Rene Herse Barlow Pass tires reviewed: a true All-Road tire with unparalleled ride feel

‘Supple’ may be an entirely overused word to describe a bike tire, but these tires truly are supple AF

René Herse Barlow Pass Tires
(Image credit: Anne-Marije Rook)
Cycling Weekly Verdict

The Barlow Pass is an excellent All Road tire that features a fast-rolling, nearly slick tread that belies its grippiness. While spendy, the ride feel and comfort is unlike any other tire on the market.

Reasons to buy
  • +

    Fast-rolling

  • +

    Surprising capable on various terrain

  • +

    Unparalleled ride feel

  • +

    Tubeless compatible

  • +

    Not directional

  • +

Reasons to avoid
  • -

    Expensive

  • -

    Skip the extralight casing, go for the standard or endurance casing to avoid punctures

  • -

You can trust Cycling Weekly. Our team of experts put in hard miles testing cycling tech and will always share honest, unbiased advice to help you choose. Find out more about how we test.

I should preface this review by sharing that my first experience with René Herse tires (formerly branded as Compass Cycles) wasn't a good one. I was attending a bike launch where most of the bikes received some fresh René Herse rubber the night before the journalists' arrival. And while the tires' grippiness and rolling speed initially impressed, seating issues and the vast number of punctures quickly soured the experience. 

It's hard to tell whether the extra light casing or a rushed setup was the culprit, but internet forum chatter and word-of-mouth reviews would have one believe that my experience wasn't all that rare. Yet the same time, René Herse tires have an almost cult-like following with randonneurs and adventure cyclists everywhere — they're even the tire of choice of gravel cyclist Ted King and the queen of ultra-distance riding, Lael Wilcox. So I was keen to give these tires another go. And I am glad I did. 

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