Ekoi has a new, beautiful, fast and supple tyre, but does it live up to its lofty price tag?

French accessory and clothing brand Ekoi has entered the high-end tyre game with a high-performance tyre built for modern racing.

The Ekoi 29 RR is, as the name suggests, a 29mm road racing tyre that is built for speed in the modern era, foregoing the former standard widths and constructions of road tyres. The tyre is notable for its sleek-looking black and white color scheme, its clear messaging against pairing the tyre with hookless rims, and an expensive price tag for the company’s first run at racing rubber.

Yet, with Ekoi providing clothing, helmets and glasses in the WorldTour already, the brand is clearly intending to make something that is WorldTour worthy straight from the onset.

While it is yet to be seen if the Ekoi 29 RR makes its way into the WorldTour peloton, it has made its way onto my wheels for testing in the Arizona winter, where road riding throws many demands at a tyre.

After more than 1,000 kilometres of testing, I'm nowhere close to the end of the tyre's life, but I have learned enough to pen a review of this race-worthy tyre.

Specs:

• Product reviewed: Ekoi RR 29
• Hero materials:  350 TPI cotton, natural latex, aramid bead
• Actual weight: 279g
• Tubeless but not hookless compatible
• Size options: 29mm
• Colour: White side walls only
• MSRP: $134.99 USD / £95.83

Installation and upkeep

Right out of the package, the Ekoi tyres feel unique. Instead of the typical tan sidewall casing, the Ekoi RR is a true black and white scheme. The side wall is incredibly lightweight and pliable, while the tread pattern features a criss-cross of grooved rubber.

Installing the tyre was by far the most challenging aspect of the testing experience. The light, supple sidewalls allowed it to go onto the rim relatively easily, something I’ve struggled with on similarly constructed tyres. However, while I could inflate it with a floor pump, I wasn’t able to seat the bead on my hooked ENVE rims, where I can usually pop road tyres into place without fuss. Instead, these Ekoi tyres required an air compressor and a few extra tricks to get them fully seated.

Once they were on, tjere was a need for consistent reinflation in between rides, and I needed to add sealant after just a week of riding. Whenever I would get ready to ride, the tyres would be essentially flat. I never had any issues on rides, with the tyre pressure remaining consistent throughout long rides; however, when my bike was at home overnight, the air would leak out. Ultimately, this is a nitpick – if anything, it has made me more diligent at keeping my tyres at optimal pressure – but it is something I have monitored.

Ride quality and durability

Away from the foibles of installation and upkeep, the ride quality of the Ekoi RR 29 was incredible for day-to-day road riding. Since testing was done in the off-season, I have yet to verify race speed, but anecdotally, they impressed. January has been happy hunting for Strava PRs, with the Ekoi RR 29 feeling like a master of the rough, inconsistent tarmac of Arizona.

The secret sauce for the tyres' performance and feel is the sidewall. While the rubber tread seems fast enough and decently durable, what makes these tyres stand out is their ability to absorb road vibration and imperfections at optimal pressure for 29mm tyres.

Increasing evidence suggests that the fastest tyre pressure is around 75 psi, regardless of surface quality and tyre width. While Cycling Weekly cannot verify those findings, 75 psi was a great pressure for these tyres as it hit a fantastic balance of structure in turns and high power output, while offering superb ride feel and comfort. A lot of that comes from the 350 TPI casing, but the general construction feels like it is bang on the right track.

The biggest surprise of the test was durability. Phoenix is a puncture-prone place to ride a road bike. Not only are the city streets filled with debris and clutter, but the quieter suburban roads are also filled with thorns, loose metal and glass. With the lightweight sidewall and high TPI, my big worry was a disaster flat at any moment. Fortunately, the tyres actually performed far above the average for flat prevention.

Over a thousand kilometres of riding, I’ve had zero flats. By contrast, the previous two road tyres I used both punctured within the first five hundred kilometres. That said, I could roll out the door tomorrow and flat immediately, but so far the tyre has survived some very rough terrain, and the tread still has plenty of life left, even if the white sidewalls are far less clean these days.

Value and conclusion

What might cause a few folks to baulk at the Ekoi RR 29 is the $134.99 / £95.83 price tag for a largely unproven tyre. That pricing puts the tyre in the price range of the most premium offerings from Continental and Vittoria, which are undoubtedly more proven tyres than the Ekoi RR. Nevertheless, after riding the tyres, they sure do feel like a premium racing option for those willing to take the risk, and who do not have hookless rims – a key point to note once again.

Even so, the pricing still feels ambitious for a product whose long-term durability I’m still assessing. At present, it slightly undermines the value proposition. That could change over the coming weeks if the Ekoi RR continues to perform well as the kilometres accumulate, but for now it’s a difficult recommendation for budget-conscious cyclists. For those with more room to spend, however, I would absolutely suggest giving them a shot. It’s a very good-looking tyre, something genuinely new and different, and it delivers real performance on the road.