CX/Gravel Tire Test: IRC Boken Doublecross 42

Published: by
  • IRC Boken Doublecross 42
Performance compared to all other CX/Gravel tires
(100% is best)
Pro Members get 11-point radar charts



IRC Boken Doublecross 42 road bike tire on a rolling resistance test machine

The IRC Boken Doublecross is available in the 33, 38, and 42 mm sizes and doubles as both a CX race tire and an all-round gravel bike tire. Something to be aware of is that the 33 mm version comes with a much different tread pattern than the 38 and 42 mm versions, and our test results might be less useful when you're interested in the 33 mm version.


Ad Buy IRC Boken Doublecross at Amazon.com


The 42 mm version of the Boken Doublecross is also the first gravel bike tire from IRC we've tested. It is always interesting to test new brands as it will give a good indication of the casing and compound performance of other tires in the same family that often share the same base construction and compound.


Both the 38 and 42 mm versions of the Boken Doublecross come with a nearly continuous center tread and relatively widely spaced knobs along the tire's edge, making it suitable for an extensive range of gravel bike conditions. The 60 TPI casing comes with reinforced sidewalls, tubeless-ready beads, and inflating the tire on our tubeless-ready rim was as easy as it gets. Air retention also was excellent, and there was no air loss during the tests.


The Boken Doublecross comes with the similarly named "Boken compound", and according to IRC, it's their grippiest rubber. Our test results confirm the grip part, but it comes at the cost of rolling performance.


Let's roll on to the rest of the test results and see how the Boken Doublecross compares to the competition.


Manufacturer Specifications


Manufacturer Specs
Brand IRC
Model Boken Doublecross
Year 2023
Supplied By Bought in store
New or Used New
Mileage 0 km
Price Range High
Buy At Ad Amazon.com
Manufacturer part number 190587
TPI 60
Compound Boken compound
Bead Folding
ETRTO 42-622
Specified Weight 530 grams
Max Air Pressure (psi) 50
Made In Members Only
Available Sizes 33-622 (700x33c)
38-622 (700x38c)
42-622 (700x42c)

IRC Boken Doublecross 42 Test Results

IRC Boken Doublecross 42  mountain bike tire on a rolling resistance test machine

Size, Weight, and Thickness Measurements


Size, Weight, and Thickness Measurements
Specified Weight 530 grams
Measured Weight 559 grams
Measured Width Casing 42 mm (un-round)
Measured Width Tread 40 mm
Measured Height 40 mm (un-round)
Measured Knob Height Center 2.1 mm
Measured Knob Height Edge 2.1 mm
Measured Total Thickness Center (excluding knobs) 2.30 mm
Measured Total Thickness Sidewall Members Only
All size measurements are taken at low air pressure on a 17.8 mm inner width rim.

Rolling Resistance Test Results


Rolling Resistance Test Results
Inner Tube None (30 ml sealant)
Measured Width 42 mm
Rolling Resistance
Real tire width in mm:
30-32 = 66 psi/4.6 bar
33-35 = 60 psi/4.1 bar
36-38 = 54 psi/3.7 bar
39-42 = 50 psi/3.4 bar
43-46 = 46 psi/3.2 bar
47-50 = 42 psi/2.9 bar
High Air Pressure

(50 psi / 3.4 bar)
Members Only
Rolling Resistance
Real tire width in mm:
30-32 = 55 psi/3.8 bar
33-35 = 50 psi/3.4 bar
36-38 = 45 psi/3.1 bar
39-42 = 42 psi/2.9 bar
43-46 = 38 psi/2.6 bar
47-50 = 35 psi/2.4 bar
Medium Air Pressure

(42 psi / 2.9 bar)
Members Only
Rolling Resistance
Real tire width in mm:
30-32 = 44 psi/3.0 bar
33-35 = 40 psi/2.8 bar
36-38 = 36 psi/2.6 bar
39-42 = 33 psi/2.3 bar
43-46 = 31 psi/2.1 bar
47-50 = 28 psi/1.9 bar
Low Air Pressure

(33 psi / 2.3 bar)
26.3 Watts
CRR: 0.00788
Rolling Resistance
Real tire width in mm:
30-32 = 33 psi/2.3 bar
33-35 = 30 psi/2.1 bar
36-38 = 27 psi/1.9 bar
39-42 = 25 psi/1.7 bar
43-46 = 23 psi/1.6 bar
47-50 = 21 psi/1.4 bar
Extra Low Air Pressure

(25 psi / 1.7 bar)
29.8 Watts
CRR: 0.00893
The CX/Gravel section is a multi tire size section, air pressures have been adjusted to the measured casing width.

All numbers are for a single tire at a speed of 29 km/h / 18 mph and a load of 42.5 kg / 94 lbs.

Use the formula: RR (Watts) = CRR * speed (m/s) * load (N) to calculate rolling resistance at a given speed and load.

Puncture Resistance Test Results

IRC Boken Doublecross 42  mountain bike tire on a rolling resistance test machine
Puncture Resistance Test Results (higher is better)
Total Puncture Score Tread 30 Points
Total Puncture Score Sidewall Members Only
Tread Puncture Force Sharp Needle Members Only
Tread Puncture Force Blunt Needle Members Only
Tread Total Tire Thickness 2.30 mm
Sidewall Puncture Force Sharp Needle Members Only
Sidewall Puncture Force Blunt Needle Members Only
Sidewall Total Tire Thickness Members Only

Hard Surface Static Grip Test Results

IRC Boken Doublecross road bike tire on a grip test machine
Static Grip Test Results
Wet Grip Average 70 Points
Wet Grip Center Members Only
Wet Grip Edge Members Only
Measured Knob Height Center 2.1 mm
Measured Knob Height Edge 2.1 mm
Grip in points = coefficient of friction * 100
CX/Gravel grip test rim width = 23.0 mm
Wet Grip Test and Off-Road Tires (info)

Conclusion


  • IRC Boken Doublecross 42
Performance compared to all other CX/Gravel tires
(100% is fastest - lightest - highest - strongest)

Pro Members get 11-point radar charts

The IRC Boken Doublecross isn't the fastest rolling gravel bike tire, as it comes in near the bottom of the list of 65 gravel bike tires tested to date. Given its relatively fast-looking tread pattern, we expected the Boken Doublecross to do better here. It's once again a confirmation that a tire's tread pattern only has a marginal impact on rolling resistance.


When looking at puncture resistance, we also see the Doublecross near the bottom of the list. That leaves only one explanation for the relatively high rolling resistance, which we find in the wet grip tests on our hard test surface. The Boken Doublecross performs very strongly in the center wet grip test, which shows the compound's potential due to the nearly continuous center tread. The wet grip in the edge test comes in lower because of the limited contact area that the very widely spaced edge knobs provide.


Of course, this is all on our hard test surface, and the results will vary on other surfaces where the knobs can dig in.


We don't think the IRC Boken doublecross is a bad tire but don't expect this to be a super fast or puncture-resistant tire.


Ad Buy IRC Boken Doublecross at Amazon.com


RATING: 2.8 / 5
TEST VERDICT:
Recommended


Comments