We got a pretty good sneak peek a few weeks back, but now it is official and we’ve got an even closer look… Schwalbe’s all-new gravel racing tire is the G-One RS and it’s a lot faster. Said to be inspired by a mix of road speed and cyclocross grip, the new tire features a sharkskin file tread down the center for fast-rolling and variable size angled shoulder knobs for predictable cornering in loose turns.
Schwalbe G-One RS gravel racing tire
Schwalbe claims the new semi-slick has a full 20% reduction in rolling resistance compared to their already fast G-One R – their most recent gravel racing tire, which debuted only last year at Unbound in Emporia, Kansas. It’s fairly reasonable to think that the semi-slick RS design could be even faster than the tightly-spaced arrows of the R design, but that’s still a huge improvement.
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Now, Schwalbe-sponsored gravel racer Paul Voss is warming up on Kansas gravel roads with the new, quicker RS tires.
Interestingly, once they get a little bit of dirt or sand and some moisture on them, the center tread starts to look even smoother – check out the quick video in the Instagram post, above. We’ll be very curious to see how they handle from dry & dusty to wet & slick conditions as you transition from center to shoulder tread for grip.
Tech details
The secret to speed is the new directional ramped sharkskin file tread down the center for fast-rolling, while retaining enough edges to stick to uneven surfaces. Then, larger angled shoulder knobs offer cornering grip. The shoulders combine a longer paddle with three smaller paddle knobs that vary how far they reach in from the shoulder to predictably offer increased grip as you lean further.
Because of the directional orientation of the tread, it may even be possible to flip a rear tire around for wetter or looser conditions where you need more grip. But so far, all the pro gravel racers we’ve seen with the tires since our initial sneak peek have them mounted in the forward direction for minimal rolling resistance.
The new tire shares the XC MTB-inspired Super Race Soupless casing like the G-One R for a supple ride with a light V-Guard (Vectran?) anti-puncture belt under the Addix Race tread, for a balance of lightweight and race-ready reliability.
Schwalbe G-One RS – Pricing, options & availability
The good news, Schwalbe says the new G-One RS gravel tire will be offered in three sizes 35, 40 & 45mm (one more than the R). And at weights of 410-505g, they are also noticeably lighter, too. The bad news is you will have to wait. The new faster G-One RS gravel tires will sell for the same 73€ as the R, but they won’t be available until August 2022.
