There was a good discussion on the forum recently on the Wind Tunnel Aero testing that Cycling News did. It seems like they have now tested a bunch of tires for their rolling resistance using "a simulated tarmac surface based on a scan of a Paris street" and at speeds that most mortals can achieve (9 m/s or 20 mph and 11 m/s or 25 mph, roughly). All were 28 mm (printed) width tires, except a couple that weren't available in that size (Specialized Turbo Cotton, Challenge Criterium RS, Conti Aero 111), and in that case they used the closest available size. The test pressure was 73 psi (except the Specialized Turbo Cotton which is 26 mm so they inflated that to a slightly higher pressure). Below is a summary of the results, with rolling resistance given in terms of Watts (per tire).
It would have been interesting to test something like the Conti Gatorskin to see perhaps what the "worst-case" scenario might look like
But alas, the difference at ~20 mph between the worst performing tire (Pirelli P Zero Race 4 Season) and best performing tire that many use for daily riding (Continental GP5000 S TR) is about 11 Watts per tire, or roughly 22 Watts for the pair (I know weight distribution on a road bike isn't perfectly 50/50 front/rear, but close enough).
I was also surprised the Vittoria Corsa Pro Control did relatively poorly.
And of course, it doesn't matter how fast your tire is if a) you don't care and b)
it is so fragile that it flats constantly :) In this case though, something like the Continental GP5000 comes out looking pretty good as it is a good balance between performance and durability -- I have been riding them for years and while not as supple as Vittorias, I can't remember the last time I flatted on them (I use TPU inner tubes).
10-02-2024, 02:10 PM
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