NoWhammies

I'm looking to try out a new tubeless tyre after having ridden the Schwable Pro 1's for quite some time. I'm leaning towards the Pirelli as a tyre I want to try.

Reviews online seem good, but before taking the plunge I thought I'd drop in here and see if anyone has some real world experiences they can share.

Cheers.

smashndash

I have the P Zero so I can comment on the compound at the least. I'd say grip-wise, they "feel" good, though I understand that's meaningless without numbers. But I think there's a significant dropoff in grip at higher pressures. You need to run em low to hook. I was cornering in a parking lot at probably 70 psi (my favorite for racing is around 55psi, at 135lbs body weight running a 25mm tire on a 17mm rim) and my front wheel slid out at a decently low speed. Now, I know my front wheel gets way less weight than my rear and that parking lot had brand new baby-bottom smooth tarmac. I know I have railed down mountains far harder with these tires. But I wouldn't say that these tires are miraculously grippy by any means. They're pretty decent and hook well enough that you're not outgunned in a race, as long as you don't overinflate.

In terms of wear, I don't weigh a lot and tend to run my tires super low, so my tires will wear out far less quickly than most. But after almost 2000 miles on these, the front tire doesn't have a chicken strip (flat section in the middle). The rear tire does, but it's not too terrible yet. I reckon I can get 3000 miles out of the rear. No clue how much I can get out of the front. The tread is super shredded with microcuts, but that doesn't really matter.

Personally, if the front tire is showing no real wear after 2000 miles, and the center tread is the same compound as the shoulders, there's just way too much optimization for longevity for me. I understand that Pirelli marketed this as being long lasting, fast and grippy at the same time - and it is - but it's not quite F1/MotoGP levels of grippy. And if it were, I'm sure it would wear out in the center far too quickly. Which is why I'm going to go with the Vittorias next.

NoWhammies

Thanks @smashndash.

I'm thinking I'm going to purchase the tyres and give them a go. Only one way to find out how they perform right? Your comment about the front tyre slipping out does give me pause for concern. The Schwable's have been giving me good grip. Or at least nothing I can complain about. And really, while the Pro One's have been a good tyre, I just want to try something else out.

I have read good reviews about the strength of the tyres. And by strength I'm talking about puncture resistance. From a numbers perspective, I think the tyres clock in higher than the Pro 1s.

When I get home I'll take a closer look at my Pro 1s and see how they are wearing. I've been tracking the distance of the tyres so I should have a good idea of how many KMs I have on them and if the chicken strip has started yet.

I've read the Pro 1s get about 5,000km on them, which is in the neighborhood of our 3000mi for the read tyre. I was hoping the Pirelli tyres would last a little longer, based on my reading about the tyre compounds and all.

smashndash

From what I've seen, the Cinturatos may be the toughest decent road tire out there. With good sealant (like Orange), they should be set and forget. They're not going to be nearly as fast as the Pro 1s though.

I wouldn't read too much into my slideout. Also, you might get more out of your rear if you put more weight on your front wheel. I apparently have very little. It's supposed to be close to 50/50, though.

NoWhammies

Well I placed my order yesterday from PBK. So once the tyres arrive and my current Pro 1s bite the dust - which looking at my front tyre shouldn't be too long now - I'll give them a try. Based on what I've read, they look like a decent tyre.

Sy Reene

because of their puncture protection, I'm interested in hearing from anyone who runs these with tubes as well. Might make a good winter tire (for next season anyway).

NoWhammies

Once I swap out the pretty much end-of-life Pro 1 on my front wheel, I'll be able to report back on how they work from a tubeless perspective.

I still some good life left in the Pro 1 on my rear wheel, so it will be a few more rides until that tyre is swapped over.

mattleegee

update?

DrIsotope

Not the OP here, but as of this posting, 870 miles on my pair of Pirelli Cinturato Velo 700x35 (mounted April 29.) No issues or complaints. They mounted to 19mm internal wheels with no fuss at all, and seated tubeless immediately. I haven't had to touch them since install.

NoWhammies

@mattleegee I haven't put the tyres on my bike yet. I likely will do so in the next week or so.

I have a big ride coming up and I want to make sure I'm doing the ride on good tyres.

Thanks for checking in.

igs417

Semi-long term review? I'm considering these for upcoming winter/training tire. How do you fibd them?

NoWhammies

So I rode these tyres for the summer and I have a mixed review.

Positives:

• I loved how these tyres rolled. Yes, they were a little more 'harsh' or 'firm' than the Schwable Pro Ones they replaced. But at the time they were a wide tyre and I felt they rolled nicely.
• They were/are grippy! The rubber compound felt like it would stick to anything
• Anytime I had to ride over gravel or through some 'crud' the bike held the ground firm.

Negatives

• After 1,780km I had to replace the rear tyre because a soft sport developed. I figured out what likely happened is a bubble formed on the tyre, and then I rode over something sharp and the bubble popped. Pirelli refused to honour the warranty on the tyre, but PBK stepped up and replaced the tyre. I have not put the 'new' tyre on my bike yet.
• The front tyre after 3,700k has three holes in them. The holes are big enough that Orange Seal is seeping through, but also small enough that the tyre is still holding air.

Will I buy these tyres again? Maybe. @DrIsotope pointed me towads the Giant Gavia AC 0 and/ AC 1 tyre. I am running the AC 1 on my rear (to replace the Pirelli) and am liking that tyre a lot. So far, touch wood, I'm having good success. I may end up sticking with the Gavia for a while.

Initially though, I was very pleased with the Pirellis. They mounted easily and performed well.

Hope that helps

dagray

you might also try the Maxxis Padrone tubeless tire. I ride a 700x25 at 105-110 pounds of pressure and these tires are rated at 125 psi maximum. I also weigh 365 and have had no real issues with these tires.

The Maxxis tires grip the road well in most weather conditions (they did get a little loose on the slush when I did a New Years day ride (all of two miles when it was snowing.... roads were clear when I started and had a 1/2 inch accumulation on my return trip).