Winter (or endurance) road tyres are definitely at the less glamorous end of the scale as far as test products go; they aren’t designed to be fast, light or aero, and it is tricky to get too excited about durability as a key characteristic.

However, roadside punctures on a cold, wet day are also not something which fills me with excitement either, so I try to avoid them as much as possible by using tyres less likely to suffer from punctures but which still have a nice feel to them on the road.

I was impressed with the performance and value of the summer-oriented Hutchinson Blackbird Race tyres when I tested them, so the pressure is on for the Blackbird All Season to reach similar standards.

Construction

As you’d expect from something billed as an all-season tyre, the Blackbird is heavier and sturdier than its lightweight summer sibling, with better durability too. The tubeless-ready, 30mm, 700c version on test has a claimed weight of 360g and a suggested lifespan of 6,000km+, thanks to 2.1mm thick rubber, compared to 310g and 4,000 km+ for the Race version.

I weighed my two tan-walled tyres at 349g and 353g, so slightly under the billed weight.

The rubber is lightly treaded and textured, with Hutchinson’s MachTread 3.0 compound in the centre, complemented by SafeTread on the tyre's shoulders for better grip in cold and damp conditions when cornering.

Three-ply, 127tpi reinforced GridSkin sidewalls are intended to protect against cuts and pinch flats, whilst a Polyamide layer under the tread helps ward off punctures.

The tubeless version (as tested) is also hookless compatible and available in 28mm, 30mm and 32mm widths (edit - now up to 34mm) with either black or tan sidewalls, and the tube-type option is available in 26mm or 28mm, again in black or tan.

The ride

I first used the tyres with WTB TPU tubes and then tubeless on a set of DT Swiss ERC 1600 Spline wheels. Installation went as well as tubeless road tyre fitting can go, which is to say they went on with minimal use of tyre levers and inflated at first attempt using my Airshot. Air retention proved to be about par for tubeless road tyres too, so weekly air top-ups were required, but nothing too dramatic. I ran them at 65pi, as per my habit (and in agreement with the online calculators).

Width as fitted to the DT Swiss ERC 1600 Spline wheels with 22mm inner rim width was 30.5mm - a rim with a wider internal width could probably add another millimetre or so to this.

As with most of the UK, the road surfaces around me are mixed to say the least, and even the few non-potholed roads are rarely smooth. This is bad for riding but good for tyre testing, and quickly highlights how a tyre feels.

The tyres and I have covered over 1,000km through autumn and winter so far, in conditions ranging from quite pleasant to rather less so. The roads have been dry, wet, icy and grit-covered, sometimes all on one ride, and the tyres haven’t missed a beat. They haven’t punctured and don’t appear to have any cuts or damage, and there is not much evidence of wear either, making Hutchinson’s durability claims not unreasonable.

I was perhaps a tiny bit disappointed with the feel of the tyre, though. It is in no way bad or harsh, but it is less supple than I expected from a 30mm wide road tyre. It certainly isn't a major criticism, but it wasn’t the cloud-like feel that I was, perhaps unrealistically, hoping for from a tyre of this width.

Clearly, it is not yet possible to entirely have your cake and eat it in terms of the balance between performance, weight, puncture protection and ride feel. The protective Gridskin sidewalls and extra-thick, durable rubber seem to have taken their toll on the tyre’s suppleness when compared with a summer tyre or the smoothest of the endurance tyres available.

Of course, this trade-off should mean greater durability and fewer punctures.

I am not in any way saying this is an inferior tyre to something slightly more supple like the Continental GP5000 AS TR or Schwalbe One TLE, just that its priorities are slightly different.

As someone who has inadvertently ridden a set of winter tyres down to the carcass, hidden from view as they were by my mudguards, the Blackbird’s durability is certainly appealing. They simply worked well day in, day out through some fairly miserable conditions, and I never thought about switching them out for something else.

Value and conclusion

Value is a strong point of the Hutchinson Blackbird All Season tyres. With an RRP of £62 / $80 they are still pricey, but they are less expensive than many of their similarly premium competitors whilst still providing good on-road performance, easy tubeless setup, and seemingly great durability (which further improves their value). Considering their claimed lifespan, the weight is very reasonable too, and no more than most other tubeless endurance tyres.

Whilst it is nigh on impossible to objectively assess a tyre’s real-world puncture-protection, subjectively, the Blackbird All Seasons have survived a couple of months' use unscathed and have been an overall pleasant experience to ride on and live with. There are cheaper tyres, there are more supple tyres and no doubt there are tyres with even better puncture resistance, but the Hutchinsons seem like a great all-rounder for winter training or endurance riding.

Having ridden and tested a fair number of ‘winter’ or ‘endurance’ tyres, I’d say that the Blackbird All Seasons sits somewhere in the middle of the options available in almost all respects - weight, suppleness and price - whilst potentially leading the way in terms of longevity.

Not super exciting, but very worthwhile all the same.

Since its launch in 2019, Scribe has crafted a range of wheels that balance performance with price. I've always been a fan of the Northern Irish brand's portfolio as it caters to practically all disciplines. I recently tested both the Tempus Disc/100 wheelset and the Élan SL 50+ wheelset and came away thoroughly impressed by both models, in terms of performance, value and what they bring to the best road bike wheels segment.

Scribe has been making headlines recently with its wind-tunnel testing data, with some lofty claims pertaining to its Tempus TT wheels. Now, the new Élan Ultras are said to be among the fastest UCI-compliant wheelsets on the market, with a total system weight of just 1,289g for the 65mm model and 1,100g for the 50mm model. Alongside the Élan Ultras, Scribe is also launching a more affordable Ultra Core range with aero steel spokes but the same profiles and rim architecture.

The Ultra range is built around the two popular rim depths: 50mm and 65mm. While both wheelsets are impressively light, the Élan Ultra 5 comes in at a staggeringly low 1,149g - the Élan Ultra 6 tips the scales at 1,289g.

Both wheelsets utilise Scribe's new OSL8 carbon spokes featuring a new wavy design laced in a 20/20 front-rear pattern claimed to 'blend stiffness, compliance and optimal aerodynamic efficiency'. The new spoke measures 5.7mm wide and oscillates left to right, hence the name 'OSL8'.

Scribe’s independent wind tunnel testing was carried out at the Silverstone Sports Engineering Hub, the results of which suggest these are the fastest bladed spokes. Tested against a flat 5mm bladed carbon spoke, the company found improvements of 0.5W (0°), 0.5W (5°), 0.4W (10°), and 0.2W (15°) at 45km/h.

Whether that's relevant in a market where carbon-bladed spokes are now down to around 3mm wide – almost across the board – remains to be seen. We have been promised further data later this month, so we'll dig into that when we receive it.

There will also be more affordable yet impressively light Core Ultra 5 and Core Ultra 6, available in the same rim depths. Unlike the Élan models, the Core Ultra wheels are built with Italian-made Alpina aero steel spokes, which push the weight to 1,338g (Core Ultra 5) and 1,486g (Core Ultra 6). According to Scribe, the 65mm version is set to be the fastest UCI-compliant wheelset currently available.

With growing trends towards wider rubber, Scribe has designed the Elan Ultra range with contemporary 24mm (internal) and 30mm (external) hooked rim profiles, built to play nicely with 28-30mm tyres in terms of tyre support.

Both the Élan and Core Ultra wheelsets employ the same TPI ceramic bearings and hub assemblies.

Pricing looks good, too, with the Élan Ultra and Core Ultra coming in at £1,999 / $2,599 / €2,299 and £1,499 / $1999 / €1,699, respectively. Wheelsets will be available to purchase from January 2026.

A bit like choosing pizza when you head out to eat, selecting new tyres takes a bit of careful thought. There's plenty of options, but what if you try something new and it all goes wrong? Then you have to wait till your next meal out and spend the interim regretting your actions.

On paper, tyres are a disposable item that'll wear out and be replaced – the perfect place to experiment, you might think. But they're not particularly cheap, so not many of us are in a position to correct a poor choice by giving them away and buying something else instead.

So what better opportunity than a Black Friday discount to grab some new rubber at a great price and see how it works out?

And so many of us stick with the same old trusted choice. This certainly applies to me – I was more than happy with my Panaracer GravelKings, and have used them in both the SK (small knobs) and X1 versions and found them great in most conditions.

However, earlier this year I had a chance to check out these new offerings from Vittoria – the Terreno T50. Manufacturer of the iconic Corsa road tyre, the Italian manufacturer hadn't really been on my radar in terms of off-road stuff.

Designed for 'mixed gravel endurance', they fit bang in the middle of an extensive range that runs from T10 (hardpack) to T90 (mud), and they turned out to be a bit of a revelation – and now they're reduced by 25%.

I rode them for a preview of this year's British Gravel Championships at Dalby Forest in Yorkshire, England, which included a lot of superb gravel doubletrack, as well as a bit of peaty singletrack and tarmac too.

They were perfect for that – and I liked them so much I carried on riding them for the next few months.

Using them in 45mm width, they felt fast enough rolling on the road while at the same time offering superior grip off it, in everything but slimy mud. The tread pattern is, perhaps unsurprisingly, the secret to their success. It features studding of low-profile hexagonal knobs across the centre, with more aggressive knobs at the shoulder. It's the former that allows its proficiency on the tarmac, and those shoulder knobs that instil cornering confidence.

In terms of fitment they went on a breeze, and I had zero punctures (that I knew about – I was running them tubeless).

Right now I'm back using my GravelKing X1s, so the T50s have not replaced them completely. The Panaracer tyres feel a bit more voluminous than the Terrenos in the same width so, while I'll definitely be using the T50s again, I might invest in some 50mm items for that extra bit of cushioning.

And then I think they might just be perfect.

As with most things in life, you can’t have it all when it comes to tyres. We’d all love to ride gravel tyres that offer great grip in all conditions, excellent comfort, low rolling resistance, high puncture resistance, and, of course, a reasonable price. Whilst this isn’t entirely realistic, one helpful hack is to run different tyres front and rear.

This allows you to have lower rolling resistance at the back, where it’s most beneficial, without compromising front-end grip too much. The combination of WTB’s Riddler and Raddler tyres offers exactly this, hopefully allowing plenty of traction in the corners without having big, squidgy knobs robbing you of power when you press on the pedals.

This pairing was fitted to an ENVE MOG gravel bike that I had the pleasure of riding recently, paired with an ENVE AG25 wheelset, and I spent plenty of time on the tracks and trails of the Peak District. However, as the recent weather has been exceptionally dry, I must confess that mud has not been a significant feature of any of those test rides.

Construction

The tubeless-ready 700c Riddler is available in 37mm and 45mm widths, whilst the Raddler is either 40mm or 44mm. Both tyres are offered in 120tpi Dual DNA SG2 or 60tpi Dual DNA, where the SG2 denotes added puncture resistance for an extra £10. I tested the widest SG2 versions.

The two treads are quite similar, with smaller, closely packed knobs in the centre and wider, more open lugs on the shoulders, and some intermediate-sized tread in between. The Riddler’s centre line is more closely packed and the knobs are shorter than those on the Raddler, as you’d expect on what is billed as the faster tyre.

Both tyres benefit from WTB’s Dual DNA technology, which places a harder-wearing, faster-rolling compound along the centre with a softer, tackier rubber on the shoulders of the tyre to help it grip when leant over in a corner.

The SG2 puncture protection is a bead-to-bead layer underneath the tread that should prevent most things from penetrating the tyre, and, combined with the supple 120tpi casing, shouldn’t impact rolling resistance or road feel too much.

Claimed weight for the Riddler in this size is 541g and 547 for the Raddler. For what it's worth, the used, sealant-encrusted test tyres weighed 590g and 572g respectively

The ride

Visually, both tyres appear much squarer than many gravel tyres, although I think that is in the main down to the tall side knobs which extend up almost to the level of the centreline rather than the shape of the carcass itself.

Fitted to the ENVE AG25 wheels, which have a 25mm internal width, the 45mm Riddler measured up at just over the stated width, whilst the Raddler came up a bit short of its billed 44mm, but not enough to be significant.

I can’t comment on ease of tubeless set-up, as the bike arrived ready to ride, but air retention has been excellent, with only occasional top-ups required. This is perhaps as you’d hope, given that the tyres were mounted using Silca’s excellent Ultimate Tyre Sealant.

My typical gravel rides are about 50% standard disused railways/smoothish trails and 50% quite gnarly rock and rubbly tracks, depending on which way I head out of the door. Either way, they are usually pretty well drained and grippy thanks to the high-friction gritstone, even more so recently with the very dry weather. Thus, the lightly treaded Riddler had no issues with grip or traction and neither did the slightly more aggressive Raddler. However, looking at how closely packed the lugs are, I don’t think that it is a great leap of faith to conclude that neither tyre will fare particularly well in sticky mud!

With the dry, dusty conditions, it didn’t take too much enthusiasm on the brakes to lock the back wheel - the shallow tread is happy to skip across the surface fairly early on, so a bit of modulation went a long way in controlling things, but it was always nice and predictable so never caused any issues.

The slightly more heavily treaded Raddler offered more grip on the rock-hard trails of late, with no unpredictable moments when turning, thankfully.

On the inevitable tarmac sections that are part and parcel of UK gravel riding, the Riddler ensure that no power was lost thanks to the very short knobs, so asphalt kilometres zipped by rather than feeling tedious and draggy.

Durability looks to be reasonable so far, with no visible damage to the sidewalls despite some very rocky rides, although I don’t envisage that it will take too many miles to reduce the Riddler to a virtual slick.

Value and conclusion

On that note, whilst the combination of Riddler and Raddler makes sense if you are looking for maximum speed and efficiency, I’d err towards fitting two Raddlers instead from a value point of view. As tested, the Riddler and Raddler cost the same at £70 each, which is towards the upper end gravel tyre prices, and it is inevitable that the smaller and shorter the knobs, the less potential use you are going to get out of a tyre.

Given that the two weights are very similar, and tread pattern likewise, a Raddler on the rear would turn into a Riddler effectively once it wore down anyway, but give you more miles per pound spent.

That aside, the Riddler and Raddler both make very reasonable fit-and-forget gravel tyres for drier, hardpack conditions.

Every cyclist has brands that defined their early riding days, and for me, Mavic was one of them. When I think of Mavic, I think of muddy cyclocross races; long, wet winter training rides; that one red or yellow spoke catching the eye; and sci-fi-sounding names like Ksyrium, a word I still don’t quite know the meaning of.

Mavic is one of those iconic brands that transcends eras. Whether it’s spotting those yellow neutral service cars at the Tour de France or recalling the countless team training rides you once endured, Mavic tends to be part of cycling’s collective memory.

Founded in 1889 by brothers Léon and Laurent in Lyon, the French marque helped shape the modern wheel as we know it. It pioneered the first anodized alloy rims, the hooked bead, and the UST tubeless system. But even legends can falter. After years of turbulence and a near-collapse in 2020, Mavic was rescued by the Bourrelier Group and has since been quietly rebuilding, with renewed focus and a North American presence in idyllic Waterbury, Vermont.

I hadn’t swung a leg over a Mavic wheel since the heyday of the Ksyriums. But the brand has been an unmissable presence at tradeshows and races across the United States, so it was time to see what Mavic’s been up to.

The aluminium offerings earned strong reviews last year, but can the reborn Mavic recapture its old magic while keeping pace with today’s all-road demands? Let's find out.

Meet the Mavic ALLROAD SL CARBON

Mavic bills its top-tier gravel offerings as "your best companion for your fast and furious gravel adventures."

These are the wheels the French gravel champions Axelle Dubau-Prévôt and Hugo Drechou have been riding all season at Unbound and in Gravel Earth Series and the UCI Gravel World Series races.

Built for the unforgiving, mixed-surface punishment of modern gravel racing, the Allroad Pro SL Carbon wheels feature unidirectional carbon-fibre rims paired with double-butted spokes and Mavic’s proprietary Infinity hubs.

The hookless rims are tubeless-ready and, with a 25 mm internal width, optimised for tyres between 30mm and 50mm, though they're said to be able to take tyres up to 64mm (though that may be a stretch).

Specs & Features:

• 42mm deep 'aerodynamic' carbon rim
• 25mm internal width
• Hookless rim
• UST Road Tubeless system with tape
• Tyre compatibility: 30mm–64mm (30mm min @ 59 PSI, 64mm max @ 36 PSI)
• Weight: 1550g (pair)
• 24 double-butted spokes (front & rear)
• Aluminium hubs with auto-adjust sealed cartridge bearings
• ID360 freehub mechanism
• Automatic bearing preload (QRM Auto) – zero adjustment needed
• ASTM Category 2 rating (off-road with <15cm jumps)
• Handbuilt in Europe
• Unique feature: Removable sound damper for quiet or loud freehub sound preference
• MSRP: $1,889 / €1,399 / £1,420

The Ride

Out of the box, the branding on this wheel is fairly understated: grey logos on matte black rims, no yellow spoke. The only nod to Mavic’s signature colour is a slim yellow ribbon around the hubs. I prefer it this way because the bright yellow tends to clash with more paint jobs than it complements.

Mavic ships these wheels with an HG freehub as standard, meaning SRAM XDR, Shimano Microspline, and Campagnolo bodies must be purchased separately. It’s a small annoyance, but swapping the freehub is straightforward. While you’re at it, you can experiment with one of my favourite Mavic touches: the removable freehub silencer.

Personally, I like my hubs to have either a soft, satisfying buzz or to be as close to silent as possible. If you prefer a louder, bell-negating freehub, removing the silencer is a 30-second job. You simply pull off the freehub body, followed by the spring and the ratchet mechanism. The silencer sits inside the last ratchet ring. Remove the ring and reassemble the hub. The whole process takes less than 30 seconds.

The tubeless tyre installation with the pre-installed rim tape and some Muc-Off valves was as easy as it gets. Tyre on, liquid through the valve, inflate, loud pop as the bead slides into position.

Hookless rims, of course, remain a bit of a hot topic. Safety concerns, compatibility limits and scepticism about their real-world benefits have led some manufacturers to return to hooked or semi-hooked designs. Personally, I’ve never had an issue with hookless setups, especially on gravel, where I rarely run pressures higher than 30 PSI, so seeing a hookless rim isn’t an automatic red flag in my book.

During my testing, I mounted various tyre models and sizes on these rims, from 32mm slicks to 50mm knobby gravel tyres, and the wheels performed perfectly fine with all of them. That said, I do think the sweet spot lies somewhere between 42mm and 50mm for ideal tyre shape, handling and efficiency. Anything bigger, and the tyre starts to balloon slightly, rounding off the tread and affecting cornering precision. Anything smaller, and the casing stretches too wide across the rim, resulting in a flatter profile.

I tested these Allroad Pro SL Carbons across all my favourite groads: from the fast, dusty hardpack of Pumpkin Ridge to Crown Zellerback’s slippery mud, through Forest Park’s hidden singletracks, and finally, across the punishing rollers of a very wet and stormy Big Sugar Gravel race.

Like the Ksyriums of old, there was one impression that stood out above anything else: they seem bombproof.

I take good care of my equipment, but I don't go easy on it. On fast group rides and gravel races in particular, you don’t always get to pick your line, and sometimes you hit rocks and potholes harder than you’d like. The last thing I want to worry about is whether my wheels can handle it. These did, without complaint.

They were unflappable on rough gravel, steady on slick singletrack, and composed when the roads turned ugly. They hit that sweet spot between lively and planted: responsive when you’re on the gas, yet sturdy and planted on wet, washboardy roads.

At around 1,550 grams for the set, they’re not particularly lightweight but instead strike a good balance between stiffness, comfort and durability. On smoother tarmac, they feel steady rather than snappy, and once the terrain roughens, they shine in that responsive comfort.

Value & Conclusion

Competition at this $1,889 price point is fierce. Brands like Hunt, Roval and DT Swiss all offer similarly capable wheelsets that are lighter, more aerodynamic and less expensive. For example, Hunt’s 40 Carbon Gravel Disc wheels are about 120 grams lighter, comparably aero, equally wide, yet $340 cheaper.

Still, the Mavic Allroad Pro SL Carbon is a solid, confidence-inspiring wheelset with a refined ride feel and an emphasis on durability. They’re engineered to last, with serviceable hubs, bombproof carbon rims, and an attention to practical details that’s easy to appreciate once you’ve spent time with them.

The Allroad Pro SL Carbon is worth a look if you’re after a reliable, all-condition performer that’s responsive yet comfortable, and built to take a beating. Unflashy, unfazed, and utterly dependable — a reminder of why we all rode Mavics back in the day.

Panaracer were the first on the scene when it came to making mainstream gravel specific tyres with the original GravelKing, long regarded as one of the best gravel bike tyres.

To celebrate 10 years of the ‘GK’, Panaracer brought out the X1, with an all new tread pattern that had remained the same since 2017. This particular version is the ‘Colour Edition’; Panaracer releases some of its tyres with contrasting colours with a tan or black sidewall, and that's what we're reviewing here.

Construction

Making up the foundation of the GK X1 is a supple high thread count casing with a special BeadLock. This allows it to work with hooked and hookless rims as well as aiming to make installation easier. Panaracer claims this casing structure is more resilient to changes in temperature. Above this is the TuffTex casing, a bead to bead puncture protection layer that is 120 TPI to allow for greater suppleness.

On top of all this lies the ZSG compound. This stands for Zero Slip Grip, and is used in Panaracer's Agilest road tyres, although this is a gravel specific version. Again it aims to have temperature resilience, whereby colder temperatures result in a harder less pliable material, and warmer temperatures make it more pliable and tacky as well as expanding slightly.

It has been designed to offer low rolling resistance with a tread pattern for grip both on and off road; the tread on the centre is more compact, while the shoulders have more nodules with greater spacing for grip while banking on loose surfaces.

There are three options on offer, the X1, which is the go-to race tyre balancing speed and durability, then the X1 R, the thinner, racier tyre with TuffTex-R casing, the X1+ with TuffTex+ casing for a more rugged structure.

These are complimented by the SK line for less intense gravel, the EXT for more extreme gravel, the semi-slick for gravel/road, and the slick for more tarmac like terrain.

Normally the GK X1 comes in 700x35, 40, 45, and 50c or 650Bx48c. However this Colour Edition comes in 40 and 45c only. Claimed weight is 560g for the 45mm Cranberry/Brown colourway, while on the scales it came in at 569g.

The ride

I’ve heard mixed things about how easy the Panaracer GK X1 is to fit. The brand claims to be able to fit them with just a floor pump, building the pressure before the beads pop out of the central channel and into place. I’ve also heard complaints that they are very tough to get the bead on the tyre.

In reality, fitting these to the Prime Primavera 44 wheels, with a 23mm internal measurement, was fairly easy. I did have to use a compressor with the valve core removed. However, removing old tyres and fitting them took less than 20 minutes total. Fitted onto these wheels at 30psi, the tyres measured up at 45.84mm wide.

To test these tyres out, I took part in the Graean Gravel World Gravel Series UCI race. The course with a mix of both tarmac, very light gravel, shale like sharp stones, and muddy single tracks. In short, a great mix of terrains to really put these tyres to the test.

With 30 psi in both the front and rear tyres, there was a good level of compliance and cushioning without feeling overly soft. Corning and rolling on the tarmac sections was comfortable and I felt as at home on these as most road tyres, especially given the slightly dour rainy conditions. Moving onto the lighter gravel, they felt like they were gliding over the broken terrain, absorbing the bumps nicely while never feeling rigid or out of control.

The closer and more compact tread in the centre really helped deliver a fast rolling performance, especially in a straight line. However the more spaced out shoulder profiles works brilliantly when the going gets muddy or loose. Some nice twisty descents with quick changes of direction and slippery mud was a great opportunity to test this out. Here the tyres gripped well, with my cornering confidence and ability being the limiting factors. However, compared to riders on MTB tyres with chunkier treads, they were not quite as grippy or fast. That said, back on the flat section these were noticeably faster.

To get the most out of the shoulder on the tyres you do need to have the confidence to lean the bike in. However, the muddy single track section was a little more challenging. The central tread does not like wet mud quite as much and there were some slips from the rear wheel especially when changing direction. This is not uncommon though, and at no point did I get wheel spin or fully lose traction. For wetter weather and more muddy terrain the EXT model is likely best.

The tyre excelled on the 'shale like' terrain, rolling fast and enabling me to make up ground on riders both up and down hill,. Both the width and suppleness absorbed the sizable stones both at speed and when climbing. These were also the sections where a lot of riders had punctures, and impressively the GK X1s were undaunted by the terrain and obstacles, with no nicks or punctures.

The tyre's suppleness also helped me mainta a consistent pace throughout the event, with both 1 hour 50 laps being within about 3 minutes of each other. Absorbing the bumps and reducing fatigue are both very important for prolonged performance in rides and events like this, and the GKs were superb in this regard.

The X1s are not the lightest of tyres, which was noticeable when climbing at lower speeds. But they make up for this with exceptional traction grip. Out of the saddle efforts on steep inclines with wet mud or loose stones underneath still didn’t result in any wheel slip.

Another big benefit was that the tread expelled mud brilliantly. Even over muddy and wet terrain, the tyres did not clog with mud, meaning that handling remained predictive throughout the ride. All told, these tyres really are an impressive jack of all trades, even if they are not necessarily the master of any.

Value & conclusion

When it comes to value, it’s worth considering that the Panaracer GravelKing X1 is a dedicated high performance gravel tyre. This puts them in the same sort of sphere as the Continental Terra Speed, Schwalbe G-One RS, Vittoria Terrano T50, and Pirelli Cinturato Gravel RC. Some of these are admittedly more closely comparable to the GK X1 R as lighter casing race tyres but those tyres also tend to exceed the £60 / $80 mark.

The Maxxis Rambler EXO TR is one of the few tyres that undercuts most of the market with a lighter weight race focussed tyre for £46.99 / $72.00. However, it features a slacker tread and less shoulder grip.

There is of course more to value than price. Personally I have found that the GK X1 tyres have a longer lifespan than the likes of the Vittoria Terrano Dry, while also being far grippier in wet conditions while appearing to roll faster on more mixed gravel terrains.

Wet weather grip isn’t as strong on the GK X1 as some of the competitors, especially in wet mud, but at this point more specialist wet mud extreme tyres become faster options. When looking at the total balance of durability to performance and grip, the Panaracer GK X1 does appear to offer reasonable value. I would argue more so than the more expensive X1 R which although promises to be a touch faster, does forgo some durability.

The Panaracer GravelKing X1 tyres are fast rolling, and balance good grip across mixed terrains with great durability. They are not the lightest, but I would argue the protection is worth the weight to keep the tyres rolling. You can buy faster tyres, but this comes at a cost regarding both price and durability.

I’m a big fan of the limited edition colour options too, and appreciate that they don’t hold a price premium over the standard versions. For a tyre that offers great performance across most metrics for a mixed gravel and mixed weather tyre, these are a fantastic offering. A greater range of sizes would be appreciated though given the wide range of frame clearances currently available.

In an open letter to the UCI, wheel manufacturer Swiss Side has expressed its dismay at the recently announced rules to ban rims taller than 65mm in UCI road races. While this rule is set to take effect on January 1, 2026, it will ultimately render Swiss Side's recently launched 68mm-deep Hadron Ultimate 680 wheel obsolete.

Swiss Side has requested that the UCI reconsider the changes to the equipment regulations, particularly the rim depth limitation, and has asked for it to be delayed until at least 2027, or reworked completely.

The proposed new wheel depth rules follow the UCI’s new restrictions on limiting handlebar width in road events to a minimum of 400mm, which have left riders and bike fitters up in arms due to the ergonomic and potential injury risks it may pose for female competitors.

In the letter, the wheel supplier of WorldTour team, Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale, outlined that its independent wind tunnel testing, on-road testing, and rider feedback found that its Hadron wheels possess relatively low absolute steering moments compared to some 50-60mm wheel options currently used in UCI WorldTour events.

The proposed new wheel depth rules

In simple terms, the proposed new law states that wheels can be no deeper than 65mm in UCI-sanctioned events, owing to the generalisation that deeper wheels are more prone to instability in crosswinds. The rule also aims to reduce the overall average speeds in races.

Swiss Side is not merely taking a swing at the UCI because its new wheel doesn't meet the proposed new regulations – the brand has spent innumerable hours and money in R&D to create a wheelset it feels is safer in crosswinds than many of its rivals with shallower rim profiles.

In the letter, Swiss Side reiterated its stance on the matter, highlighting that, as a company, it's entirely behind improving rider safety.

"Swiss Side is fully committed to improving the safety of cycling, both with regards to racing as well as for safety of end consumers. We very much support any initiative which leads to genuine improvements in safety for cycle racing and cycling in general."

Reduced steering moment with improved aerodynamics

Citing its research and in-house testing, Swiss Side states that the Hadron Ultimate 680 wheels demonstrate that rim depth is not the primary factor in determining outright stability and, consequently, safety. To demonstrate this, the Thalwil-based company analysed the steering moment response of three wheels currently in use in the WorldTour (50mm, 60mm and the 68mm Hadron Ultimate) – measured in the same wind tunnel with the identical 28mm tyre.

The results (see graph) indicate that, despite being the deepest section rim, the Hadron Ultimate is the most stable and quantifiably safe wheel due to its aerodynamic characteristics.

"Rim height has a limited impact on stability, predictable handling and safety. Through the objective measurement of the steering moment, we can firmly state that rim depth has far less influence than tyre width, tyre tread pattern (and its effect on the aerodynamic characteristics), and the steering geometry of the bike frame (steering axis angle and trail).

Swiss Side went on to say that wheels with relatively high steering moments, regardless of depth, are due to poor engineering and the result of designing a wheel in isolation, rather than as part of a system (tyre and wheel).

"Deeper rims, apart from having more mechanical stability due to the increased rotating inertia, also allow for better tuning of the aerodynamic and handling characteristics of the wheel. A poorly engineered rim shape or the wrong combination of rim shape and tyre, can lead to a very unstable, unpredictable and potentially unsafe aerodynamic characteristics, regardless of the rim depth."

An unrealstic notice period

Swiss Side is equally vexed by the six-month notice issued by the UCI on the implementation of new equipment regulations and has urged the governing body to be more responsible, objective, and inclusive.

"The development of a high-level road cycling wheel is a 2.5-year development process. The total cost for such a development is a six-figure sum (EUR), and is amortised by the sale of the product, typically over a four-year product life cycle."

"For Swiss Side, to uncover through the press that the rim depth should be limited to 65mm for UCI road racing from January 1, 2026, only two weeks before launching our new 68mm Hadron Ultimate 680 wheel, was a major and unexpected and extremely costly blow, given the years of development invested in this new wheel."

Swiss Side continued: "The UCI, as cycling’s governing body, should always be seen as responsible, objective and inclusive. The current actions are not consistent with these values."

The way forward

While Swiss Side can demonstrate that its profile for a 68mm rim has a lower steering moment than other rims, the company has also indirectly acknowledged that steering moment is relevant to rider safety. Where diversity in wheel design and the aerodynamic testing benchmarks differ from wind tunnel to wind tunnel and company to company, would the adoption of Swiss Side's aero IP solve the problem?

We don't see Swiss Side giving away its intellectual property to its rivals anytime soon, but perhaps a new testing protocol standard for wheels and equipment should be floated by the UCI in consultation with industry experts – that way, equipment can be validated and benchmarked to meet specific parameters rather than blanket bans across the board.

What do you think? Let us know in the comments below.

As the UCI bring in more and more rules around equipment in a bid to slow the pro peloton down and make racing safer, bike, wheel and clothing manufacturers continue to push in the opposite direction.

Wheel company DT Swiss has continued it's pursuit of speed with the third generation of its ARC (Aero Road Carbon) wheel portfolio that brings it in line with growing trends for wider internal rim widths, lighter weight and radically improved aerodynamic properties.

The Biel-based company says its mission with the new ARC wheels was to “take the lead and develop its fastest wheels yet,” focusing on balancing rim width and height with low weight.

The ARC range comprises two tiers, the 1100 and 1400, which differ in terms of hubs, spokes, and bearings. The 1100 models receive higher-end componentry for enhanced performance and a slightly lighter weight.

New design, new rim heights

The new ARC wheels feature a mildly updated design with new-look decals that indicate model designation by way of a coloured flag located below the valve: like before, red denotes the 1100, while grey represents the 1400.

Rim heights have increased over the previous model with rim depths growing from 50, 62 and 80mm to 55, 65 and 85mm. DT Swiss says each specific rim width serves a purpose and was designed for a wide variety of riding preferences. As expected, the 55mm rims are best for rolling terrain with the occasional steep climb, the 65mm have been optimised for sprinting scenarios or flat-out rides, while the 85mm model is the fastest in the range with the lowest drag – ideal for triathlons or time trials.

The inner rim width has grown considerably over the previous two generations and is now pegged at 22mm. Increasing the inner width has had a direct influence on the frontal area of the wheel, and the V-shape of the rim architecture has compensated for this by providing a lower drag figure and improved stability in crosswinds.

Reduced drag, improved aerodynamics

Using an in-house developed measurement rig, DT Swiss quantified the influence of a lower 20-spoke count on the rotational drag. The company compared the previous generation 24-spoke ARC 50 against the new ARC 55, both of which used a 28mm Continental GP 5000S TR tyre.

The measurements revealed a 0.2-watt reduction in drag at 0-degrees yaw and 0.5-watt (12% reduction) at a yaw angle of 10-degrees over the previous-generation wheels, claimed to be a result of the lower spoke count and shorter spokes from the 5mm higher rim profile.

Contrary to current rhetoric, aerodynamics encompasses not only drag but also handling, and DT Swiss states that the challenge in developing the new ARC wheels was to balance these two attributes to achieve optimal handling. The sailing effect creates a lot of side force on the wheel, so a balanced front and rear helps reduce the feeling of twitchiness – this is called the ‘steering moment.’ The steering moment is a result of the airflow not adhering to the rim and stalling or unloading, causing instability.

The company’s wind tunnel testing revealed the differences in steering moments at yaw angles ranging from -20 to 20-degrees – all wheels were fitted with 29mm Continental Aero 111 tyres. The varying gradients showed that ARC 55 and ARC 65 possess relatively low absolute steering moments, while the ARC 85 have a higher expected steering moment due to the higher rim profile.

Compared to rival brands, DT Swiss says its new ARC wheels have the lowest aerodynamic drag across 55, 65 and 85mm profiles and that the sailing effect at more extreme yaw angles is moderately lower compared to competitors from Hunt, Campagnolo and Zipp.

The Wheel Tyre System (WTS)

It has become increasingly de rigueur for wheels to be designed from the ground up as complete systems, taking the tyre and the virtual foil it creates into account. As a result, the third-generation ARC wheels were developed in a symbiotic relationship with the Continental Aero 111 tyre, balancing drag, handling, and efficiency – a concept DT Swiss refers to as the Wheel Tyre System (WTS).

Bolstering the lower drag provided by the V-shape of the wheel is the Aero 111 tyre’s unique vortex generators (the tread impressions), which add a substantial sailing effect and even steering moment in cross-winds. The result is a wheelsystem that offers perfectible handling, adding assurance and improving confidence to stay in an aero position for longer, both on a regular road bike and a time trial rig.

DT Swiss ARC wheel builds

The DRC range comprises two models: the 1400 and the 1100, both of which utilise DT Swiss hubs, spokes and internal DT Swiss Pro Lock nipples, with the main differences being the hub and spoke choice.

Like before, the 1400 range employs DT Swiss 240 EXP hubs and DT Swiss T-head Aero Comp spokes, while the 1100 wheels use DT Swiss 180 hubs laced with T-head DT aerolite spokes. The 180 hubs feature a 36T Ratchet EXP System complete with ceramic bearings.

The DT Swiss ARC 1400 range costs $2,504.80 / £1,999.98 / €2,149.80, while the range-topping ARC 1100 wheels will set you back $3,144.80 / £2,499.98 / €2,699.80.

All wheels come with a Shimano freehub body as standard, with SRAM XDR hardware also available.

Carbon wheel design has come a long way from the original, sharp, slab-sided models that were a bit of a handful in anything more than a light breeze. The price of carbon wheels has also become much more affordable, and it is many riders’ first port of call when it comes to upgrading their stock bike, both for performance and aesthetic reasons.

The move to disc brakes on road bikes has allowed not only the use of wider, faster tyres but also wider rims, which better accommodate the bigger tyres. Scribe has been quick to adopt these new standards and produces a range of alloy and carbon rims with thoroughly modern dimensions at very reasonable prices.

Scribe offers three levels of carbon road wheels, the range-topping Elan, mid-level Core and less expensive Inception. The Elan and Core each feature 40, 50 and 60mm rims, whilst the Inception is only available in 50mm depth. All rims and hubs are proprietary and are designed and assembled in Belfast.

Construction

We chose to review the new, sub £1,000 model in 50mm depth as they offer an enticing blend of aero, low weight and affordability.

I weighed the pair at 1,376g, 33g more than Scribe’s claimed weight, but as my wheels had tubeless rim tape in place, that seemed fair enough. This is a fantastic weight for the price, but even more so when you consider that Scribe hasn’t scrimped on the rim’s size. The front wheel has an internal width of 24mm, whilst the rear is 21mm, making them better for use with wider tyres.

The T1000 carbon rims are tubeless and hooked, so they can be used with a very wide variety of tyres, including tube-type. Scribe suggests that the rims are ideal for 28-30mm rubber but that anything up to 40mm will be fine. The toroidal, blunt U shape of the rims, as used by nearly all wheel manufacturers now, promises good aerodynamics and decent crosswind stability even at 50mm deep.

Ratchet hubs, in either 36 or 54 tooth or flavours, are available with the higher tooth count giving slightly faster engagement, but to keep the cost below £1,000, we stayed with the standard hub option. Typically, ratchet hubs are a bit more durable than pawl systems as the load is spread over a much greater surface area as there are far more contact points between the two elements compared with pawl freehubs. It’s nice to see the steel reinforcement spline on the freehub, which should prevent the cassette’s sprockets from biting into the soft aluminium.

There are no corners cut when it comes to spokes either, as the Core Superlight wheels are supplied with the industry gold standard straight-pull Sapim CX-Ray spokes and Sapim Secure Lock square head nipples.

The ride

The Scribes are a smart-looking wheelset. The gloss black graphics look great against the carbon rim, and when lifted out of the box, the low weight was striking.

Fitting some 28mm Hutchinson Blackbird tyres was very straightforward, although even with a ramped rim bed, I had to over-inflate to get them to pop evenly up onto the rim. Cassette on and rotors attached, the wheels were ready for business.

At 50mm deep and weighing less than 1,400g, I hoped for great things from the Core 50s, and I wasn’t disappointed. Climbs and descents were despatched with equal aplomb; there was plenty of encouragement for pushing on the pedals as each effort was transferred to the tarmac seemingly undiminished. Where I ride, there are plenty of climbs on every ride, ranging from 5km drags to 25% kicks, so low weight and efficiency are always something to be thankful for, but there are some flatter roads too. The Scribe Core SL+ 50 deeper stablemate, the Core SL 60, did very well recently in some independent wind tunnel tests, out-performing or matching some far more expensive products, and the Core 50s felt lovely at full speed as well. Of course, the 50s won’t be quite as slippery as the 60s, but the results indicate that Scribe has done a great job with their rim shapes.

From my experience, the Core SL+ 50 hits a very desirable sweet spot between the momentum-holding abilities of heavier, deeper wheels and the responsiveness of very light, shallower rims. On the poor roads of the Peak District, the wheels' speed will have also been greatly helped by the wide rims, allowing the tyres to spread and provide a smoother passage over the bumps and irregularities of the tarmac. The 28mm Blackbirds actually measured 29.5mm on the wider front wheel.

Similarly, I used the Scribes with Pirelli P-Zero Race tyres in 30mm flavour, and this gave me nearly 32mm in width.

Despite the shock-absorbing properties of the tyres, I felt that the Core 50s were on the stiffer side of the spectrum, feeling quite direct and not at all ‘flimsy’, aided by the straight-pull spokes and excellent build. Stiff wheels and supple tyres are a great way to find some extra speed on poor road surfaces without sacrificing either comfort or performance.

I was also impressed with their behaviour in crosswinds. The weather seems to have been rather blustery of late, and I didn’t particularly enjoy a recent windy ride using Mavis Cosmic S 42s, but in similar conditions, the 50mm deep Scribes were easier to handle.

The wheels stayed true for the duration of the test, despite a puncture-inducing clatter into a pothole, but should the worst happen, then replacement Sapim spokes will be easy enough to source. I guess some riders won’t like the undeniably loud freehub, but having grown up with Hope hubs, I like the reassuring buzz. Otherwise, the Scribe Core SL+ 50 wheels are very impressive and enjoyable to ride.

Value and conclusion

It is hard to think of any downsides to the Scribes, especially when you consider that they cost less than £1,000. With some of the most expensive wheelsets costing over five times the price without any super obvious benefits (to amateurs anyway), they offer fantastic value for money. For the cost of one set of Princeton CarbonWorks wheels, for example, you could buy all three depths of Scribes and still have plenty of cash left for plenty of premium tyres. Furthermore, wheels are pretty vulnerable to damage, and although £1,000 isn’t pocket change, I think using even more expensive wheels might actually affect my riding for the worse, as I'd worry about damaging them. Scribe offers a free lifetime crash replacement service on carbon wheels, whereby crash-damaged parts can be replaced for a 50% discount.

WTB calls the Exposure a ‘fast adventure road tyre’, which, niche nomenclature aside, seems like a pretty fair assessment of it. It isn’t a performance tyre, nor is it a gravel tyre, and it doesn’t even really fit into the standard endurance tyre category as it offers a bit more than that in terms of potential terrain, in the wide option anyway.

Originally an off-road company, WTB doesn’t produce any pure road tyres so these are about as roadie as their range goes.

For this review, I tested both widths of the tubeless-ready Exposure, the 36mm and the 30mm. The 36mm tyres arrived fitted to the ENVE Fray that we used for the Gravel v Allroad article, and I put a few miles in on them, but as 36mm is a bit extreme for allroad and wouldn’t fit in some frames, we switched them out for the narrower version. This was also done in part because on the ENVE 3.4 SES wheels, the 25mm inner rim width caused the 36mm tyres to swell up to measure 39mm, which is definitely into gravel bike territory rather than road; even the 30mm was 33mm when fitted.

Construction

As well as two widths (36mm and 30mm), the tubeless Exposure is available with black sidewalls featuring SG2 puncture protection or tan sidewalls without the protection, which is a bit lighter. Both versions have WTB Dual DNA rubber.

I tested the tan wall option without the extra sidewall puncture protection, which gives the tyres claimed weights of 403g (36mm) and 314g (30mm). I weighed the samples at 382g and 330g, respectively, so not too far out. The tan sidewalls certainly felt very supple in the hand without the puncture protection.

Dual DNA construction means that there are two rubber compounds: a harder, more durable central area for longevity and low rolling resistance with a softer, grippier rubber on the shoulders for more assured cornering. The shoulder rubber is also very slightly textured, although I can’t imagine that it actually increases traction by much.

The suggested minimum and maximum pressures for the tyres are 35-65psi for the 30mm and 30-55psi for the 36mm, which are quite low, so keep an eye on your pressure gauge.

The ride

Although the 36s arrived already installed, when I replaced them with the 30s, it was without any great trouble. They slotted onto the rims fairly easily and then inflated just as quickly. Air retention has been OK, but a few pumps of air before each ride (as is very often the case with tubeless) has been the norm with both widths of the tyre using WTB’s own sealant.

It was certainly slightly odd riding a road bike and looking down to see a 39mm expanse of rubber ballooning out in front, although there is no denying the comfort and peace of mind it gave on poor road surfaces. A bit like riding a gravel bike on tarmac, I simply didn’t have to worry about avoiding cracks and potholes. I even ventured off-road on it, and along smooth but unsurfaced trails, it was fine, albeit lacking a bit in stopping power.

However, at 400g and 39mm, it was never going to be the quickest road-going option, so I was happy to swap it for some more appropriate rubber before a week’s riding in Spain. At a measured 33mm, the 30mm tyre was a great all-round option; still with plenty of supple cushioning but a bit lighter and better handling.

The eastern area of Spain around Calp and Denia has become a favourite training ground for pros, so I was never going to trouble the top ten (or top 100) on the famous climbs whether on ‘fast adventure’ road tyres or not, I also didn’t feel held back by them either - they didn’t sap energy or the will to live in the way that some tyres can. I posted similar times up climbs that I had done on previous trips (2.5km still to go for me on Coll de Rates when Tadej Pogačar would have finished!). Again, the volume and sturdiness of the tyre were great when taking some less-than-perfect service roads or cutting between the almond groves on their cracked concrete tracks.

The combination of wide-yet-supple tyres on the ENVE Fray made for relaxed riding, assured descending and provided perfectly reasonable climbing speed, although don’t forget that the SG2 puncture protection option would add weight and very likely reduce the suppleness.

There are lots of potential users for this tyre thanks to its worthwhile combination of very reasonable speed and durability; Trans-continental adventurers might be WTB’s headline market, but commuters, weekend bikepackers and country lane explorers would all do well to consider it. The 36mm would also be perfect on a second set of wheels to convert a gravel bike into a road machine.

Of course, there are lighter, faster tyres - don’t expect to see them on the WorldTour anytime soon - but for the rest of us, they are an interesting option.

Value and conclusion

The fatter version was good on local rides around the Peak, with poor tarmac and plenty of potholes, whilst the 30mm option is a great general-purpose tyre. The prices are on the premium side at £70/$69.95 for the SG2 version and £60/$65.95 for the as-tested non-SG2 model, but longevity and ride quality should offset that in part at least.

Ultimately, I won’t be replacing my Pirelli P-Zero Races on my best bike with the Exposures, but if I commuted or was heading off on a road-biased bikepacking trip, then the WTB Exposures would be the perfect tyre.

It is no secret that tyres are getting wider across the cycling spectrum. WorldTour road racers have left the 25mm rubber in the dust in favour of 28mm or even 30mm options. Gravel professionals, meanwhile, are riding tyres well beyond the 50mm threshold. Even on the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup, some of the top riders habitually race 2.5 inches rather than the lightweight 2.2-inch tyres of old.

All of this is trickling down to consumers as the market adjusts to the new standard set by the sport's cutting-edge athletes. This momentum has led to new and novel ways for cyclists to think about products and find the right options to make their riding experience as enjoyable as possible. Tyres are, after all, where the rubber meets the road.

A notable shift in this sea change is the rise of supersized road tyres, with an increasing amount of options now available in the 35mm-40mm range – all promising little to no speed loss from the former standard of 25mm-28mm tyres. But how do these beefy tyres really compare to the race-tested “skinies”? And who are these tyres made for?

I’ve been putting the market’s leading big-volume road tyres to the test to find out.

The making of a convert

The seed of this story started a year ago at the launch of the Enve Fray, an all-road bike built around 35mm tyres. While I only rode the Fray a few times, I was able to bring the 35mm Enve SES tyres home with me. Over the next few weeks, I grew to really like the wide 35mm slick tread, which improved the road riding performance on my gravel bike.

As a roadie at heart, I was initially surprised by how much I liked them, especially considering that 28-31mm tyres are still the race standard at WorldTour events. This piqued my curiosity about other wide tyre options on the market – a small but growing sector.

I was keen to explore a few key questions:

• Who are these tyres for?
• At what width do tyres lose their benefits?
• In the superwide category, does puncture-resistance come before speed?
• And do the benefits of width win in the long run?

For the past year, I have exclusively ridden on various thick, slick tyres to answer some of these questions. My test pool consisted of eight different tyres from seven different brands at five different widths. Each model was ridden hundreds of miles over a variety of tarmac and light gravel surfaces. Additionally, every tyre was mounted on the same set of Enve 4.5 rims, incidentally, the same wheelset that UAE Team Emirates have been riding this past season.

While there was a great deal of variance between the different models and widths, this test was not about the specific tyre, but rather to find a use case for these (super) wide road tyres in general riding as well as adapting gravel bikes to the road in a more effective manner. It wasn’t long into the testing before I knew I was onto something.

28mm tyres are not optimal for all-road and gravel bikes

The primary market for these wide slicks has historically been commuters and bike tourers. Yet, thanks to a booming gravel and all-road market, an increasing number of riders are using their off-road bikes as versatile, all-purpose machines. It's now just as common to see them on paved roads as it is on gravel.

However, when treating a gravel bike like a road bike, there are parameters to consider, especially when it comes to speed and efficiency. Simply throwing on what would be the fastest tyre option for a road bike is not going to be optimal on a gravel bike. Here’s why:

Geometry

Gravel bikes, without exception, have a longer wheelbase, which allows for bigger tyre clearance and a more stable ride feel. There are other geometric changes, too, but the wheelbase is the big shift between road and gravel bikes.

The frame was designed around high-volume tyres. When using smaller, lower-volume tyres –standard road tyres, in short– on a gravel bike, the longer wheelbase effectively drops the centre of gravity of that bike. The even lower bottom bracket height increases the risk of pedal strike. It may also make the bike’s handling feel even slower.

Aerodynamics

In most cases, narrower is better for aerodynamics. Yet, when it comes to the tyre-frame interface, the benefits of narrower tyres are less clear-cut. Gravel bikes often have robust downtubes designed for stiffness and durability and were not aerodynamically shaped to match the profile of 25-30mm tyres, as seen on road bikes.

Speaking broadly, pairing a slick 35-45mm tyre with a gravel frame will not be a significant aerodynamic penalty. Quite the opposite, it may even be an aerodynamic gain. Throughout discussions with several engineers and aerodynamic experts, it all comes down to the importance of system aerodynamics – the way the frame, the wheels and the tyres all work together. Wind tunnel testing is the only way to draw specific conclusions between frame, wheels and tyres but if there is a rule to follow, matching the width of the tyres and rims to tube shape is likely to yield a better aerodynamic system rather than a narrower tyre.

Wider does not necessarily mean slower

After many months of testing wider tyres for road riding, the overwhelming benefit was a smoother ride without the sacrifices one expects from compliance – primarily speed.

Compliance is the most anecdotal of all testing data points, as it comes down to ‘feel.’ For me, the benefit of a larger volume tyre was compounded by where I do most of my road riding, which is in and around Phoenix, Arizona. With some of the most intense summer temperatures in the United States, Phoenix is uniquely challenged in its ability to maintain roads to the same standard as other states. Pair that with relatively low taxes, and you are left with poorly maintained pavement that is anything but smooth. That environment showed that a major efficiency gain can actually be felt when using larger-volume road tyres. The gain here is comfort, which in turn translates into less body fatigue and a more consistent speed across bumpy terrain.

We’ve all heard it said before: smooth is fast. And this is because of the under-discussed enemy of speed: suspension drag.

Suspension drag is the loss of speed, or efficiency to be precise, of an object in forward motion due to vibrations, bumps or other vertical movement. Or, to put it differently, any vertical movement will cause the object to have less energy propelling it forward. In cycling, the greatest cause for that vertical movement is the road surface.

These suspension losses, as they are most frequently called, factor into a bike tyre's overall rolling resistance. Thus, rolling resistance in a lab test is very different from rolling resistance on the actual road. Regardless of what the lab test says is most efficient, that test is only accounting for the hysteretic losses of a tyre – the energy lost as heat due to the continuous deformation and flexing of the tyre as it makes contact with the road while rolling. Accurately assessing the suspension losses, which are the counterparts to hysteretic losses, is virtually impossible on a drum because road surfaces are inconsistent.

“If you test tyres in the lab, you're only measuring the hysteretic losses in the tyre casing, and so generally the harder you pump up the tyre, the less losses you have,” Jan Heine told Cycling Weekly. Heine is the CEO of the tyre company Rene Herse and is an expert on the matter.

“But when we started testing on real roads, we found that that's not true at all. Lower pressures roll just as fast. From that point, we realised we don't need narrow tyres, because at lower pressures, we can make wider tyres with supple casings. But the big question we still had was, why do we see such different behavior on the road compared to in the lab?”

Heine credits Jim Papadopoulos, a former tech expert, for uncovering a key insight to this question in his book Cycling Science. Papadopoulos referenced a United States Army study on tank vibrations, where the drivers absorbed 2000 watts from vibrations. This led to the realisation that energy loss from vibrations was slowing down the vehicle. Heine notes that lab tests, which didn’t account for the rider or uneven surfaces, missed this important factor in measuring energy loss on bikes.

In cycling, we’re dealing with much smaller forces and, at least on tarmac, fewer vibrations, yet the physics are the same – vibration is an enemy of forward movement and one that’s undervalued in cycling at large.

“[Tyre size] almost doesn't matter, because the suspension losses and the hysteretic losses balance each other out,” Heine said about what he finds to be the right width on smooth tarmac.

“I'm just as happy on a smooth road on a 32 millimeter tyre running 55-60 psi, or a 54 millimeter slick tyre, with the same tyre construction that I'm running at 25 mm.”

Yet, whenever the road has any kind of imperfections, the width must go up to balance the equation.

How wide is too wide?

A fundamental question heading into the testing was at what width do tyres lose their benefits?

Ultimately, there are very few slick options above 700c x 44mm, so that is where I topped out in size. On that end of the spectrum, I looked to Rene Herse because the brand has long championed wide tyres for road riding and has several options.

I tested the 700c x 44mm Snoqualmie Pass model in both the sturdy Endurance casing and the supple Extralight casing. I found that the two casings offer two completely different ride feels. The Endurance Casing offers a ride quality that is in line with a semi-slick gravel tyre, minus the knobs. With a heavy rubber compound, the tyre is better protected against thorns, sharp rocks or other impacts that could ruin your ride. Yet, as is always the case when discussing tyres, there is always a trade-off. The thicker casing is heavier and less malleable, with higher suspension losses relative to a more supple tyre construction.

The Extralight Casing is at the opposite end of that spectrum, with a very lightweight construction and a thin, malleable sidewall. It is, however, more susceptible to pinch flats and sidewall cuts. With that said, the Extralight Casing performs great on smooth gravel, and on tarmac, the 44mm tyre rolls as well as anything else on the market.

For riding on paved roads exclusively, I found the 44mm width too wide for handling and aerodynamics.

Even if wider tyres cause less of an aero penalty with the wider tubes of a gravel bike, there are limits to that equation. With the frame I tested –a Rodeo Labs Trail Donkey 4.0- the 44mm exceeded that threshold. Across different terrain, the tyre climbed well, without much of a speed penalty relative to other, smaller tyres. Yet, the tyre was consistently slower on the downhills and flat roads.

The added volume created handling challenges on the tarmac as well. The added height that comes with the increase in volume raises the height of the bike relative to the bottom bracket, which creates a less stable ride. For riders who typically ride smaller frames, those challenges can present at an even lower volume of 44mm. Off-road, that volume is less challenging because the handling demands differ, but when the surface is fast and predictable, the larger volume makes the handling suboptimal.

The sidewall's malleability also exemplifies that unease at speed. Once again, this is where the difference between off-road priorities and road performance diverges. When the surface is hard, smooth, and predictable, a thin sidewall that reduces the all-important suspension losses is less important than a sidewall construction that fortifies enough to retain its shape while under a load through higher-speed corners. When the sidewall is light and malleable, the confidence the tyre inspires is sacrificed.

How the industry is adjusting to the new normal

Of all the tyres I tested over the past year, the 40mm Pirelli P Zero TLR came out on top. While it might have been conceived as a fast gravel tyre, the result is a product that feels to be a future-proofed all-road tyre that provides speed at a width well-suited for a wide range of riders.

“We decided to work on the bigger P Zero TLR to create the fastest gravel tyre possible,” said Samuele Bressa, Global Marketing Manager at Pirelli.

“The two people we were trying to serve were pros and amateur riders who ride on light gravel. For the pros, the idea is that the slick is ok because they have the skill to navigate the loose turns without the tread. For the amateurs, the turns are slower, but they can have the advantage of speed on the straights. Much more speed.”

The TLR is a cousin of the heralded P Zero RS tyre, which is their top-of-the-line road racing option. While the RS is the fastest road compound Pirelli has in its stable, the RS was too light of a construction to have the durability needed in the all-around 40mm version of the P Zero line. Yet, the TLR has properties similar to its faster counterpart and tests similar in rolling resistance to the brand’s collection of road tyres.

With high-volume tyres, simply making a tyre bigger isn’t as easy as it sounds. The way the tyre interacts with the width of the rim, for instance, changes the tread height. This, in turn, determines how steep the crown of the tyre is. The crown and height can dramatically impact how the tyre handles on all surfaces, especially over uneven or slick areas.

All of this has resulted in a robust tyre for the road that performs incredibly well. This is because the tyre’s durability does not come from a thicker rubber construction or a lower TPI count, which can lead to a sluggish-feeling tyre. Instead, the P Zero has the quality of a higher-performance road tyre with some increased durability afforded by the much bigger margin for error that comes with 40mm of volume.

“The 35 was born from the road and our partnership with LIDL-Trek,” Samuela said. “Last year, the team did lots of testing with the 35mm tyre before Paris-Roubaix. They didn’t race on it this year, but it did help the development. The 40 was the primary option for the gravel riders and gravel bikes.”

Pirelli’s team partnerships recently expanded when the brand replaced Vittoria as the tyre sponsor for Alpecin-Deceuninck. The partnership means the reigning UCI Gravel World Champion and Paris-Roubaix victor will now ride the full line of Pirelli tyres at the biggest races across four disciplines, which can only push development forward.

Yet, despite the speed and strength of the 40mm P Zero TLR, we're unlikely to see it raced at Paris-Roubaix.

“A 40mm could be good for Paris-Roubaix, but the aerodynamics is the big unknown,” Samuela said. “It could be faster but it would have to exist in a new bike system. The frame, wheels, and tyres would all have to be considered, which means you would have a special frame for one race because if you make a bike aero optimised for a 40mm, a 30mm tyre is no longer aerodynamic.”

But since I’m not racing the Paris-Roubaix, I’ll happily take the marginal aerodynamic penalties in favour of compliance that gives me more power and less soreness at the end of long rides.

Conclusion

The tricky thing about a topic like wide road tyres, speeding up gravel bikes or the balance between road and gravel demands is just how complicated the confounding variables are. Aerodynamics are highly variable, handling is vastly different with the same size tyres on different size frames, and vibrations are never the same twice, even on the same route.

However, after consistently riding this category of tyre across many different brands and different widths, all those variables coalesce into a key shift in understanding that I have had in adopting wider road tyres for the vast majority of my riding. Bigger volume tyres are smoother, they are more efficient when the pavement has any consistent imperfection, they are better at managing fatigue, and they make handling better on bikes with gravel geometry.

“It used to be that we’d say, ‘well, you need to tough it out, because you want to go fast.’” Jan Heine said. “So, you know, the bike was vibrating like crazy at 130 psi, which was ridiculous, but we thought the vibrations were the cost of speed. And now we realise it's the opposite. The more you have to tough it out, the slower you go.

“If somebody had told me 10 years ago that the Tour de France winner would be on 30 or 31 mm of tyres, I would have laughed and said,’ You're kidding me.’ And I can tell you our most popular gravel tyres. Used to be the Bon Jon Pass 35 mm that's now our most popular road tyre.”

Tyres tested

Mavic is a brand synonymous with road racing, and with a long history of groundbreaking tech and ideas done in its own unmistakable style. Their bright yellow neutral support vehicles were among the most recognizable features within the Pro peloton until they hit hard times around 2020. Thankfully, since then, the brand has returned from the brink with a more streamlined range concentrating on wheels, footwear, and apparel.

After the relaunch, the Allroad range was one of the first new products released, with a standard Alloy version and the SL version, reviewed here. As the name suggests, they are designed as a robust road or gravel wheel and feature plenty of tech specific to the famous French brand. Mavic is one the pioneers of high-end, fully factory-built metal wheels, so I was keen to see how their latest options stack up against the best gravel wheels out there and whether or not high-end aluminium wheels still had a place in a market crowded with budget carbon competitors.

After an Autumn and winter of testing across gravel trails, rough roads, and smooth tarmac, here’s how the Allroad SL performed.

The construction

While carbon rims dominate the market at the £1,000 price point, Mavic has opted for its own Maxtal aluminum in the Allroad SL. This proprietary alloy is both reasonably lightweight and strong, allowing the wheelset to tip the scales at 1,655 grams (with valves) while remaining durable enough for off-road abuse with a wide rim that will work well for high-volume road tires, too.

What really makes the Allroad SL special are its 22mm deep alloy rims, which Mavic refers to as ISM4D. The rim makes use of three different technologies: FORE drilling, which refers to the way the spokes are attached that also leaves the rim bed completely intact with no holes where the rim tape would typically sit, and extensive milling on the upper section of the rim to save as much weight as possible. It’s similar to the butting process used in Alloy frame tubes. They also have a Black Shield finish, a combination of anodising and paint, said to offer excellent protection against impacts and scratches.

The rims feature a 25 mm internal width and are designed to pair well with tyres from 28mm to 64mm, making the Allroad SL versatile indeed. I tested the wheels with various options, such as the 40mm Schwalbe G-One Bite (40.1mm measured), Schwalbe G-one speeds in a 30mm (30.2 measured), and the ERE Research Tenaci TLR 40mm (40.5 measured). All worked seamlessly, with easy inflation and minimal leakage throughout my test period.

The rims are hookless, which has become increasingly common in modern wheels. While this limits tyre compatibility with certain high-pressure road options, it simplifies construction and reduces weight. Mavic provides a detailed list of compatible tyres, and though I had no issues setting up any of my test tyres, I'd still rather have the fit-and-forget nature of a hooked design like those on the DT Swiss GRC1400s I reviewed recently.

Mavic's Infinity hubs are at the heart of the Allroad SL, featuring its Instant Drive 360 freehub system. With a 9-degree engagement, the hub's response times are adequate rather than exceptional, though lower engagement ring drive style hubs tend to be more robust than their high tooth count cousins, which bodes well for longevity. The wheels come with a Shimano HG freehub, though Microspline, SRAM HDR, and Campagnolo N3W versions are available to order separately.

Mavic was one of the first brands to make high-performance hubs with fully sealed cartridge bearings in the mid-70s, so it's no surprise to see the same here. These hubs are designed for easy maintenance, and their tool-free disassembly should make bearing changes and freehub services straightforward. While I had no issues during testing, my previous experience with Mavic hubs has been very good, and being easy to take apart should mean years of smooth rolling if you keep on top of servicing.

The Allroad SL uses 24 straight-pull steel spokes front and rear, laced in a two-cross pattern for added stiffness. The spokes themselves aren't particularly unique, though the M7 nipples are. As the rim bed has no holes drilled in it, they use an oversized alloy nipple on the top of the rim. These have an anti-rot coating, but as with all alloy nipples, it's worth keeping an eye on them as they can corrode quicker than a standard brass version.

The ride

As the name suggests, the Allroad wheels are a versatile piece of kit. However, as a multi-use option, they doesn't excel at anything, which, to be honest, is a large part of their charm. They are light, but far from the lightest, stiff but not too harsh, and comfy without feeling vague.

The relatively low weight of 1665g (including valves) means they are responsive under efforts, and the 9-degree hub engagement is quick enough, though not as fast as the Instant Drive 360 moniker would have you think. With a fast-rolling tyre attached, they made a great winter roadwheel; these fitted with the 30mm G-One speed have become my go-to option when it's cold and wet as they offer lots of grip and comfort and roll surprisingly well. They don't hold speed as well as a deeper section aero offerings would, but on a bike with mudguards, that's hardly a deal breaker in my eyes.

For gravel rides, they are at the stiffer end of the spectrum, offering a smooth ride compared to a narrower or deeper section wheel, though not a magic carpet ride as you get from something like the Zipp 101 or the ERE Research GA40. Like with all gravel kit, it depends on what terrain you ride as to how the Allroad wheels will handle. For really rocky and rough trails, I'd prefer something with more give, and for fast, smooth gravel, they lack the speed of something deep and aero like the Parcours FKT. Still, as an allrounder, the Allroads work admirably on everything from boulder-strewn Peak District bridleways to smoother wooded trails and tracks.

As I used these on various bikes I had the chance to swap tubeless setups several times, and these are some of the easiest rims I've used for setting up. The lack of tape and hookless rims meant tyres were super easy to seat, with no leaking and no need for an airline or booster pump to inflate. This shouldn't be a surprise, to be honest, as Mavic was one of the first brands to push ditching the inner tubes with their original UST system, and it made a welcome change not to be swearing at another wheel and tyre combo refusing to hold air.

In terms of longevity, the wheels are running and looking new after a long and often wet six months, with no loss of spoke tension, creaks, or groans. The Black Shield rim finish has also held up very well, with no scratches, marks, or discoloration. Bearings and the freehub are also running sweetly, and the tool-free disassembly of the rear hub should make for easy servicing, too, to ensure many seasons of trouble-free miles.

Value and conclusions

At £840 / $950, the Allroad is expensive compared to the DT Swiss GR1600, which costs £590, or the Hunt Wheels Gravel Race, which costs £579. Both have similar rim depths and widths. Even though the Hunt is lighter, at 1403 grams, I'd still choose the Mavic for its stiffness and bombproof reliability. I believe a lot of the sprightly ride feel is down to the lack of drilling in the rim bed, something I noticed when testing some XC MTB wheels from Princeton, which had a similar design, albeit in carbon. On paper, the weight is ok but not mindblowing, yet on the trail or road, they feel much lighter but still maintain a decent level of flex to remain comfortable and not hinder corner grip off-road.

They compare better, in my opinion, to budget carbon offerings such as the Zipp 303 S at £985 and the Hunt Carbon Gravel Race wheels at £879 in some situations. They lack the flash factor of a carbon rim, but you should check these out if you value longevity and reliability and want a genuine jack-of-all-trades wheelset over café stop bragging rights.

Wout van Aert won his second cyclocross world championship on treads taken from a set of green Michelin Mud tyres. What was unusual was that, at the time, these tyres hadn’t been made for 15 years. His manager had a collection left maturing in his basement since 2002, bringing them out for van Aert to use on the thawing snowy, rocky conditions of the 2017 parcours.

Cyclocross racers obsess about tyre choice; peer inside their trailers and there are rows of wheels shod with different tyres to match the course conditions.

The 33mm maximum width for cyclocross tyres in UCI-sanctioned races makes the balance between grip and rolling resistance critical. But with only the frame’s tyre clearance, typically at least 40mm, limiting how much rubber gravel riders can put on the trail, is tyre choice as significant for gravel?

Does the do-it-all gravel tyre exist?

“If you're not aiming for the podium where every advantage is needed, especially in an increasingly competitive field, then yes, you can get away with an all-purpose tyre the majority of the time,” says gravel pro Emily Newsom.

It’s a view echoed by her sponsors, Bertrand Mejia-Morin and the team at Bike Tires Direct in Portland, Oregon.

“Gravel tyres are the best they've ever been, and so-called all-rounder tyres are a lot better at more things than they used to be. Part of this comes down to casing and compound technology, but the big part of it is volume. At one time, 35mm used to be wide, now we are seeing 50mm and up as standards for a hard route.

“For the average rider, added tyre volume does more to improve handling and control than different tread patterns. If your new bike comes with 45mm+ tyres, you could probably use them for nearly everything,” says Mejia-Morin.

He cites another advantage of riding a generalist tyre.

“Underbiking can be key to developing foundational handling skills. Ask anyone who has raced cyclocross or ridden a rigid mountain bike.

“If you are forced to tackle challenging terrain with a bike that's not a perfect match for the job, then you have to compensate with technique. This includes choosing smart lines, body positioning, and learning the true limits of your equipment,” he says.

Mejia-Morin points to another consideration in choosing whether to swap out your bike’s tyres: whether they can be run tubeless.

“If the stock tyres on your gravel bike are not tubeless compatible, you should switch them. The prevalence of tubeless setups has really revolutionized the reliability and performance you can experience with gravel tyres. You're missing out if you aren't running tubeless for gravel,” he says.

Tread still matters

While the consensus from the US is that all-rounder tyres, as fitted to most gravel bikes when new, work for many riders in most conditions, both Newsom and Mejia-Morin point out that they’re not the best choice for all rides.

“For example, the north course of Unbound is infamous for miles of sharp unforgiving rocks that can easily slice a tyre and ruin a day,” says Newsom. They’re called the Flint Hills for a reason.

“In this case choosing a very tough tyre would be the wisest path. Or if there is a course with a heavy dose of singletrack and/or technical descents, I would opt for a tyre with a more aggressive tread to ensure I have the grip I need to ride these sections safely.”

Muddy, wet trails may call for a different tyre choice too.

“Another factor to consider is mud, although this opens a can of worms because there's a variety of mud: sticky Mid South mud, sandy Texas mud, silty mud etc. In this situation I would find out what type of mud the dirt in the area will morph into and make sure my all-purpose tyre will work for that and if not, definitely switch to a tyre that will fit this scenario,” Newsom continues.

Different in the UK?

Those exceptions Stateside are the norm for many UK riders, for whom muddy conditions are typical for much of the year, scattered, at least in much of the South, with flints.

“The UK wet and muddy gravel experience is very different from the US dry weather scene where a lot of the tyre and bike brands’ marketing originates,” says Paul Wilson of Upgrade Bikes, who sell their own Kinesis bikes alongside Challenge gravel tyres.

“The US gravel scene was born from the thousands of gravel back roads they have all across America. For our UK scene we are sharing a lot of the same trails we use for mountain biking. ‘All-round’ gravel tyres would be fine in the US as the gravel roads don’t change from season to season, but here it is advisable to change tyres as we move from dusty trails to gloopy mud.”

Wilson suggests that for much of the year UK riders might fit a tyre that makes full use of the frame clearance, with 5mm to spare either side of the tyre, with maybe a file tread, depending on where they like to ride. In the winter, he advises a more treaded tyre that’s also narrower to avoid clogging the frame.

Cycling Weekly’s Matt Ischt-Barnard goes even further, saying that when he previously worked as a gravel bike product manager, he’d spend months pondering which tyre to use on a given bike.

“Many brands are now revising their tyres, generally in the direction of greater knobbles, greater volume and more durable casings,” he says.

“The big issue for many will be rolling resistance. The semi-slicks currently available don't offer massive watt savings but have significantly less grip. Rolling from the slick part to the knobble is never smooth enough and almost always results in a sketchy moment, especially on a hardpack.”.

His conclusion: “Suffer the watt loss, pick a tyre with more knobble and good protection. If you are at all going off-road, you will see the benefits once you hit the dirt.”

So can you just ride the tyres your bike came with?

Mejia-Morin sums it up so:

“If you are a Just Riding Along sorta person, maybe dabbling in longer format events, you are more than likely a-okay to rock your stock rubber until the tread has worn off so long as you can run it tubeless. Being forced to use one tread for all terrain will make you a better rider in the long run. However, if you are a competitive racer, run the stock tires to learn where they excel and are lacking, but absolutely pick the right tool for the job when it comes to race day.

“The tires that came on your new bike are already paid for. Ride the heck out of them to see if you like them! Maybe you find that they rip on the pavement but are awful in the rough stuff, or vice versa. Gravel riding is so varied that the only real way to figure out what works for you is to ride around and find out,” he concludes.

It’s a summation we’d agree with. Just don’t expect your stock tyres to be the best choice in all conditions year-round and experiment to find a tyre that suits where and how you ride.

Sports science in cycling has reached a golden age. Advancements in aerodynamics are rewriting the rulebooks (see: the ongoing aero helmet spat currently unfolding in professional cycling), as well as changing race tactics. Old rules of thumb about how much time a peloton could give a breakaway are being mooted by crafty racers using tuned aerodynamic strategies as part of their arsenal, and race speeds continue to go up and up. 

Tied to this battle for speed is the increased attention given to rolling resistance, specifically, trying to lessen its impact. When it comes to tires, the prevailing wisdom used to be that narrow is fastest, but that’s gone out the window. It’s now known that, especially in races with rough surfaces, wider tires at lower pressures provide a speed advantage. There are other benefits too: increased comfort (which means less fatigue), better grip, and decreased likelihood of puncture.

For races like Paris-Roubaix, tire pressures can be a closely guarded secret that team mechanics go to great pains to maintain. In the last few years we’ve seen multiple products that adjust tire pressure on the fly to optimize pressure for the conditions the riders face. Roubaix has long been a proving ground for new technology, and more often than not these innovations don’t last, but there are always lessons to be learned. For everyday cyclists, figuring out what pressures work for you takes some trial and error. Individual preference is part of the equation: some people like the consistency of a firmer pressure, while others like the floating feeling offered by slightly less air. Tubeless tires and rims have made a wider range of pressures viable, though there are still limits on both ends of the spectrum.

 How low is too low?  

How does one ascertain the optimal pressure? Online pressure calculators like the one Silca and others have developed provide a good jumping off point. By inputting your weight, wheel size, tire width and surface conditions, you can get a good idea of what will provide the best blend of grip, comfort and rolling resistance. 

But there may be additional factors that are pertinent to you, and this is where tire pressure monitoring systems come into play. By using tools like these, you can accurately experiment with different pressures, and crucially, replicate these results over and over again. 

The main premise behind these systems is to make it easier to maintain optimal pressures while riding. You can also enable alerts to remind you if your tire pressure gets too low. For riders who frequently forget to check before they head out the door, this may be a helpful feature.

Conclusion

It was interesting to test these three products together. All of them work more or less as advertised, and though they use different means to get there, the end result is the same: real time, accurate tire pressures. One of the biggest differences between the three was the functionality of the associated apps. Each one has a different interface and set of features available: SKS and Quarq have larger apps useful for many different products, while Tubolito’s app is about as rudimentary as it gets. 

Tubolito’s concept shows promise, but needs further refinement to become as usable as the other two systems and its appeal is limited by being built into a tube. The SKS Airspy is easy to use and feels reliable, though would benefit from being made more compact. Quarq’s TyreWiz boasts impressive accuracy, but its design leaves it vulnerable and it is the most expensive option of the three.

I’m glad these products exist, but realistically I don’t think there’s a massive amount of demand. Yes, tire pressure is worth paying attention to, and optimizing your pressures will help you go faster and be more comfortable, but very few riders (except perhaps professional cyclists) need to know if the tires they’re riding on are at 60 PSI or 61 PSI. In the ballpark is plenty close enough, and there are handheld gauges that will get you there for significantly cheaper than the pressure monitors tested here.

Through my testing, I was surprised to learn just how much air latex tubes can lose in 24 hours. It’s significant: I experienced up to 6 PSI lost just overnight. TPU tubes and tubeless tires lose very little in comparison. I also was reminded that pressure gauges attached to floor pumps or air compressors might be consistent in their readings, but are usually not very accurate. 

If you want to experiment with different pressures in order to find your optimal set up, these tools will help make that easier. I don’t know if that alone can justify the cost. The built in alert systems that let you know if your pressure is off may be helpful for some people, but it’s hard to argue that such a feature is worth the asking price. 

Fulcrum has released the Speed 25+, which claims to be the lightest low-profile disc wheels ever made. 

The listed weight for the climbing wheelset is just 1,270 grams, some 15 grams lighter than the Speed 25 wheels. Of course, certain wheelsets with claimed weights lower than that may well spring to mind - we'll unpick what we believe Fulcrum's justification for this claim is further down. 

Coming back to the hoops, the ‘plus’ of Fulcrum's Speed 25+ signifies that it is the Italian brand's range-topping offering - and here that means a new carbon construction, premium ceramic bearings and redesigned freewheel body. 

As for the measurements, the Speed 25+ retains the 26mm rim depth and 21mm internal rim width used by the Speed 25. The tubeless ready wheels feature a hooked rim profile and an undrilled rim bed that removes the need for additional rim tape.

The rim uses Fulcrum’s proprietary FF100 mix of resins with a Direct In-mold Matte Finish. The new wheel graphics feature a laser etched finish. While the Speed 25 wheels use Ultra Smooth USB ceramic bearings in the hub, the 25+ uses the Italian brand’s Ceramic Ultimate Level Technology, or CULT for short. Ultilising a cup and cone system rather than sealed bearings, all of the surfaces benefit from a ceramic treatment, with increased smoothness the intended goal. 

By redesigning the freehub body Fulcrum says its reduced both the weight and the friction at play, with USB ceramic bearings used inside the body. XDR, N3W and HG versions are available to cover the use of SRAM, Campagnolo and Shimano cassettes. Other details include 24 aero straight pull spokes both front and rear and thru-axle compatibility.

It would seem that Fulcrum is using ‘under 30mm’ as its low-profile distinction. While there are 'climbing' wheelsets with a lower claimed weight, such as Roval’s Alpinist CLX II which tip the scales 1,265g and Black Inc’s 28/33 which are lighter still at just 1,142g for a pair, both of these feature rim depths of greater than 30mm (only in he rear in the case of the Black Inc model). 

Indeed, the trend for all-rounders, road bike wheels that blend low weight with improved aerodynamics, means that finding a carbon rim under 30mm these days is relatively rare. 

Prices for the Fulcrum Speed 25+ are as follows:

$ 2,967.00 / £ 2,309.00 (XDR),
$ 2,955.00 / £ 2,299.00 (HG11)
$ 2,965.00 / £ 2,299.00 (N3W)

For more information visit fulcrumwheels.com

The Parcours Paniagua wheels are the British brand’s entry-level wheelset. Pitching the wheels here is reflected in the relatively low price and mid-depth (42mm) of the rims. 

However, I’m glad to report that the performance wasn’t on the cheap side.

They rode well without being spectacular and would suit most road riders for a wide range of applications. They could be winter training wheels – especially when set up tubeless – for racers and time-triallists with ‘better’ (more expensive) summer wheels, or year-round wheels for anyone being more sensible about the money they spend on bike parts.

They come highly recommended as one of the best bike road bike wheels at this price point.

Parcours Paniagua: Tech spec

The rims of the Paniagua wheels are made from a T700 carbon layup with bladed Pillar 1423 spokes laced to Parcours' own hubs. The rims aren’t particularly deep at 42mm and so didn’t contribute to any gusty wind wobbles. 

At this rim depth, I would suggest a balance has been struck where the wheels would suit a range of conditions across the year. As mentioned, they weren’t susceptible to any enforced change of line due to crosswinds – a problem I have experienced with deeper rims of 50mm and above – but with some aero benefits over box section wheels, they would add a bit of extra zip to most riders on a hilly or rolling time-trial course.

As they’re disc brake wheels, winter is no problem – especially as they’re tubeless compatible allowing them to be run at lower pressures – and I’d be happy using them on a summer sportive with plenty of climbing.

Parcours has opted for mismatched rim depths and shapes on some of its higher priced wheelsets, such as the Ronde. This approach was taken following aero testing, whereby marine anemometers were fitted at the axles of front and rear wheels to measure wind speed and direction – showing that the average yaw angle at the front wheel was consistently higher than at the rear, requiring a different profile for optimal performance. However, that’s not the case here, most likely, because this wheelset is more value-orientated rather than about chasing every watt. 

The maximum rim width is 29mm, with an internal rim width of 21mm. The brand says that this ‘wide profile rim design’ is optimised for the modern 28-30mm tyre, and running 28mm Continental GP5000STR tubeless tyres worked very well with these wheels thanks to the added comfort, grip and puncture resistance of wider rubber. 

The rims are hooked. This means that you’re not limited to the list of hookless approved tyres, or the lower pressures required to be within safe limits. All of this adds to the ‘for every rider’ approach of these lower cost wheels.

There are 24 Pillar 1423 spokes both front and rear, laced in a two-cross pattern on both wheels. These are bladed for aero gains and made of steel – strong but lower cost than carbon – and, according to the brand, contribute to the overall durability of the wheelset.

The Paniaguas are offered with three hub options: EZO bearings (steel) – as tested in the £759 pair, Parcours bearings (ceramic) – £979, and Classified Powershift ready – also £759. As you’d expect, they take a thru-axle and as standard come with a Shimano HG (10/11/12-speed) freehub. Sram is an option on request but these wheels are not Campagnolo-compatible.

The hubs with steel bearings suit the overall spec of the wheels and performed fine for the time I had the wheels – hardworking and hardwearing, rather than showy.

Those hubs are manufactured in Taiwan, while the wheels are manufactured in China where Parcours says it “works closely with the factory team and has a dedicated wheel building team solely for us,” the brand says, adding: “These wheel builders are specific to Parcours.” 

Any custom wheelsets sold by the brand are built to spec in the UK.

At the point of purchase, customers can opt for a tubeless conversion kit as an add-on. As standard, Parcours wheels are shipped with a clincher rim strip.

Some brands include spare spokes with wheel purchases, but “spare spokes aren’t included because a broken spoke is so rare. Replacements (if needed) are readily available from a wheel builder or direct from Parcours,” the brand explains.

Parcours Paniagua: Arrival and set up

As they’re such a personal preference for riders, Parcours does not stock tyres or send out wheels with tyres. “We’d rather they have a wider choice and also if needed customers can use it as an opportunity to get to know their LBS [local bike shop] for a tubeless setup,” the brand told us. 

However, as they were due with one of the brand’s sponsored athletes after the review period and as a review request, the Paniagua wheels arrived with already-seated Continental GP5000STR tubeless tyres.

Both needed pumping up, but that was easier than having to seat them anew.

I then added disc rotors and a cassette. Once in the bike I was good to go for the first test ride.

Parcours Paniagua: The ride

Parcours says of the Paniaguas: “Taking cues from Parcours’s ‘think wider’ range and using a modern wide internal rim profile the Paniagua is the ideal all-road wheel, comfortable for use on a wide range of road surfaces.”

I used the wheels through the dramatic seasonal change we experienced over the last few months, from late summer heatwave to stormy autumn. More recently this has meant riding over debris strewn and potholed roads – certainly a wide range of road surfaces.

Overall, the wheels felt comfortable throughout – thanks in part to the tubeless Continental tyres that they arrived with.

But the comfort didn’t come at the cost of performance, as the wheels responded well to out of the saddle accelerations and seated climbs.

Parcours Paniagua: Freehub soundtrack

 Something that annoys me, and I mentioned it in my review of the Prime Doyenne wheels earlier this year, is an inconsistently noisy freehub. Noisy in and of itself isn’t the problem: irritation starts when the noise isn’t constant during prolonged freewheeling.

This can manifest as a buzzing that is reminiscent of an angry wasp buzzing towards and away from your ears. Annoying. So I was very pleased to find that the Paniagua’s freehub omits a steady buzz when not engaged by the chain. The noise is also quiet enough to be lost in the sound of the gusty winds that seem to have accompanied every ride for the last two months.

Parcours Paniagua: Value and conclusion

At $900 / £759 for a pair, these wheels are slightly more expensive than the $639.99 / £599.99 list price of the Prime Doyenne 56s I reviewed earlier in the year. However, that price difference does also come with a perception – by feel when held by hand and by the way they ride – that the Parcours Paniagua wheels also carry a bit more quality, going some way to justify that price difference.

However, this is a narrow comparison. When looking at some of the ‘big name’ brands, you’d be lucky to be allowed to look at the wheels through a shop window for $900 / £759. Yes, those wheels probably come with wind tunnel proven aero advantages and lower weights, but aero comparisons are usually dependent on a minimum speed of 45km/h – are you riding everywhere that fast? I’m not – and weight differences could be cancelled out by squirting a bit of water out of a bidon.

All this is to say, I think that if you’ve got the money then these wheels are worth their price tag. They aren’t showy or particularly spectacular, but they ride well, the brand talks a lot about durability so check it offers a warranty that reflects that, stick them in your bike and get going – you’re unlikely to regret this purchase.

It’s difficult to subscribe too closely to weight saving on every element of a bike when you could reduce overall weight by losing more off yourself than any carbon seatpost or – in this case – mega-light bike inner tube could ever save on a bike-and-rider’s combined weight. A heavier, regularly ridden bike will always make a better rider than a never touched dream build.

Even so, we as cyclists are suckers for the latest fad, and here are some very light inner tubes. They’re so light, in fact, that they showed a lower weight on my scales than advertised by the brand: 35g vs 44g (but interestingly, 44g including the box). This way round rarely happens, most products I review are at least a little bit heavier than the manufacturer claims.

These aren’t even the lightest available: that accolade goes to the Road Ultra 20/25mm, with 40mm alloy valves at 19.5g or 70mm alloy valves at 21g.

There are seven headline products across road, gravel, MTB and other (Brompton) and within those seven there are valve choices of brass or alloy. On review here are the Eclipse Endurance 700x28-35 inner tubes with 70mm alloy valves and removable cores.

Eclipse Endurance inner tube: Set up

Upon first taking the tubes out of their boxes, I was sceptical about them as they seemed delicate to the touch. As such, I was cautious when loading them into a tire and seating the tire around them.

I needn’t have worried, however, as the tubes have proved to be hard-wearing and they inflated inside the tire without damage. They were slightly awkward to put in the tire at first as they needed more air than a normal tube to hold their shape and sit in the rim bed, then some of that pressure had to be released to push the last part of the tire on – but it was a minor change of technique and worked out fine.

Eclipse Endurance inner tube: The ride

Unless an inner tube has a massive bulge in it that makes it feel like you’re riding square wheels or deflates easily, then it’s going to be difficult to really draw out any observations for how it differs to others. The Hutchinson Challenger tires that I used with these tubes inflated the same and rode the same as they had done previously when carrying ‘normal’ Hutchinson-branded rubber inner tubes. 

Which is to say they inflated as expected and rode well. I didn’t have any punctures while using the tubes over the last few months, but I also hadn’t had any punctures for the months before that, so much of the credit might go to the tires.

If you do get a puncture, Eclipse sells a peel-and-stick patch to reseal the tube.

After returning to my road bike after a couple of weeks of not touching it, the tires were slightly doughy having lost a bit of pressure since the last ride. This is not something I’d noticed over the same sort of duration with the previous pairing of Hutchinson rubber tubes and tires.

It was no big deal, any tube can lose pressure over time and I just pumped the tires up before setting off, but it was a noticeable if minor difference to what I had experienced from the inner tubes immediately preceding these ones.

When removing the tires and tubes from the Fulcrum Speed 42 wheels, as the wheels were due back, I noticed some discolouration on the tubes. At first I thought it was as a result of the tan colour of the tires but on closer inspection appears to be the part of the tube that would have been under the black part of the tyre, which comes into contact with the road.

This really doesn’t matter as once they’re back in use no one will be able to see what colour they are, unless the discolouring is a precursor for wear – but I don’t think that’s the case here.

Eclipse Endurance inner tube: Value and conclusions

The big thing when considering the value of these tubes, as always, is the actual retail price. The Eclipse Endurance 700x28-35 inner tubes with 70mm alloy valves and removable cores will set you back $28.82 / £26.00. You could save a quid by going for the 40mm brass valves.

I asked Mark Noble, Marketing Manager at distributor Upgrade, about this fairly eye-catching price:

“Some people might think '25 quid for an inner tube!' but once you've invested over two grand on a set of superlight carbon wheels for your best bike Eclipse tubes make total sense – why negate the lightweight advantage by using old-school standard rubber tubes?"

From that, I’m concluding that if you’ve got the money and the suitably expensive wheels to put the tubes in, you might find them to be very good value. If not, you can get a standard rubber tube from your local bike shop (use them or lose them) for about a fiver. You’ve probably gone tubeless anyway.

By releasing a tubeless-ready version of the Challenger, Hutchinson was covering an obvious gap in its product offering – but the brand didn't rush to release of this version when it brought out the Hutchinson Challenger clincher, instead extra time was spent working on the final tubeless version.

But how does the Hutchinson Challenger Tubeless tire stack up against the best road bike tires? All in all I would suggest that was time well spent, although some of the claims in the marketing material about this tubeless tire might be wide of the mark – as I will explain later.

Used at the start of autumn when no roadside hedge on the Isle of Wight is safe from a splattering (some call it 'hedge cutting') that chucks thorns, splinters and all sorts out onto the lanes, these tires have held up well for the – admittedly relatively short – review period.

How they have performed so far makes me happy to continue using them into the winter.

Hutchinson Challenger Tubeless: Getting the tires on the rims

Before I could start riding through the hedge debris, first I had to get the tires on some wheels. To hand, I had the tubeless compatible Prime Doyenne 56s, which I’d reviewed earlier in the year.

Getting the tires on the rims was no easy feat. This is neither the fault of the rims nor the tires entirely, but a combination of the two. I found myself chasing the final part of the tire around the rim trying to get it into the rim bed. I started opposite the valve and I was almost round at the valve before I finally pushed the last part of the tire into place.

With a thumb blister and achy shoulders, I was pleased to have the tire on the rim – well, almost, as I discovered when trying to seal and seat it. It was a lot of effort, which I then had to repeat.

I would not want to find myself attempting to get the tire back on by a wintery roadside, a realisation that immediately ruled out Hutchinson’s claim of running the tires without sealant.

“The combination of Airshield anti-air loss technology and resilient Hardshield puncture protection introduces the possibility of running the Challenger Tubeless tires without sealant,” Hutchinson ambitiously claims.

“Opening up the world of tubeless to those that previously avoided the technology due to perceived difficulties in set up and maintenance. If a puncture were to occur, just install an innertube and repair the tire at home for a mess free tubeless experience.” Good luck with that in the pouring rain on the side of a busy road.

Hutchinson Challenger Tubeless: Sealing

Hutchinson has developed a technology that it has named ‘Airshield’. This is, apparently, “a pioneering new construction technique that represents a paradigm shift in tubeless setups. Completely eliminating the common issues of air loss. By integrating two high performance sealing compounds that coat the inside of the tire and the bead, Airsheild ensures an entirely airtight environment.”

However, this was not my experience. Any variation to the combination of human-pump-wheel rim could have a different outcome, but for me with a LifeLine AirBlast Tubeless Tire Track Pump and Prime Doyenne 56 rims, there was absolutely no way these tires were getting seated and sealed without sealant.

The first problem was that the tire bead was so tight that one side slotted into the lower part of the rim bed and could not be coaxed out, however many times the Lifeline blasted a full 240PSI into the tire. The tire did hold some pressure despite being in the wrong place, leaving me wondering if a ‘dry seating’ might be possible after all. But there was audible air loss in some places around the tire and the tire would not budge from its wonky position.

At this point I added some sealant, with a syringe down through the valve after removing the core. Several more full blasts from the reservoir pump and there was the satisfying ‘bang bang’ of the tire bead hitting into the hook of the rim. The sealant had, perhaps, made the rim bed slipperier allowing the tire to slide into place. Some visible sealant between the tire and rim also showed where I’d earlier been losing air, which now sealed thanks to the sealant.

With the pump on its standard ‘tire’ setting, as opposed to the ‘tank’ setting, I pumped the tire up and it held.

Setting up the second tire, I assumed it would be a repeat process – perhaps it might even have been easier as I’d practised on the first one. Not quite. I had the same problems with getting the tire on the rim initially, and the aforementioned significant thumb blister to show for it, but then my sealing troubles were worse than before.

This time, once the tire was in place and I’d added the sealant down through the valve, I gave it another blast with the tank.

Rather than the ‘bang bang’ of a tire seating, there was a squelch as sealant began leaking out between the rim and tire for about a fifth of the circumference of the rim. I rotated the wheel, then put the trouble area to the bottom and pushed the tire into the ground while rolling it back and forth.

After a little while, it did seal. I gave it another blast with the tank and finally heard it seat, then I pumped it up with the standard pump setting.

After not using the bike for a couple of weeks one of the tires had lost pressure, dropping to about 20PSI. Interestingly, it was the rear that had gone doughy – but the sealant had escaped from the front during setup.

Hutchinson Challenger Tubeless: the ride

Once the tires were on and the wheels were back in the bike, it was finally time to try them out. They roll well on a variety of tarmac qualities, although I haven’t ventured onto full gravel on them.

While rolling well, these tubeless tires also grip well when cornering, inspiring confidence on descents and faster routes.

However, in contradiction to that, the tires did slip a bit on steep ascents on wet tarmac when climbing out of the saddle – a problem I also found with the clincher version.

On longer rides, the comfort from the 28mm tubeless tires is obvious as they shrug off road blemishes and absorb a lot of the energy sapping nature of rougher roads.

I haven’t had any punctures as yet, but I’ll be keeping an eye on that fact as winter rolls in and the roads accumulate more debris and sharp stones.

The loss of pressure found after the bike had sat for a while didn’t occur during any rides, which I was very glad of.

Hutchinson Challenger Tubeless: Value and conclusion

At about $71 / £60 per tire, if they last for a full winter and/or 10,000km as Hutchinson claims then these tires will prove to be fairly good value. Anyone with less patience or willingness to try themselves, may also have to budget for their local bike shop doing the initial setup.

As good as the tires are, and I am happy to keep using them, with the rim I’ve put them on I would not attempt to ride them without sealant and I’ll be calling a relative for a lift rather than making any attempt to put a tube in at the roadside – should I ever puncture; hopefully not.

According to Fulcrum, the Speed 42 wheels are ‘an evolution without compromises: the new rims – higher, wider, lighter and more aerodynamic – the new hubs and the new spokes come together in a perfect wheel system.’ Now I’m not sure anything is perfect, but once I’d waded through this marketing talk I was inclined to agree that they are, at least, very good.

Out of the box the wheels feel very light and this is clear once they’re in the bike and rolling along. The wheels have a subtle look, meaning they’d suit pretty much any bike, and look all the better when clad in tan wall tires. 

While they are hard to fault, the subtlety arguably continued from the appearance to the performance as it was also hard to really get enthused about them. They’re good, very good in fact, but without any headline or jump-out features to really capture the imagination – or, perhaps, to justify their price tag.

However, they'll still be some of the best road bike wheels available on the market currently, so certainly worth a look for anyone looking to upgrade.

Fulcrum Speed 42: Construction

The low weight of the Fulcrum Speed 42s is obvious from the moment the wheels are extracted from their box: they are featherlight.

This was confirmed by some hanging scales, with the front coming in at 650g and the rear weighing 770g (with rim tape, but without cassette, disc rotors, tires or tubes).

Once fully assembled and in the bike, the low weight remained obvious – when lifting the bike out of the workstand and even more so when riding the bike uphill.

The rims are constructed with resins and fibers ‘made to Fulcrum specifications’. This reportedly means that Fulcrum has used a new composite mix of FF100 high modulus unidirectional fibers for the Speed 42.

As for aerodynamics, without access to a wind tunnel I can only speculate on this feature too. The Fulcrum Speed 42 wheels certainly feel fast and efficient, but they were at a slight disadvantage in my early estimations as I’d swapped from the Prime Doyenne 56 Carbon Disc wheels. I reviewed these recently: although they’re at the lower end of the carbon quality and cost scale to the Fulcrums, they cut through the wind thanks to their greater depth.

I had to avoid comparing the two wheelsets too closely and so reviewed the Fulcrums in fair isolation: I found them to be fast in their own right.

The Speed 42 wheels cope very well in crosswinds, never catching a gust or making me feel like I’m being wobbled off line in a corner.

The hubs are made from aluminium with a ‘USB ceramic, adjacent cup and cone bearing system’. Self-locking aluminium nipples attach to aero, straight pull spokes – made from double-butted steel. All this information is taken from Fulcrum’s website, regurgitated rather than observed. What I did observe, to my satisfaction, was the lack of noise from the rear hub when freewheeling.

There was a time when a clicky freehub indicated high quality. Now every rear wheel seems to do it and some do so with an irritating lack of consistency as the wheel goes round. I’ll let the quality of the Fulcrums show in their riding performance, no need to be followed around by an angry wasp.

Fulcrum Speed 42: The ride

The rims are tubeless ready, however I used the Hutchinson Challenger 28mm clincher tires which I reviewed a few weeks back. This is the tire width promoted by Fulcrum for use with these wheels, as ‘the new wider rims, paired with 28mm tires, provide a level of performance without compromises, with optimum aerodynamic penetration, rolling resistance and comfort’ – apparently.

It’s true that the wheels are comfortable and quick, plus the rims are stiff and don’t give much away whenever I attempted to sprint up short, sharp inclines, out of the saddle with my weight over the front of the bike.

During the review period I also decided to do a mini-bikepacking trip, made possible by a Tailfin rack being compatible with my Cannondale SuperSix (thanks to a universal adaptor thru-axle supplied by Tailfin). This meant I could use my ‘best’ bike, with the Fulcrum Speed 42 wheels in situ, for a two-day ride with an overnight stay in the middle – pub-hotel, not camping.

The Tailfin top rack bag was very full as I took my running stuff to do a parkrun on the morning of day two. I also attached a full bar bag to the front of the bike. Even with all that luggage – and me aboard – I don’t think I was quite at the wheel system’s upper weight limit of 120kg (I hope not, anyway – I did have a pretty big dinner at the end of day one).

Even under that load, the wheel-tire-tube set-up rolled along just as well and coped fine with tarmac rides of 100km and 80km across the two days.

Fulcrum Speed 42: Value and conclusion

The Fulcrum Speed 42s are undoubtedly a very high quality, well made pair of wheels. They feel featherlight when lifted by hand and also, most importantly, when in the bike and rolling along. Despite improved aerodynamics thanks to deeper rims, the wheels cope very well in crosswinds.

While they are a very good set of wheels, they will set you back a fair wedge of cash: $2,692.00 / £1,999.99 (HG11) – as reviewed; $2,703.00 / £1,999.99 (XDR) ; $2,698.00 / £1,999.99 (N3W).

Other brands have wheels of a similar price, so these aren’t particularly outlandishly pricy, but similar wheels can also be found cheaper. What’s more, price comparisons only carry you so far: the value of the money is still the same and it’s still a lot.

For slightly more money, at $2,800 / £2,500, you could look to the Roval Rapide CLX II, which carry deeper rims and so will possibly be more aerodynamic but with a minor (and likely negligible) weight penalty of about 100g.

At $959.99 / £899.99, you could save a whole lot of money by going with the Prime Primavera 44 road wheels. 

Essentially, there are cheaper options out there and most wheels nowadays are at least 'alright' if not 'pretty good'. But if you can afford the asking price on the Fulcrum Speed 42 wheels, you won't be disappointed.

Continental’s Grand Prix 5000 range is its flagship road tire. It’s included a tubeless option since launch, the GP 5000 S TR. This is a tire designated for summer use though, while the tube-only Grand Prix 4-Season has been the brand’s winter tire offering.

The Grand Prix 5000 AS TR is Conti’s latest tire, launched in March 2023 and designed to offer the grip and robustness needed for riding in poor weather along with tubeless compatibility. The AS stands for All Seasons and the TR for tubeless ready. 

We’ve been riding the GP 5000 AS TR for over three months - read on to find out about our thoughts on the latest addition to the Continental range.

Continental GP 5000 AS TR tire: construction

To prepare the GP 5000 AS TR tire for its intended use, Conti has added a fourth layer of 110 TPI fabric to the tire’s casing, adding an extra layer over the GP5000 S TR. There’s the same Vectran breaker as in the S tire. 

It has also reformulated its BlackChili compound to add extra grip, increased the rubber thickness and added extra tread over the S tire. The GP 5000 AS TR tire incorporates other features of the GP5000 S TR: Conti’s Active Comfort tech, which the brand says reduces transmission of road vibrations to the rider, and its LaserGrip tire profile which is designed to increase cornering grip.

The tire is hookless bead compatible, as well as working with normal hooked rims. It comes in 700c size and in 25mm (as tested), 28mm, 32mm and 35mm widths, with Conti suggesting that the tire is a good option for commuters, while the wider sizes would also be suitable for fast gravel riding.

The GP 5000 AS TR tire is available with black or cream sidewalls. The black option has a trick up its sleeve, with a black reflective band on the tire’s sides, which seems like a useful addition to increase visibility in the poor conditions for which the tire is designed.

Continental GP 5000 AS TR tire: Fitting

The GP 5000 AS TR tire feels substantial out of the box, with a stiff construction which makes unfurling it a bit more of an effort than with the best summer road tires. 

Despite this, the pair tested seated easily enough on a set of Shimano rims. Although I did use a reservoir pump, it felt as if I could have completed the job with a track pump.

On the now obsolete Shimano Ultegra RS700 C30 wheels, the tires measured up at 23.8mm. The wheel rims are rather narrow by modern standards at 15.8mm though. 

I subsequently reinstalled the Grand Prix 5000 AS TR tires on a set of Fulcrum Racing 5 wheels, where the 17mm internal rim width led to the tires filling out to around the stated 25mm width.

Continental GP 5000 AS TR tire: The ride

We first got our hands on our test pair of GP 5000 AS TR in mid-February 2023, a few weeks prior to the official launch in early March. That meant that I was able to ride the tires for some weeks in the damp and cold conditions for which they were designed. 

At that time of year, there are plenty of climbs and descents in the Chilterns which offer an ideal testing ground for damp condition grip. Despite searching out roads with climbs on which grip can be a problem, with gradients of up to 12 per cent, I was unable to encourage any slip when riding the tires. I found them sure footed on damp descents as well.

The impressive level of grip isn’t bought at the expense of rolling resistance either. The new tire weighs around 300g, which is 50g more than the GP 5000 S TR, so there’s a bit more weight to spin up, but the GP 5000 AS TR didn’t feel draggy to ride in cold conditions or once the weather warmed up and the roads dried out.

At my normal tire pressure for a 25mm tubeless tire of around 75psi, the tires felt pliant and comfortable to ride as well.

Conti claims increased puncture protection over the GP 5000 S TR. Experience with punctures is very hit-and-miss. You can ride for months without experiencing one, then have a spate in a few days. 

That said, I have yet to experience a flat when riding the GP 5000 AS TR tires, or notice any sealant on the tire surface indicating a puncture that the sealant has dealt with. The tires do look like a faster-riding option than many of the best puncture-proof tires available.

Continental GP 5000 AS TR tire: value and conclusion

Continental says that it will sell the GP 5000 AS TR tire alongside its Grand Prix 4 Seasons tire, although at some point it may look to retire the latter. At between $109 / £85 and $114 / £90 at full price, the GP 5000 AS TR is a significantly more expensive purchase than the $83 / £66 Continental Grand Prix 4 Season tire, although the ability to run tubeless is a considerable plus for the GP 5000 AS TR in the damp, dirty conditions for which it’s designed.

Other winter tire options that we’ve recently tested include the Hutchinson Challenger and Schwalbe Durano Plus. Both are considerably cheaper than the GP 5000 AS TR, but neither are tubeless-compatible. We also have a first ride review of the Vittoria Corsa N.EXT, another tubeless tire that promises wet weather grip and puncture protection at a lower price than the GP 5000 AS TR.

The Continental Grand Prix 5000 AS TR offers impressive grip and handling in typical UK winter conditions in a tire that’s not much heavier than the GP 5000 S TR. Rolling resistance doesn’t feel increased by the beefier construction and gripper rubber either.

As such, the GP 5000 AS TR really does feel like a tire that you could happily ride through the summer if you wanted some extra puncture protection, living up to its All Seasons billing.

Specs

• Weight: 304g (25mm)
• Available sizes: 25mm (tested), 28mm, 32mm, 35mm
• SRP: $109 / £85 (cream sidewalls), $114 / £90 (black sidewalls)

Called in to accompany the Prime Doyenne 56 wheels I have been reviewing, the Hutchinson Challenger tires have proved to be a good partner for a fast pair of wheels. Covering more than 500km, I haven’t punctured once, despite riding over some rough road surfaces, past freshly cut hedgerows and through a lot of post-rain road grit. The tires are also showing little sign of wear, with just surface dirt to show for the distance they’ve covered. Durably built for long distances, the Challengers are among the best road bike tires we've tested. 

Hutchinson Challenger: Construction

The Hutchinson Challenger tires have a 66 TPI construction with a reinforced puncture protection layer – which I have found to be effective. The rubber is bi-compound: there is a harder 65 ShA compound in the middle for lower rolling resistance, greater durability and puncture protection but a softer 60 ShA compound on the sides for enhanced grip.

“If you count the outer compound and puncture protection layer there is up to 4.45mm of rubber that not only offers great puncture protection but also allows for huge mileage: officially rated for up to 8000km,” says the brand.

The tires are currently clincher only, but a tubeless version is under development. The prototype 30mm tubeless version was raced by Hutchinson athletes Ulrich Bartholmoes (who finished 4th) and Josh Reid at last year's Trans-Continental Race. Both rode over 4,500km, including several gravel sections – without a single puncture between them, according to Hutchinson.

Hutchinson Challenger: The ride

Overall, I have been very pleased with the performance of the tires – especially the lack of flats. I’m usually inclined to add some Muc-Off tube sealant to all-road clincher tires for extra protection against punctures, but that wasn’t possible here as the supplied tubes did not have removable cores. Just as well, really, as going without sealant gave a more accurate impression of each tire's ability to shrug off road debris.

The tires corner well, never losing grip, and roll along nicely across a range of tarmac quality. However, a few times I did lose traction in a straight line, with the rear wheels spinning slightly on the spot, when accelerating up steep inclines on wet tarmac. This is likely to have been caused by the harder central compound (for increased durability), rather than the power I’m managing to put out, and is something I have found across brands – so not something I’m going to mark the Hutchinsons down too harshly for.

Hutchinson Challenger: Value and conclusion

At $35.00 / £29.95 I would describe these tires as excellent value for money – and they come in below half the price of some of their rivals, so you can get both for the price of one rival. The tires look good on the bike – I am a fan of tan sidewalls – they roll well, haven’t punctured (yet, fingers crossed), and between them and the same-brand tubes have held their pressure.

They were slightly difficult to get on but that could be as much about the rims as the tires. Would I recommend these tires? Yes. Just try and stay seated on steep inclines to improve traction.

The Prime Doyenne 56 Carbon Disc Wheelset – previously known as ‘RD56’ – are deep section road wheels to add a bit of aero speed to any road bike. According to Prime, the wheels are aimed at ‘road riders across all disciplines who prioritise performance, technology and reliability.’ On the whole, I’d say the wheels achieved these aims and are among the best road bike wheels we've reviewed – although for a full analysis of reliability any product would need a much longer testing period than I’ve had with the wheels.

Prime, like Vitus a brand of Wiggle-CRC, designs all rims in-house. The newly named ‘Doyenne’ line is a lower cost alternative to Prime’s higher end Primavera wheels. The Doyenne wheels share the same profile as their Primavera cousins but they use a lower grade T700 UD carbon rather than the T800 used on the Primaveras – which means the percentage of carbon within the fibres of the lay-ups is higher in the T800.

“We just wanted to create a wheelset that was as reliable as possible whilst being easy to maintain. With improved quality and performance over their predecessors, making sure we used the best quality materials, lay-up and bearings,” says Alex James, the group's global marketing manager.

Prime Doyenne 56 Carbon Disc Wheelset: construction

Riding in the wind on the Isle of Wight – which I am sure is either a sideways gust or a harsh headwind, but never a tailwind – the wheels certainly felt faster than the shallow pair of lightweight Rovals I swapped out for them. However, Prime has attempted to quantify this feeling with CFD testing, the outcome of which, the brand claims, is that the Doyenne wheels have less drag than the RD56 rims they’ve superseded.

"Regarding reduction in drag, we saw a 6 per cent reduction versus the old RD/black edition rim," explains Ben Marvin, Prime's design engineer. "We based this off using a 28c GP5000 tire and then took the accumulative drag from pressure and viscous forces."

The 56mm depth (those on test; 44mm also available) has an aramid fibre (‘Kevlar’) layer on the side walls with the intention of increasing the impact strength and purportedly lowering the overall weight of each rim. In real life, I can certainly say that the wheels bumped over and shrugged off some rough road surfaces and unavoidable potholes. They did so without sending too much impact up toward my wrists.

Without riding one set of wheels immediately after another in the same bike on the same stretch of road, to get a like-for-like feel for how different wheels cope with road blemishes, it's hard to exactly quantify the difference in comfort from one wheelset to another. However, taken in isolation, the Doyennes appeared to have a high level of shock absorption – experienced by the lack of impact reaching my wrists and the ability to hold a line rather than get bounced around, thanks to their material composition and lay-up. A level of comfort increased, no doubt, by the wider tires too.

Prime Doyenne 56 Carbon Disc Wheelset: Built for wider tires

This impact reduction was helped by running 28c tires – in this case Hutchinson Challenger – a width the wheels have been developed around and optimised for. I ran the wheels with tubes, but they are tubeless ready: set up as such and with a slightly lower pressure the impact absorption and associated improvement in comfort would be further enhanced. With the clinchers run at a pressure touching the upper end of their range, much credit for 'smoothing out' poor surfaces is likely due to the wheels.

Despite the rims, with widths of 23mm (internal) and 30mm (external), being designed around 28c tires, I’d be inclined to go even wider – if there’s frame clearance – to really increase the volume of the tires rolling over variable road surfaces. But that’s personal preference and, as mentioned, not the tire width Prime’s designers had in mind.

"The rims are optimised with regards to drag reduction based on a 28c, however due to the wider inner and outer width this allows the rim to accept a much wider tire," Ben Marvin says. "We do not recommend running these with anything wider than a 40c tire, this isn’t due to the rim not being able to accept any wider but this when it will begin to affect each tire's performance and profile based on what rim width it will have been designed around."

Prime Doyenne 56 Carbon Disc Wheelset: Arrival and build quality

As is standard with new wheels, they arrived with rim tape in situ but without a cassette or tires. Getting the Hutchinson tires on was a bit of an effort, but once on they seated fine, inflating evenly all the way round. The reason for my difficulty here, allowing for a degree of my own incompetence, is likely to be due to the rims being tubeless ready.

Marvin explains: "We took feedback about the previous RD rim from customers and media, which indicated that it was tough to seal the wheels due to being slightly shallower on the inner wall of the profile of the rim as well as the seal around the valve. When we amended the profile of the rim bed to make a slightly tighter fit and allow a better seat for the valve, allowing a better seal and making it easier to set up tubeless.

"With tires now being developed not only to work with hooked rims and hookless rims, the tolerance with the ETRTO [European Tyre and Rim Technical Organisation] has become more consistent. That coupled up with the improvements on helping a better seal on the rim/tire does make it a little tougher to get tires straight out of the box (not pre-stretched) to pop on."

For the time I’ve had the wheels, they have stayed perfectly true. Many of the roads on the Island are pristine tarmac, but some lanes are showing wear – even so, nothing has knocked the wheels out of line. The ‘Anti Bite Guard’ freehub isn’t too loud but can get a bit irritating, if I’m honest, as the sound is inconsistent – like a bee buzzing towards and away from you, going slightly different distances each time.

Prime Doyenne 56 Carbon Disc Wheelset: Value and conclusion

With an RRP of $639.99 / £599.99, I think these are a more than decent pair of wheels. Yes, 600 quid for a wanted-rather-needed upgrade might be a fair wedge as your new gas tariff comes through but once the money’s paid and the wheels are rolling, I’m not sure anyone would be disappointed with their purchase.

A quick glance around at bigger name rivals reveals much pricier options – although, admittedly, the higher end wheels also come with lower claimed weights. But, as with everything related to cycling, such a difference can probably be cancelled by one less pint this weekend, or a new seat post using a small part of the money saved.

It's normal practice to compare and contrast products to their rivals, but here Prime has positioned the wheels in a way that makes direct comparisons difficult: either similar spec for loads more money, or different kinds of wheels (shallow, non-aero) for a similar price.

"With regard to the Doyenne wheels, we think these are pretty unique from a product point of view," explains Prime's Alex James. "They are an accessible, high-performance wheelset. The main thing from us, as a brand, is that these wheels are not cheap as they have a lot of performance tech in them.”

In conclusion, I have found these wheels to be stiff and responsive – whether accelerating away from green traffic lights or trying to power up a short, sharp climb. The aero improvement that you’ll find with almost any deep section wheelset was immediately apparent, the wheels weren’t too sketchy in severe crosswinds either. Gone are the days of punishing wrist vibrations when using high spec wheels on blemished road surfaces, these wheels roll along quickly and comfortably, adding to the enjoyment of any ride on a bike hosting them.

Continental has added two new tires to its tubeless ready Grand Prix 5000 TR tire range, that sit alongside the existing GP 5000 S TR tire, increasing its range-topping tire offering. 

Conti says that the GP 5000 AS TR tire’s increased puncture protection, grip and longevity make it a good option for training on poor roads and in bad weather. We've been out for a first ride on the new tires, so read on for our impressions.

The GP 5000 TT TR, meanwhile, is built lighter and faster rolling for time trial use. 

Both tires will be used by Conti’s eight men’s and women’s sponsored WorldTour pro teams, including UAE Team Emirates, which swapped from Pirelli to Continental tires this year.

New Continental Grand Prix 5000 AS TR tire for all-weather riding 

Conti says that the new Grand Prix 5000 AS TR tire provides the speed of its GP 5000 S TR tires, along with increased wet weather grip and the longevity and protection that are features of its longstanding Grand Prix 4 Season tire. It also offers tubeless and hookless bead compatibility, both of which the GP 4 Season tire lacks.

Conti’s Product Manager Alexander Hanke says that the brand has used a new sidewall construction to increase the GP 5000 AS TR tire’s robustness, tweaked its BlackChili rubber compound formulation to up wet weather grip and increased the tread thickness to boost the mileage potential. He says that the tire isn’t just for racers, but a good option for fast commuters and fast gravel bike users as well.

The new tire has an increased tread pattern over the standard GP 5000 S TR tire, a multi-layer carcass and additional sidewall protection. As with that tire, there’s a Vectran breaker for puncture protection and what Conti calls “Active Comfort Technology” that it says helps to absorb vibrations.

All the tubeless ready Grand Prix 5000 range tires have 110 TPI carcasses, but the AS tire has four layers in the sidewall, rather than the three layers of the GP 5000 S TR tire. 

If you prefer a non-black tire, the Grand Prix 5000 AS TR tire is available with cream-coloured sidewalls. Opt for the standard black and, although the sidewalls look black in daylight, they incorporate Conti’s Black-Reflex night-reflective tech to up your low light visibility.

The new tire is available in 700c 25mm, 28mm, 32mm and 35mm widths, giving plenty of options to fit frames with different tire clearances. Claimed weights start at 300g and the Euro SRP is €95.99.

For the moment, the new tire will be sold alongside the Grand Prix 4 Season tire, but Hanke says that Continental will assess whether the AS tire’s new tech and hookless/tubeless compatibility might eventually allow it to supersede the older tire.

UAE Team Emirates’s Davide Formolo says that it’s one of the options that the team expects to run at Strade Bianche, alongside the standard Grand Prix 5000 S TR, with the team likely to opt for the 32mm width over the standard 28mm option it uses for less arduous races.

We've got a set of the tires in for review to see if they'll earn a place among our pick of the best winter tires for road cycling.

New Grand Prix 5000 TT TR tire for time trial use 

As you’d expect from a time trial tire, the Grand Prix 5000 TT TR tire majors on low weight and reduced rolling resistance. But Conti says that this has been achieved without sacrificing puncture protection and tear resistance.

Conti’s Hanke stresses that the aim was to produce a tire that is fast, supple and light, but that also provides the puncture protection to always get you to the finish line. The sidewalls drop down to two 110 TPI layers from the three in the GP 5000 S TR tire, which Hanke says increases the tire’s suppleness. 

The tire was previously released by Conti for use at the 2022 Tour de France as a limited edition in 25mm width only, but Conti will now add a 28mm width option. It has already notched up one notable success, with Filippo Ganna riding it to his new Hour Record in October 2022.

Conti says that the new Grand Prix 5000 TT TR tire is 35g lighter for a 25mm width than the standard Grand Prix 5000 S TR. It claims a weight of 220g for the 25mm tire and 235g for the 28mm width and suggests running a 25mm front and 28mm rear tire for lowest combined rolling resistance. 

The new tire is tubeless-ready and hookless bead compatible with rims up to 21mm wide for the 25mm and 25mm wide for the 28mm. 

Like the other GP 5000 tires, the Grand Prix 5000 TT TR uses Conti’s BlackChili compound and a Vectran breaker, and incorporates the brand’s Lazer Grip and Active Comfort technologies. Standard retail price is €108.95.

Both new Grand Prix 5000 TR tires are available immediately.

 Continental Grand Prix 5000 AS TR tires: set-up and first ride impressions 

Taking Conti’s new tires, in 25mm size, out of the box and unwinding them, the first impression is how stiff they are: notably more so than the Schwalbe Pro One summer tires I was replacing. Both front and rear tires weighed exactly 304g, so very close to the claimed 300g weight.

Getting them mounted on a set of (now obsolete) Shimano Ultegra RS700 C30 wheel rims wasn’t too difficult despite this and they actually seated pretty easily. I reached for a reservoir pump, but felt as if with a little more patience they might have mounted with a normal track pump.

The Shimano wheels’ rims are rather old skool at 15.8mm internal width, which affected the Grand Prix 5000 AS TR tires’ width, as they came up at a narrow 23.8mm. The narrow tyre width in turn meant that I upped my tire pressure by around 5psi to compensate.

As you’d expect, this resulted in a ride that felt significantly less compliant than on the tires I had replaced. I've subsequently dropped the tire pressure to my more normal range, when the ride has been much more pliant and comfortable, without feeling sloppy. I’ll be remounting them on some wider rims and re-measuring their width for further testing.

I was definitely impressed by the Grand Prix 5000 AS TR tires’ grip. On a selection of damp, slightly grimy back road climbs, it felt rock solid. I was unable to induce any hint of rear wheel slip even with out-of-saddle efforts on 12 per cent plus gradients. They also feel fast-rolling.

All of which bodes well for future testing on the grimiest, dampest back roads that the Chilterns can offer.

Given the continued blurring of lines between road and gravel bikes - clearance for higher volume tire, disc brakes, endurance geometry - it's no surprise that some of the best road and gravel wheels are created to work across a range of surfaces and tire widths as a consequence. 

Designing a wheel versatile enough for on and off-road use has plenty of appeal for those who like to push their modern road bikes to the limits as well as those who use their gravel bikes on tarmac surfaces. Looking to help bridge this gap, Corima has released the Essentia 40; what the French brand describes as its “ultimate all-road wheel”.

Corima Essentia 40: construction

So what does a wheel that can perform on the road with slick 28mm tires and off it shod with 50mm slabs of rubber look like exactly? 

To address what might seem like a broad spectrum of needs, Corima has seemingly opted for technology that’s applicable to both disciplines while also focusing on elements designed to enhance the ride on specific surfaces at each end of the ‘all-road’ spectrum.

Road wheels typically focus on either being lightweight or aerodynamically beneficial. However given that the Essentia 40s are aimed at ‘all-roads’ there’s some compromise needed. The carbon wheelset weighs in at 1,600 grams, which is at least a couple hundred of grams heavier than a set of pure climbing hoops. Likewise, the 40mm depth and 28mm external width measurements don’t point towards a wheel that's primary goal is to reduce drag. 

Instead the weight and dimensions suggest a wheel capable of handling different riding scenarios as is their intention; light enough to still accelerate quickly and not hold you back on the climbs but sturdy enough for rougher terrain. And because they are designed to work with tires ranging from 28mm to 50mm, it’s really the internal rim width measurement that is more important. It measures 23mm, which again would seem like a sensible compromise if you’re trying to work across such a range of widths. 

Perhaps more interesting still is Cormia’s decision to use a hookless rim profile. It’s reasons are twofold. Firstly it says that the straight inner profile saves weight, while the removal of the hooks promotes a better interface between tire and rim, one that Corima believes results in better handling, greater comfort and an all around “sturdier” wheel. All three are desirable attributes for any wheel, but especially for one that’s designed for less than perfect road services.

As for the material itself, Corima has opted for a 3K carbon weave with structural foam inside the rim. It pioneered the technology in the ‘90s and allows for the integration of a carbon ‘torsion box’ that's designed to both offer superior stiffness as well absorbing vibrations and noise, which translates to a more comfortable ride. 

The hub is armed with Corima’s latest ratchet system that has 36 teeth and a 10 degree angle of engagement, which is pretty typical for an out-the-box wheel designed for all-road and gravel gearing, which tends to be on the lower side compared to traditional road set-ups. Corima says the mechanism is designed to handle higher levels of torque associated with riding on rougher roads and trails. 

Finally, the stainless steel spokes number 24 front and rear and are arranged in what’s described as a “Corima-specific pattern”. All told, it made for a good looking wheel (if you like a raw carbon finish) that I was looking forward to riding. 

Corima Essentia 40: the ride

I had a pretty small window of time with the Essentia 40s so decided to stick to using the supplied Goodyear Terra Speed tires, figuring that the 40mm width and mellow tread pattern would allow me to ride a range of terrain.

Even my gravel rides start with some tarmac and the Essentia was quick to accelerate on the road. Combined with the high-volume tire it meant my ride to the trails was both quick and comfortable.

The acceleration I’d felt on the road fortunately transferred off-road too. At 1,600 grams a pair, the Essentia 40s aren’t particularly light but they felt really zippy, with a level of stiffness that seemed to work well on both the aforementioned tarmac and the dirt paths I was now on. These were not strewn with large rocks, nor were they hellishly muddy, but some loose gravel, plenty of mulch derived from fallen leaves and a slew of tree roots meant that the wheel’s touted varied attributes would be put to the test.

From a comfort and handling perspective, the wheels delivered. While the trails I was on would never be described as technical they do meander enough that you need to be able to both change line quickly at times and then hold it and your speed around a few sweeping bends. Similarly they’re just rugged enough in places that you need both bite and comfort. Obviously the tire plays a considerable role here, but the wheels took the blows in their stride, with noticeable compliance that dulled heavier hits and provided a well-cushioned ride in general.

The gradients on these initial trails change regularly but without ever being too steep. Here the hub’s engagement proved to be ample, plenty fast enough in fact. To better test the set-up I took a detour that climbs steeply to another set of trails that sit high above the ones I was currently on. Again, the 10 degree angle of engagement was enough of a match for my 1:1 low gear (42t chainring matched to a 42t large sprocket), although plenty of slippage of the mulchy leaves made for a slightly sketchy accent in places. 

Given the all-road application of the Essentia 40s the 36t ratchet is probably a good match, but those using gravel bikes equipped with super-low mullet gearing might wish for a lower angle of engagement. As for the noise of the freehub, it was music to my ears. Not obnoxiously loud but a considered purr that was perfectly in tune with longer, freewheeling descents on the road.

Speaking of the road, I opted for a couple of asphalt-only rides too. After all, these are all-road wheels that need to be able to perform on the blacktop as well as the gravel.

Even shod with 40mm knobblies (albeit it pretty shallow ones) the wheels performed admirably on tarmac, just as they’d hinted they would do on my maiden voyage to the trails. On longer road rides they struck a nice balance between stiffness and compliance, and really held their speed on rolling terrain. This led me to believe that wrapped in 28, 30 or 32mm rubber they’d make for a lovely pair of endurance wheels, perfectly suited to a long all-day ride or a multi-day tour on less-than-perfect lanes.

My primary question going in was could a wheelset deliver across such a range of surfaces and requirements? Or would it mean that the Essentia 40s ended up having to compromise on road or gravel?

Despite my relatively short time with the wheels I’d say that Corima has done a stellar job of meeting its goal of producing a true ‘all-road’ wheel. 

If you’re only riding off-road you may well prefer to opt for either something cheaper that can take the hits without any due concern to damage, or a hub with more points of engagement that’s a better match for especially low-geared gravel bikes. 

However, if you’re after a wheelset for your all-road bike that can handle a range of surfaces and will excel over the lumps and bumps of well-worn roads, then the Essentia 40 is unlikely to disappoint. 

Corima Essentia 40: Value

Corima’s Essentia 40 wheels are priced at €1490.00, which translates to £1279 / $1570. 

For comparison, the newly released Reserve 25/GRs retail at $1599, but are lighter, just 1,339 grams a pair, and have a shallower rim depth. 

Zipp’s popular 303S wheels are similarly positioned as the Corimas, designed to work across a range of surfaces and with differing tire widths - and they’re hookless too. They retail at $1,327 / £1,031 a set, weigh a little less that the Essentia 40s, at 1530 grams for the pair, and have 45mm deep rims.

Corima Essentia 40: Specs

• Size: 700c
• Profile: 40mm
• Rim width: 28mm
• Rim width Internal: 23mm
• Axle front: Thru axle 12 x 100mm
• Axle rear: Thru axle 12 x 142mm
• Weight front: 745g
• Weight rear: 855g
• Front Black Spokes: 24
• Rear Black Spokes: 24

The day before riding Unbound Gravel this year, German tire manufacturer, Schwalbe, asked if I’d be keen to test ride the all-new G-One RS tire that was making its debut at the premier gravel event.

Described as delivering "road speed with cyclo cross grip", the tire marries the semi-slick pattern of the Schwalbe X-One Speed cyclocross tire with a more substantial outer knob. It’s billed as Schwalbe’s fastest gravel tire yet, with 20% less rolling resistance than the already quick G-One R and 35g less weight as well. 

Naturally, I was tempted. But the flint rocks of Kansas are notorious for slicing tires and the general rule of thumb at Unbound is that “flat protection trumps rolling resistance” and so I politely declined. I would test a set at a later time at home, where the stakes are a bit lower. 

I didn’t regret my tire choice — the 42mm Specialized Pathfinder Pros got me to the finish without problems— but several months on, I’ve now grown to really like the Schwalbe G-One RS tire and am confident it would have served me just fine in Kansas back in June as well.

Schwalbe G-One RS: construction

The G-One RS is the sixth addition to Schwalbe’s gravel line, which dates back to G-One Allround launched in 2015 at a time when gravel racing was still a relatively new concept in mainstream cycling. We’ve since since the launch of the G-One Speed, a tire designed for specifically for Paris-Roubaix and later became a beach racing favorite; the G-One Bite, a wider, knobbed tire for rougher terrain; the G-One Ultrabite for muddy conditions; the G-One R claimed to have “mtb grip” and now, the G-One RS.

And while, the G-One R was successful with such notable accolades as powering Amity Rockwell to yet another podium at the 200-mile Unbound in 2021, there was a clear desire for more speed and perhaps also, a response from Schwalbe to the increasingly popular semi-slick approach seen in tires such as Specialized’s Pathfinder, Panaracer’s Gravelking SS, WTB’s Byway, Terravail’s Washburn and Challenge’s Gravel Grinder just to name a few. 

The G-One RS is exactly that: a semi slick tire with a scale-like pattern in the center and zig-zagging herring-bone knobs on the shoulders. 

The knobs are meant to give riders more braking and steering grip, while the slick center allows the tire to roll speedily.  In fact, Schwalbe claims that the G-One RS rolls along 20% faster than the previous G-One R while offering the same grip as Schwalbe’s X-One-Speed cyclocross tire. 

Part of Schwalbe’s Evo line, the G-One RS is constructed of the brand’s highest grade materials. The compounds included are Schwalbe’s supple Super Race Carcass, V-Guard puncture protection and Addix Race compound. 

And this package doesn’t come cheap. Available globally since August, the G-One RS retails for $88 / £74.99 / €74.90 a pop. The tire is available in three widths: 35, 40 and 45mm with claimed weights of 410g, 445g and 505g respectively. 

Schwalbe G-One RS: the ride

Interestingly, the RS’s came with a warning: “Adapting from your current gravel tire to the new Schwalbe G-ONE RS could take you some time…with two pronounced profile sections, transitioning from the semi-slick center tread to the grippy shoulder blocks will result in immediate feedback to the rider. Once you begin to corner with increased speed, you will become addicted to it.”

For me, that ‘feedback’ initially felt like a bit of slippage when cornering at speed but I never truly lost traction and adjusted to the handling quickly. The ‘addiction’ came almost immediately, although that was already there. I’ve always enjoyed going fast on the bike and really wasn’t a fan of some of the early, knobbed gravel tires that came onto the market. They all felt sluggish and dulled my riding experience. To counter this, I initially just rode Panaracer’s knob-free, fully slick Gravelkings even at the expense of losing traction. Luckily, gravel tires have come a long way these past years and there are a lot of really good semi-slicks on the market. 

These RS tires would be competing against the Specialized Pathfinder, Panaracer SS and Challenge Gravel Grinder already in my quiver. And boy, did they deliver. 

My review set of the G-One RS tires came in 700 x 40, and straight out of the box, the supple tires felt significantly lighter than the Pathfinders and on par with the Gravelking SS tires. The tubeless tire mounting process is among the easiest I have experienced yet. I haven’t even needed to use my large volume pump. A standard floor pump did the trick, regardless of whether I was mounting them on Enve, Specialized or HiFi rims.

Since mounting them, I have spent the majority of my summer riding on these tires and even took them with me on a trip to Finland, where the trail conditions were unknown to me yet I felt confident the RS tires wouldn’t let me down. 

The sheer speed of them! When starting off on pavement, you’ll quickly notice just how un-noticeable they are. They’re quiet and aren’t slowing you down by trying to bite into the surface — you don’t need added traction here, after all. Then, when entering the gravel or dirt, they’re there to provide reliable grip around the bends, and traction on the up- and downhills. 

I tend to ride my gravel bike on terrain well beyond your average finely crushed rock. And no matter what I threw at the RS’s —be it sharp lava rocks, rooty singletracks, cinder or rough urban streets — the tires handled the terrain capably. Even when put under pressure during a loaded bikepacking weekend, the tires held their own. 

It’s only in truly sandy conditions when they struggle a bit. The shallow, short knobs and the total 40mm wide surface simply wasn’t enough to provide me with either the float or bite I needed to keep pace in the sand and was outridden by those on wider, beefier tires. I’d also reckon that with the wet months nearing, I’ll sadly be changing tires soon for a more mud-appropriate rubber like the G-One Ultrabite. 

One more positive note is that a few months in, I have yet to experience a puncture and a quick examination of the tires reveals no obvious cuts or scrapes.

Schwalbe G-One RS: value and conclusion

In my time on the G-One RS tire, I feel confident to name it among the best race-ready, speedy all-rounder gravel tires on the market today.

Even if you’ll never line up to race it, you’ll enjoy the fast-rolling, supple quality paired with a reliable grip in most hard-packed or mixed-terrain conditions. 

It’s lighter and faster than most of its nearest competitors while at the same time, it appears plenty durable and puncture-resistant. It’s the type of tire you can mount once and forget about for the entire season until the paths turn to mud and slop. 

It is, however, a very costly tire. With a retail price of $88 USD / £74.99 / €74.90 it’s a good $30 more expensive than the fast-rolling Specialized Pathfinder Pro and $28 more than the light and nimble Panaracer Gravelking SS. But if you’re going to be buying just one set of tires, do give these a look. 

The Rehook Glider Tyre Lever (note singular) came to our attention recently. We were intrigued whether the claims made about it would match in use - and how it'd stack up against the more traditional designs included in our guide to the best tyre levers.

It is made in the UK from a blue plastic (polypropylene?), weighs 21 grams and is roughly 78mm long and 40mm x 32mm (height x width). It has 2 modes for operation i.e. removing a tyre and then refitting it. Each mode uses a different part of the tool. 

Rehook says that the Glider is "quicker, more robust and simpler to use. The compact and lightweight design works across all bike disciplines, allowing swift removal and installation of tight fitting tyres."

So how did we get on...?

Rehook Tyre Glider: in use

I decided initially to try the Tyre Glider with a classic Mavic Open Pro rim & Continental GP 4S tyre combination, which is not a tight fit, to see how it would perform. Sure enough, it popped the tyre over the rim with ease. It also refitted the tyre (once the tool had been turned around) easily too. 

I then moved onto the BORG26 wheels which are tubeless ready but fitted with Pirelli P Zero Race 4S tyres (tubed). I've found that all the tyres tried with these rims are pretty tight which may be down to a TLR feature. Again, I popped the tab under the tyre bead, levered the handle and pushed away from me. It needed a bit more force than before but it came away easily. 

Before, with the two tyre lever system, I needed to judge the correct gap to get enough bead over the rim. Too small a gap and you'd struggle to get the next lever under the bead to release fully, too wide a gap and you'd put enough force to potentially break a tool... 

Next up was refitting the tyre. This time you place the handle against the rim and hook the slot over the rim and push the large postage stamp sized rectangle around the rim.  The tool picks up the tyre bead and feeds it up and over into place. A point to note is that although the Glider should also feed the inner tube up and over, I preferred to pause, push the tube into the tyre with a finger and then continue – to stop any potential for pinching. 

Both wheel and tyre choices worked well. You need a certain amount of pressure to keep it flowing particularly for the final quarter of the wheel circumference. I was keen to see whether the would be any damage or marking to either the rim, tyre or tool. They were all unmarked.

I then moved onto a brace of Bromptons with their smaller wheels. The first Brompton is a recent B75 model with a Schwalbe Marathon tyre and it was very easy to remove and refit the tyre. Next up was a friend's older Brompton which has been a nemesis in the past. It caused me to break two tyre levers a few years ago, so tight are its tyre and wheel combo! 

The problem was that I couldn't get the tab under the bead. This tyre tread is a tough and inflexible thing. Due to the Rehook lever being 'L' shaped I couldn't get the tab under the bead as the tyre sidewall pushed against the handle. When I used two conventional levers to create a space, then I was able get the Glider under the bead and it worked fine. Refitting was also easy. If there had been two of us then maybe one could've squeezed the tyre enough to allow the other to get the Glider's tab in.

I also tried it with a 650B tubeless mountain bike wheel which uses a Stan's rim strip and needed its sealant refreshing. I found that because the strip and tyre bead had glued themselves together somewhat, I didn't particularly want to force them apart in case I damaged the rim strip. So I used a conventional tyre lever to ease them apart which felt the right way to do the job. Other than that, the Glider did its work well.

The only other issue that I've found is when removing a tighter tyre fully off a rim. Once you have undone the first bead, removed the inner tube then you push the second bead against the first side of the rim ready to lift over and off. This is where the 'L' of the tool becomes awkward as you can neither go easily under both beads to hook it nor can you go from the rim bed side to get in and under the bead easily. This is simple with a blade type lever...

Rehook Tyre Glider: value and conclusion

One of the considerations safety wise when working with wheels is if a tool slips then your hand can be accelerated and fired into the spokes or cassette. This can really hurt! When working with a conventional tyre lever this can happen particularly when a bit of pressure is needed. If this tool is placed correctly then it seems that it is more secure in its direction of motion. I was able to keep my fingertips closed in around the handle or when gripping the tab should the tool slip. It felt really secure in use to me. 

At 21g it is roughly the weight of a single tyre lever and is pretty compact, so that is good, and at $16.99 / £12.99 it is reasonable value for money. It has lasted my testing without any significant marking or any breakage. It certainly works well with a tight tyre. If I was to keep it on my bike as part of that mini tool kit I would try it out on the bike at home first just to check that it 'liked' the tyre & rim pairing. 

Will it replace my Pedros levers? No, however it is a great addition to my toolbox as the functions it does well with, it does really well. For me, I found it impressive the way that it dealt with tight tyres and I really liked its stability once located. For the odd job a straight tyre lever is still superior, however.

Reserve may not be the first brand name that comes to mind when you’re shopping for new hoops, but with the trajectory they’re on, that will all change quite soon. 

Born from the mountain bike world, Reserve was founded by the Santa Cruz bike brand in 2014. Basically, what Roval is to Specialized, Reserve is to Santa Cruz: a wheel company within a bike company that eventually grows to stand on its own two feet. 

With Reserve, Santa Cruz engineers set out to not only create the most durable strength-to-weight composite bike wheels on the market, they were also prepared to back their claim up with—an at the time unheard of—lifetime guarantee.

They burst onto the market in 2017 with their first mountain bike wheels, and quickly earned themselves a reputation for making some of the most bombproof lightweight carbon rims one can buy. Standing the test of enduro and downhill racing and even the many shenanigans of MTB trickster Danny Macaskill, Reserve wheels quelled the fears of many who previously avoided carbon hoops due to the rather expensive risk of breaking them—myself included.

Taking what they’d learned from the demands of mountain biking, Reserve decided to tackle the gravel market next and released its first gravel wheelset, the Reserve 22|GR, in 2019. That same year, Reserve started working with the aerodynamics experts over at Cervélo for a foray into the road and triathlon market as well.

This season, you may have seen the Reserve wheels on the bikes of Marianne Vos and her Jumbo-Visma teammates or on Wout van Aert’s time trial bike when he stormed to victory on stage 20 of the Tour de France.

As Vos was well on her way to winning the green sprinter’s jersey of the Tour de France Femmes in late July, Reserve released its third and beefiest gravel wheelset yet. Staying true to their mountain bike origins, this wheelset was designed with the roughest, Grinduro-type gravel racing and riding in mind. With a 25mm inner rim width, it rivals some of the XC mountain bike rims out there, and is wide enough to comfortably hold a 50mm tire.  

Let’s have a look at these super-wide offerings from Reserve. 

Overview

Going wide. Reserve's newest and third gravel offering aims to go more places with a wider rim for more tire options and durable construction to meet the diverse needs of all drop-bar off-roaders. 

Grinduro, monster gravel, All-Terrain, singletrack, doubletrack — the Reserve 25|GR wheelset is ready for the gnarliest of gravel adventures or simply the comfiest, with super-cushy 50mm tires.

The construction:

The rims were completely redesigned from the previous two models. It now features not only a 25mm inner width, but also a semi-hook and asymmetrically shaped rim bed that matches the offset spoke hole position for ease of tubeless tire installation. 

Like their mountain bike siblings, Reserve's gravel wheels sport a low-profile, box-section rim with externally reinforced spoke holes to strengthen the area where the rim sees the most force: around the spoke nipple. 

Reserve recommends using tires no narrower than 28mm and up to 50mm. 

One thing I especially appreciate about Reserve's approach to wheel building is their understated design and use of external nipples and standard spokes for easy tune-ups and repair. And should something go wrong, Reserve offers a lifetime warranty and a no-fault crash replacement policy. 

The Fillmore Valves:

The 25|GR wheels come with Reserve's unique "Fillmore valves," which make sealant clogs and the need to remove the valve's inner core for installation, a thing of the past. 

Fillmore valves are coreless. There's no inner core or threaded nut, just a single thin stainless steel rod running through the middle of the valve. For sealing, there's an o-ring on the rim side of the valve and a special valve cap that goes on top. Unlike your regular Presta valve caps that are quickly tossed aside, these Fillmore valve caps actually play an important role. The valve cap contains two separate threads, one for the stainless steel middle rod and one for the outside of the valve. When the cap is in place, the inner threads lift the rod up to engage the o-ring and seal the valve. Sealant can be injected directly through the valve. 

Build Options:

Shimano and SRAM cassettes are well accounted for with hub options including DT Swiss 350 and I9's 1/1 Gravel each supporting both HG11 and XD freehub bodies. Campagnolo freehub options are not offered at this time. 

Weight:

1,339 grams with the Industries Nine 1/1 Gravel hub. 

Price: $1,599

The Experience

The setup: 

Anyone who's ever (tried to) set up tubeless tires at home, knows the frustrating, messy undertaking it can be. Luckily, tubeless technology on both tires and wheels has come a long way, and the majority of new wheels I've tested these past two years made tire installation relatively frustration-free. On the Reserve 25|GR wheelset equipped with the Fillmore valves, the tire installation was downright easy. I alternated between the Schwalbe G-One RS and Specialized Pathfinders tires, and both times, I was able to just use a tubeless-specific handpump — no air-compressor needed. 

The riding:

Out of the box, these rims look like a slightly slimmer version of the Reserve 30|HD wheels on suspension trail mountain bike. The same low-profile, the same externally reinforced spokes, the same matte black colorway, an I9 hub and only four spokes less. 

The wheels ride like their mountain bike counterparts, too. And that's a good thing. 

They're smooth and complaint, taking the sting out of the rough terrain below while keeping you planted and in control. My first test ride on these was a four-hour-long endeavor that features everything from decently maintained gravel and pavement to washboards and high-speed descends on loose, dusty gravel. 

The wheels provided stability and cushion to the point that they seemed to disappear. Except for maybe on the climbs when the only thing one notices is the lack of weight. At just over 1,300 grams the 25|GRs are a remarkably light workhorse of a wheelset. The Industry Nine hubs deserve some credit here as well. While considered a more affordable I9 hub, the 1/1 hub spins up nicely and makes a pleasing, low whizzing sound.

In this age of highly capable, light-yet-robust, gravel-specific wonder machines, I'm among the minority of riders who still prefers being under-biked rather than over-biked. It's good for sharpening your bike handling skills and I just get a kick out of it. So to that end—and perhaps inspired by their MTB siblings sitting in my garage—I couldn't wait to take these hoops out on some techy terrain. 

If you know where to look, Portland's Forest Park is a wonderful testing ground. It's got everything from broken-up pavement, rough gravel with fist-size rocks, crushed stone, dirt and even some steep, rooty, singletrack descends. In other words: perfect Grinduro-esque terrain. 

It is here, on this terrain, that the wheels stood out to me most, and Reserve's mountain bike roots began to show.  The wheels absorb the bumps and manoeuvre the roots and ruts nimbly. With its wide internal rim, compliancy and nimble handling, these wheels would give many XC mountain bike wheels a good run for their money. 

Playful, light yet stable, the 25|GRs are confidence-inspiring and simply feel indestructible — perfect for the gnarlier end of the gravel spectrum. 

The only downside here is that when it comes to gravel racing, where races can be as long as 350 miles at one go, consumers are looking for wattage savings, however minimal, at every angle. Aerodynamics are starting to play an increasingly big part in gravel racing and the industry is responding with aero framesets, aerobars, wind-tunnel tested bags and deeper profile wheelsets. In the quest for speed, the shallow 25|GR wheels miss out completely, though Reserve does offer an aero gravel wheelset, the Reserve 32|GR, which come spec'd on the Cervélo Aspero. 

With the 25|GR wheelset, Reserve prioritized ride quality and durability over aerodynamics, though Reserve did tell Cycling Weekly that they do anticipate that we'll see a bigger focus on aerodynamics in the gravel market in the years to come. 

Verdict & Value

Value comparison:

The Reserve 25|GRs weigh just 1,339 grams, feature a shallow but 25mm wide rim and will cost you $1,599 USD. So how does it compare to its competitors in the carbon gravel wheelset market? 

Well, at 1,339 grams this is a competitively light wheelset, especially considering the $1,599 price point. A comparable Enve wheelset, the G23 for example, might weigh 30 grams less but will also cost you an extra grand. 

Roval's popular Terra CL come closer in price, at $1,750 for the set, but weigh in slightly heavier, at just 1,410 grams. 

Perhaps Reserve's biggest competitor here is the Scribe Gravel Wide++ wheels. This wheelset also features a 25 internal width rim, weigh a touch over 1,300 grams but come at the super-reasonable price of just $1,000. Like Reserve, the Scribe wheels also come with a Life Time Warranty and crash replacement policy so for both Scribe and Reserve, you'll know your investment is going to last.  

Bottom line:

Carbon hoops were once deemed too fragile or delicate for rough terrain. But that’s been disproven by the mountain bike world for a while now, and carbon wheels are a standard for the top-end of any gravel race as well. 

Still, if you're a heavier rider or are simply rather rough on your equipment, carbon is often approached with caution. The Reserve 25|GR wheels, however, strike the perfect balance of durability and lightweight. 

These workhorses will withstand the abuse and rigors of even the roughest of gravel terrain, offering you comfort and stability mile after mile. If you're on the fence of going carbon on gravel, and/or ride on the gnarlier end of the gravel spectrum, this is the wheelset for you. 

The new Pirelli P Zero Race is the lightest, fastest clincher tyre in the Italian brand’s range. Pirelli relaunched its P Zero clincher range in March, replacing the original P Zero Velo, released in 2017.

Pirelli claims, perhaps surprisingly, that the P Zero Race outperforms all tube-type tyres it has produced before, tubulars included.

According to Pirelli, after three years of development work with racers at the WorldTour level, including the male and female 2019 world champions, it designed the P Zero with its new SmartEVO compound and TechBelt casing technology to provide its professional riders, as well as all cycling enthusiasts, with a superior product.

Let’s take a closer look at what’s on offer.

Pirelli P Zero Race: construction

Pirelli says it developed a blend of three functionalised polymers with "intelligent" behavioural characteristics, which are the basis of the exceptional properties of SmartEVO. 

Each of the three polymers provides specific performance, according to Pirelli, ensuring a perfect balance of opposing characteristics, such as grip and rolling, with the result being better grip on dry and wet surfaces and very low rolling resistance, resulting in smoothness and driveability. 

Pirelli says the compound has already been tested by the WorldTour teams it partners – Ag2r-Citroen, Trek-Segafredo and Team BikeExchange.

As this suggests, the compound was already available in other Pirelli tyres. Pirelli relaunched its tubeless range with SmartEVO before the clinchers “for reasons of market demand” and the P Zero Race Tub SL tubulars also use it. 

However, completely new for the P Zero Race clincher is the construction of the casing. Made from 127tpi Nylon and designed for use with an inner tube this tyre has been adapted to the new, wider ETRTO 19c rim standards. As a result, each size of the P Zero Race has a wider tread than the corresponding original P Zero Velo: a wider and more elongated footprint that Pirelli claims improves rolling performance, puncture protection and cornering control.

The carcass also features a wider protective belt. Called TechBelt Road, this is an additional layer of Aramid fabric underneath the compound.

Pirelli P Zero Race: the ride

The P Zero Race comes in 26, 28 and 30mm sizes, in black or with tan sidewalls (Classic) and there are colour editions planned for the future.

I chose the 26mm size, or to be precise ETRTO 26-622 but was pleased to see Pirelli using WAM (width as measured) information on the box. This tells you the actual width of your tyre on rims with different internal rim widths, avoiding the ‘surprise’ when your tyre measures more than 26mm on a wider rim.

On the Parcours Ronde wheels that I fitted them to, which have a relatively wide internal rim width of 22.5mm, they measured 28.5mm. The chart on the box only went up to 21mm rims, giving a WAM of 27mm, so it made sense.

As for the weight, they were slightly over the claimed 205g, with weights (as measured) 213g and 210g. The Pirellis are lighter than the Continental Grand Prix 5000 clinchers (220g), the Vittoria Corsa Graphene 2.0 (255g) and the Specialized Turbo Cotton (240g) and they certainly feel thinner between thumb and finger than all of those, but also quite tacky thanks to a very finely textured tread.

There’s a very slight tread pattern with small sipes and even a rotation arrow. Of course you’d obey this for the sake of form, but the compound itself is what sticks the tyre to road and not the tread pattern and that goes for wet weather riding too.

The Pirelli P Zero Race tyres went onto the tubeless-ready Parcours Ronde wheels with thumbs only - and as we know, this can turn into a wrestling match, but no such problems here.

My first ride on the Pirellis in the Surrey Hills was on some gnarly, gritty, stony tarmac with plenty of potholes and I was impressed with the grip as well as the resistance to cuts - there wasn’t a mark on them afterwards.

I’ve since done a decent amount of miles on them and I’ve been very impressed with their robustness for such a lightweight tyre. There are still really no significant marks and I haven’t punctured once.

As for ride feel, at 100psi - in line with Pirelli's own pressure recommendation for the 26mm width - I have found the Vittoria Corsa with its 320tpi cotton casing to feel plusher, but of course that doesn’t always mean fastest-rolling on a smooth surface. In tyres, lighter is generally faster and I’d say that although they don’t offer an armchair ride, I would guess the rolling resistance of the Pirelli P Zero Race is pretty low compared to other equivalent-sized clinchers.

I used ordinary butyl tubes but with latex or Pirelli’s own TPU smartTUBEs they’re going to feel even faster.

On wet roads they were equally impressive. I’m never going to test a tyre to the limit of traction in the wet - they don’t pay me enough for that - so I always back off a little in corners, but I didn’t feel any hint of slippage whatsoever at my usual wet-weather cornering speeds and am confident that this compound performs well in the wet.

Value and conclusion

The Pirelli P Zero Race retails at £54.99 per tyre, which is £5 cheaper than the Continental GP5000 (though you can usually find big reductions on the Contis) and £5 cheaper than the Vittoria Corsa G2.0. The Specialized Turbo Cotton is £65.

With the emerging trend for choosing clinchers and tubes over tubeless for faster road riding at higher pressures, the Pirelli P Zero Race would be an excellent choice. The new Pinarello Dogma F that I managed to borrow for a first ride before it was spirited off to London for the big launch came fitted with them, and if that’s not a ringing endorsement I don’t know what is.

These are tyres fit for the WorldTour, they’re priced slightly lower than their competitors - as a fast, lightweight and grippy race tyre they have everything covered.

The tubeless-compatible Cava model is billed as a minimalist tyre that seeks to blend the low rolling resistance of a slick with the improved traction of a knobbly.

Available in two sizes - 650b x 47.99mm and 700c x 42mm - there are also three levels of specification: Race, JFF and Robusto. Here we’re looking at the 650b x 47.99 JFF.

The construction

If you’re wondering what JFF means, it stands for Just For Fun. This translates to what Ultradynamico calls its most accessible offering. This means a tire with a pretty durable casing, a carbon compound for longer tread wear and no sidewall protection to help promote suppleness. In short a tyre for everyday riding.

In terms of tread pattern the Cava has what’s described as a ‘3D diamond file tread’. According to the brand provides “20-30% more traction than a slick”. What this looks like is lots of tightly packed micro diamonds built around a larger central smooth arrow pattern. It’s a little more aggressive than a semi-slick. A semi-slick with attitude, perhaps?

The ride

The Cava is made for those gravel rides that include a good dose of asphalt before you hit the good stuff. On the road it behaves just like a slick, so it's perhaps unsurprising that Ultradynamico has its tires made by Panaracer in Japan. When cornering on tarmac I’m aware of the tread pattern but never to the point where it ‘digs in’ and bites. All in all it makes for a smooth and comfortable ride.

Heading off-road, the Cava responds positively to each surface it meets. I’ve selected routes that feature varied terrain but regardless of whether I’m on loose gravel, woodland dirt tracks or sand the tyre performed admirably. On faster sections the Cavas really do float yet provide plenty of grip when needed.

Those loose gravel corners never feel sketchy thanks to this impressive traction, giving me plenty of confidence for the path ahead. And on the short sandy sections I encountered the Cava always resists sinking and sliding.

Supple yet durable

On road and off, the Cava JFF feels nicely supple. For a tyre that sits behind Ultradynamico’s more expensive ‘Race’ offering I’m impressed by just how comfortable they feel. I’m also glad that this hasn’t come at a cost as yet - I’ve had zero punctures to date after dozens of rides. Because of this combination of durability and feel I wouldn’t hesitate to use the Cava for a bikepacking trip - or any ride that meant long hours in the saddle.

So who would I recommend the Cava to? Essentially anyone looking for a fast and smooth gravel tyre that excels in the dry. If you happen to need a high-volume tyre that works pretty effortlessly on the road, the Cava is also well worth your consideration. 

Price as reviewed: $65 per tyre (£49.89)

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Schwalbe's Pro One tyre has always been a firm favourite, and last year the brand made some key updates aimed at lowering the rolling resistance, optimising grip in the corners and improving ease of tubeless set up.

The model we have on test is the Pro One TT (time trial) Tubeless Easy tyre, which has been tailored for time trial riders looking for the ultimate in performance. Whilst the standard Schwalbe Pro One Tubeless has a claimed 13 per cent drag saving over the outgoing model, the TT version boosts this to another 21 per cent, at a lower weight.

>>> Best road tyres

Of course, if you choose to spec a road bike with this rubber, you won't find yourself immediately bucked to the floor. These tyres originally arrived at the Cycling Weekly office aboard a Canyon Ultimate Evo road bike, seated to DT Swiss PRC 1100 DICUT wheels. I've since moved them to a pair of Black Inc Black Thirty rims on my own personal long term test machine.

Schwalbe's overarching theme in the evolution of this tyre was a desire to create 'souplesse' - which is defined by the brand as a feeling of easy rolling paired with reliability, grip and puncture protection. So, basically offering the holy trinity without compromise - like every other tyre brand has been trying to do since the dawn of time.

For this tyre, Schwalbe has used its new multi part rubber compound, called 'Addix Race'. This sees a mix of varying compound formulations in specific parts of the tread and with an overall increased content of silica - the goal being to provide grip at the sidewall without impacting rolling resistance.

The brand has even invested in a new compound mixing plant and semi-automated tyre assembly machines to ensure product consistency.

We don't have the equipment to test this in-house, however independent tests have shown this option to be faster than the likes of the Continental GP 5000 but not as speedy as the Vittoria Corsa Speed G+ 2.0 - the differences being less than 2 watts each side, at 80psi.

I tested these in the 25mm guise (there is also a 28mm option), and run as a clincher at 75 psi on a rim with an 18mm internal width, found the measurement to come in closer to the claim than most, at 26mm.

Switching to these from a few 28mm options I've been riding, the skinnier surface area was undeniable, and this did limit my confidence when leaning into the corners. However, when ridden head to head against a 25mm GP 5000 I'd say the level of crit lean assurance was equal.

In most cases I found the tyres rolled exceptionally well. I covered well over 1,500 kilometres on them, on smooth roads in Spain, and on the rutted lanes of Surrey and Kent around my local stomping ground.

On the glass like tarmac overseas, I did notice a slightly odd sticky, almost draggy, sensation. However, translated to the pockmarked UK lanes this dissipated and was replaced with comfort - so how suited this rubber is to you might depend upon your typical road choice.

The TT model provides less puncture protection than the standard version with its 14mm wide V-guard belt. But for me? The system worked just fine.

For a race tyre, I'd say these were exceptionally resistant to punctures. I rode through a winter and early spring, mostly running these as a clincher, and got just one flat tyre - and that's despite all the gravel and flint washed up by February's floods.

This is night and day to my experience with Schwalbe's since discontinued Ultremo ZX tyre - this was a long term favourite for me until I experienced a run of race start-line punctures; it's great to see the brand has improved dramatically in this area.

When it came to fitting, the tyre popped on to the rim fairly easily for me when run as a clincher. I did notice when fully deflated (to fit into a bike box) it took on a slightly strange, wrinkled shape - this was just a bit disconcerting but pumped back up to full pressure as expected.

In this tyre, Schwalbe has built in what it calls 'Tubeless Easy' tech. This sounded a bit too good to be true. However, in practice this was one of the easiest tubeless tyres I've had the pleasure of setting up. I did need to lube the bead to assist with seating the tyre, but was able to do so without the use of tyre levers - which says a lot based upon my puny thumbs.

The Pro One TTs have a claimed weight of 205g per tyre. However, on my scales (used for all tech weigh ins and generally matching up within decent tolerance), one tyre came in at 232g, and the other at 208g, with the same results after repeated re-weighs. This was post riding, but following a concerted brush down for debris. External weigh-ins came in at 222g. It's normal for there to be variations between tyres based on batch production, but the differences here are greater than I'd expect.

These tyres come in at £65, that's £5 over the market leading standard Continental GP 5000 which I tend to use as a go-to, matches the tubeless version of the same - and quite a chunk more pricey than my other favourite the Pirelli P Zero.

These tyres are very good - I enjoyed riding on them and they served me well despite a fair amount of abuse. As an all-rounder, they don't quite cut it as a replacement for my all time top training partner, but I'd certainly not hesitate before fitting these on race day.

The Hunt 34 Aero Wide Disc wheelset was selected for an Editor's Choice award in 2020. This year's list contains 78 items which scored a 9 or 10/10 with our tech team - this gear is the best of the best, and has received the Cycling Weekly stamp of approval. 

Aluminium rims are not often created to be 'aerodynamic', not in the same way that carbon wheels are. Reducing drag and optimising shaping has, for the most part, been the preserve of top end hoops and it's here where brands have typically poured their research and development cash. However, with the 34 Aero Wide Disc wheelset, Hunt are hoping to shift that perception.

Although it first released the Hunt 48 Limitless Aero Disc wheelset, a carbon set of hoops, Hunt has applied this acquired wind tunnel knowledge to its aluminium 34 Aero Wide Disc Wheelset on test here.

The principles behind the two wheels remain the same, which is that the wider the rim profile the more aero the shape. On its carbon fibre sibling, that external rim width tops out at a whopping 34.5mm, but given the limitations of aluminium and the weight that would accompany such a width, Hunt stopped at 26mm on this model. If you're interested you can read Hunt's white paper report on its own testing, though.

Watch: Which aero helmet is fastest?

Out on the roads though, they feel fast. While it's impossible to determine wattage savings made by optimised aerodynamics, they're still one of the fastest sets of aluminium wheels I've used, especially on the flat. In fact, I took 30 seconds out of my Richmond Park PB using these wheels on my Specialized S-Works Tarmac SL6. In a straight line they held their speed very well and were comfortable to sit above 30kph with minimal input from my legs.

On climbs they were a little tougher to move along and they definitely didn't have the zip of a pair of shallow carbon wheels. However, at 1548g they're featherweights compared to other aluminium wheels I've tested.

As with all of Hunt's wheels these are tubeless ready, and with an internal rim width of 20mm. I've been running them with Specialized's S-Works Turbo RapidAir tyres which have held a seal well.

These wheels are disc brake only (the braking tract impeded the width of the rim and therefore it's aerodynamics) and they use 7.5 degree Sprint Disc straight pull hubs, with added inserts to protect against cassettes biting into the freehub body. It's a nice touch that I found particularly useful as I've been shifting cassettes across wheels a lot lately.

The Prime RR50 BlackEdition X CeramicSpeed DB 50 wheelset was selected for an Editor's Choice award in 2020. This year's list contains 78 items which scored a 9 or 10/10 with our tech team - this gear is the best of the best, and has received the Cycling Weekly stamp of approval. 

Prime has steadily been growing traction in the entry to mid-priced wheel market thanks to some highly specced, solid performers with price tags that immediately mark them as being somewhat of a bargain.

Prime’s BlackEdition wheel range started to push the brand towards the premium echelon with wider and lighter rims and up-to-date construction techniques. Now it is pushing it even further upwards with this wheelset, the BlackEdition X CeramicSpeed DB 50.

As you can guess by the name, Prime has collaborated with CeramicSpeed to shoehorn some of the Danish brand’s high-end, fast rolling bearings with the end result being the ‘fastest’ wheels Prime has produced.

But it’s not just the bearings that set this wheelset apart; Prime has worked to pare 50 grams of weight off the 50mm deep carbon rim as well. It still uses the same well-regarded Toray T700 UD carbon fibre as with its other wheelsets but trimmed back the layup to remove excess weight without reducing strength and stiffness. The rim measures 21mm internally on our Vernier callipers and a 28mm outer width, to put it in the sweetspot for use with 25 and 28mm tyre widths.

>>> The best road cycling wheelsets for 2019

Construction

Prime’s aluminium hubs house the aforementioned CeramicSpeed bearings and are constructed with straight pull spoke flanges front and rear. Quality DT spokes are used and a good touch is the use of stronger DT Comp spokes on the drive side of the rear wheel. Build quality out of the box is excellent with spoke tension being very even across all sides of the wheels. Even after testing true has remained at less than 1mm deviation and spoke tension almost perfectly constant. One thing to note is despite the rear alloy freehub incorporating a steel ‘Anti-bite guard’, there are still noticeable gouge marks from the natural twisting of the cassette.

Prime supply the BlackEdition X CeramicSpeed wheelset with a full set of accessories including tubeless valves (tubeless tape is fitted as standard), replacement axles for quick release, quick release skewers and a quality double wheelbag.

Fitting tyres proved to be reasonably simple with only the Continental GP5000 tyre needing the use of a tyre lever. The hooked rim bead hints at suitability for both tubes and tubeless set up and in fact worked impressively well at seating and sealing a tubeless tyre even without sealant.

>>> Are ceramic bearings worth it?

The ride

The ride experience of the wheels did not disappoint either. In a market saturated with 50mm deep section carbon wheels it can be difficult to stand out but the BlackEditions, in my experience, are up with some of the best. The ability for the wheel to accelerate, one of the sticking points of a deep section wheel, was really impressive. Especially given the wheels are not the lightest we have tested at just over 1.54 kilograms a set. This has to be down to where the weight is distributed and shows off the benefit of a lightened rim.

Again the way the Prime BlackEdition hold speed was superb and noticeably increased my average speed on all manner of terrain over several similar wheels I have tested recently. However the best features of the wheels have to be the stiffness and handling traits. I often find wheels flex when I sprint or climb out of the saddle but I felt nary a whisper of unwanted lateral movement from the Primes. They also handle like a shallow section wheel on technical circuits and direction changes are almost telepathic. In this instance I could see them being quite possibly the perfect crit racing wheel.

Buy now: Prime BlackEdition X CeramicSpeed DB 50 wheelset at Wiggle for £1249.99

It’s hard to identify any real quantifiable benefits of the inclusion of ceramic bearings (and in turn the resulting increase in cost) in a short term test but where they should shine is in longevity. The Prime hubs look to have a fairly good level of sealing with there was very little evidence of contamination when stripped at the end of the test. Ceramic bearings are renowned for being incredibly durable and to this end with a little regular cleaning they could last the entire lifetime of the wheel.

When it came to choosing kit for a solo attempt at Land's End to John O'Groats, reliable tyres were at the forefront of the planning. They needed to be high volume, durable, grippy but above all fast rolling. I had previously used WTB tyres on several gravel bikes and been impressed with reliability, so I plumped for a pair of WTB Expanse 32 tyres.

The Expanse 32 isn't actually a new tyre, having been part of WTB's range for a couple of years in the guise of the Exposure 32. In order to clear some model confusion however, WTB has renamed and re-released the tyre as the Expanse 32 for 2020.

The Expanse is more of a road specific tyre than many of WTB's typical offerings (it's a company more known for it's off-road tyres and components), but still with a nod to riders who might occasionally explore off the beaten track.

>>> The best road tyres for 2019

The tread pattern is fairly typical of a tyre designed around mixed terrain riding. A completely slick centre line covers the middle third of the tread, breaking away to a file/hatched tread running along the shoulders of the tyre. This gives the Expanse a really smooth ride feel on tarmac, whilst the extra rubber at the shoulders helps maintain stability and tyre integrity off-road as well as providing a little extra grip.

Both the black and tan wall versions are tubeless and, like all other WTB tyres, popped on the rim, seated and inflated with very little bother. It was here that I encountered my only issue. Curiously when pumped up over 60psi the little rubber moulding whiskers started popping at the base and leaking air. No sooner would one seal and the air topped up, another would go. This was to the extent that I needed to put in almost twice the amount of sealant as is normally required. I spoke to WTB regarding this issue and it is something it is aware of in a few cases due to the thinner tan side wall. WTB has reassured me that it has amended the issue.

Buy now: WTB Expanse 32 TCS at Chain Reaction Cycles for £40.49

After more than 1000 miles of use the Expanse 32 has proved to be a completely dependable touring partner. I've experienced zero punctures and both tyres show very little wear and an almost complete lack of cuts or nicks. This was despite spending a lot of time riding on rough dual carriageway hard shoulders in very wet weather. Rolling resistance is very good, obviously not race tyre fast, but more than enough zip for most riding. Cornering performance is confident even when fully laden and in the wet. The larger 32c volume also made them pretty comfortable even when ridden at 75 psi.