SCHWALBE HANS DAMPF
Tester: Ben Morrison
Casing: Super Trail
Compound: Addix Soft
Weight: 1029g (29”)
Size: 29 x 2.35” (27.5” also available) Width on DT Swiss 30mm rim: 57mm PSI for testing: 22/24 front/rear RRP: $124.95 bikebox.com.au
The Schwalbe Hans Dampf has been around for some time and has been refined over the years to land where we are today. Billed as an all-round tyre for front and rear for use in a wide variety of conditions the Hans Dampf is well suited to mid travel trail bikes as a pair or on the rear for the longer legged bikes out there. The Super Trail casing is more supportive than the name sounds, with 3 layers of material and additional sidewall support. With a lower profile and a width of 2.35” the Hans Dampf is a pretty fast mover on the trails and offers better than expected braking with its lower profile. Despite its narrower width the rounded profile offers a predictable feel both front and rear with plenty of notice if it’s going to break traction.
Using the Hans Dampf front and rear delivered a bike that was fast and wild. Steering was light thanks to the lower tread height, but in very loose and steep terrain the steering and braking wasn’t quite ideal – however for those riding a lot of high-speed flow trails, you could slaughter your Strava times on this pair! Matching the Hans Dampf with a Tacky Chan on the front delivered a really good balance across lots of conditions except mud, thanks to the low profile and large number of knobs. The Addix Soft compound did take a bit of a hit in the wear department after the first three days of use (all shuttled). This wear did not transfer so much to the side knobs and the tyre still offered ample traction in turns while the braking in a straight line started to suffer.
The Super Trail casing offered ample support and a nice amount of trail feedback. Like the Tacky Chain rim impacts were experienced but no damage or pinch flats occurred as a result. I am impressed with the consruction of the Schwalbe tyres. When installed they sat for 2 weeks unused at 55psi and only lost 4psi and 6psi respectively, while under use during the test period no pressure was lost. Despite being on the more expensive end of the tyres on test The Hans Dampf on the rear in a combination with a Tacky Chan on the front would be a pretty good recommendation for someone who is an aggressive rider looking for a light, fast rolling setup which isn’t going to weigh you down.