Best tubeless road bike endurance tires 2024

May 22, 2024

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Best tubeless road bike endurance tires 2024

As unlikely as this answer seems to anyone who has ever ridden a road bike, it is exactly the question manufacturers have been asking us when they offer us their tubeless ‘endurance’ tire ranges. Traditionally an endurance or winter tire has been heavier than the summer or performance equivalent with more rubber and thicker sidewalls that not only add weight but also reduce the tire’s suppleness and compliance making it less comfortable and slower.

So why should any self-respecting cyclist sign up for such an offer? It certainly isn’t the price, as all of these tires are over £50 at RRP, some significantly so. Durability is the simple answer. The combination of tubeless technology, sealant, extra rubber and embedded layers of tough material means that these tires should shrug off the kind of debris that typically litters roads over the winter, prove more resilient to pothole-induced damage and last significantly longer than lightweight performance tires.

The news gets better though. As tubeless technology and puncture-proofing improve, these tires are now able to offer the kind of ride feel and experience that is a world away from the winter tires of old, hence why they are now commonly referred to as endurance tires instead. They aren’t just for the dank days of type 2 fun but are a great idea for anyone who does big miles on variable quality roads or riders who’d rather be pedaling their bike than wrestling with tire levers. Whilst they are still a little heavier and a bit slower than the performance alternatives, the margins are pretty small these days and the benefits are certainly enticing. As these tubeless tires don’t have to use an inner tube, they can be more supple than their tubed endurance equivalents; they don’t have to concern themselves with protecting a delicate inner tube, so giving them a more performance-orientated feel than you might imagine.

The tires on test range from the spritely Continental GP5000 AS TR to the chunky Hutchinson Challenger, but all of them performed admirably over a couple of thousand kilometers on Derbyshire’s and Yorkshire’s rapidly crumbling roads. Mounting them and getting them to seal was a different story though, with some considerably more frustrating than others in this respect. There were times when the simple charms of an inner tube loomed large, and you could certainly be forgiven for trading the added puncture resistance of a tubeless setup for the mess-free certainty of a tube-type tire.

For the purposes of the test, each tire was inflated using an Airshot at 130psi and then ridden at 60psi, which is my usual pressure for 28mm tires. I used one of our favorite and best-performing sealants, Muc-off No Puncture Hassle, with around 30ml per tire, and each tire was mounted onto my trusty Scribe Race-D wheels with an internal width of 17mm. It is worth noting that some manufacturers say that their quoted tire widths are based on wider rims than mine, and so will naturally come up a little narrow on my wheels.

Best overall

Best for speed

2. Continental GP5000 AS TR

Easiest fitting

3. Pirelli Cinturato Velo

Best for durability

4. Hutchinson Challenger Tubeless

Best value performance

5. Goodyear Vector 4Seasons Tubeless Complete

Best for value

6. Vittoria Rubino Pro TLR

1. Schwalbe One Tubeless

Best overall

Specifications

Claimed weight 28mm: 330g

Measured weight (2 samples): 344/364g

Measured width on 17mm IW rim: 29.5mm

Available colors: Black, bronze, classic

Available widths: 25, 28, 30, 32mm

Reasons to buy

+

Easy to fit

+

Great air retention

+

Large volume

+

Good choice of widths and colors

Reasons to avoid

–

Not quite as zippy feeling as GP5000 AS TR

The One Tubeless uses Schwalbe’s RaceGuard puncture protection. This sits bang in the middle of their protection rating system with a 4/7. There is a double layer of tough Nylon fabric that sits beneath the 67 tpi carcass to prevent anything from puncturing the air chamber in addition to the protection provided by the MicroSkin. Although the MicroSkin’s primary function is air retention to aid tubeless set-up, Schwalbe claims that it also adds a level of cut and puncture resistance across the whole carcass of the tire.

The One Tubeless were one of the widest tires on test. Despite their nominal 28mm width and my relatively narrow 17mm internal width rims, they measured 29.5mm once inflated to 60 psi. They looked noticeably wide on the bike, and as you’d expected, provided a nicely cushioned ride and plenty of confidence – I even let a little air out after a few rides and at 50psi they were even better with seemingly no detriment to speed. They perhaps lacked the ultimate zip of the GP5000s, maybe not surprising given their size, but they rolled along beautifully with the kind of plush feel that you’d expect, providing good isolation from the plentiful road imperfections that are commonplace on my local roads.