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Schwalbe Dirty Dan Evo 2.0 Tyre Review

Reviewed by: Essex Herts MTB -
Schwalbe Dirty Dan
We review the Schwalbe Dirty Dan Evolution 2.0 tyre. Designed for XC riding in the worst of conditions, Essex Herts MTB test it out over a wet British winter.

Schwalbe Dirty Dan Evolution 2.0 Introduction

The past winter in the UK has been one of the worst that we have had in terms of rain. Everywhere has turned in to a muddy bog. If you wanted to get out and ride you had no option other than to fit mud tyres. Schwalbe’s mud offerings are the Dirty Dan's. Having spent some time on the downhill versions we were interested how a different size and compound would affect the dynamics of the tyre in its XC guise.

Schwalbe Dirty Dan
"It's great to get a product which is actually less than the stated weight"

Schwalbe Dirty Dan 2.0 Specs

  • Wheel Size: 26"
  • Size: 26" x 2.00
  • Compound: Pacestar Triple Compound
  • Colour: Black
  • Pressure: 2.20 - 4.30 Bar (32 - 62 psi)
  • Weight: Stated 440g, Actual 430g
  • Folding: Yes
  • Tubeless ready: Yes
  • For deep, muddy terrain.
  • Tall blocks bite into soft and loose terrain.
  • Large gaps provide the necessary self-cleaning and braking traction.
  • Full product details are here.

Schwalbe Dirty Dan Schwalbe Dirty Dan
"With Schwalbe's PaceStar Triple compound tyres the shoulders are engineered to be softer than the other knobs for cornering grip"

Performance

  • Climbing and cornering on muddy terrain is superb. The Dirty Dan's narrow profile slices through the goop and the tall knobs grab gobs of traction. You can really feel them dig in, and I was able to get up some really tricky climbs without spinning out.
  • Strait line climbing is particualy good. The mix of a semi paddle knob and 2 seperate knobs down the middle of the tyre, allows the carcass to really bite in.
  • The knobs are widely spaced and as a result the tyre cleans itself really well. Rolling through the mud you get a nice rooster tail spraying out the back which will annoy your mates!
  • When on hard pack or the road you can hear a rumble from the tyres, which you would expect to translate to a fair amount of drag. This isn’t the case however and the PaceStar compound rolls along well. Its something that we have found with other Schwalbe triple compound tyres. The harder carcass made with the easy rolling base layer, helps maintain your momentum.
  • With Schwalbe's PaceStar Triple compound tyres the shoulders are engineered to be softer than the other knobs for cornering grip. This combined with the double sniping on all of the blocks means that when you lean the tyre over you get superb grip in muddy terrain. The softer rubber grips harder, the snipes splay to give a greater contact area, and also allows the knobs to mould to the terrain.
  • On rock sections, wood work and the road the Dirty Dan’s had a lot of grip. The soft shoulders really came into their own and leaning the bike was done with confidence.
  • The stated weight of 440g is accurate and this makes the Dan a very light tyre. We actually measured them at 430g. This is good news when you are carting around pounds of mud on your bike after a winter ride. It's great to get a product which is actually less than the stated weight, although I'm sure that our scale calibration has something to do with it!
  • The Dirty Dan's narrow profile and widely spaced knobs mean that traversing wet roots are not the Dan's strong point. The tyre is not big enough to mould round them and provide grip. It’s the trade-off for the fast rolling speed, and mud slicing grip. They are a small 2.0, especially when mounted to wide rims.
  • In addition the narrow profile will not provide you with a lot of cushioning. Especially as you have to run them in the 30-40 psi range. In the kind of terrain we were running them in this wasn't an issue but as it starts to dry out, and you become reliant on the tyres taking an edge off the hits, the Dirty Dans might not be your first choice. As this is marketed as an XC mud tyre this is to be expected.

Schwalbe Dirty Dan
"The narrow profile will not provide you with a lot of cushioning"

Usability and durability

  • The Dirty Dan's are tubeless ready and although we ran them with tubes for this test it’s great to have the option for a tubeless set up.
  • Mounting the Dirty Dan's was easy. I got them on without a tyre lever and off with just one lever, on a variety of rims. The bead also seated easily.
  • As with all the Schwalbe tyres that we have used the packaging, quality and finish on the Dirty Dan's is very good. Its feels like a premium product which does inspire confidence.
  • Post ride cleaning was a cinch with the Dirty Dans. As it sheds mud so well the dirt washes off easily even from between the snipes.
  • After testing the tyre for 3 months we didn't see any real signs of wear. The Pacestar compound does have a reputation for durability and its implementation on the Dan was as expected.
  • None!

Schwalbe Dirty Dan
"As with all the Schwalbe tyres that we have used the quality & finish on the Dan's is very good"

Schwalbe Dirty Dan - Test Info

  • Tested on – Cotic hardtail with Syncros DS 28 and Mavic XC717 rims
  • Tested for – 3 Months Winter 2014.
  • Riding type – Local XC trails. Mud of epic proportions. Up to your hubs kind of stuff.
  • Where – Surrey Hills, Danbury, Epping
  • Similar tyres used and abused: Maxxis Beaver, Maxxis Swamp Thing, Continental Mud Kings, Specialized Storm Control

Schwalbe Dirty Dan - Final Thoughts

As we all know there is no such thing as a perfect tyre, but there are good executions of tyres for specific conditions. The Schwalbe Dirty Dan is such a product. It provides sensational grip in a strait line and when cornering in deep mud. Deep sloppy peanut butter goop gets sliced through and grip found in the wettest of conditions. Their narrow profile helps you to power through the filth while the Pacestar compound means they roll well. They are also really light and will shed mud well. Cleaning is easy and durability is also excellent.

However if your riding lots of rooty terrain and taking big hits, the small 2.0 profile means the Dirty Dan might not be the rubber for you. As its pitched as an XC mud tyre, its unlikely your going to chose them if that is your riding environment, but its something to consider.

The Schwalbe Dirty Dan should be on your winter tyre list. Find out more about the Schwalbe Dirty Dan here .