If you really want to emulate the PRO RIDERS this year, you won’t get far without running cut spikes. And now, thanks to SCHWALBE, you can ensure yours are fully mtb specific.

Cutting tyres can offer a lot of advantages for a rider as it allows them to adapt their tyres to whatever situation they find themselves in. For example, mud tyre spikes could be shortened to reduce rolling resistance, shoulder lugs can be trimmed to create more free space and make the tread more aggressive, or rounded lugs can be freshened up with a square edge.

A word of warning though, if you tune a tyre to a specific condition it will be worse in others, and cutting a tyre wrong could mean you mess it up totally… and don’t forget the pros get theirs for free.

The Schwalbe tread cutter comes with a tread-height adjustment screw that allows you to ensure each cut you make is identical. They will be available at the end of April and while we don’t have any confirmation on price yet you can be sure they will be more than a pair of snips from your local DIY shop.