Schwalbe G-One RX review: Grip everywhere you want it from Schwalbe’s most aggressive gravel tyre

The Schwalbe G-One RX is Schwalbe’s newest tyre for off-road riding where grip is key. Positioned as the most aggressive option in the new G-One R range, the RX is designed for riders after the best gravel bike tyres, but prioritising grip over outright speed. It takes over from the G-One Ultrabite in Schwalbe full gravel lineup. The old Ultrabite was a tyre I used on my gravel bike for almost 12 months a couple of years ago (replacing them with something a little more slick for a mostly on-road tour at the start of summer) so I was looking forward to seeing how they compared given the quite significantly different tread pattern it has gone with for the new range.

I was testing the 45mm version, and the initial rides I took these tyres on were a bit of a mud bath. The very first time I took them out I decided to head to some familiar tracks and trails, only to discover there’d been some forestry work going on in the woods, and combined with some significant recent rain, conditions were prime to give them their first proper test and see if they stood up to the ‘maximum grip and excellent self-cleaning properties in muddy conditions’ claims from their manufacturer.

While the tread pattern won’t look that familiar to G-One Ultrabite fans, it shares characteristics with both Schwalbe’s less aggressive gravel tyre, the G-One R, and its race-proven cyclocross tyre the X-One R with the aim of offering reduced rolling resistance while maintaining the utmost grip through muddy corners and on steep climbs.

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It’s not just the tread pattern that’s different for this tyre, though; all tyres that are part of the recent G-One R line feature a newly developed carcass construction and widened belt of puncture protection for increased resistance to cuts, tears, and punctures on the trail. Combined with improved rolling resistance thanks to the arrangement of the individual plies and faster Addix Race rubber compound, Schwalbe claims improved puncture protection for the same weight.

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Design and Aesthetics

The Schwalbe G-One RX is the third member of Schwalbe’s G-One R line, designed for especially rocky and muddy terrain where “enormous amounts of grip are required”. The G-One R is the all-purpose tyre, while the G-One RS is the semi-slick option for hardpack and fast terrain.

Schwalbe describe the G-One RX tyre as the “Race Grip” tyre within the G-One R line, using the all new Race carcass from their development team. The Race carcass consists of two carcass layers and RaceGuard to protect the tread, with three carcass layers protecting the sidewalls. Schwalbe says that the new arrangement of the layers reduces rolling resistance, while the RaceGuard puncture protection (consisting of two nylon layers) sits under the tread to keep flats at bay.

The tread itself is made of Schwalbe’s ADDIX Green Rubber compound, consisting of Fairtrade natural rubber and recycled carbon black which comes from the brand’s own tire recycling facilities. It claims this offers outstanding performance and durability while also raising the bar for environmental friendliness with up to 80% renewable and recycled materials. While these are interesting claims, I struggled to find any clear information about exactly how much of the ‘up to 80%’ of the tyre’s materials truly were renewable or recycled.

Aesthetically, the tyre has a simple design. They’re only available in the one colour, black, and the printed details on the sidewall feel clean and modern. With the Schwalbe swallow at one end of the sidewall (symbolising freedom, joy of discovery and optimism) and the full Schwalbe logo and tyre width information at the opposite end, both in clean white, the G-One RX unlikely to clash with or take away from any other details on your gravel bike, in case that’s something you’re worried about.

The central ‘boomerang’ tread pattern is shared with its slightly less aggressive cousin the G-One R and aims to improve rolling resistance and offer grip on even the steepest of climbs. Transitioning to the outside of the tyre, paired blocks, borrowed from Schwalbe’s cyclocross tyre the X-One R, are designed to offer maximum grip in the corners.

The shift to wider tyres in the gravel scene is catered for by Schwalbe’s new range, and the G-One RX is available in 40mm, 45mm, and 50mm versions. While the RX tyres won’t be suitable for riders with limited clearance, if you’re looking for a narrower tyre then both the R and RS from the range are both available in 35mm.

With a claimed weight of 595g for the 45mm version, they’re not the lightest on the market but are within 20-30g of their main competitors and should be ~15g lighter per tyre than their predecessor, the G-One Ultrabite. If lighter weight is important to you, the PRO version should be around 25g less, although they didn’t feel unreasonably heavy on test.

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Performance

Thanks to the weeks of rain we’d had before I fitted the G-One RX tyres to test them, conditions were perfect for testing Schwalbe’s claims that they “focus on the best possible off-road performance with more grip in difficult conditions”. Luckily, it started to dry up (a bit) before too long, so I was able to see how they felt on drier loose gravel and hardpack too. Also, because I wasn’t keen on swapping my wheels out every other day, we took on our fair share of road miles together too.

Fitting the 45mm tyres to my DT Swiss GR531 rims gave me absolutely no issues at all. They went on with ease and the help of a single tyre lever, and once I’d made sure the bead was sitting comfortably either side of the valve, I simply inflated them using my trusty track pump. The bead remained seated when I then delated them in order to take out the valve core and add in some sealant and so I felt reassured they’d be easy to re-inflate without a super high pressure pump on the trails if I ended up with any big cuts that needed plugging.

My first ride with these tyres ended up being unexpectedly challenging, as I discovered that the usually smooth but slightly sloppy forest tracks I wanted to test them on had been churned up by a horde of forestry vehicles the previous week. Schwalbe does claim that the tyres offer “enormous grip in challenging conditions”, however, so it felt like the perfect opportunity to put that to the test. And I’m pleased to say, after some mild tentativeness in the first few sections, the G-One RX really did live up to Schwalbe’s word.

Climbing felt comfortable both in and out of the saddle on muddy and rocky terrain, as the arrow shaped centre tread dug into the surface below. I wasn’t conscious of loss of traction on the back tyre and grip felt consistent regardless of torque and power output. The G-One RX felt noticeably draggy when trying to push and accelerate on climbs, but in the tough muddy conditions, the trade-off felt entirely worth it.

On the corners, the paired outer blocks really came into their own. They were hugely confidence inspiring in the pretty tough conditions I was testing them in and I felt able to push into corners on trails I know well, but might otherwise have backed off on given the vast amounts of mud. On its predecessor I felt conscious that the shoulders offered little traction when trying to accelerate and forward momentum relied more on the center tread, but the alternated horizontal and vertical blocks on the G-One RX feel like a great way to ensure grip in both directions.

Hardpack gravel and road riding is not what this tyre is made for, and this was obvious during the testing period. They didn’t feel like the most supple and had a noticeable amount of drag on the flat, with leg-zapping qualities when it came to any inclines. This is definitely worth noting if you’re someone who regularly rides your gravel bike both on and off road, as lots of us are.

Durability wasn’t an issue within the testing period. The RaceGuard puncture protection and Race carcass seem to do their job at keeping the flats at bay despite quite a significant amount of trail debris and even a few rolls through scattered patches of broken glass in the city on the way to the trails.

In summary, the Schwalbe G-One RX feels like a good, reliable tyre for gravel riding in challenging conditions, just as Schwalbe claims, but they don’t feel like the most versatile tyre for more mixed terrain.

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Value

At £49.99 per tyre ($69), the Schwalbe G-One RX sits comfortably in the mid-range for gravel tyres in 2026. Reliable under testing, confidence inspiring upon technical terrain, and easy to set up, they feel like a great option for someone looking to take the step into riding in more challenging conditions, or wanting to tackle their local gravel trails whatever the weather.

They come in slightly cheaper than Panaracer’s Gravelking EKT and Vittoria’s T90 Gravel Tyre, while sitting just above the price point of the Hutchinson Tundra, so they feel like reasonable value for money in a busy mid-range market.

If you have the cash to splash, you could consider looking at the Schwalbe G-One RX PRO version, which cost approximately £25 more per tyre but will give you access to all of Schwalbe’s latest and greatest technology while giving you access to the confidence inspiring tread pattern of the standard G-One RX, perfect for a technical race, or if you’re someone wanting to get the most grip without compromising on speed.

Verdict

Ultimately, if you’re looking for an all-round tyre for year-round gravel riding then the Schwalbe G-One RX tyres aren’t going to be the best option for you. They’re best suited to riders tackling wet, technical gravel or UK winter conditions and less ideal if you’re looking for speed or mixed terrain riding.

If you’re looking for confidence and traction in challenging conditions at an affordable price point, then you probably can’t go wrong looking in the direction of the G-One RX.

I really trusted them in some of the most soggy conditions and one the most churned up tracks I’ve come across since I’ve been riding gravel, and that made for some really fun days out where I could focus on just enjoying the ride.

Schwalbe’s sustainability claims are promising, but the ‘up to’ figures lack the transparency really needed to properly assess them. If that’s a key consideration for you it’s worth digging a little deeper or looking at alternative options.

Otherwise they perform well, look clean and I’d happily recommend them to a friend.