Schwalbe G-One Ultrabite in review

If Schwalbe G-One Ultrabite doesn’t sound like a lot of grip, we don’t know what does. But what is this doing in the G-One gravel family? Does this tire throw efficiency out the window and attack the trails, or is it more bark than bite? We put the self-declared grip monster through the wringer in our group test to find out how it fares.

Cross or gravel? At first glance, it’s only the tire width that hints at the gravel genes of the Schwalbe G-One Ultrabite. That’s because the tread is strongly reminiscent of the grippiest cyclocross tires with its aggressive knobs, which speaks for good trail performance.
That’s how the Ultrabite slots into the G-One family, bringing maximum grip to gravel bikes – at least that’s the promise. And like all Schwalbe tires, it delivers a good first impression during fitment. Doing so is as easy as ever. Experts don’t even need tire levers, and it seals tubeless without any hassle. We want more of this, please!

Grip monster – Schwalbe G-One Ultrabite

The moment he tried it, our gravel bro and tire expert Jan said this tire makes him feel like he’s on a tractor. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing because it seems promising for going off-road. While it feels unfamiliar and vague on the asphalt, it turns into traction galore on gravel and forest soil. The tire digs into the ground and navigates corners with ease, especially on soft and loose terrain. It feels at home on soft and damp trails, where it made our test riders smile without fail. Unfortunately, the Ultrabite quickly packs up with mud and turns into a slick, making it unsuitable for muddy trails.
The aggressive tread performs surprisingly well in the laboratory, generating just 16 W rolling resistance, which is outstanding for a tire like this. The G-One Ultrabite also performs above average in terms of puncture protection, though it can’t match the performance of the G-One RS.

Conclusion

The Schwalbe G-One Ultrabite promises maximum traction, and the tire delivers. But due to the poor self-cleaning, the intended use is somewhat limited, as it tends to pack up with mud rather quickly. For a tire with this much grip and puncture protection, it’s remarkably efficient.

Tops

• excellent traction on forest soil and soft ground
• agile handling on the trails
• above-average puncture protection

Flops

• poor self-cleaning

Made in Indonesia | Tested size 40-622 | Tire width in mm¹ 40,6 | Tire height in mm¹ 36,42 | Tire height + Test rim in mm² 81,74 | Weight 551 g | Price € 64,90
1 measured dimensions with 2,5 Bar, 2 Test rim: ZIPP 303s 622 x 20.3C (Rim height 45,32 mm)

For more information head to: schwalbe.com

In our introduction of the best gravel tire on test you can’t just find our most interesting findings and our overall conclusion, but a good view on all tires tested.

All tires on review: Challenge Getaway (Click for review) | Challenge Gravel Grinder (Click for review) | Continental Terra Speed (Click for review) | Continental Terra Trail (Click for review) | Maxxis Rambler (Click for review) | Maxxis Receptor (Click for review) | Panaracer Gravelking (Click for review) | Panaracer Gravelking Slick Plus+ (Click for review) | Pirelli Cinturato Gravel H (Click for review) | Pirelli Cinturato Gravel RC (Click for review) | Schwalbe G-One Allround (Click for review) | Schwalbe G-One R (Click for review) | Schwalbe G-One RS (Click for review) | Schwalbe G-One Ultrabite | Specialized S-Works Pathfinder (Click for review) | Specialized S-Works Tracer (Click for review) | Vittoria Terreno Dry (Click for review) | Vittoria Terreno Mix (Click for review) | WTB Riddler (Click for review) | WTB Byway (Click for review)

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Words: czajac Photos: Jan Richter