Best tubeless road bike endurance tires 2024

Would you like to make your bike slower, heavier and less comfortable? Why yes, yes I would!

As unlikely as this answer seems to anyone who has ever ridden a road bike, it is exactly the question manufacturers have been asking us when they offer us their tubeless ‘endurance’ tire ranges. Traditionally an endurance or winter tire has been heavier than the summer or performance equivalent with more rubber and thicker sidewalls that not only add weight but also reduce the tire’s suppleness and compliance making it less comfortable and slower. 

So why should any self-respecting cyclist sign up for such an offer? It certainly isn’t the price, as all of these tires are over £50 at RRP, some significantly so. Durability is the simple answer. The combination of tubeless technology, sealant, extra rubber and embedded layers of tough material means that these tires should shrug off the kind of debris that typically litters roads over the winter, prove more resilient to pothole-induced damage and last significantly longer than lightweight performance tires. 

Nobody enjoys mending punctures with wet, chilled hands by the side of a busy A-road as lorries thunder past, so these tires are designed to keep you rolling along and into the warm cafe fuss-free. 

The news gets better though. As tubeless technology and puncture-proofing improve, these tires are now able to offer the kind of ride feel and experience that is a world away from the winter tires of old, hence why they are now commonly referred to as endurance tires instead. They aren’t just for the dank days of type 2 fun but are a great idea for anyone who does big miles on variable quality roads or riders who’d rather be pedaling their bike than wrestling with tire levers. Whilst they are still a little heavier and a bit slower than the performance alternatives, the margins are pretty small these days and the benefits are certainly enticing. As these tubeless tires don’t have to use an inner tube, they can be more supple than their tubed endurance equivalents; they don’t have to concern themselves with protecting a delicate inner tube, so giving them a more performance-orientated feel than you might imagine.

The tires on test range from the spritely Continental GP5000 AS TR to the chunky Hutchinson Challenger, but all of them performed admirably over a couple of thousand kilometers on Derbyshire’s and Yorkshire’s rapidly crumbling roads. Mounting them and getting them to seal was a different story though, with some considerably more frustrating than others in this respect. There were times when the simple charms of an inner tube loomed large, and you could certainly be forgiven for trading the added puncture resistance of a tubeless setup for the mess-free certainty of a tube-type tire.

However, I have run tubeless tires on my gravel, summer, winter and mountain bikes for many years now, and despite their occasional frustrations and foibles, I believe they offer a noticeably nicer ride experience than the alternatives and fewer punctures. 

For the purposes of the test, each tire was inflated using an Airshot at 130psi and then ridden at 60psi, which is my usual pressure for 28mm tires. I used one of our favorite and best-performing sealants, Muc-off No Puncture Hassle, with around 30ml per tire, and each tire was mounted onto my trusty Scribe Race-D wheels with an internal width of 17mm. It is worth noting that some manufacturers say that their quoted tire widths are based on wider rims than mine, and so will naturally come up a little narrow on my wheels. 

The quick list

Best Endurance road tires: our picks

Best overall

 The tech

The One Tubeless uses Schwalbe’s RaceGuard puncture protection. This sits bang in the middle of their protection rating system with a 4/7. There is a double layer of tough Nylon fabric that sits beneath the 67 tpi carcass to prevent anything from puncturing the air chamber in addition to the protection provided by the MicroSkin. Although the MicroSkin’s primary function is air retention to aid tubeless set-up, Schwalbe claims that it also adds a level of cut and puncture resistance across the whole carcass of the tire. 

There is a good range of widths available, from 25mm through to 32mm and a choice of three colors. The test tires were a fetching bronze color which looked particularly smart on my green winter bike. 

The set-up

Both tires were simple to fit and popped up onto the rim instantly, holding air straightaway. In fact, I didn’t have to top these up at all for the duration of the test so they get a lot of brownie points for ease of inflation - the constant topping up needed by some tubeless tires is a big downside.

The ride

The One Tubeless were one of the widest tires on test. Despite their nominal 28mm width and my relatively narrow 17mm internal width rims, they measured 29.5mm once inflated to 60 psi. They looked noticeably wide on the bike, and as you’d expected, provided a nicely cushioned ride and plenty of confidence - I even let a little air out after a few rides and at 50psi they were even better with seemingly no detriment to speed. They perhaps lacked the ultimate zip of the GP5000s, maybe not surprising given their size, but they rolled along beautifully with the kind of plush feel that you’d expect, providing good isolation from the plentiful road imperfections that are commonplace on my local roads.

These were my joint favorite tires, and I didn’t want to take them off the bike when it was time to swap them over.

Best for speed

 The tech

An addition to the popular GP5000 range, the AS TR (All-Season Tubeless-Ready) is a beefed-up version of the high-performance GP5000 S TR, suitable for year-round use. The rubber is a little thicker and the familiar tread pattern slightly deeper for better wet-weather grip. There is an extra layer of 110tpi fabric used in the construction too. Puncture protection is in the form of Continental’s Vectran Breaker, a ‘synthetically manufactured high-tech fibre’ that they claim is tougher, lighter and more flexible than the nylon layer used by many tire brands. 

Uniquely in this test, the black GP5000 AS TR has reflective sidewalls for extra visibility when traffic approaches from the side (although this is an option on the Cinturato too). The cream version doesn’t get this. The lack of a 30mm option might be an issue for some.

The set-up

The GP5000 S TR is my usual summer tire, but I have always found them pretty tight to mount, so I wasn’t looking forward to fitting a burlier version. However, a bit of deft tire lever work and a blast from the Airshot had them popping and cracking onto the rim fairly easily; with 60psi in them they matched their sidewall markings and measured the full 28mm. The sealant did its job and the tires held air overnight, ready to be ridden, but did require top-ups every few days or so.

The ride

These tires felt the quickest. There wasn’t any suggestion that the tires were holding me back on the club run despite their extra protection and I would happily ride these all year round I think. The ride wasn’t quite as supple as the Ones or the Cinturatos perhaps, but they had a sprightliness that the others lacked; it may well be the extra reflective section that stiffened up the sidewalls ever so slightly, but the BlackChili rubber felt great both in terms of grip and speed whilst the Vectran breaker certainly didn’t seem to make the tires feel turgid or dead.

Read Paul Norman's separate review here.

Best for easy fitting

 The tech

The Velo is part of Pirelli’s second-tier Cinturato range which is less race-orientated than their P Zero offerings, but should still provide good performance with some additional durability. Armour Tech combines a kevlar under-tread strip with a layer of puncture-resistant material that runs from bead to bead whilst the SmartNET Silica rubber promises wet-weather grip and enhanced mileage. Pirelli has made the sipes on the tire deeper than usual to help clear water and proved better grip in marginal conditions. There is no 30mm option, although there is a 35mm and there are three color choices including a commuter-friendly reflective version.

The set-up

The only tires to go on without tire levers, so I was a little concerned that this looseness might cause tubeless issues, but they went up and stayed inflated with no drama whatsoever. If all tubeless road tires were this easy I’m sure that there would be many more converts. They inflated to a comforting 29.5mm with a nice round profile.

The ride

At the heavier end of the spectrum, the Cinturato Velos have plenty of rubber depth and a good width, but on the road this weight was well hidden and they rolled along nicely. The ride was supple, despite the lowly tpi count and copious rubber, helped no doubt by the added volume on offer. I never felt that they were lacking in grip even though they haven’t done a single dry mile during the test period. I think that on a wider rim and with lower pressures they’d be even better. 

Stefan Abram has reviewed the 32mm version of the Cinturato Velo.

Best for durability

 The tech

AIRSHIELD is Hutchinson’s name for their technology that makes the tire airtight, with no sidewall porosity thanks to an integrated butyl layer. There is also a coating around the bead to prevent air leaks. Hutchinson is so confident in the AIRSHIELD technology that they suggest the tire can be run without any sealant at all, particularly as the HARDSHIELD puncture protection should prevent most flat tires. This mixes a polyamide reinforcement beneath the whole tread and a very tough Aramid strip that runs just under the center of the tire where it contacts the ground most. Strangely, there is a 30mm option for the tube-type tire but not in the tubeless range.

The set-up

‘Hmmm, that’s a lot of rubber’ was my first thought when I unboxed these beefy tires, and I prepared myself for a big battle to get them onto the rim. I couldn’t have been more wrong though, and they went on with just the slightest nudge from a tire lever. Furthermore, inflation was instant and they didn’t seem to lose a jot of pressure, so AIRSHIELD certainly seemed to work. What was also noticeable was that when I removed the tires, the sealant was still very fluid and hadn’t stuck to the inner tire wall at all. In the event of a puncture, this would have left loads of sealant to fill any hole rather than being smeared around the inside of the tire like normal.

Interestingly, Jack Elton-Walters had a much harder time mounting the Challengers and getting them to seal, underlining that tubeless setup is still a bit of a lottery. 

The ride

Subjectively, the Challenger was at the slower, harsher end of the performance range when compared with the other tires on this test. But, and it’s a very big but, it did not lag behind by very much and offers some huge advantages over the other tires. Ease of tubeless set-up and the effectiveness of AIRSHIELD cannot be underestimated. For many riders, the Challenger would be the best fit-and-forget option available for commuting or touring, especially when coupled with its claimed 10,000km life span. I measured 7mm depth of rubber, so it’s no wonder they can last so long. For such a chunky tire the ride quality is very good, and in isolation, there is nothing much to complain about - perfect for the daily commute or continent-crushing missions. 

Best value performance

 The tech

There are three strings to the Vector 4Seasons’ bow in terms of technology. The main puncture resistance is provided by the combination of an R:Shield strip under the tread and R:Armor bead-to-bead reinforced anti-cut material. Dynamic:Silica4 rubber offers improved wet weather grip and abrasion resistance whilst keeping rolling resistance to a minimum according to Goodyear and the tread cap is wider for a larger contact patch. The final element is the ‘Tubeless Complete’ liner that improves air retention and adds a further line of defense against punctures. Four widths and two color options should cater to most riders.

The set-up

Installation was straightforward enough with a couple of tire levers and a quick blast of the Airshot, but, despite the Tubeless Complete claims, both tires needed regular top-ups before riding. Not the end of the world, but they did not hold air as well as some of the other tires on test and it would become a bit tedious on a multi-day trip. On the plus side, both weight and width were pretty much bang on, so on wider rims, they would offer even more volume. 

The ride

The Vector 4Seasons absorbed the vibrations and imperfections pretty well, making them comfortable and relaxing on longer rides. I didn’t feel that they quite had the zip or performance of the Schwalbes or Continentals, with a slightly more draggy and less responsive feel but they were by no means bad to ride - unless you rode them back-to-back you wouldn’t notice a difference I’m sure. I had no issues with grip, despite some pretty grim weather conditions and some deliberately severe brake tests.

Best for value

 The tech

Vittoria’s headline tech is the Graphene 3C Compound, which is shorthand for the fact that they use rubber infused with graphene in various formulations so that the center of the tire has a low rolling resistance whilst the shoulders are grippier for cornering and the sidewalls provide good stability. 150tpi is one of the higher thread counts on offer here, so it should give a more supple ride, particularly as there aren’t any specific anti-puncture measures in place beyond the rubber compound and the nylon casing.

The set-up

These had me resorting to my tire pliers at the end of the installation (although my threshold for this is pretty low to be fair), but they did inflate at the first attempt. Disappointingly, though, they took five days of reinflations, sloshing, jiggling and general faff before they would hold air for any length of time. This effectively meant that it was five days before I was confident enough to take them on a decent ride. This may have been bad luck or poor technique, but both tires behaved similarly. Width wasn’t far off at 27.5mm and weight for both tires was slightly under that claimed by Vittoria.

The ride

The ride was actually pretty plush for an endurance tire, with a decent level of vibration absorption and rough-road comfort that was not too dissimilar to the GP5000 AS TR. They didn’t feel as rapid though with a slightly draggy demeanor - not the kind of thing you’d notice riding on your own but it just felt like a bit of extra effort was needed to keep up when riding with others. The Graphene 3C Compound felt fine grip-wise, but the rolling resistance suggests that Vittoria has erred on the side durability rather than speed.

Conclusion

First and foremost, I didn’t get a single puncture during the test, despite some terrible roads and poor weather conditions, so objectively I’d have to judge all the tires equally from that point of view. Similarly, I didn’t fall off my bike either, so grip levels on all the tires must be adequate for me at least. I’m very happy about both of those results!

Despite their common moniker of ‘endurance’, I think these six tires fit into three distinct categories after riding them, meaning that any of them could be considered ‘the best’ depending on your exact criteria and requirements. 

The GP5000 AS TR  and One TLE offer the best performance, with very little given away to their summer siblings. I would happily fit either of these to my summer bike or ride them all year round. The Schwalbe has more volume for a given size and holds air better whilst the Continental felt slightly quicker but a little less supple. Bonus points to the GP5000 AS TR for the reflective sidewalls, but points off for the frankly eyewatering price. 

The next grouping contains the Vittoria Rubino Pro and Goodyear Vector 4Seasons. These both balanced the need for protection and durability with decent performance in a more traditional feeling winter/endurance tire. The Vector edges this contest for me, with a more lively ride and easier tubeless setup, whereas my particular rim and Rubino Pro combination struggled to hold air. I’m sure that the Rubino’s relatively affordable price and low weight could balance this out for some people though.

The final pairing is between the two heavyweights; the Hutchinson Challenger and Pirelli’s Cinturato Velo. The Challenger is an impressive tire with huge durability, incredible air retention and comprehensive-looking puncture protection - for many applications, it would be the perfect tire. It’s also inexpensive, which coupled with the claimed mileage, makes it excellent value. However, the superior ride quality, greater volume and equally straightforward tubeless setup of the Cinturato Velo means that for my winter riding I’d choose the Pirelli if pushed.

As for an overall winner, it’s the Schwalbe One TLE that will be going back on my bike for my usual two or three hour winter rides, closely followed by the Cinturato. It’s the tan sidewalls of the test Schwalbes that tip it for me in all honesty, both are excellent tires.

Advice

Tubeless tire top tips

Despite tubeless tire fitting sometimes feeling like more of an art than a science, after mounting hundreds of tires I’d like to think I have a pretty high success rate. Here are my top tips for a painless experience.

 1. If you are starting with a new rim and need to fit the tape, make sure it is wrapped very tightly. Keep the tension on as you stick it down and follow the tape manufacturer’s instructions about how much to use.

2. If you are replacing an existing tubeless tire DON’T clean the rim up too much. A bit of liquid sealant around the edge of the rim will help the tire pop onto the rim more easily. Do clean up an excess sealant or dried residue though.

3. Don’t forget to check the tire’s rotation direction before mounting, and ensure that the tire logo and valve are aligned (if you are that way inclined).

4. Aim to finish mounting the tire at the valve, and push the valve up into the tire at the end to make the final stage easier.

5. If the tire is being stubborn, make sure that the tire beads are sitting in the rim bed all the way round the wheel to create as much slack as possible.

6. Another tip for difficult tires is to leave them by a radiator for a while before fitting to make them more supple - a brand new tire and a cold garage or shed is the hardest combination.

7. After mounting, prise a small gap with a couple of tire levers to add the sealant, or remove the valve core and add the sealant through the valve. You can skip this step though and add sealant afterwards once good inflation has been achieved if you prefer. 

8. Check that the tire’s beads sit on either side of the valve, not over it, and that the valve is very securely tightened in place for a good seal.

9. Use a tubeless tire inflator for easier inflation. You can first try it through the valve with the core in place first of all, but if that doesn’t pop the tire onto the rim then you can remove the valve core and do it that way.

10. Once the tire has popped into place, if the valve core is in place and the tire has sealant, add a few more psi to help the sealant find any holes (but don’t exceed rim or tire limits) and then remove the pump/inflator and spend a few minutes spinning, shaking and generally jiggling the wheel so that the sealant is well spread out through the tire. 

11. If you had to remove the valve core, then add a few more psi and leave the system together with the tire inflated for a couple of hours to help the tire settle onto the rim. You should then carefully deflate the tire with your fingers crossed that it doesn’t pop off the rim, then replace the valve core and inflate with a track pump.

12. Bonus tip - if you are really struggling to get the tire to pop onto the rim, then start by inflating it with an inner tube. This should stretch the tire onto the rim and even when you have removed the inner tube, at least one bead will be left in place. This is much better done before any messy sealant has been used though!

How we test

A lot of tire testing is rather subjective, as aspects like grip, feel and rolling resistance are very hard to measure objectively. Even more measurable characteristics like puncture resistance, ease of fitting and air retention might vary on any given day and certainly some tires and rims work better together than others. However, all the tires were fitted to the same wheels using the same tools with the same sealant and, notably, it seemed that both tires in each pair behaved very similarly so the conclusions should be reasonably representative. The tires were also all fitted to the same bike and ridden on the same roads, so the frame's characteristics were consistent and any differences in feel can fairly be attributed to the tires.