Rolling resistance
Rolling resistance: Fewer watts is better – every watt saved stays in the drivetrain.
63 tires with a measured value – best value 16.7 W (source: ENDURO Mountainbike Magazine Labortest 2025).
Power in watts a tire absorbs on the drum. It comes from casing flex and damping in the rubber compound.
Configure your build
Width, casing, compound and pressure – every value on this page follows your pick.
How we calculate
One shared selection for every tire. Secondary values use measurement points from the same test series only.
More pressure: less rolling resistance, less grip, less comfort. Tougher casing: more protection, more weight. Softer compound: more grip, more rolling resistance.
Test conditions
Measured at 28 psi (1.93 bar), 17.8 mm rim inner width under standardized editorial test conditions.
Verdict from the measured data
- Top: Schwalbe Nobby Nic with 20.5 W.
- Bottom: Vittoria Mezcal XC Trail with 31.5 W.
- Best and weakest value are 11 W apart – around 43% of the group average of 25.4 W.
| # | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Schwalbe Nobby NicTrail | 20.5 W | – | Nobby Nic TL-E PaceStar 29 x 2,25 (gemessene Variante) |
| 2 | Continental DubnitalTrail | 22.3 W | – | Dubnital Trail Rapid 2.4 (gemessene Variante) |
| 3 | Schwalbe Wicked WillTrail | 25.2 W | – | Wicked Will Super Race Addix SpeedGrip 2.4 (gemessene Variante) |
| 4 | Continental MagnotalTrail | 27.6 W | – | Magnotal Trail Grip 2.4 (gemessene Variante) |
| 5 | Vittoria Mezcal XC TrailTrail | 31.5 W | – | Mezcal XC Trail 2.4 (gemessene Variante) |
Verdict from the measured data
- Top: Schwalbe Hans Dampf with 28.2 W.
- Bottom: Specialized Purgatory with 50.1 W.
- Best and weakest value are 21.9 W apart – around 59% of the group average of 37.4 W.
| # | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Schwalbe Hans DampfTrail | 28.2 W | – | Hans Dampf Super Gravity ADDIX Soft 29 x 2.35 |
| 2 | Maxxis DissectorTrail | 32.4 W | – | Dissector Gen. 1 3C MaxxTerra DoubleDown 29 x 2.40 WT |
| 3 | Specialized EliminatorTrail | 38.8 W | – | Eliminator T7/T9 Grid Gravity 29 x 2.40 |
| 4 | Specialized PurgatoryTrail | 50.1 W | – | Purgatory T9 Grid Trail 29 x 2.40 |
Values from different test rigs are deliberately kept in separate blocks. More on that under Sources & method.