THIS Is The Fastest Road Bike Tyre In 2023
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- čas přidán 15. 06. 2024
- Tyres are one of the most important parts of your bike but with so many options available, how are you supposed to know which ones are the right tyre for you?
We took eight of the latest high-end road tubeless tyres to the lab at the Silverstone Sports Engineering Hub, to find out how much rolling resistance each one produces.
After that they were subjected to real-world testing to find out which was the best road bike tyre in 2023.
What tyres do you run on your bike? Let us know in the comments 👇
#upgrades #tech #roadtyres
Chapters
00:00 Intro
00:54 How We Tested
02:41 What We Tested
04:13 Rolling Resistance Results
05:15 Is Rolling Resistance That Important?
06:29 Setup And Installation Issues
07:24 Ride Feel
08:03 What Is The Best Tyre?
08:41 Which Tyre Disappointed?
09:58 Final Thoughts
Expert's Guide To Tubeless Tyre Setup | No More Mess!
→ • How To Setup Tubeless ...
The BEST Road Bike Tyre in 2022! | Continental GP5000S TR Review
→ • The BEST Road Bike Tyr...
What’s The Best Tyre Pressure For Road Cycling?
→ • What’s The Best Tyre P...
Are Wider Tyres Faster? | 26mm Vs. 30mm Tyres TESTED
→ • Are Wider Tyres Faster...
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What tyres are you running on your road bike?
Conti 5000s 25-622 for the win!
Cinturato velo on , Vredestein on one, Conti GP4000 on 2 (yes 4000). I’m moving them all to Cinturato as they need replacement. And one shares Pirelli gravel M on its second pair of wheels. I find the Pirelli cinturato a good mix of reliability and performance on the local roads. And the Gravel M is well suited to the local trails.
GP 5000 25
Vittoria corsa pro 30mm
Any, the main thing is not Pirelli, they were Slippery and slow. I like the Power cup for their price and protection and good rolling resistance, but they a little bit Slippery, not like Pirelli but still. GP5000 A good option, they are good in everything, their characteristics are evenly distributed
czcams.com/video/lLq9m07wx8c/video.htmlm9s
Tests were done. Conclusions were drawn. Recommendations were given. Basically they are all close so buy the one that makes you happy. 👌
The tires in this test were close. But all of these are fast tires. Some tires are absolutely horrid if you are trying to win races or bike a long way.
@@JackMott and there it is. The best tire is the one you love the most for whatever reason with whatever compromised you are prepared to live with. As with all things, horses for courses.
@@KeithHeinrichi used to race with people who were happy with their tires but only because they were not aware they were wasting 10 watts. ignorance isnt always bliss
@@JackMottat one time I rode long distances with the especially awful Continental gatorskin hardshell. 7000km without a puncture. Man they were awful. But no flats.
Nowdays the Pirelli Cinturato Velo bridges the gap between a decent level of grip and performance and puncture resistance so I use those across the fleet. I'm not chasing split seconds, so these are plenty good enough and light years better than the conti's to ride on. And also no flats.
The reason for the fixation on puncture protection goes back to a time I did get a puncture at the side of the road which took an hour to fix on a stupidly hot day - my first encounter with tubeless ready rims. So I have my reasons... 👍
I have been running Conti GP5000 tyres for so long and absolutely love them! Would be hard to give them up!
Update to my comment below: I recently purchased a set of Pirelli P Zero Race 30mm Classic's for my S5. Long story short, they are FANTASTIC and are hands down better than the 5000 S TR's I ran prior. They absolutely feel faster and the ride quality on our rough roads is like or even slightly better than a 320 TPI cotton tire. With less than 500 miles on them so far, they are my favorite tire to date. Will that stick...we shall see, but for now I love the P Zero Race TLR on my S5!!!!!
Personally, grip is probably the factor I’m more concerned about, followed by ease of set up and puncture resistance. Rolling resistance takes a back seat to all of those… how about a grip test?
Challenge and Vittoria would have that locked up. Handmade tires will outperform any vulcanized tire in that test. Every. Single. Time. same with a suppleness test. Comfort test.
@@diehardbikesI've tried 28 mm Pirelli, Vittoria, and Continental, as well as 25 mm Schwalbe tires, my fav are the Pirellis by far for overall feature balance. I agree that the Vittoria tires have the best grip, but overall I agree that the Prielli are the best balance, with the Continental in a close 2nd. Haven't had any punctures with my Prielli in the past 3 years (P-Zero Velo) so that's gotta be worth something.
I like the Vittoria compound so much that I got some chunkier 32 mm Graphenes on my commuter with some serious puncture protection, but their race tires are just a bit too fragile imo.
@retardno002 you should try Challenge tires Strada. They are excellent tires, and they come in a 30. They are easier to mount than the Criterium RS in the video, and were the tires that sucked me into the Challenge brand, and am never looking back.
@@diehardbikes thanks for the recommendation, I looked them up and I have to say I love the subtle tread pattern on them, looks grippy. Maybe when I'll get some wider rims I'll give those 30 mm a try.
That's a fair point - we did try to judge ride quality and grip subjectively, though of course it's not the same as a lab test. One to think about for next time. Thanks for watching! Simon
Love this videos, thanks!!!!
Great - and fair - review of tyres, thanks - very useful.
I have used Schwalbe pro one TLS tyres for the last two years. Covering, in that time over 8k miles and have found them to offer decent grip in all but the very worst conditions (farm slurry), reasonable puncture protection with low rolling resistance. The only negative has been inconsistent fit. 3 out my 4 tyres seated easily enough whilst the fourth has refused to seat despite using CO2 canisters / blast pumps.
When the going gets really horrible I use Vittoria N.Ext tyres that offer a supple, puncture resistant ride and roll nearly as fast as the Pro Ones.
I'll stick with 5000 STRs. Incredibly grippy, compliant feeling and durable.
Yep, the only drawback of Conti-s is that bloody flat edge that grows and grows with mileage. Next the sidewall "stringing" effect, when one can pull singular threads of material.
But in general, great tires!
This year decided to have an affair on side and picked Michelin Power Cup 25 mm, with TPU tubes. Must say - great so far (about 4k kilometers done). 1 puncture in rear wheel (piece of wire punched just aside of puncture protecting belt). Rolling great as well and got them bit cheaper.
After my second pair of 5000str i am not really happy. On both i couldnt use the front tire, when the rear was done, as the two compounds of the thread started to seperate all around the tire. Front and rear. My bike is stored inside at normal temperatures. Im lightweight with around 65kg. After around 5k i need to replace. Means half a season. 5k is allright, but i would love to switch the front tire to the back, as it would take probably another 5k, but the rubber is just done from the looks and feel. Right now im trying Tufo comtura prima, really nice and grippy for wet weather. However they come very big in 31mm with 28mm printed on the tire.
@@dakallaOh. I ride my Conti-s till the very end. Don't care about the thread etc. Just cut when it separats and that's it. On regular GrandPrix (bit cheaper ones) I did more than 20k. Yep. worn and trashed but they last.
It's a great tyre - definitely one of our favourites for it's mix of speed, ride quality and durability. Lots of good options at this level. Thanks for watching! Simon
I've had 2 x Giant TCR's that came with rubbish Giant tyres that were swiftly replaced with GP4000's, then GP5000's. Since switching to GP5000 STR's I have only had one major sidewall failure in about 20ks. I hit a pot hole so hard that I thought I had damaged the rim, but all it did was put a slight nick in the sidewall. Still managed to ride another 40ks home after a quick patch and inner tube. I now have a Canyon Endurace that came with Schwalbe Pro One's. They seem pretty good so far after about 2k. Wear seems good. They are 30 and 32's, so a bit more compliant and more grip. I ordered a set of Conti's to replace them when they eventually wear out (there are still stock issues in NZ), but now I'm thinking that I should probably just stick with the Schwalbe's.
Here's my 16 cents...I ride a 2023 Cervelo S5 and live in an area of Southern California where our roads are ROUGH and filled with cracks, gaps, holes and bumps. If you are familiar with the S5, you know it is a STIFF aero bike that likes to go fast. That being said, it also translates the road you're riding on directly to you, so you feel everything. I ditched the stock Reserve 52/63's for a set of Shimano Dura Ace C50 wheels. The internal width went down from 25mm on the Reserves to 21mm on the C50's, I currently run a set of 32mm Continental GP5000 S TR's and they have been rock-solid for the last 9 months. The one issue I have is ride feel, I'm not a fan of tires with lower TPI's and I much prefer a 320 TPI tire, but in my experience, they have a puncture issue, especially where I live/ride. Once the GP5000 S TR's wear out I think I'm going to try a set of Vittoria Corsa Pro 32mm's for Shitz and Giggles. I'm willing to give up some rolling resistance for more comfort...
Have enjoyed Goodyear Eagle F1's for a few weeks now. Very good road feel, easy TL setup, and reliable so far. Also liked Schwalbe Pro One's for the same reason.
Very happy with my 32mm 5000 STR's and Vittoria inserts. Change after 12 months no matter what. Had some punctures but my sealant saved the day every time. Now also riding with 28mm Conti 5000 ST's? (non-tubeless) with TPU. Rides fast but its somewhat harsher than expected so use on smoother roads. Some of the difference is of course due to a narrower tire and higher pressure, but its more pronounced than just that.
I love the power cups as they are nice and wide, 28=30mm so run lower pressure, fast, great feel but harder to seat on narrow rims like 18mm but no probs on 20mm had the older Pirelli's and they are easy to fit and seat as they are very true to size
Just regularly check BICYCLE ROLLING RESISTANCE and you will know everything about the best road / gravel tires. The guy tests them all independently and reliably
Bicycle Rolling Resistance is a great website and one that we have a lot of respect for, but this is also an independent test - no one paid to be included in this test and none of the brands had any influence on the testing. We paid for the Silverstone test out of our own pocket. Thanks for watching, Simon.
I use the Supersonics. The GP5000 was a great letdown for me with the sidewall breaking on almost new tyre. I used my two reserve tubes before I noticed the hole in the side. Had to ride home on the rim. First time that has ever happened to me in 25 years of cycling.
No problems with the Supersonics. I weigh 80kg and have done 200km races with no issues. I just roll past the others with ease :D No flats until the cord starts showing.
I've been riding the Schwalbe Pro One (28c) for quite some time coming off Continental GP4000/5000 (28c) and S-Works Pro (26c), and I've found them to ride really smooth and fast. I have more confidence in cornering and they just feel responsive. I'm not by any means an expert but I can notice a difference in these.
Tested both P zero race and 5000 s tr and I feel like they are both equally fast, but the Pirelli is much more puncture resistant. My 5000 s tr got two big tears in the sidewall just by riding in two different potholes... Only downside to p zero tyres is that the wear rate is quite fast in my experience.
Great Test!
I’ve run a lot of Tires and think that the Cotton casing of the Vittoria make them run much smoother. I’ve made the experience that compared e.g. to Conti 5000 they can run 0,5 bar higher pressure and still offer a smoother ride. IMHO they enable to run higher pressures buy this decreasing their rolling resistance. In future rolling tests you might be able to add another test: Making the surface the tires are spinning on rougher. By measuring the vibrations (forces) at the axis, you could quantify the dampening effects of the tires. After all, vibration losses are the next big thing, aren’t they?
We know from years of testing in the industry that you don't need to do a bumpy roller test. The tire that wins the smooth roller test also wins the bumpy roller test, every time.
Very happy with my pirelli P zero which are lighter then the TLR version. Happy to see i made the right choice.
I used Pzero Race TLR before n always got significant losing air every week. I had to face weak side wall glue after 1 month of flat tire. After that, I changed it to Schwalbe Pro One n never faced the same issues again.
I had 2 punctures on Contis 28, switched to pirelli 28, so far smoother and fast too. We’ll see this training season.
Very good Video 👍👍👍
Pirellis are so fast that UAE changed to Continental. Just listen to Pogi and Majka descend on them in Tour de Slovenia 2022 ;)
And yet the sales scout group were spanked hard by Vingegaard on Corsa Pros :) :) :) :)
@dainiusvysniauskas2049 wouldve been spanked harder if they ran Challenge. In the dry, I still can't find the turning limit of my Challenge tires. Even at pressures much higher than I should be running.
Pros ride whoever gives them money / free tires. Pro teams switching sponsors have nothing to do with performance or preference.
@@8rk If Pogi is not happy with the equipment, UAE will change sponsors. Who doesn't want to sponsor the second best team. Even if they offer less money, UAE doesn't care. Pogi needs to be happy and he wasn't happy with Pirelli.
I know exactly what you're talking about, but it's worth noting the Pirelli P Zero Race TLR we tested is the new Speedcore variant which was only released in spring this year.
Obviously we know pros test prototype kit before its released to the public, so it's possible Pogačar and Majka *were* riding these new tyres, but it's also possible they were using the old versions, which weren't as fast or grippy, according to Pirelli. Hard to know for certain.
That said, we also agree Conti makes excellent tyres and - as I say in the video - having confidence in your equipment is a really big deal. Cheers for watching! Simon
Used the Pirelli PZero TLR for a year and went through at least 8 tires. For the last year I’ve been on various GP5000 and have only had one puncture.
I had one puncture during 4500km on the PZero TLR and Latex Tubes. But I don't have much comparison
I had the pirellis for 7000km but the vittorias kept puncturing so had to go back to the pirellis
Same here. I'm never getting Pirellis again. I've had three punctures on my rear tyre within few months, each one was non repairable. Two weeks ago I also had a front tyre puncture and gave up on these tyres. These sell for $125 per tyre in Melbourne. I replaced them with Schwalbe Pro One TLE and so far so good.
@@_Pet_Tech nah pirellis we’re good for me though unlike vittorias that would never seal and plugs wouldn’t work either. I’m back on pirelli now
Challenge hand made open tubulars need a tire bead jack to get on, but they do stretch out with time.
thank you for this great journalism piece of video !!!
Upon theese results,
I will be looking for the one, in this top list,
that will most likely get the fastest results in it's non TLR version,
that comes at a good price, with tan walls, and possibly coton ( for the dry day only bike ).
I also like when a tyre is not noticeable giving up speed when angled , the old victorias corsa had that tendency, the Schwalbe there more progressing in that matter.
I understand Vitoria has not adapted there last version of the corsa to non TLR,
Michelin does offer non TLR versions of it's latest tyre, I'll be checking prices and non TLR tan wall option for
Pirelli, Schwalbe, and chalenge.
I understand the air proof membrane tech is not standardized, so even the continental could get a great improvement, if it uses a thicker airtight membrane for TLR.
These Pirelli P-Zero Race TLR tires are fantastic. I have two thousand + miles on them and no punctures. Previously I had GP5000s and got two punctures in just 40 miles. One of those was due to a 1x3 mm pebble that worked its way in lengthwise into the GP5000 tread.
Pirelli Cinturato from October until April and when the weather gets better the Pirelli P Zero TLR.
So..advice please...I am a just got into cycling - 58 year old running a stock aluminium wheelset with gravel king tubed semi-slicks for winter and cruising at 17 or so mph. What 'could' I expect to see by popping on some Pirelli's, going tubeless and investing in some £1k Hunt rims? Am I going to get an extra +2 mph or just fractions of that?
I’m going back to GP5000 tube tires next year. Ran two GP5000TR and one Vittoria NEXT this year with the same results, less than 1500 miles out of all of them. Yet zero flats, no problems setting up both brands and used a floor pump all three times. Just can’t justify the cost for the mileage. Ride quality was really good too. Just need to decide on TPU or Latex this time.
Those ‘Ride Now’ and other brand TPU have gotten so cheap
@@shred3005 as opposed to the name brands they sure are. May place my first Aliexpress order.
try TPU I fing them brilliant...and park tool stick on patches work a treat with them...thats if they ever puncture!
On the images you can see, that the corsa still has the middle rubber part, that peels off after a few km attached. This is quite pronounced at this tire and influences the results. I wonder, how the engineers would be able to not realize that....
I don't race so my priorities are puncture resistance, cost and reliability. So far I've been happy with the Continental GP5000 series of tires. I also have and use some Vittoria tires.
Cost-wise the GP5000s are more expensive than car tires 😢
I mean, not Pilot Sports kind of expensive, but still
I like 5000's but I've had 4 flats on one on front wheel while the gatorskin
on the rear wheel had none. What good is a tire that gets flats every few hundred miles?
You should test different batches of the same tire to see manufacturing variations.
Used Pirelli for a while now excellent tyres 😊 just my opinion Pete
Funny, I was riding Pirelli tyres Road and Race and I bought some Vittoria Corsa Control. I had the same experience riding the Vittoria. I thought it was me as I couldn’t figure out out why everything felt sluggish. I also have some Challenge tyres and can confirm they are a pig to put on. In saying that they ride quite nicely, and once they have been on a while they stretch making it easier to get on and off.(But rims play a part too).
I also use the Pirelli Road in size 32 on my gravel bike. Rode many hundreds of Kms on Italian white gravel without any punctures. Just my take
I wanted to get the GP 5000s last year but they were unobtainium at the time, so I got the Pirellis. They installed flawlessly and have been trouble-free. I will continue to use them!
Now the Pirellis are unobtainable and over $80 a tire! I'm not paying almost as much as a car tire for a damn bicycle tire. The cheapest one in this test is the Goodyear Eagle F1 which can be found for $52.
@@frozerekmeyata4091 Yep. I didn't have any choice, really, so I had to pay thru the nose for those Pirellis. Ouch! (but they have been great tires)
I use gp5000 with laytex tubes.. but they can be a bugger to mount.. depends on the individual tire
@@secretagent86 Remounted some well worn Conti 5K on a new wheelset the other day and I had to practically tear the fingerprints off my hands to mount them. Tried using levers but almost tore the sidewall. Got them on finally, but on the side of the road it would've sucked real bad.
Love the 5000’s. Great tread life and puncture protection
So many groups claim their rolling resistance tests are definitive. So what makes your tests more "definitive" than others? How can a test be definitive if it tests a tire in a way that tire isn't designed to be used, for example, the way you tested tubeless tires. A good tester also examines why their test results vary from those of others when doing pretty much the same test (like the roller drum test). I guess all in all, the claim that "THIS" is the fastest road bike seems premature given the lack of analysis done.
Fortunately it turns out that you do not need to worry. We know from years of testing on smooth rollers, bumpy rollers, and real roads, that the tire which is fastest on a smooth roller, is also fastest on a bumpy road, or a smooth road. The actual amounts of watts wasted while rolling will differ, but less hysteresis is less hysteresis in all situations. If tire A is faster than tire B on a smooth roller, it will also be faster on a real road. The only additional variable missing here is some tires have better aerodynamics than other, which can matter if you are really trying to split hairs.
@@JackMott, that's all true, except there now seems to be some difference in how tires rank on the rollers between test centers. In other words, the order of ranking is not consistent, and it seems these tests are the ones that are different.
In cases where it appears two tires rank different in different roller tests, it would be either due to variations in tire construction, or errors in the testing protocol (tire pressure not controlled well enough, power measurement imperfect etc) If the difference is just ~1 watt, that wouldn't be unusual to see. @@robinseibel7540
I used to use the Victoria but they just kept splitting or losing pressure when tubeless.
A long time favourite is Schwalbe Pro One, I'd still be using them if the Pirelli wasn't such a good tyre, outstanding.
Had a lot of punctures with Pirelli. Now on Vittoria an Conti. No issues with them.
Interested to know where the road testing was as it looks like the Elan Valley in mid-Wales?
Fwiw, in my experience, I have had good results using the Conti TT's tubeless with Silca Ultimate sealant.
Will you make such comparison for gravel tyres?
Pzeros all the way. Awesome grip, excellent ride quality, fast and good puncture resistance. That’s my experience - and if I ever get a puncture that doesn’t seal or plug successfully , the tyre is easy to get off and fit a tube.
My experience exactly. And they keep the pressure better than anything I have been on
For beginners who aren't aware (and if it wasn't emphasized), buying speed, grip and suppleness/feel in a race tyre usually comes at the cost of a bigger price tag, less puncture protection, and much quicker wear
Lately riding Panaracer Agilist, which are probably not that well known outside of Japan. They are *very* light and I really like they way they feel on dry pavement. Where they let down a bit is with grip on wet pavement. At least in Japan, they are quite a bit cheaper than a lot of the other tyres and worth a look if you are a fair weather rider.
I'm using Panaracer RACE A EVO 4
Many victories on the Vittoria Pros in the pro peleton 😊
The P Zero Race TLR's have not let me down.
I'm with you on your reasoning for using tubes in the test. I am going to assume accurate tire pressure gauges were used. But with those small of margins, the data is not useful for how they perform in a tubeless set up, because each tire could interact differently with a tube. However, the main reason I don't find this information useful is BRR has years of data from far more tires with spelled out protocols to compare tires with, and you did it once with a selection only for sale right now.
BRR testing tubeless tyres with sealant or tubes?
@@Pablo_Coach they have done a few special tests with tubes for comparison of butyl vs latex vs tpu vs tubeless, but the standard for tubeless is set up tubeless. They list the protocol for each test (tube type, how much sealant).
you could test some training (a bit cheaper) tires as well, like Pirelli P Zero Road ?
On Bicycle Rolling Resistance the Conti has less resistance than the Pirelli? So who is right? 😄
I always keep a spare tube just incase, but have never needed to use in 4 yrs of tubeless road tyres and only once on Tubeless mtb in 10yrs.
How wide were the rims( external and internal)?
That makes a big difference between stated width and actual width on the rim
For example I have some conti 28 that measure out to 24 mm on the rim
The PZeros are fantastic
Segue, but while SL8 teams are running older version roval clx wheelsets re weight saving (and smaller frontal area?), does anyone happen to know what width S-Works turbo cottons (or 2BR’s) they’re running?
28?
I always use Challenge silk tubulars on my Bora Ultra's, but bought some newer Bora WTO's which are tubeless only, for my other custom-build Specialissima.
I am now deciding on what tubeless tyre to use, with Challenge/Vittoria/Veloflex being the brands.
I was checking out tubeless tyres, and see Vittoria have some limited-edition gold tyres celebrating winning every major race, last year, from the big classics to
ALL TOURS!!!
Funny, how in BikeRadar tests, it was slowest???
As much as we'd love there to be a magic product, riders win races, not products. If you sponsor the best riders, you'll probably win a lot of races
I have no complain about the Schwalbe Pro One. Excellent tyres overall. Michelin Power Cup is great too but significantly harder to mount on my SLR1 wheels -- I had to use a compressor, while a track pump does the job for the Pro One. Both are significantly more affordable than the Conti and the Vittoria. Given the marginal RR difference, I choose tyres that are more affordable.
Got the vittoria’s because they look the best
How's the puncture resistance for Vittoria corsa pro?
I have been using Schwalbe 1 TLE since they came out. I think in 2016 or so. I've used Pirelli, Michelin Pro Cup, and Conti GT5000 as well. I don't actually enjoy the ride feel of the Pirelli. And nothing rides quite as nicely as the Schwalbe 1. It's also incredibly hard to get here in the U.S. So I've bought other tires when unable to obtain the Schwalbe 1 but I've always got my eye out and when I can buy the Schwalbe 1, even if my existing tire still has some life left in it, I still swap it out.
Unlucky that you can get that tyre easily. Here in the UK it's easy to get both the One TLE and Pro One TLE in 25mm, 28mm etc...they're my favourite, easy to fit on DT Swiss and Hunt wheels, can inflate and seal just using a track pump.
Does this machine at the Silverstone Centre measure the resistance against a flat surface or a road like surface?
Hi Ian, Silverstone's Crr rig uses an oversized steel drum. Thanks for watching! Simon
Something to be said about Pirelli customer service also. They recalled their 28mm tire and introduced a process for replacing them. Fast, efficient, friendly well done. I’ve been a Conti GP rider for more than a decade, whenever it was that everybody switched from Michelin. I would say with my recent experience with Pirelli vs Conti… I’ll be buying Pirelli as first choice of road tire.
I had the Pirelli which recalled, i switched back to the GP5000 S TR, it's not that i don't like the Conti's but with the Pirelli's i had a bit more trust in cornering and the tire feels incredible on every road, with a bit more damping and slightly better grip. I will switch back to the Pirellis when this pair is gone... I am on 28mm and tubeless...
@@andremaxx3169 Interesting - I currently have the GP5000s maybe I'll give them a try next.
Interesting - what are the differences you notice?
@@cmarnold78 I think the Pirelli customer service won me over. But I also have been used to Conti’s being excellent tires, and I’m sure they still are, but 1- that released that really unfortunate line of tubeless tires that were almost impossible to fit and I’ve found more recently that they seem to flat more easily. I used to be concerned about Conti sidewalls but now even the vectran liner may be less robust? This hasn’t been a real experiment as part of this was switching to 30’s over 25’s and 28’s.
Grip comes first, especially in the wet, and for that, after years of riding them on really bad roads, read typical Belgian concrete roads, only the Corsa Control's for me. Amazing cornering grip in the dry and just outstanding grip in the wet. Prove me otherwise. I run them tubeless in 28 and 30 on 22 internals, seal them with standard no tubes milk. Sometimes a small puncture, but nothing the milk won't seal. Never had any big issues, just one time the profile came loose of the carcass after installing the tire back after a few months, got it covered through Mantel and received a new one. Need to pump them every two days. Use 60 ml sealant per tire. For my weight, 84k's now, 30 mm's; in the back 4,1 bar, in the front 3,8. Ok, they maybe won't last as long as some other tires, but what the heck, grip grip grip. All the rest of that 2W rolling resistance crap at 40Kph > train harder.
I'm thinking if you want much lower rolling resistance try to less the grip..because grip can cause of more contact on pavement..
puncture protection! I need to trust my tire.
My prefered tyre is the pirelli. I find its the perfect tyre and I have less punctures as with the gp5000 str.
It is worth mentioning a massive difference between the Criterium RS and all the tires that came behind it: it is made to be usable on hookless rims.
According to Challenge, the Criterium RS is compatible with hookless rims, up to the ETRTO maximum recommended pressure of 72.5 PSI / 5 BAR.
As I called out in my in-depth written review of that tyre, though, the lack of sizes larger than 27c might pose issues for heavier riders with hookless rims, however; www.bikeradar.com/reviews/components/tyres/road-bike-tyres/challenge-criterium-rs-review/
Thanks for watching! Simon
What is the difference between the Schwalbe Pro One & Schwalbe Kojak?
Curious how Bicyclerollingresistance have such wildly different results.
STR leading the way and the Corsa pro just 1w behind.
I wonder if the cotton casing interacts with the latex tube differently - can you retest setup tubeless?
We noticed that too, though of course it's worth remembering we didn't test with the same equipment, protocol or tyre samples as Bicyclerollingresistance.com so that may explain it.
Re. latex vs tubeless for cotton tyres - its worth noting the Challenge Criterium RS is also a cotton tyre and performed extremely well in our Silverstone test with a latex tube (it was only marginally slower than the Pirelli, the fastest tyre we tested).
Likewise, according to bicyclerollingresistance.com, latex tubes vs tubeless doesn't make much difference for cotton or nylon tyres: www.bicyclerollingresistance.com/specials/top-3-fastest-tubeless-vs-tubes
Unfortunately, it wasn't possible to test them tubeless for the reasons explained in the video (around 01:45) - in order to be able to test eight different tyres in the time we had available, we needed a consistent and reliable way to get each set up properly. Quite a few of the tyres have very poor air retention when first set up tubeless, for example, which would have ruined the test runs due to inconsistent tyre pressure.
Thanks for watching! Simon
@@bikeradar thanks for replying and for the detail debunking my suggestion.
It does seem like such a wildcard result would suggest value of a follow up, such as a head to head tubeless test vs. another tyre like the Pirelli as a control.
Easy to say when I’m not paying for it though 😂
I’ve just ditched Corsa Pros as they don’t seem to seal well with my choice of sealant, guess there’s no longer any need to wonder whether the STRs are faster or not!
kudos for the excellent testing conditions. i find it very curious that your results don't align with bicyclerollingresistance
This was a real world condition test. bicyclerollingresistance tests are strictly lab condition and do not represent real riding conditions.
Thanks very much. We also noted the difference in our results compared to Bicycle Rolling Resistance (a great website!) - obviously our test protocol wasn't identical to theirs, and the equipment used at Silverstone is also subtly different, so that may explain the lack of alignment.
It's worth noting that we only tested one sample per tyre due to cost restrictions (more time in the lab = higher costs), and there may be an element of sample variation influencing the results. I think in an ideal world we'd have tested 3 samples per tyre and averaged the results, in order to help us pick out any big anomalies. Sadly, we weren't able to do that this time, but we'll keep it in mind for future tests.
Cheers for watching! Simon
Thickslicks for me!
S-works turbo cotton with latex tube for me please.
How much better are the GP5000 ST-R tires to install over the regular GP5000? I almost swore off Continental after installing the GP5000s.
They are both easy to install. Done at least 10 pairs on different rims, mostly without a lever. If you have problems, check out some videos on how to set it up. Mostly it comes down to using the rim channel all around and putting the bead in. The old GP5000 Tubless on the other hand was a nightmare.
@@dakalla good to hear, thanks. I keep a tire bead jack on solo rides with my GP5000s. Takes two people to put the tire back on within a reasonable time.
Never had any trouble installing the GP5000 S TR or setting it up tubeless, but it's also fair to say YMMV depending on what rims you have. Cheers for watching, Simon
I’m surprised that they didn’t mention the texture of the simulated surface on the test and that they tested at 80 psi, which is above the limit for many hookless rims. Overall, I’d guess that there are way more miles of crappy tarmac than of smooth road, and an advantage of 28mm+ tubeless tires is the ability to run low pressures for bad roads.
If the drum on the test fixture was smooth, the results wouldn’t translate to my typical rides.
Hookless rims aren't meant to be used in bicycle anyway, trash it and get a real rim.
Somebody confuses their opinions with facts and gives authoritarian commands to strangers? I must be on the internet.
Hi Jon, the Silverstone Crr rig uses a smooth drum. It's a fair point that real roads are not perfectly smooth like drums, but as things stand this is was the best option as testing Crr on 'real roads' introduces far to many variables for us to get the kind of resolution that Silverstone can achieve.
It's a complicated topic, naturally, but according to research by Tom Anhalt, Crr tested on smooth drums matches real world Crr fairly well as tyre pressure increases until the so-called "break point" pressure. At this point, as you clearly know, vibrations begin to dramatically increase rolling resistance in the real world (whereas tyres keep getting faster on a smooth drum): silcavelo.eu/blogs/silca/part-4b-rolling-resistance-and-impedance
This "break point" tyre pressure will be different for every tyre, surface and rider, though, so it's something you'll need to figure out for yourself - try a tyre pressure calculator by Silca or Zipp, if you haven't already.
I'm not suggesting anyone go out and use 80 PSI / 5.5 BAR in the real world if that's not the optimum pressure for them - For my real world testing, for example, I went for 60 PSI / 4.1 BAR on the Hunt rims (I weigh about 65kg).
The pressure chosen for the Silverstone test is arbitrary to a degree, but we imagined an 'average' rider + bike system weight of 80kg and decided that 80 PSI / 5.5 BAR would be a 'optimum' pressure for them on a good quality road.
Hope that helps. Cheers for watching! Simon
Fortunately it turns out that you do not need to worry. We know from years of testing on smooth rollers, bumpy rollers, and real roads, that the tire which is fastest on a smooth roller, is also fastest on a bumpy road, or a smooth road. The actual amounts of watts wasted while rolling will differ, but less hysteresis is less hysteresis in all situations. If tire A is faster than tire B on a smooth roller, it will also be faster on a real road.
@@bikeradar Smooth drum is the weakness of this lab. Brr use a small drum but there is streak on surface and so vibrations to simulate réal world. That's why I think Silverstone lab make wrong choice with there drum. They have to add roughness and results will be very différent for each tire and it could be the best lab tire test.
Mine's a Shwalbe Marathon tyre I had to buy from Halfords because there wasn't the choice of anything better. I have to say, the grip is fantastic, and I'm seriously considering replacing the front tyre with one. I even bought one of those TPI, or whatever they're called, innertubes that reduce heat loss and therefore rolling resistance. As far as I'm concerned using the two together represents the best of both worlds.
you could give a try to the Continental Urban Contact : I will never go back to marathon for commuting, the Conti are lighter , faster, and more durable. The grip is very good on wet road, just like the marathon.
Had only one flat with a thin long nail that would have pierced any tire.
@@romainr.6071 Annoyingly, I just bought a new front tire, but didn't opt for a marathon because of the weight. I chose a Vittoria Zaffiro Pro. Having it in my hand right now, it does feel a bit thin, but it's nice and tacky, so it should offer decent grip. That Continental urban looks really good and I was going to buy it but it doesn't come in a 25, just 28 and above.
Why don’t You test new 2023 IRC Formula Pro RBCC tubeless? Very high quality Japan tyres!
can the differences be explained to Bicyclerollingresistance tests?? The test parameters are pretty close, at least the trend should be about the same...but it is not????
Id love some challenge tyres as they just look so cool. But ive never seen a review that says anything other than "they are a nightmare to put on".
They're not so difficult to put on; but mount them with an undersize thick butyl tube first, then demount and put the latex tubes in. They do ride well, almost as zippy as tubs, but if you flat at speed then you're on the deck.
I love my challenge tyres but it the unconditional love one has for a son despite what his teachers say. One thing is for sure, any other tyre wheel combo is a walk in the park after a year or two with Challenge tyres.
Challenge Criterium RS TLR are the fastest I've tried aswell as the lightest. 350 TPI hand made core spun cotton! Good luck getting them on and off though! They also look fast with the off white sidewalls!
i.kym-cdn.com/entries/icons/original/000/023/397/C-658VsXoAo3ovC.jpg
I've always been sceptical about rolling resistance tests like this. A tyre which performs on a metal drum with 40kg on it may perform completely differently in the real world and on different road surfaces. There are just too many variables.
Fortunately it turns out that you do not need to worry. We know from years of testing on smooth rollers, bumpy rollers, and real roads, that the tire which is fastest on a smooth roller, is also fastest on a bumpy road, or a smooth road. The actual amounts of watts wasted while rolling will differ, but less hysteresis is less hysteresis in all situations. If tire A is faster than tire B on a smooth roller, it will also be faster on a real road.
@@JackMott really? Don't know where you got that information but absolutely incorrect. Laboratories cannot recreate weather conditions, constant changing road conditions and surface type. Very silly statement
@@rider65 You can do rolling resistance testing in the field, via the "Chung Method", also known as "Virtual Elevation". To do this you need low wind conditions, a good powermeter, and a good speed sensor (GPS is not good enough). You are welcome to read/google it and read up on it. Professionals have been using techniques like this to good effect recently, including breaking the hour record (Dan Bingam, and Filippo Ganna)
I had the GP500STR, but after multiple punctures within 1000km and the stans notubes failing to plug them above 3.5bar (even the small pin punctures) I've switched to the Schwalbe Pro One TLE. Wish I've done that earlier. Easier to set up, holds pressure way better, and when I did get a puncture (my own fault as I hit a gravel road) I didn't even notice until after I got home and saw a bit of sealant on my seattube. I then noticed the puncture (which had sealed). Measure tire pressure, and only lost 0.2bar during the ride. done I think close to 1000km after that puncture now, and don't even think about it anymore. Tire doesn't even lose pressure overnight. N=1, but for me I'll stick with the Schwalbe.
I also used schwalbe pro one after bad memories with pirelli pzero race
I too am very satisfied with the Schwalbe Pro One. Before the purchase, I've read many bad comments about it. I'm so glad I ignored those and I went ahead and tried them out anyway. Excellent overall tyres. Durable enough (~8000km), easy to seat on my SLR1 wheels, good ride quality, good air retention, lightweight, fast, robust enough (knock on wood) and generally more affordable than other popular tyres.
I never knew tubeless need time to seal but I enjoy 22mm tubular at 100psi, don't see why go wide and lose aerodynamic
28 mm michelin power cups +tpu are the best
Grip in corners would be my primary concern, followed by price, puncture resistance and weight in this order.
Better rolling resistance tends to imply better grip, as the tire stays conformed to the road better. Puncture resistance tends to get worse though. Weight is completely nonsensical to worry about, even in an uphill time trial the better rolling resistance will save much more time than the weight difference. The better rolling tires are usually lighter anyway,
@@JackMott Grip is increased by softer rubber and less pressure which both increase rolling resistance due to more deformation (assuming smooth surface and thus ignoring the vibration thing in this context). Please get some physics class.
@@gerrysecure5874 multiple things influence grip and as you say, the friction of the rubber is one thing, a supple casing will offer less rolling resistance and also improve grip as the tire conforms better to the road, especially in bumpy corners. And as you already know, less pressure may improve or hurt rolling resistance, as going too high in pressure will cause more vibration offsetting the deformation reduction. Tires with better rolling resistance are effectively offering you the same benefits of less pressure. The compliance of the tire is improved, the cost of deformation is less. Some tires offer excellent grip and rolling resistance, by using a very grippy rubber, but a very thin layer of it. Tires like this of course do not last very long. Such is life. We can't have everything all the time, but we can treat each other with respect and civility.
@@JackMott Of course there are very many factors that affect rolling resistance (especially tire construction) and some also grip. I was assuming everything equal except rubber, and then improved grip and improved rolling contradict each other. My fault I was not clear about that. My apologies.
Now assuming more stiff vs soft tire wall, I am sure the stiffer improves rolling (again smooth flat surface) but I have the feeling it reduces grip since it does less snug to the surface under angle pressure.
In the end there may be no fits all solution. I would be surprised if the best grip tire (depending on road condition a different tire) always has the best rolling resistance on the same surface. That was basically the core of my initial short worded objection.
P.S. I happily take back my physics class attack. You argue more thougtful than I expected and we basically differ in somewhat unproven theoretical detail aspects.
@@gerrysecure5874 what you may be thinking about here is in relation to car tires, where soft rubber with squirmy tread patterns are bad for rolling resistance but good for grip. On a bike tire there is some of that at work with the actual tread material that touches the road, but thankfully we have no tread blocks to worry about and can keep that very thin. But the rest of the tire casing (car or bike!) you actually want to be supple, so that very little energy is required to deform it, so you want minimal material. The air pressure is what will get it to the correct amount of stiffness for the road surface.
this was a mental challenge. i wanted the Conti 5000s TR i have to do well to show i had made a good choice......but it would have been better to learn that they absolutely sucked and i could replace them with something much better.
You haven't made a bad choice with the Continentals - they're a great tyre. Loads of good options at this level and I wouldn't be overly concerned about a watt or two of rolling resistance. As I say in the video, ease of setup, grip, comfort and confidence are really important, and shouldn't be overlooked.
Cheers for watching! Simon
It's been demonstrated multiple times that the rolling resistance rigs fail to measure what matters in the real world -- the suppleness of the sidewalls that allow the tires to deform and absorb shock without losing energy to flex. There's a reason that so many people run Rene Herse tires.
Best tyres for road = Conti GP 5000 220g + tpu tubes
That’s what I’m rolling, but as much as they’re night and day re punctures vs s-works turbo cottons, the dullness feels like the ride quality equivalent of a lobotomy. 🤤
I kind of wish you'd just run the test with clincher versions of these tyres, since you're using tubes in them anyway. My understanding is that tubeless tyres have quite a bit more rolling resistance than clinchers when you run them with tubes, probably because the tyres are quite a bit stiffer and thicker anyway.
Hi, we opted for tubeless as not all of the latest tyre models are available as clinchers - there are clincher-only versions of the Conti GP5000 S TR or Vittoria Corsa Pro TLR, for example.
In terms of setting them up tubeless vs clincher, the best evidence we have suggests there's basically nothing in it when using latex tubes. As I say in the video, a latex tube induces the roughly same rolling resistance as around 20ml of tubeless sealant, and arguably you'd need more than 20ml in a 28c tyre, so the latex tube is perhaps marginally faster in reality.
Our source for that info can be found here: www.bicyclerollingresistance.com/specials/grand-prix-5000-s-tr-tubeless-vs-tubes
Cheers for watching! Simon
The Pirellis are also super fast sliding along the ground on corners…😂
I've got both tyres and I have to say quite the opposite. My experience with the grip on Pirellis is stellar when compared to Contis. New 5000AS almost as good as new iteration of P Zero but they cost a fortune.
@@krbndllsask pog what he thinks 🤣🤣
Weren't Pirelli's part of a recall recently?
Yes, that's right - we've covered that here: www.bikeradar.com/news/pirelli-p-zero-race-tlr-recall/
At what speed was the rolling power loss tested ? 8W at 60km/h sprinting at 1500W or 8W at 30km/h cruising with 180W ? For a sprinter the first may matter, for me its more the latter.
Hey Gerry, the rolling resistance tests were done at 30km/h (I say this at 02:38, but guess it's easy to miss). Cheers for watching! Simon
@@bikeradar Thanks, seems I was distracted that moment. Sorry for dumb question.
@@gerrysecure5874 no such thing as a dumb question 🙂Always easy to miss small details.
Has anyone ever compared the results of a brand new tyre to the results of the same tyre after a breaking in period of say 100 miles?
That's great, but i don't have a team car following me with a new wheel
No mention of Michelin, no mention of wet grip, I doubt that the Pirelli were slow but Pogacar still called sh*t tires because of wet grip.
I really like michelin because i do not puncture, they are light, cheap and grip very well in all conditions!
Also i like a brand that consistently is the best in tires and does not need to be endorsing every channel in the world.
Pirelli and others on the other hand...
Hard to talk about every single tyre we tested without this video becoming overly long, but we did think the Michelin Power Cup TLR was great - it scored 4 out of 5 stars, earning itself a place on our buyer's guide to 'the best road bike tyres':
Review: www.bikeradar.com/reviews/components/tyres/road-bike-tyres/michelin-power-cup-tlr-tyre-review/
Tyre's buyer's guide: www.bikeradar.com/advice/buyers-guides/best-tubeless-road-tyres/
Also worth pointing out that the Pirelli tyre we tested was the new 'Speedcore' version that was released earlier this year, after Pogačr and his team had already switched to Continental tyres. That's not to say he hadn't tested them in prototype form - and he'd certainly be able to push tyres far harder than we can, no arguments there - but just pointing it out that he may have been using the old versions when he made that comment.
Thanks for watching! Simon
@@bikeradar well said, but after reading the both reviews, you mention wet grip in the Michelin but not in the Pirelli one.
This was critical for the Pirelli tire as you can imagine not only because of what was said but also for what was seen.
You say Italian, but this company was bought by the Chinese government and this year was the year when it is completely owned by said government!
Government that does not play by the same rules as ours in Europe.
A tire that is 40 to 50 grams heavier then the competition in some cases!
At least last time and after endorsing continental tires for so much time you went to the lab and saw Michelin were the best. (No Michelin does not need to be best always!)
In the end and if believing in what is written in the reviews that one is tested for wet grip and other is not, I think we can say that there is no need to read the other tire reviews.
@@nelsonsilva6842 Eh, I'll consider Michelin tyres when they stop sticking to outdated ETRTO standard. 28mm tyre measuring over 30mm on modern wheels and having a narrow thread is just no bueno.
@@dainiusvysniauskas2049 Fair enough, but just consider that wider tires to a certain extent are 1 of numerous recent ways the industry wants you spend more money! An industry well known to have excessive high prices on everything and almost does not offer anything to the people that do not have a lot of money!
Always the puncture problem, always the puncture problem, run a little higher pressure and you'll never have a puncture again.
Go ask this year tour winner why he used 25mm tires of the climbs, where he really won the tour along his 2x, (he did not win because of his 1x) go ask Van Der Poel why he uses tires with 160tpi to have a plush ride with high pressure on MTB.
By the way don't which brand you like but it must good on the wet, otherwise it can ruin your race/ride that is why I insisted on this point!
I think this is enough and you understand my point.
Michelin Power Cups with tpu Pirelli Smartube is for me on my Dura Ace wheels a superb combination. Very fast, grippy even in the wet, durable, lightweight (far less than the lightest tubeless tire), comfortable…yes for me the best💪
I remember hearing pogi saying what he thought about Pirelli. He turned to another rider after almost sliding out and went “sh*t tyres man”
I’ll stick with Conti. They’ve been bulletproof for me. Vittoria also been ok. Michelin have just been sidewall slit galore.
I also had a very bad experience with Pirelli when I ran them on my old car, which was only a BMW 320D, 2 punctures and one blow out. Never again!
Considering Pogi has been riding the shit awful V3s, I wouldn't take his word for granted, lmao
running Conti GP5000s
Maxxis high road sl
Perhaps not many know that Specialized started to make tires first, then bikes came as a by-product :D
I found Pirelli’s to be so slow because their damp and wet grip is awful. Came off 3 times in circumstances any other tyre would have gripped.
Grip and therefore safety is way more important than rolling resistance. IMO the Pirelli’s are dangerous.
100% true. Which is why I use IRC Formula PRO RBCC tubeless. Fast, reliable. safe tyres with excellent japan quality
Tires are complicated. Another big factor is how compliant the sidewalls are, something that complies to bumps better is arguably an even bigger deal on many roads