community.

Facebook.com/ schwalbetires

Facebook.com/schwalbetires

Facebook.com/SchwalbeNorthAmerica

Schwalbe tires (official) Schwalbe North America

11Schwalbe profil 2 2013

Market

A test ride says more than a thousand words:

Anyone who rides on this tire immediately

feels the difference. It rolls surprisingly light-

ly. “A tire with wow effect! The improve-

ment is so profound that even everyday cyc-

lists will clearly notice it,” is how Schwalbe

consultant Gerrit Gaastra describes the Mara-

thon Almotion.

In order to reduce the rolling resistance

to such a degree, the Schwalbe developers

have made use of a carcass structure typi-

cal for motorcycles and called it “dynamic

casing”. Whereas a carcass overlapping in

the middle has been used up to now in tour-

ing tires, in the case of the new design, two

separate layers of different thicknesses have

been used, only one layer of which overlaps

on the side wall. This results in three stable

layers on each side, but only two layers

under the tread. “This particularly flexible

tread and the light structure as a whole

were decisive as far as reducing the

rolling resistance was concerned”,

emphasizes Gerrit Gaastra.

Another guarantee of success with

regard to the smooth rolling qualities is

the triple rubber compound from the new

top road racing bike tire Schwalbe One. A

fast rubber compound at the center and plen-

ty of grip on the shoulders ensure a ride that

is pure pleasure, a polymer especially adapted

for touring rides provides great durability.

In addition to speed, the tire has well-ba-

lanced allrounder qualities. With its distinctive

block profile, the Almotion presents itself as a

rugged allrounder. “The profile is derived from

Big Ben, but has smaller blocks on the side

that adapt better to the ground. Consequent-

ly, it can also be ridden safely on gravel. And

with its smooth middle section, it rolls easily

on the road”, explains René Marks, Product

Manager at Schwalbe.

The Almotion’s puncture protection is

based on well-proven technology: Under the

tread, a two millimeter strong GreenGuard

rubber layer, combined with an allround

fabric layer, ensures convincing puncture

protection.

The fastest Marathon of all times Marathon Almotion is the fastest touring tire to date. Schwalbe has lowered the rolling

resistance to a new minimum, above all by means of a special carcass structure based on

motorcycle tire technology, just as with the super gravity MTB technology (see page 4).

As the first touring tire ever, the Marathon Almotion is also available in a tubeless

version – a world first!

Markt

Looking for the per-

fect trekking tire: Gerrit

Gaastra (46), owner of

the consulting company

GG-Concepts in Germany,

has been advising Schwal-

be for 14 years on product

development and marke-

ting.

Facebook.com/ schwalbetires

The Marathon Almotion

is also available as a

tubeless version. In fact,

it rolls even more easily

without a tube.

Facebook.com/schwalbetires

Dynamic Casing is a

new type of carcass

design based on motorbike

tire technology.

Phot

o: Y

oric

k Ca

rrou

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Technology

A world first:Tubeless touring tire More and more mountain bikers and racing

cyclists are happily riding on tubeless tires.

Now Schwalbe has integrated this techno-

logy in a touring tire. The benefits: The fact

that there is no friction between the tire and

the inner tube makes tubeless tires faster – so

much that the rolling resistance of the Almo-

tion tubeless is slightly better than the version

with inner tube. In addition, tubeless tires are

more puncture-proof. The complete carcass

is provided with a vulcanized inner liner that

cannot burst and that is, in addition, very re-

sistant to puncturing. As a result, in case of

a puncture, the air escapes only very slowly

and, consequently, offers optimum safety.

Special rims are needed for tubeless tires,

but the range available in the MTB sector is

already very wide. For Schwalbe consultant

Gerrit Gaastra, there is no doubt about the

development in the touring tire sector:

“Tubeless is the future!”Facebook.com/SchwalbeNorthAmerica

Flash

Triumph in Alpe d‘Huez! On Schwalbe One, Christophe Riblon from Team Ag2R

La Mondiale triumphed in Alpe d‘Huez, the queen stage

of the 100th Tour de France! For the first time in the

Tour’s history, the riders had to climb this most legen-

dary of all mountains in the cycling sport twice. The

Frenchman Christophe Riblon, who was up to 40 se-

conds behind the US American Tejay van Garderen,

caught up meter by meter in the upper bends in front

of the enthusiastic French fans and finally won with

a lead of 59 seconds. With its 21 hairpin bends, an

average gradient of eight per cent and around a mil-

lion spectators along the stage, the Alpe d’Huez, like

no other mountain, is the true symbol of the Tour de

France.

Over the years, Geert Schröder on his bike collected so many do-

nations that, in 2008, he was able to open an orphanage. After

difficulties with landlords, in 2011 the association bought a plot

of land and, with a great deal of own work, erected three buil-

dings in which 20 children have found a home. The carers place

a great deal of value on the children taking part in the day-to-day

running of the orphanage. All of them, even the youngest, have

their tasks. They look after the cows and rabbits and help grow

fruit and vegetables. “Here, for the first time in their lives, the

often traumatized children get regular meals, appropriate child

care and schooling, and they experience the feeling of security

that comes with being in a family”, says Manuela Zahn, who

supervises the project at Schwalbe.

Once again, Geert Schröder is now on a bike expedition to

collect donations: From Berlin via Lake Constance to Munich,

then 10,000 kilometers from South Africa to the Malaika

orphanage in Nakuru.

By the way, “Malaika” means “angel” in Swahili. And that’s

also what the children have christened their new cow. The other

new cow’s name is Schwalbe Two.

(www.malaika-projekt.de; www.grenzerfahrungen.net )

When Geert Schröder from Marburg (Germany) saw the misery of

the AIDS orphans in Kenya while on vacation in 2000, he decided

to help. Upon returning to Germany, he founded the registered

association Malaika Project together with Kristiane Ewert and esta-

blished a network of Kenyan and German sponsors and partners.

Schröder draws attention to the project using bike expeditions in

Germany and Africa. His first tour through Germany in 2008 covered a

distance of exactly 1,100 kilometers. This number of kilometers corres-

ponds to the average number of children who die every day in Africa

as the result of AIDS. After each kilometer, he put up a little white

cross. In Kenya alone, there are approximately 1.1 million orphans

whose parents have died of AIDS, the majority of whom live on the

street. This inconceivable number is quoted by the German Children’s

Missionary Society.

For the last five years, Schwalbe has been supporting the

Malaika orphanage in Nakuru in Western Kenya. What was

most urgently needed shortly after the first children moved

in was: a cow. So Schwalbe donated a milk cow which was

given the name of the company.

Left: The children help with growing

vegetables. Center: “Schwalbe” provides

the daily milk. Right: Geert Schröder

(center) at the start of the current ex-

pedition.

8.28. – 8.31. EUROBIKE, Friedrichshafen, Germany, hall 5A, stand 300

9.15. – 9.17. Best of Bike, Salzburg, Austria, hall 10, stand 500

9.18. – 9.20. Interbike, Las Vegas, USA, stand 18109

A cow called “Schwalbe”

Phot

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Phot

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