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Professional Review: Which Road Bike Tire Is the Fastest? (Part 2)

by Martin Yang 04 Dec 2024
Professional Review: Which Road Bike Tire Is the Fastest? (Part 2)

In the previous article "Professional Review: Which Road Bike Tire Is the Fastest? (Part 1)", we outlined the testing plan and conclusions. Next, we will dive into the results and data for each tire.

Vittoria Corsa Pro Control

Specifications

Price: £81 / $105

Weight: 303g

Available Widths: 24c, 26c, 28c, 30c, 32c

Measured Width: 27.7mm

Tubeless Ready: Yes

Hookless Compatibility: 28c, 30c, 32c only

Rolling Resistance Power at 9m/s: 19.3W

Rolling Resistance Power at 11m/s: 27.2W

Compared to GP5000 S TR at 9m/s: +9.4W

Compared to GP5000 S TR at 11m/s: +11.2W

This tire, while the second slowest in our test, is commonly seen in the World Tour. It's said to have a similar structure to the more common Corsa Pro, but with better grip and puncture resistance. It's most frequently seen during the spring classics, although we don't have grip data to back this up. According to our measurements, teams using this Vittoria tire lose 14.4W more power at around 40 km/h compared to the Corsa Pro from the same brand, and the power loss increases at higher speeds.

Cadex Race GC

 

 

Among all the dedicated all-round racing tires, the 28c Cadex Race GC has the highest power loss. It's not commonly seen at the World Tour level and is used by lower-tier teams like Kern-Pharma, which is why it has appeared on the Giro d’Italia stage. It's not a perfect match for our test rims, as it was designed by CADEX to fit their own 25mm rims, which could explain its poor performance in our tests. CADEX has stated that absolute speed wasn't the sole goal in developing this tire, but still, the 20W power loss compared to the GP5000 S TR is clearly noticeable. Under the same margin of error, the Race GC can easily be swapped with the Corsa Pro Control.

Panaracer Agilest TLR

 

 

Specifications

Price: £69.99 / $79.99

Weight: 244g

Available Widths: 25c, 28c, 30c, 32c

Measured Width: 27.7mm

Tubeless Ready: Yes

Hookless Compatibility: Yes

Rolling Resistance Power at 9m/s: 18W

Rolling Resistance Power at 11m/s: 25.3W

Compared to GP5000 S TR at 9m/s: +8.1W

Compared to GP5000 S TR at 11m/s: +9.3W

Agilest is known for its popular Gravel King series and is a versatile option in Panaracer's road tire lineup. The one we tested is relatively smooth, and its data at 9m/s even outperforms some professional-grade tires. Considering its slightly lower price, it ranks where it should, offering good value for money.

Michelin Power Cup TLR

 

 

Specifications

Price: £69.99 / $79.99

Weight: 289g

Available Widths: 23c, 25c, 28c, 30c

Measured Width: 28.5mm

Tubeless Ready: Yes

Hookless Compatibility: Yes

Rolling Resistance Power at 9m/s: 16.7W

Rolling Resistance Power at 11m/s: 24.2W

Compared to GP5000 S TR at 9m/s: +6.7W

Compared to GP5000 S TR at 11m/s: +8.2W

Michelin's Power Cup TLR has a similar market share to the Agilest TLR and also offers good value for money. When it was launched, its design aimed to capture the mature market with its cost-effectiveness. Plus, a pair of these tires only has a 1.4W difference in power loss compared to the Agilest, making it a great value. Unfortunately, if you're looking for the brown version, there are no sizes above 28c (the 30c size is only available in black), so if appearance matters to you, this could be a factor to consider.

Vittoria Corsa N.EXT

Specifications

Price: £71.95 / $89.99

Weight: 307g

Available Widths: 24c, 26c, 28c, 30c, 32c, 34c

Measured Width: 28.9mm

Tubeless Ready: Yes

Hookless Compatibility: 28c, 30c, 32c, 34c only

Rolling Resistance Power at 9m/s: 16W

Rolling Resistance Power at 11m/s: 24W

Compared to GP5000 S TR at 9m/s: +6W

Compared to GP5000 S TR at 11m/s: +8W

The biggest surprise in our test might be the Corsa tN.EXT. On the surface, it's Vittoria's second-tier road tire, positioned below any of the Corsa Pro series, but in reality, it's 6.6W faster than the Corsa Pro Control. It's cheaper, has a wide range of sizes, and from what we’ve felt, the tire is also more puncture-resistant. If you're considering the Corsa Pro, I’d recommend you go for this one instead, unless you really prefer the fancy cotton sidewalls for aesthetic or ride quality reasons.

 

Specialized S-Works Mondo

 

 

Specifications

Price: £55 / $80

Weight: 317g

Available Widths: 28c, 30c, 35c

Measured Width: 29.15mm

Tubeless Ready: Yes

Hookless Compatibility: Yes

Rolling Resistance Power at 9m/s: 15.5W

Rolling Resistance Power at 11m/s: 24.1W

Compared to GP5000 S TR at 9m/s: +5.6W

Compared to GP5000 S TR at 11m/s: +8.1W

Although it carries the S-Works name, this is actually the slowest tire in Specialized's lineup. It’s more of a "bad weather" tire and definitely a supporting player in the Turbo Cotton series. It was designed to help Specialized-sponsored riders tackle the cobblestone roads of races like Flanders and Roubaix, with a 35c width that’s wider than most tires. Specialized’s previous cobblestone tire, the Turbo Cotton Hell of the North version, remains one of the fastest tires in our tests, though it comes in an inner tube version and 28c width, which is still too narrow for most riders on cobblestones.

 

Goodyear Eagle F1 R

 

 

 

Specifications

Price: £65 / $80

Weight: 285g

Available Widths: 25c, 28c, 30c, 32c, 34c

Measured Width: 29.7mm

Tubeless Ready: Yes

Hookless Compatibility: Yes

Rolling Resistance Power at 9m/s: 15.5W

Rolling Resistance Power at 11m/s: 22.9W

Compared to GP5000 S TR at 9m/s: +5.6W

Compared to GP5000 S TR at 11m/s: +6.9W

The Eagle F 1R is a high-performance road tire, but its advantages are somewhat overshadowed by the later release of the F1 Supersport R. The difference between the two is about 4W per pair, and their prices are similar. If you're after speed and are a fan of Goodyear, I'd recommend going for the Supersport version.

 

Hutchinson Blackbird

 

 

 

Specifications

Price: £62 / $64

Weight: 285g

Available Widths: 26c, 28c, 30c

Measured Width: 27.8mm

Tubeless Ready: Yes

Hookless Compatibility: Available only in 28c and 30c

Rolling Resistance Power at 9m/s: 14.8W

Rolling Resistance Power at 11m/s: 22.3W

Compared to GP5000 S TR at 9m/s: +4.9W

Compared to GP5000 S TR at 11m/s: +6.3W

This is a relatively new product, and it claims to be an all-around tire. It’s close to the entry-level competition tire, and considering the margin of error, you could say it’s only slightly slower than the Schwalbe Pro One TLE used by the Canyon-SRAM team in WorldTour races. It’s also one of the more affordable tires in our tests, and the price-to-performance ratio is definitely a key factor for many of us.

 

Schwalbe Pro One TLE

 

 

 

Specifications

Price: £63.23 / $72.80

Weight: 297g

Available Widths: 25c, 28c, 30c, 32c, 34c, 38c

Measured Width: 27.4mm

Tubeless Ready: Yes

Hookless Compatibility: Yes

Rolling Resistance Power at 9m/s: 14.5W

Rolling Resistance Power at 11m/s: 21.7W

Compared to GP5000 S TR at 9m/s: +4.6W

Compared to GP5000 S TR at 11m/s: +5.7W

Schwalbe, as an all-around competition tire, is used by the Canyon-SRAM and UnoX teams, but it's also one of the slowest products among the women's teams in the WorldTour. According to our data, riders using this tire expend 11.4W more power compared to those using Continental tires. Considering our test speeds didn’t reach competitive race intensity, the actual difference might vary.

 

Specialized S-Works Turbo 2BR T2/T5

 

 

 

Specifications

Price: £55 / $80

Weight: 287g

Available widths: 26c, 28c, 30c

Measured width: 28.4mm

Tubeless compatible: Yes

Tubeless ready: Yes

Rolling resistance power at 9m/s: 14.3W

Rolling resistance power at 11m/s: 22.3W

Compared to GP5000 S TR at 9m/s: +4.4W

Compared to GP5000 S TR at 11m/s: +6.3W

Among all the Specialized tires, this is probably the one most of us would consider buying. It has the "Turbo" name and is a tubeless tire, whereas the Turbo Cottons are not. While most riders from the teams sponsored by Specialized opt for Turbo Cotton, some choose tubeless tires, and this one becomes the go-to for those riders. While it's not as high-performing as the Turbo Cottons, it does have the advantage of self-repairing small punctures.

 

Vittoria Corsa Pro

 

 

 

Specifications

Price: £81 / $104.99

Weight: 292g

Available widths: 24c, 26c, 28c, 30c, 32c

Measured width: 27.75mm

Tubeless compatible: Yes

Hookless compatible: Only for 28c, 30c, 32c

Rolling resistance power at 9m/s: 13.7W

Rolling resistance power at 11m/s: 20.9W

Compared to GP5000 S TR at 9m/s: +3.7W

Compared to GP5000 S TR at 11m/s: +4.9W

After personally testing this tire, I can confirm that it's extremely smooth and soft, which gives a very fast riding feel. However, from the numbers, as one of the most common tires in top-level racing and the one that dominated the 2023 Giro d'Italia GC, its rolling resistance data still lags behind the GP5000 S TR.

 

Pirelli P-Zero Race TLR RS

 

 

 

 

 

Specifications

Price: £84.99 / $100

Weight: 304g

Available widths: 26c, 28c, 30c, 32c

Measured width: 27.38mm

Tubeless compatible: Yes

Hookless compatible: Only for 28c, 30c, 32c

Rolling resistance power at 9m/s: 13.5W

Rolling resistance power at 11m/s: 19.4W

Compared to GP5000 S TR at 9m/s: +3.6W

Compared to GP5000 S TR at 11m/s: +3.4W

Pirelli's latest top-tier tire made its debut in early 2023 on the Lidl-Trek team’s race bikes, with the #Prototype logo on the sidewall. Its performance and pricing comfortably place it in the mid-range. While our testing speeds weren't as fast as those in actual races, it shows that this tire could rank a few spots higher or lower depending on the speed. However, it can be assumed that its performance is comparable to other products in the same ranking range.

 

Goodyear Eagle F1 Supersport R

 

 

 

 

Specifications

Price: £61.18 / $80
Weight: 264g
Available Widths: 25c, 28c, 30c, 32c, 34c
Measured Width: 28.8mm
Tubeless Ready: Yes
Hookless Compatible: Yes
Rolling Resistance Power at 9m/s: 13.4W
Rolling Resistance Power at 11m/s: 19.6W
Compared to GP5000 S TR at 9m/s: +3.4W
Compared to GP5000 S TR at 11m/s: +3.6W

Among the Goodyear tires we've tested, this one is the fastest, and each tire is about 20g lighter than the others. It's faster, lighter, and the price is similar. If you’re looking purely at speed performance, this is definitely the best option from the brand. However, if you also need to consider durability and other factors, you'll need to take that into account.

 

Challenge Criterium RS

 

 

 

Specifications

Price: £58.72 / $120
Weight: 253g
Available Widths: 25c, 27c (traditional size), 28c, 30c
Measured Width: 27.15mm
Tubeless Compatible: Yes
Bead Compatibility: Yes
Rolling Resistance Power at 9m/s: 13.3W
Rolling Resistance Power at 11m/s: 19.7W
Compared to GP5000 S TR at 9m/s: +3.3W
Compared to GP5000 S TR at 11m/s: +3.7

The tire we tested is the traditional 27c size, and it was quite tricky to install. We also found that this is a common issue with Challenge tires. During installation, there was a self-sealing fluid leak, which might have affected the test data. However, it still proves to be a relatively fast tire, likely due to its 350 TPI casing. The TPI, which stands for threads per inch, isn’t consistent across brands and is often used as a standard for measuring the tire’s softness.

 

Continental GP5000 AS TR

 

 

 

Specifications

Price: £84.95 / $110
Weight: 335g
Available Widths: 25c, 28c, 32c, 35c
Measured Width: 28.5mm
Tubeless Ready: Yes
Hookless Compatible: Yes
Rolling Resistance Power at 9m/s: 13.3W
Rolling Resistance Power at 11m/s: 21.2W
Compared to GP5000 S TR at 9m/s: +3.3W
Compared to GP5000 S TR at 11m/s: +5.2W

This tire shows more variation in performance at different speeds compared to others. For everyday riders who typically ride at around 30km/h, this tire is a solid choice. It offers better durability, stronger grip, and better sidewall support. While it consumes 6.6W more power than the GP5000 S TR, this power loss is something you'd likely feel only in racing conditions. If you're not aiming for maximum performance, this tire is a great value option.

 

Continental Aero 111

 

 

 

Specifications

Price: €101.26 / $132

Weight: 281g

Available Widths: 26c, 29c

Measured Width: 28.75mm

Tubeless Ready: Yes

Hookless Compatible: Yes

Rolling Resistance Power at 9m/s: 12.4W

Rolling Resistance Power at 11m/s: 19.7W

Compared to GP5000 S TR at 9m/s: +2.5W

Compared to GP5000 S TR at 11m/s: +3.7W

 

Specialized Turbo Cotton

 

 

Specifications

Price: £65 / $125

Weight: 255g

Available Widths: 24c, 26c

Measured Width: 27.15mm

Does it support tubeless: No

Hookless compatible: No

Rolling resistance power at 9m/s: 11.2W

Rolling resistance power at 11m/s: 17.8W

Compared to GP5000 S TR at 9m/s: +1.2W

Compared to GP5000 S TR at 11m/s: +1.8W

The test results for the Turbo Cotton and the wider Hell of the North version are pretty much the same. Considering the non-Hell version’s maximum size is only 26c, I’d bet the Hell of the North version is the one most of us would choose. Even though this wider tire is a bit outdated now, not supporting tubeless or hookless, its performance still holds up against the best tires. In fact, aside from the Corsa Pro Speed, it's one of the fastest cotton tires we've tested.

 

Specialized Turbo Cotton Hell of the North

 

 

Specifications

Price: £65 / $125
Weight: 259g
Available Width: 28c
Measured Width: 28.66mm
Tubeless Compatible: No
Hookless Compatible: No
Rolling Resistance Power at 9m/s: 11W
Rolling Resistance Power at 11m/s: 18.3W
Compared to GP5000 S TR at 9m/s: +1.1W
Compared to GP5000 S TR at 11m/s: +2.3W

In terms of speed performance, this tire is pretty much the same as the standard Turbo Cotton. However, it’s said that the 28c width offers better grip, so unless your bike can only fit 26c, this would be the better choice. For such high-performance tires, both Turbo Cotton versions are relatively affordable, but the downside is that they don’t support tubeless tires. You’ll need latex inner tubes to achieve those power numbers, which will slightly increase the overall cost of use.

 

Schwalbe Pro One TT

 

 

 

Specifications

Price: £63.23 / $83
Weight: 250g
Available Widths: 25c, 28c
Measured Width: 29.25mm
Tubeless Compatible: Yes
Hookless Compatible: Yes
Rolling Resistance Power at 9m/s: 10.1W
Rolling Resistance Power at 11m/s: 16.9W
Compared to GP5000 S TR at 9m/s: +0.2W
Compared to GP5000 S TR at 11m/s: +0.9W

This tire is fast on its own, but when looking at it from a time-trial perspective, the Pro One TT is the slowest among all tires, 4.6W slower than the Vittoria Corsa Pro Speed. And despite being a time-trial tire, it’s also slower than the standard GP5000 S TR.

 

Panaracer Agilest Fast

 

 

 

Price: £69.99 / $92

Weight: 257g

Available widths: 25c, 28c

Measured width: 28.4mm

Tubeless compatible: No

Hookless compatible: No

Rolling resistance power at 9m/s: 10W

Rolling resistance power at 11m/s: 16.8W

Compared to GP5000 S TR at 9m/s: +0.1W

Compared to GP5000 S TR at 11m/s: +0.8W

The tubeless version Agilest TLR and this "Fast" model, which only supports inner tubes, have a significant performance gap. To be specific, at 9m/s, the power difference is 16W. It’s the fastest among all the inner tube-only tire models, even beating the Turbo Cotton. However, it doesn’t advertise itself as a time trial-specific tire. If we look at it in that light, we can conclude that it's the only all-around race tire that matches the GP5000 S TR, actually offering the same power loss.

 

Continental GP5000 S TR

 

 

 

Specifications

Price: £79.95 / $105

Weight: 247g

Available Widths: 25c, 28c, 32c

Measured Width: 28.6mm

Tubeless Compatible: Yes

Hookless Compatible: Yes

Rolling Resistance Power at 9m/s: 10W

Rolling Resistance Power at 11m/s: 16W

Compared to GP5000 S TR at 9m/s: -

Compared to GP5000 S TR at 11m/s: -

Whether in this test or overall, the GP5000 S TR is the benchmark for all the tires we tested. With its strong performance in races, excellent reputation, and top-notch features, it's undeniably one of the best road bike tires. It comes in a maximum size of 32c and is a tubeless-ready tire. It's pricey, but if you're after peak performance, the investment is definitely justified.

 

Continental GP5000 TT TR

 

 

 

Specifications

Price: £99.95 / $120
Weight: 257g
Available Widths: 25c, 28c
Measured Width: 29.56mm
Tubeless Ready: Yes
Hookless Compatible: Yes
Rolling Resistance Power at 9m/s: 9.8W
Rolling Resistance Power at 11m/s: 15.9W
Compared to GP5000 S TR at 9m/s: -0.2W
Compared to GP5000 S TR at 11m/s: -0.1W

Our tests show that there's not much difference between the GP5000 S TR and the TT TR. The power loss is almost identical, and the standard GP5000 S TR is even slightly lighter on the scale. Interestingly, even though both are labeled as 28mm, the TT TR measured 1mm wider on our test rims. We've seen top teams like Ineos using the TT TR as their go-to tire, but based on our actual tests and observations, even at higher speeds, it doesn't seem to offer any extra benefit to the riders.

 

Vittoria Corsa Pro Speed

 

 

 

Specifications

Price: £81 / $130
Weight: 256g
Available Widths: 24c, 26c, 28c
Measured Width: 27.82mm
Tubeless Compatible: Yes
Hookless Compatible: 28c only
Rolling Resistance Power at 9m/s: 8.6W
Rolling Resistance Power at 11m/s: 14.6W
Compared to GP5000 S TR at 9m/s: -1.3W
Compared to GP5000 S TR at 11m/s: -1.4W

Based on our test data, we can confidently say that this is the fastest tire in the test, and it feels incredibly thin when held in hand. It saves 2.8W of power compared to the GP5000 S TR, which is similar to Continental's time trial tires. It’s fast, albeit expensive, but in WorldTour-level races, victories can be decided by just a fraction of a second. If I had the chance to race on such a stage, I would definitely choose this tire.

 

 

Recommended Reading:

  1. Professional Review: Which Road Bike Tire Is the Fastest? (Part 2)
  2. Wind Tunnel Showdown: Head-to-Head Comparison of 11 Super Bikes (Part 2)
  3. Wind Tunnel Showdown: 11 Super Cars Face-Off (Part 1)
  4. Beginner's Guide: A Complete Breakdown of Mainstream Road Bike Groupset Levels
  5. Beginner's Guide: Detailed Explanation of Front Derailleur Types, Installation, and Compatibility
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