Schwalbe’s Nobby Nic used to be the tyre I dreaded finding on a test bikes. However, those sketchy days drifting in the wilderness are no more – a few years ago it was transformed into a mini Magic Mary, and it’s been one of my favourite fast all round tyres ever since.

There’s a Schwalbe Nobby Nic for pretty much everyone, because it comes in an incredible 40 iterations. The Addix Soft compound is the stand out choice in terms of suiting the tread though. I’ve been testing it in various versions for the past few months, so which one is right for you?

Schwalbe’s Nobby Nic Super Trail Addix Soft tyre is a flyer but still holds its own in the twisties.

Schwalbe Nobby Nic need to know

• Toothy but still fast rolling
• Lower weight than most trail tyres
• 40 different options
• 26 – 29in and 2.25 – 2.8in sizes
• Speed Grip to Ultra Soft compound options

The latest Schwalbe Nobby Nic 2025 (left) gets more of a channel between the shoulders and main tread, and better rubber too compared to the older tyre (right).

Design and specification

I can’t exactly remember what the old Nic used to look like (we’ve found a picture for you above – Ed) but I know it didn’t ride as well as it looked in terms of grip and control. Which is why everyone in the UK just jumped straight to the wider spaced, bigger block Magic Mary – one of the best mountian bike tyres going.

However when Schwalbe changed all its carcass names a few years ago, Mary put on a lot of weight, putting most options over the kilo mark – that’s pretty off-putting for extended pedalling. The good news was that at the same time it also remodelled the Nobby Nic to look a lot more like the Magic Mary, particularly in terms of the row of big slotted top side knobs.

With 26, 27.5 and 29in sizes and widths from 2.25 – 2.8in there’s a Nobby Nic in the right size for most riders. The carcass options run from the basic Performance tubed through the lightweight Super Race and Super Ground options to the tougher Super Trail and puncture protected DD Raceguard builds.

On top of that you can have ADDIX SpeedGrip, ADDIX Soft or ADDIX Ultra Soft rubber compounds. The key thing is that, apart from the 2.6 / 2.8in ‘Plus’ sized models, all the Nobby Nics weigh under a kilo.

Sipes help the knobs deform more progressively under pressure, giving a more predictable feel.

Performance

As someone who likes to climb and charge out of every singletrack corner as hard as possible, the low weight is enough to put a smile on my face already. The new wider spaced tread pattern is toothy enough to find useful bite even in the harder ADDIX Speedgrip (blue band) too.

While there’s a bit of on road growl from the gaps, it rolls faster than it looks, especially when it gets off-road. However, given that Speedgrip works best in dry conditions, most riders drawn to that Nic mix could probably substitute it for the significantly faster rolling Wicked Will for a bigger velocity advantage.

The orange stripe indicates this is the ADDIX Soft compound.

The Addix Soft orange band compound is a gear slower than the Wicked Will in the same compound when it comes to rolling on tarmac/fire road though. But matching those bigger blocks to a stickier chemical grip definitely creates a year-round UK sweep spot in terms of seriously tenacious traction, enough even to make the Will feel like a semi slick suicide choice in comparison.

While there’s more of an arrowhead vibe to the Nobby Nic tread than the Magic Mary, there’s still enough consistent grab to really load the tyre up through the bars at all angles. The block channels are enough to spit mud out fast too, so it’s always ready to take another bite of trail rather than you eating sh*t on a clogged tyre. It’s holding up well in terms of wear as well, with sharp edges after several months, and no torn or ragged blocks or no punctures either.

The Soft compound comes in 27.5 and 29, 2.4 and 2.6in options in the Super Ground and Super Trail carcasses, and I’ve had the luxury of trying both SG and ST versions of the 29 x 2.4in over the past month.

There’s a big difference on the scales straight away with the Super Ground coming in at 850g compared to 940g for the Super Trail. Super Ground is a more supple, flowing and lively feeling tyre too, so if you’re looking for excellent grip at 20psi and above, and aren’t too heavy on the brakes, or regularly slapping into sharp edges, it’s a great choice.

Despite my normal preferences to shave weight wherever possible, once I tried the Super Trail I couldn’t go back. The carcass construction is essentially the same but with an ‘Apex’ reinforcement up the lower sidewalls.

The Super Trail casing is heavier, but adds more stability, and I was happy to accept the weight penalty.

That means it’s more stable, damped and predictable at lower pressures, but still mobile enough across the top to really let the knobs conform and do their thing on mixed mess. The result is a tyre I can ride with zero compromise in terms of expected trail grip, but still feels like a trainer rather than a steel toe capped welly.

Both carcass types blow up to an acceptable 2.33-2.36in (59 – 60mm) size depending on rim and specific tyre too. This gives them more airspace than the undersized 2.4in Maxxis Forekaster that actually measures around 2.25in most of the time, although that’s still a brilliant tyre.

And while the Nobby Nic is not quite as well damped in feel as the Specialized Grid Trail T9 tyres, it’s not as heavy or as slow rolling either. Specialized definitely wins in terms of value though, and the latest version of the Eliminator is looking very promising in early testing.

The Specialized Eliminator is a better value option if you’re on a budget.