Following current lab assessments within the wind tunnel to discern the distinction in aerodynamic drag between key superbikes, wheels, and helmets, the tech staff at Cyclingnews has been again within the lab, this time testing street tyres. The staff took 24 pairs of efficiency tyres to the pedalling effectivity lab on the Silverstone Sports Engineering Hub to seek out out which street bike tyres are the quickest.
The tyres on take a look at, in alphabetical order, had been as follows:
- Cadex Race GC
- Challenge Criterium RS
- Continental Aero 111
- Continental GP5000 AS TR
- Continental GP5000 S TR
- Continental GP5000 TT TR
- Goodyear Eagle F1 R
- Goodyear Eagle F1 Supersport R
- Hutchinson Blackbird
- Michelin Power Cup TLR
- Panaracer Agilist Fast
- Panaracer Agilist TLR
- Pirelli P Zero Race TLR RS
- Pirelli P Zero Race TLR 4 Season
- Schwalbe Pro One Tubeless
- Schwalbe Pro One TT
- Specialized S-Works Mondo
- Specialized Turbo Cotton Hell of the North
- Specialized Turbo Cotton
- Specialized Turbo 2BR
- Vittoria Corsa N.EXT
- Vittoria Corsa Pro Control
- Vittoria Corsa Pro Speed
- Vittoria Corsa Pro
Each tyre from the listing was examined at two speeds, and repeated for consistency, with a benchmark chosen to determine a comparability.
In addition to a set of basic race tyres together with all these raced on the WorldTour, a number of time trial choices, all-season tyres, and a few mid-tier units had been chosen too. An investigation into the impact of tyre strain on rolling resistance was undertaken too, with a full sweep from 90psi right down to 30psi with a single tyre. Finally, a tubeless setup was in contrast with a butyl internal tube, a latex one, and a TPU tube to see how a lot every system prices when it comes to added resistance.
With such a big dataset produced it was potential to find out not solely which tyres had been sooner than others, but in addition pull aside some extra basic developments. Does worth correlate to efficiency? Are cotton-cased tyres sooner? Are cheaper tyres at all times slower than excessive finish choices? Is a TT tyre going to really make you any sooner?
For the solutions to all of these questions you’re going to need to dive into the article itself, however when it comes to outcomes it was a very good displaying from each Continental and Vittoria. The quickest general tyre on take a look at was the Vittoria Corsa Pro Speed. The GP5000S TR was the very best performing of the overall race tyres, and apparently carried out in a close to equivalent vogue to its TT counterpart, the GP5000 TT TR.
The gulf in efficiency from the quickest tyres on take a look at to the slowest was important, a swing of 30 Watts on the most excessive, however that is evaluating a time trial tyre to an all-season choice, so not the fairest comparability.
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Perhaps most apparently, sure tyres seen within the WorldTour and at Grand Tours examined with a 22-watt penalty at race speeds, which is a major detriment – or achieve – from one thing so simple as a tyre swap.
The assessments additionally discovered that altering tyre strain inside a comparatively broad margin had no tangible impression on efficiency, however that round eight watts could possibly be discovered and misplaced just by altering internal tube materials.
While the sooner you go the larger the impact of aerodynamics, it’s actually fascinating to notice that the distinction in efficiency between two WorldTour degree tyres will be over 20 Watts, which is two-thirds of the good points on provide when swapping from an entry-level non-aero bike to a contemporary superbike. Given tyres are a considerably cheaper improve to make, they’re maybe one to cross off the listing earlier than diving into a brand new bike.
Cyclingnews can be enterprise extra assessments sooner or later, so you should definitely keep tuned.