It feels like it has been years since I wrote about a new tire that requires inner tubes, but these new Pirelli P Zero Race RS tube-type tires promise the speed of top pro tubeless tires, even lighter total weight, and no sealant hassle. As much as we love to say road tubeless is both the present and future, the majority of road bikes that cyclists own still have inner tubes in them. And Pirelli readily admits that more than half of the road riders who buy their tires, still are putting tubes in them. So Pirelli isn’t stopping tube-type evolution, and readapts the pro road racing lessons they’ve learned on the World Tour with Lidl-Trek and Alpecin-Deceuninck to make faster and lighter tires for amateur roadies, too.
Plus, like all of the tires being made in their new Italian factory since last summer, Pirelli makes the new P Zero Race RS with FSC-certified natural rubber grown sustainably.
Pirelli P Zero Race RS tube-type clincher road tire
Pirelli created this new tube-type version of their fastest road tire for cyclists who want pro-level tech that is easier to manage. In the process, they created an incredibly light tire. And ultimately, it is significantly lighter than a tubeless setup when combined with a lightweight TPU inner tube, which matches the low rolling-resistance of tubeless. But with no sticky mess to maintain.
For example, a 230g 28mm Pirelli P Zero Race RS tube-type clincher + a 38g SmarTube Evo inner tube with a 60mm valve = 268 per tire.
Compare that to a 290g 28mm Pirelli P Zero Race TLR RS tubeless tire + minimum 30g of P Zero sealant + 8g for a light 60mm alloy tubeless valve = ~328g
The weight savings is obvious. Pirelli says that combining the lighter tire casing with the supple TPU tube, “rolling resistance preserves absolute values that are very similar to those of Pirelli’s latest generation of TLR tyres, ensuring responsiveness and a fast, efficient riding experience.” We’d love to see that backed up with an independent test. I’m looking at you Bicycle Rolling Resistance.
Tech details
This new tube-type P Zero Race RS road clincher shares the exact same SmartEvo² rubber compound, tread design, and main 120tpi construction as the tubeless tire that Pirelli launched last spring as their “fastest ever cycling tire”. Only this one leaves out the tubeless-ready bead and SpeedCore carcass liner that made the P Zero Race TLR RS air tight on its own. And in its place, Pirelli gives the tube-type tire a simpler bead and adds an anti-puncture belt under the tread for day-to-day flat protection.
The result, though, the 26mm tube-type tire is 60g lighter than the TLR version, or up to 65g weight reduction for a 30mm tire.
An FSC-certified bike tire… isn’t that for paper and wood?
“The P Zero Race RS is the latest addition to the P ZERO Race bicycle tyres produced in Pirelli’s Milan-Bollate plant. This new clincher model, like all the tires made by Pirelli Cycling’s Italian factory starting from June 2024, uses natural rubber that is FSC-certified.”
Another interesting update here, not only on this new tire, but all others made by Pirelli in Italy… the 14% of this tire (by weight) made of rubber is FSC-certified. The Forest Stewardship Council is a global independent organization promoting more sustainable, responsible forest management. And like paper, cardboard & wood, rubber is a natural product extracted from trees, so Pirelli decided it would make sense to certify that they are using responsibly-sourced rubber in all of the cycling tires they produce in their modern factory in northern Italy.
*And yes, Pirelli FSC-certified the cardboard packaging, too.
Not a universally-compatible, lightweight setup
A few quick words of warning. Pirelli recommends pairing the new P Zero Race RS tube-type clincher road tires with their lightweight SmarTube yellow TPU inner tubes for the lightest, fastest-rolling setup. That’s fine if you have a disc brake road bike and don’t want to mess with sealant. But TPU tubes are NOT compatible with your old school rim brake bike, and brake track heat buildup can very well cause the tube to burst.
Also, it’s clear that these are NOT tubeless compatible. Don’t try to put sealant in them and expect an even lighter road tire setup. They do NOT have tubeless beads, and therefore, at least theoretically, rely on the tube to help hold the tire in place against the rim.
Not quite as obvious, these tube-type tires are also NOT at all compatible with hookless rims. If you have a relatively modern road (or gravel) bike and you are considering some new light Pirelli road tires, be careful to verify that your rims are hooked. If they are hookless, stick with the heavier TLR tire, even if you want to still stick with tubes.
Pirelli P Zero Race RS tube-type – Pricing, availability & options
Pirelli knows cyclists will mount their new lightweight P Zero Race RS tube-type tires mostly to older road bikes. So, they offer them in slightly smaller widths than the tubeless version.
Pick from a 26mm or 28mm designed for 19mm internal rim (will measure 25mm & 27mm, respectively on 17mm internal), or 30mm designed in a 21mm internal rim (29mm on a 19mm rim). Then, choose simple all-black Standard, Classic brown sidewall, or a Retro cream tanwall.
All versions sell for the same 80€ a piece. Then, you’ll just need to pick up some of their ~30€ SmarTube TPU tubes to get the full performance and lightweight gains.
