How To Choose The Best Road Bike Tyre | BikeRadar's Ultimate Buyer's Guide

This video contains paid product placement for Pirelli. How to chose the best road bike tire can be a difficult decision to make but BikeRadar is here with the ultimate road bike tire guide.
Ever looked at a tyre-brand website and wondered what all the jargon means? This video is for you. As the only contact point between you and the road, your tyres are one of the most important components on your bicycle. But because road bike tyres generally all look so similar, it’s not always easy to spot the difference between a good tyre and a bad tyre in a shop.
Also, upgrading your bike’s stock tyres to something better, whether that be in terms of greater volume, decreased rolling resistance, improved cornering grip or simply increased puncture protection, can transform your riding experience.
However, the choice of road bike tyres available on the market can be a little overwhelming. The devil really is in the detail, so we’ve put our team of expert testers to the task, logging thousands of kilometres to find the best road bike tyres available in 2021.
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[@404nobrakes]

I got the Pirellis. Horrible puncture resistance compared to my gatorskins (obviously). I put orange endurance seal in the tubes (may be better to go with latex tubes next time) and haven't flatted since. Knock on wood. But I've been enjoying the rolling resistance and grip of race tires with the same reliability as my Gators. Win win.

[@ytcensorship8180]

I got PIRELLI VELO grey. I done 1000km without a puncture.Great tires best buy for me

[@404nobrakes]

@@ytcensorship8180 I think it's a local thing. We have goathead thorns, which will penetrate any tire. But the sticky compound on these seems to let sharp stuff stick to it better than my Gators.

[@hotdog9025]

Was running 25’s on road bikes back in 2006 with friends taking the Pisa out of me! The tyres were fast and comfy though! Glad it’s the standard now. 28’s on road CX - cruises comfortably but loses handling compared to my 25’s.

[@CharlieCarbsandCycling]

Tubeless is the best. No punctures and faster rolling resistance. A bit of a hassle to set up first time with rim tape etc, but after that it is dreamy and wouldn't recommend it enough

[@growproteas1148]

What do you do if you get a leak that isn't fixed on the road?

[@RyonBeachner]

grow proteas Put a tube in it. Your tubeless experience will vary drastically by choice in sealant. In my experience one brand I had used simply shot out of the tire and all over me and my bike, whereas another sealed nearly immediately and I didn’t even notice I punctured.

[@sanshinron]

Orange sealant is the best in independent testing.

[@RyonBeachner]

sanshinron in my experience as well.

[@tobortine]

I've run tubeless for a couple of years but they're not perfect. If you get a puncture it'll get you home but in my experience you'll end up changing the tyre and that's expensive. As others have mentioned the sealant you use makes a massive difference and the best is, once again, more expensive. For me it amounts to how much are you willing to pay not to have to fix a puncture beside the road? If you can afford it, then great, go for tubeless otherwise stick to inner tubes. (N.B - I'm on the edge of changing back after this current set because of the cost)

[@icebreakertech]

I have a really high rolling resistance, even without a bike.

[@air_preep]

lol

[@damonshields9494]

I like to start my day with a chuckle!

[@brettshearerme]

you need to take 2 tyres on the road, not 3 (your spare tyre does not help)

[@freeagent8225]

I buy the cheapest no name tyres in Thailand. I always come last on our rides, but can afford a coffee and good breakfast. Its your choice.

[@redhunter1535]

What about your pride and honor. Is all of that worth a coffee? I don't think so. Start drinking free water.

[@giorgio4660]

'cause last one pay

[@mahoganymarco9199]

That's the spirit!

[@comdrive3865]

Also. Those that ride the most can beat those with better tyres in the right circumstances. Practice is king.

[@axetrac10]

Hahaha. Good one!!!

[@GoAlastair]

What a fantastically informative video! Thank you!

[@bikeradar]

Glad you found it useful and thanks for watching!

[@gsmd770]

I use 28mm tubeless tires. I love'em! I use a aero bike and they make the ride a dream!

[@cosmicgyoza1898]

Hard to make an objective video when sponsored by a tyres brand 😂 I personnaly use Continental Grand Sport Race or Ultra Sport, I haven't changed them in years, they are amazing! 25 in the front, 23 in the back. Better grip on front wheel is essential IMO. Talking aerodynamic for such a small difference is useless, but concerning the grip, 2 mm make a big difference.

[@vg3222]

Why not 25 in the back too

[@richardggeorge]

You forgot the fourth category of tyres. Tufo tubular clinchers 😂 (constructed like a regular tubular tyre apart from having a butyl inner layer instead of a latex tube and a mounting strip that clips into the clincher rim hooks). Some would argue they take the worst aspects of both tubulars and clinchers

[@veganpotterthevegan]

No need, almost nobody is dumb enough to buy them anymore🙃 Except for cyclocross racers...

[@thephatcyclist1766]

I ride 23c or 25c tire. The Serfas survivor series tires, best road tires period. I've never had a problem an they've lasted me a very long time. With multiple layers within them I have no need to worry. I have tried others on the market those are my go to tires, I live in Arizona an deal with all types of elements.

[@ianauger4364]

Would love it if you guys did a side by side comparison test for CX tubeless tires, picking a mix of tires within each sub-category (Dry, Mix, Wet).

[@maxgrass8134]

I love my tubeless setup: Schwalbe Pro One 28mm Tires on ZTR Alpha 340 Rims. Epic!

[@notthemessiah9243]

So much choice and so many variations on the same tire i can't decide. I have Pirelli cinturato tires 28mm for my hybrid and they were good but I cannot get them onto my road bike wheel no matter how hard I try. They barely went onto my hybrid which has bigger rims and destroyed my levers in the process.

[@leemeerun8422]

Best tyres I use for years on every bike never punctured continental gatorskin 😁👍

[@fastestmilkman3840]

Bought some vittoria corsa rubino tan wall at 28s, soooo nice.. Especially on UK road.

[@remondodemont7364]

Very nice and informative, background music annoying as….. well… no swearing allowed.

[@kayp8949]

In order to get the lower resistance you have to use high preassure, is not you will still have a long contact patch. The tire will feel verry hard, a slimmer tire will be more comfortable and faster at a relative high preassure.

[@kay19833]

If you pause at 4:18, even at 4:32 and between 4:40 & 4:44, you could clearly see the tires used are wider than the rims they're seated on and give that bulb effect. Roadsnubs and mechanics have told me you shouldn't have a tire popping out like that because, first, it's not aesthetically pleasing and it's going to slow you down meaning it's not "aero". But, here you are, experts like bike radar rocking it like it's going out of style. So, Who do I believe now? I have a RC36 spline carbon clincher from DT-swiss, 350 hubs picked up for just little under $850 complete set, 15mm internals and 21 ext., running Conti ultrashort 25mm and it's not even that wide on the rim, it's like flush almost or like a millimeter or so wider on both sides, is there anything wrong with this? should I really go for a 23 to get "aero"? is anyone also running slightly wider tires than rims. any noticeable performance drawback or it's just the snobby roadie rule thing? Another question is, I would like the fastest rolling tires 'cos what I ride right now is just some training tires with very poor grip in corners. I need performance over anything, low rolling resistance, grip in corners, puncture resistance, looks and durability exactly in that order. I found out the Vittoria Corsa speed tubeless are the fastest available tires to mankind, do I get this or are there other recommended non tubeless clinchers that are put there? Is going tubeless worth it? I weigh between 96 and 100kg, more of a sprinter than but I do climb too. only road use.

[@sebastianjost]

Look at a mountainbike. The tires there are much wider than the rims and they can still go quite fast. It's not a big deal. It may be very slightly less aerodynamic but other things like wind, how much you eat before riding or just whether or not the sun shines will affect your ride a lot more than what you gain by having more aerodynamic tires.

[@xddg78]

what's the disadvantage of inflating a 700x23 tube on a 700x25 tire?

[@dakotacooper2197]

i love my pirelli tyers grip like nothing else i just chuck em into any corner and he dont complain

[@marcosr666]

How are they in the rain compared to continentals?

[@KurtisPape]

"Benefits of clincher tires with a tube are they are easy to fix, just unbead 1 side of the tire and put a new tube in" (Estimated time 10 - 30 minutes depending on how stubborn the tire is and much you pump up) Well Tubeless tires, get a hole it just seals itself, get a catastrophic cut in the tire, just plug it (Estimated time 30 seconds MAX). We need P Zero in tubeless...

[@veganpotterthevegan]

It takes you 10-30min to change out a tube?

[@RyonBeachner]

Yeah, I’m pretty sure a tube change shouldn’t take more than 5 minutes at the worst.

[@404nobrakes]

@@RyonBeachner I hate it when people say stuff like this. Just because you can change a tube in 5 minutes doesn't mean everyone else can. Some tires take a really long time to wrestle back on. If the offending sharp object didn't get lodged into the tire, you may spend 5 minutes just feeling the tire and looking for something sharp that doesn't exist. You could theoretically spend forever but at some point you have to call it. Then, after you put the tube in you can't assume you put it in correctly. You have to pull the sidewall from the rim and make sure you don't see tube. Then, if you're using a pump and not CO2, you're going spend 3 to 5 minutes pumping. So yes. 10-30 minutes is reasonable, especially if you're not experienced.

[@RyonBeachner]

Saurabh Kulkarni I apologize if I struck a nerve, I’m not trying to insinuate some sort of superiority, but if you ride often it’s really worth practicing a tube change to familiarize yourself with the process, and bring down the chance of mistake and the time spent performing the change. I couldn’t change a tube, and refused to learn because I used to just say “I can call an Uber” but eventually I accepted the fact I was riding often enough that I should probably be able to handle things myself in a reasonable amount of time. So I locked myself in the garage and changed my own tube until I could do it efficiently. 30 minutes is excessive if you’re familiar with what you’re doing, and if you’re just unwilling to try and improve, that’s on you. Also, CO2 vs Pump is preference, and although CO2 is faster, there’s some good pumps which will get the job done far faster than 3 minutes, just check reviews and read around.

[@KurtisPape]

@@veganpotterthevegan never changed one, never will use one, takes most people that long. It would be a sin to use an inner tube

[@antoniostefangabriel9829]

now do a mtb version pls.

[@redhunter1535]

Road bikes are better tho what do you think. You can go fastah

[@pratyushsharma6655]

@@redhunter1535 Try to go that fast on a mountain with your bike 😉

[@mihirhafiz8404]

@@pratyushsharma6655 i think he told about ROAD BIKE TYRE lmao.Road bike is the best

[@robertvaicius7990]

Thanks! but music was too loud

[@langy8525]

I love my Pirelli P Zero 4s Tyres. I hate cringey sponsored videos but I have to say I love these. Continental also

[@stevelegge3307]

Lol, im 18 stone and my tyres are 19 width 🤣, think its time for an upgrade.

[@oneswolf]

This is actually quite good for those that are not experienced or members of the elite.

[@sheddski2942]

i just installed 2sets of youre pirelli P7Sports tires on my 2roadbikes but was surprized by the fact they are 700cX 28 and the ones i took off Kenda Kontender which were 700cX 26 and they measure same width as the P7 ??

[@user-bu6mx9ks9p]

Excellent

[@freehugs9223]

I use Walmart tires with about a gallon of slime in them. Also I put tire liners in them and pump them up to 100 psi. Then I go out and win the tour de fuck yeah!

[@imai148]

How to know your tire is the right side?

[@philhouck3560]

25 mm tires will soon give way to 28 mm tires. Even the pros are using 28 mm tires for some stages. Wider and suppler tires with an appropriate air pressure protect the rider from suspension loss. Providing for wider tires should be a major consideration when purchasing a new bike or frameset. As for running tubeless, this solves a problem for road bikes that doesn't exist. There are too many problems with riding tubeless to justify their use when riding with a quality tube just makes life simpler. I suspect that none of the claimed advantages of riding tubeless really work out in real life or in properly conducted testing. Sure there are folks who will claim they've had no problems but sealants eventually dry out and lose their ability to seal and there's no way to tell when this has happened except when the tire flats. And there's the mess that sealants can create. That said, I use tubeless ready tires and rims because the tire interlock with a good hook-beaded rim means that the rim is unlikely to contact the pavement if a puncture or blowout occurs allowing the rider to keep the bike under control until a safe stop can be made. I just use tubes with them.

[@rouxzherr1304]

thanks sir! just want to ask coz currently i have 700 x 23c tyres....and planning to convert my RD to gravel bike ...what size of tubular tyre can you recommend...thanks and morepower go go go bikeradar....hello from indonesia! .

[@mrfailure93]

Great video

[@rieckstudio]

Pirelli P-zeros have been the worse constructed tires I've own. Great on the road but they've come apart and in several cases blown out. 😔

[@89marcinn]

I'm tempted to try a tubeless setup and see if it really is better than high-end clinchers. btw, how did you get along with the Rose ? love the look of it :)

[@maxgrass8134]

I also noticed the Rose. Looks great!

[@philoso377]

Page 2:40. For those ‘aero anxieties’ cyclist who hair shave their legs quite often, please tell me this tire is anywhere aero optimal? Leaving rubber whiskers in the air.

[@fifojr]

What do you think of Pirelli "cinturato" vs. Schwalbe pro one tubeless?

[@nizarfakhoury]

Excellent review. I'm currently using 25's on my road bike, would your recommend I move up to 28's or stay with the existing set?

[@helmetculture]

What bike are you on

[@nizarfakhoury]

rui teixeira Canyon ultimate, using Zipps 404’s rim

[@Lan_gtg]

Again, P Zero tubeless please 🙂

[@404nobrakes]

I'd pay $120 easy for a pair of those.

[@Lan_gtg]

Pretty cheap for F1 tyres

[@solefreak2]

So if I want to go faster, should I stick with the 30mm tires I currently have on my Spec Diverge or downsize to a 25 or even 28mm?

[@2552legoboy]

28 is supposed to be “fastest” now but 30 is good, you can go on a bit of gravel :)

[@Ramuis166]

Can anyone help me on the tyre subject? I'm currently running on 32-622 cyclocross tyres with around 5bar(they won't take more) and am thinking on switching to 28-622 slicks to run on 7 bars, any recomendations whether this is a smart move? The purpose of this would obviously going faster.

[@georgestate9384]

@Ramuis, consult your rim manufacturer or "the internet" to see if your rim can take 7 bar of pressure, else, there is no problem of going from ciclocross tires to 28c...

[@Hui633]

Which one the lightest brand size 700 x 25 tires?

[@Krejza82]

Chieftain musical theme, hm. Do you love tanks, too?

[@PeterMcMullan01]

My commuter bike came with tires that say they are 42-622 (700x40C). I know it doesn't matter but whats the logic there? Are the 40mm or 42mm? They're Schwable Road Cruisers.

[@Mrich775]

Just measure them with calipers, almost all tires vary a few mm's from stated size just from manufacturing.

[@JogBird]

Continental GP4000S2 is all you need

[@carlooi2817]

Sidewall durability is ok otherwise they're great

[@denisdrc5836]

continental are the most unreliable tyres I know, never buy them, don't risk your life!!!

[@nocturnal_walker]

true if you want standard clinchers, but far behind tubeless options. Ones you convert to tubeless, you will never go back :)

[@Ripinda1911]

@@denisdrc5836 never had a problem with them

[@raphaeltiziani7476]

Michelin Power competition is better in every way.

[@PhillipYewTree]

i wanted to listen, but the awful background noise gave me a head ache. 👎

[@wmlarch]

10:53, who likes riding over broken glass? and with tubeless, "its less chance of "pitch flats"...since there is no tube, there should be no chance of pitch flats!

[@ozan3076]

I love pirelli since they made a Bmw Gs, Honda Africa Twin, Ducati comparasion video

[@TheSinadin]

where is the break even point? what about 35mm tyres?

[@404nobrakes]

It depends on how smooth your roads are and how much acceleration/climbing you're doing. If you're on a hardwood veldrome, even a 20mm tire may be OK. If you're riding tarmac that's rougher than most unpaved roads, then even 47mm tires may be faster given enough distance. Maybe not from a rolling resistance standpoint, but from a suspension loss and fatigue standpoint.

[@TheSinadin]

thank you

[@chanieuk]

Video volume is too low.

[@paulbrenchley8178]

The best way to ride faster is to take drugs.

[@sebastianjost]

Just find a hill and ride down. I bet you will be a lot faster than everyone going the other way

[@duston1540]

Lol

[@basedgodstrugglin]

Took meth and I can confirm this

[@TarmanTheChampion]

I took drugs and put a 2 stroke engine on my bike. Best combo

[@daanhilbers764]

Could you do a tyres guide for cyclocross?

[@sbsb4995]

Good content, but your voice recording is quite poor.

[@brianwillaman1776]

I am willing to pay $200 a tire in order to stop getting flats/punctures. I have used SO MANY kinds of puncture resistant kind of tires, with no luck. I have had 13 punctures this year and in the last 4 years, close to 50. So stinking annoying.

[@aveenmahabal]

make sure you have new rim tape.

[@brianwillaman1776]

I have a great local bike shop I use for all maintenance. They are fantastic. I'm just at a loss as to why I'm getting so many punctures.

[@404nobrakes]

@@brianwillaman1776 what tires do you use? Have you tried using gatorskin hardshells with latex tubes and orange endurance sealant?

[@christophbuomberger8375]

best thing in this video was the 3t crank on that upper

[@al404]

what's the brand of the jersey?

[@DCassidy42]

Are 28s noticeably more comfortable than 25s

[@bikeradar]

Yes, and they should be faster too. Just make sure you have enough clearance before buying!

[@christophmaricau6248]

Then why use the pro's 25mm if 28mm is faster? Lot's of bikes have enough clearance.

[@Goriaas]

not hugely in my opinion. SLIGHTLY more comfortable since you can run them a bar lower. but both on 7 bar they are pretty much same in terms of feel, and the difference between a more supple and a stiff tyre is much bigger than the difference between 25 and 28

[@404nobrakes]

I started using a 28 in the back. If I'm being honest, I think the biggest difference is that you can get more comfortable without risking pinch flats. It's not necessarily faster AND more comfortable. It could be ever so slightly faster at the same comfort level, but there's so many other variables that are easier to achieve that it's not a huge deal. That being said, if your bike is already pretty heavy, then you may as well put a 28 in the back (and the front if you don't care about handling).

[@quwers]

@@bikeradar So 40c tyres are therefore the quickest.

[@jackkeable6752]

bono my tires gon

[@psychogobetween]

😍

[@Klatrevalross]

Even before the video begins they throw up an ad from Pirelli. Well, there goes all of the credibility away from whatever they are about to say.

[@MikeJRe2ipi]

LtBS

[@xxiipp]

Buy Conti GP4000's. That's it. Guide over.

[@maxgrass8134]

they are very good tires. I rode them for years. No worries. Switched to tubeless with Schwalbe Pro Ones and I can really feel the difference. They just feel so much faster... Or maybe I'm just dreaming. I tried some tubes (Continental Sprinters) last year I they didn't feel anywhere near as good as the tubeless Schwalbes. This is "feel" only I don't know if they are really faster, but the feel is amazing. By the way I also really like the Continental 4 Seasons. Great tire as well.

[@ooldmka]

Schwalbe and Pirelli are just enough. And are not that heavy..

[@stepforward1605]

It's two years old. Really?

[@jackluke9243]

Please leave abusive comments about my sassy wiggling hips and constant hand gestures below

[@bikeradar]

Next time, we're just going to use one of these - kzbin.info/www/bejne/mHK1lpl5hpl2jqc

[@candidcars]

it's the "techtastic" that really got to me

[@GNX157]

Keep in mind this whole thing is sponsored by Pirelli. It's only flashed on the screen once for a few seconds in the beginning.

[@bikeradar]

And clearly stated on the first line of the description. And mentioned two times in the script. :P

[@matteokalla]

I don't have time to waste with a sponsored video

[@hanyaoyap1826]

Hahahahah

[@nocturnal_walker]

but you have time to comment :). that's fine, come back latter or just don't watch, nobody is forcing you to do so.

[@veganpotterthevegan]

You've got enough time to comment. Everything he's saying is universal.

[@maxgrass8134]

I thought the same thing when the sponsor appeared in the intro. The video was still worth watching.

[@r05ejan8]

What is this.... "Tyre" ??? XD

[@mr.h8468]

i bet you like dancing

[@mikpiotto]

Theres no point to have treads

[@gustavomedrano3628]

This is mess up

[@YingMa-lt7to]

first

[@peteryeung111]

Fact: these tyres costs more than my bike 😬

[@1a2b3c4.]

Check spelling on TYRE 😂🤣😂 Next time you do a video check spelling first.

[@julianduque8832]

Boooooring

[@ting280]

You guys spelled tire wrong

[@BikeLife154]

You guys are using our language and ruining it! I'm TIRED with you!

[@Richard_Ashton]

Telling English people on an English video how to spell English words is a bit rich. You can't even drive on the correct side of the road.

[@ericstrohl2952]

Was a little apprehensive when buying this with the few negative reviews on here, but this was exactly the kind of bike I was looking for. kzbin.infoUgkxn_jUDSlprMIeubd9rHdEAnv59nKfjcKv I plan to ride it on paved roadways and trails, and wanted a "Grocery Getter" so to speak. After receiving it (without any damage), I had it out of the box, and fully assembled in about 30 minutes. I did not have to look at the manual, and I'm glad because I did look at it after I got it together, and it looks like it's a manual for several different styles. I did have to adjust the breaks and gear shifters, but that's been my experience with every bike I've owned. There was one review in particular that made me nervous, saying it was not meant for someone 6'4", it was too short. Well I'm 6'5" (230lbs) with a 36" inseam, and can tell you this bike fits perfectly, granted the seat is in it's highest safe position. I've only had it for 3 days so far, and if things change I will update my review, but I put 26 miles on it so far, and it rides like a dream. Very comfortable seating position. The front suspension is good for the occasional rock or bump you hit on asphalt, but this bike is not made to be taken off road, and I'm OK with that. I was particularly happy to see the wheels were trued perfectly. I was expecting to have to take them in and have them trued at a local bike shop, as I've had to do with all my past bike purchases, but in this case they were already in great shape. For the money, this is an awesome bike.