Thought for sure that had to be a typo - 26 min over a 100 miles is crazy talk - these tires are going to vanish off the shelves.
Yupā¦I just placed a pre-emptive order. I wonāt be able to get outside and ride the local gravel for a couple of months yet, but wanted to make sure I had them. Have an early season race in April that I want them for and didnāt want to be scrambling to find some.
1 Like
Yeah I had to check it again but itās right haha. At that surface and speed aero and CRR drag are about half and half!
Already sold out at BikeTiresDirect. Gotta use that bonkbros code! I donāt think the 2.1 is going work for my frame so Iāll be on the hunt for something slightly smaller but just as fast.
1 Like
Might be worth checking European vendors even if youāre in the USā¦prices are usually great so even with shipping it ends up being a good deal if you stock up!
2 Likes
yeah, I placed my order to Merlin.
1 Like
Thunder Burts are undoubtedly fast tires, but I feel like Iāve heard that they donāt last very long at all. So for gravel, that is really going to be a problem. One long race and your tires could be shot?
Yeah, I have heard the same about them so I made sure to go with the more durable but heavier casing option when I got them. As far as the durability that will just be a wait and find out sort of thing for me. Riding style and prior experience with tires should always be factored in when choosing them I think
Thunder Burts have been known as one of, if not the fastest tire out there (For a while now, this isnāt a new thing that should cause them to fly off the shelves). The issue is theyāre fragile and can be low on traction. Great tire in the right scenario, but itās not all that fast to tear a sidewall.
This is the main reason everyone likes the race king - almost as fast, better traction, and more durable. If they only made it in a 2.1" and a 2.4"
Take someone like DJ - wouldnāt run the Burt in an event like Unbound despite knowing how fast they are because of the puncture risk.
1 Like
I ordered my thunder Burt super ground from modernbike.com a few weeks ago without issues: https://www.modernbike.com/schwalbe-thunder-burt-tire---29-x-2.1-tubeless-folding-black-evolution-super-ground-addix-speed
This weekend will be the first time taking the thunder burts on gravel. Had only had them on pavement this far. 60 mile ride/race with 2000ā climbing. Race is Sunday but looking like quite a bit of rain. Iām still recovering from a crash in November (fractured scapula) - so I may just go do the course tomorrow at 100% effort to test my fitness and try the new tires off road. No need to go through the mud/risk for a local C race. Weāll see if the weather changes.
Iām not sure that Iāll have that objective of data riding without a comparison on the same route solo on different tires, but weāll see.
Iām not too thrilled on the comments of the fragile walls as I value durability a lot. One flat that doesnāt seal quickly destroys some watts savings, ten fold if you lose your group. I am only 157 lbs and running just over 4 oz of orange seal, so should be sufficient.
I have ThunderBurts on my 650b wheels and last spring did a ride that had a fairly long stretch of mud / slop. Gotta say they werenāt the best in those conditions. Slid out a couple of times while my buddies rode through cleanly.
So if you are worried about them in mud, you might want to make a different choice (at least based on my experience).
1 Like
Sorta been on a testing spree with gravel and mtb tires the last few months.
Local gravel racing where I am can be a mix of rough forest road climbs, hard pack flat ag land roads and smooth tarmac.
Currently on a set of 40mm Terra Speeds on my aero wheelset, and a set of Hardpacks on my ārowdyā wheels. Iāve also had wtb raddlerās and Maxxis ramblers on those rowdy wheels. Hardpacks all the way in anything rough, loose or wet.
The hardpacks ARE noticeably slower than the terra speeds on anything flat or climbing. Heavier feeling too.
Have a set of Caracal races, and 2.1 thunderburtās on the way. I also intend to test the G-One RS when I can get my hands on them.
The hardpacks have gotta be the weirdest handling tire Iāve ridden. They are OK just going on a straight line, but once that bike starts moving around 
2.4 is coming soon apparently. Iāve been using 2.2 RK rear on an old single speed and itās an absolute killer tire. Aspen 2.25 front there fwiw.
Yeah Iāll likely hit the route tomorrow before the rain comes in and just forego the race.
Do you have suggestions on a decent mud tire? I donāt really have clearance for mud anyways so would probably throw on something smaller or use my old diverge for mud.
1 Like
Itās the squared off edge. I think itās what makes it feel so stable descending. You gotta lean hard to transition to the knobs.
Yeah, I have a bunch of experience on the 2.2. Iāve beat it up on two trips to Leadville and two mud pit events at Lutsen and a bunch of training too. Only reason Iād pick a Burt instead is more sizes.
Edit - Pretty sure I let you know about the 2.4 RK in the Race Tire Thread too 
I donāt, unfortunately. The gravel trails we have around here are packed sand / dirt with kitty litter on top, so they drain really well. There are just a few sections on the lower half of the trail system we ride that can get sloppy, so I really donāt have a need for a mud tire.
1 Like
I have swapped summer Thunder Burts for Racing Ray+Ralph combo for the winter mud. They are 2.1, so I poke the mud out with a stick every now and again and use protective tape on the frame where clearance is tight.
2 Likes
The G-One RS Pro 50 is probably the best candidate there. Will be interesting to see how it tests on BRR.
Iām very excited that the Burts tested so well. Iāve been running them for a while and really like them, but from the earlier testing (and particularly the poor performance of the Hardpack) I was worried that they simply werenāt big enough. I canāt fit anything bigger so this test result makes me very happy (although it does mean I donāt have any excuses to get a new bike!)
1 Like