For the past five months, we’ve been using Schwalbe’s Ultremo R clincher tire in a variety of conditions. Schwalbe markets the Ultremo R as a racing tire, and its performance and light weight certainly back up that claim. Unfortunately, its durability is also characteristic of a racing tire- that is, it’s relatively mediocre. Overall though, the Ultremo R is the ideal racing tire, providing the best grip through tough criterium corners and faster speed on time trials and road races.

Perhaps the biggest feature on the Ultremo R is the weight- the claimed weight is 180g and our tires came in at a paltry 178g each. The tire features a folding bead, and thus is relatively easy to mount. Schwalbe was able to integrate a radial protection belt, allowing the tire to retain its shape while puncture resistance is increased. Indeed, once the tire is mounted and inflated, you will be surprised by how incredibly round it is. Unlike other tires that have a flat area where the tire contacts the road, the Schwalbe Ultremo features a perfectly round profile- this decreases the contact patch, which in turn improves rolling resistance and cornering ability.

Compare a car tire to a motorcycle tire. The motorcycle tire will have a far rounder profile, because it is meant to be cornered aggressively. The Ultremo’s round profile is immediately noticeable in corners. You can lean the bike as far as you want without experiencing the frightening “fall-off” feeling of other profiled tires. The difference is that the Ultremo essentially lacks a sidewall, and the entire tire is coated in the same grippy compound as the contact patch. We found the Ultremo to corner better than any tire we had ever raced on, including our venerable Vittoria Corsa CX tubulars.

With such an impressive grip and astonishingly low weight, we knew there would be some compromises. The Ultremo R was designed from the ground up to be a racing tire, to be used on closed, smooth courses. After months of training use on rough roads, we found that the Ultremo’s sidewalls were far more prone to cuts than those of other tires we had trained on. That said, we experienced relatively few flats with the Ultremo R’s, an impressive feat considering their low weight.

The Ultremo R’s are the ideal tire for the weekend crit racer looking for a new level of confidence in high-speed corners, or the roadie who wants a fast-rolling, lightweight racing tire.