Pirelli

Admittedly, coming from the Pirelli M45 - the RC45 should be faster. But, I didn't realize how much faster a "fast" tire is. So then the testing was on...Ramblers, Terreno Dry, M, and the Conti RK have all been "tested" on my varied gravel test loop. RC's beat them all handily. I will admit the Dry's felt amazing - a compliance I absolutely loved, but it definitely scrubbed speed. So it comes down to this - if you have a bike and geometry that allows you to "get away with" a speed tire, try the RC's. If you are tentative in the gnar/chunk or have a bike that is not all that stable, be safe and ride a grippier tire.

I recently bought 4 Continental Grand Prix 5000 tires with 6 Pirelli P Zero TPU tubes and I wish I made the switch sooner. Put them on your bike - I'm sure you'll be impressed.

I've been riding bikes since the 1970s and got into cycle racing in 2005 in the Salt Lake City area. (We left Utah because of the crazy shutdowns, even though I love riding up the mountains there)

These Pirelli tubes make riding noticeably more comfortable on the rough roads in the Safford Arizona area. I think it's the single best performance upgrade I've made in 20 years.

This is a review for another set of these, and that's a good thing because I'm a repeat buyer.

These things are tough as nails. I have early AM commutes to work in the dark, I race and train, so the last thing I want to do is slow down my bike even while training, but you need to check your ego at the door, it's a game of watts and time, not speed, when you are training, and the last thing I want is a flat at that time of morning (4am). Not dealing with it.

I run these tubeless, I have punctured and the sealant caught it so non issue. It was a staple each time, no clue how physics got that thing through my tire, but no biggie, sealed and never even knew.

Of note, you will be about 1.3mph slower, I ride a few of the same routes, and I have data overlays of each ride, and at 220w ish ranges, my butt dyno is pretty good and it's noticeable.

Remember, don't care about it, these are for training. They also ride very harshly, even at 55psi (I'm 70kg).

For the past ten years I have been riding with tubular wheels/tires on my road bike, which means the tubes have been latex. I have now switched to traditional wheels and tires and since I swap tires regularly, I decided to not use sealant but use tubes, but which type? Butyl tubes are cheapest but I have found them to be more puncture prone. Latex tubes are more compliant, I've had fewer punctures, they cost more than butyl, but with latex tubes I have to add air pressure daily. I started using Smartube TPU tubes last spring, they are lighter, do not lose air, I've had no punctures, but they do cost more. I have now switched my road and gravel bikes to TPU tubes, and I recommend SmarTubes as they have performed flawlessly.