Freedom Ryder Deluxe Tyre

Freedom describe the Ryder Deluxe as a 'do it all tire'. (Spelled that way because it's an American brand, a division of the WTB company that's focused on utility cycling.) It's touring/commuting tyre, designed for tarmac and sensible tracks. That puts it head to head with European favourites like the Continental Contact and Schwalbe Marathon.

As luck would have it, I had a pair of brand new Continental Contacts to hand, with a wire bead like the Ryder Deluxe and in the same width. The Conti Contact is two quid dearer at £24.95. It's more than 100g lighter and has a finer-threaded carcass; the Ryder Deluxe has 27tpi, the Conti 240tpi. That's not as vast as difference as it seems, however, as the Conti has a four-ply carcass, each 60tpi. Still, 60 is finer than 27.

Being lighter and more supple, and having a more pronounced centre rolling strip, I expected the German Conti tyre to perform better in roll-down tests. It did. With the same 5 bar in the tyres, the Conti was 3-4% faster – a difference I reckon I could feel when I was riding. The Ryder Deluxe isn't stodgy or slow; the Continental Contact is just faster.

A coarser threaded tyre should resist sharps better, other things being equal. They're not equal though. The Continental's 'Safety System' polyester breaker strip under the tread is tougher than the 'Urban Barrier' of the Freedom tyre.

The Ryder Deluxe's road holding is good enough even on damp tarmac, and you don't get the same cornering squirm that a deeper treaded cyclo-cross or mountain bike tyre can cause. Obviously the fine tread is only good for traction on fairly firm surfaces off-road.

It's available in 35mm and 38mm as well as the 32mm tested, although I could see only the 32 and 38 listed. There's also a non-deluxe version, without the puncture resistant layer: the Ryder, which is £16.99. That's a more compelling price as it significantly undercuts the Continental Contact and the other German benchmark tyre in this category, the standard Schwalbe Marathon (£24.99).

I feel like I'm damning the Ryder Deluxe with faint praise. It's all right, and you'd get a real performance boost if you put this tyre in place of a'cross tyre on a road-going CX bike. But the fact remains that you can have a tougher, more efficient all-round tyre for much the same money if you buy German instead.

Verdict

Reasonable quality touring/commuting tyre that's eclipsed by faster and tougher alternatives.