Following latest lab exams 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 activities Engineering Hub to seek out out which street bike tyres are the quickest.
The tyres on check, in alphabetical order, had been as follows:
- Cadex Race GC
- Problem 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 Energy Cup TLR
- Panaracer Agilist Quick
- Panaracer Agilist TLR
- Pirelli P Zero Race TLR RS
- Pirelli P Zero Race TLR 4 Season
- Schwalbe Professional One Tubeless
- Schwalbe Professional One TT
- Specialised S-Works Mondo
- Specialised Turbo Cotton Hell of the North
- Specialised Turbo Cotton
- Specialised Turbo 2BR
- Vittoria Corsa N.EXT
- Vittoria Corsa Professional Management
- Vittoria Corsa Professional Pace
- Vittoria Corsa Professional
Every tyre from the record was examined at two speeds, and repeated for consistency, with a benchmark chosen to ascertain a comparability.
Along with a collection of basic race tyres together with all these raced on the WorldTour, a choice of time trial choices, all-season tyres, and a few mid-tier units had been chosen too. An investigation into the impact of tyre stress on rolling resistance was undertaken too, with a full sweep from 90psi right down to 30psi with a single tyre. Lastly, a tubeless setup was in contrast with a butyl interior tube, a latex one, and a TPU tube to see how a lot every system prices by way of added resistance.
With such a big dataset produced it was doable to find out not solely which tyres had been sooner than others, but additionally pull aside some extra basic developments. Does value correlate to efficiency? Are cotton-cased tyres sooner? Are cheaper tyres all the time slower than excessive finish choices? Is a TT tyre going to truly make you any sooner?
For the solutions to all of these questions you’re going to must dive into the article itself, however by way of outcomes it was displaying from each Continental and Vittoria. The quickest total tyre on check was the Vittoria Corsa Professional Pace. The GP5000S TR was one of the best performing of the overall race tyres, and apparently carried out in a close to equivalent trend to its TT counterpart, the GP5000 TT TR.
The gulf in efficiency from the quickest tyres on check 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 possibility, so not the fairest comparability.
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Maybe most apparently, sure tyres seen within the WorldTour and at Grand Excursions examined with a 22-watt penalty at race speeds, which is a major detriment – or acquire – from one thing so simple as a tyre swap.
The exams additionally discovered that altering tyre stress inside a comparatively huge margin had no tangible impression on efficiency, however that round eight watts could possibly be discovered and misplaced just by altering interior tube materials.
Whereas the sooner you go the higher 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 features on supply 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 record earlier than diving into a brand new bike.
Cyclingnews will probably be endeavor extra exams sooner or later, so make sure to keep tuned.
