Tire Lab Test: Pirelli Cinturato EVO TLR 40

The Cinturato Evo is a new tire from Pirelli that replaces the popular Cinturato Velo as their most puncture-resistant and durable road bike tire. That means the Cinturato Evo has big shoes to fill, as the Cinturato Velo wasn't just Pirelli's most puncture-resistant road bike tire; it's been the most puncture-resistant tubeless road bike tire on the market that offers touring bike puncture resistance in a road bike performance package.

The Cinturato Evo is a complete redesign over the outgoing Cinturato Velo (read our review), and it now comes from Pirelli's new factory in Italy. At the heart of the tire, we find Pirelli's 60 TPI TechWALL+ casing, which features a 3-layer design under the tread area and a 2-layer design on the sidewalls. Additionally, we see an extra layer of protection that runs from bead to bead. On top of that, we find another anti-puncture layer under the center of the tread, bringing the total to five layers under the tread and three in the sidewalls.

The compound is the new SmartEVO AS compound (not sure if that stands for All-Season), and Pirelli indicates it's an innovative rubber formulation that blends performance with bio-based and recycled materials. They claim this compound is their finest in terms of grip, comfort, and endurance in all seasons and weather conditions.

Pirelli has been a real pioneer in making its road bike tires available in larger sizes than the standard 25-32 mm. The Cinturato EVO is no different, available in sizes from 28 to 40 mm, making it a good option for road, gravel, and touring bikes. Additionally, the 28, 30, and 32 mm sizes are available in black, classic, or retro sidewall colors. The 35- and 40-mm sizes only come with black sidewalls.

We already tested the 28 mm version of the Cinturato EVO TLR a couple of months back, and you can find that review in the road bike section. This time, we're going to take a look at the big 40 mm version and see how it compares to the outgoing 35 mm Cinturato Velo (read our review), the 40 mm Pirelli P Zero Race TLR (read our review), and a selection of other 40 mm road bike/gravel bike tires.

Manufacturer Specifications

Manufacturer Specs
Brand	Pirelli
Model	Cinturato EVO TLR
Year	2026
Supplied By	Bought in store
New or Used	New
Mileage	0 km
Price Range	High
Buy At
Manufacturer part number	4143000
EAN	8019227414301
TPI	60
Compound	SmartEVO AS
Bead	Folding
ETRTO	40-622
Specified Weight	490 grams
Max Air Pressure (psi)	65
Made In	Pro Data
Available Sizes	28-622 (700x28c) 30-622 (700x30c) 32-622 (700x32c) 35-622 (700x35c) 40-622 (700x40c)

Pirelli Cinturato EVO TLR 40 Test Results

Size, Weight, and Thickness Measurements

Size, Weight, and Thickness Measurements
Specified Weight	490 grams
Measured Weight	510 grams
Measured Width Casing	37 mm (un-round)
Measured Width Tread	34 mm
Measured Height	Pro Data
Tire Circumference	Pro Data
Measured Knob Height Center	0.0 mm
Measured Knob Height Edge	0.0 mm
Measured Total Thickness Center (excluding knobs)	4.60 mm
Measured Total Thickness Sidewall	Pro Data
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	37 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 barHigh Air Pressure (54 psi / 3.7 bar)	Pro Data
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 barMedium Air Pressure (45 psi / 3.1 bar)	Pro Data
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 barLow Air Pressure (36 psi / 2.6 bar)	29.0 Watts CRR: 0.00869
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 barExtra Low Air Pressure (27 psi / 1.9 bar)	Pro Data
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

Puncture Resistance Test Results (higher is better)
Total Puncture Score Tread	99 Points
Total Puncture Score Sidewall	Pro Data
Tread Puncture Force Sharp Needle	Pro Data
Tread Puncture Force Blunt Needle	Pro Data
Tread Total Tire Thickness	4.60 mm
Sidewall Puncture Force Sharp Needle	Pro Data
Sidewall Puncture Force Blunt Needle	Pro Data
Sidewall Total Tire Thickness	Pro Data

Hard Surface Static Grip Test Results

Static Grip Test Results
Wet Grip Average	74 Points
Wet Grip Center	Pro Data
Wet Grip Edge	Pro Data
Measured Knob Height Center	0.0 mm
Measured Knob Height Edge	0.0 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

The 40 mm version of the Pirelli Cinturato EVO TLR looks and feels more like a touring tire than a road tire, as confirmed by our test results. We see a significant regression in the rolling resistance tests compared to the old Cinturato Velo, which was lighter and felt more nimble. Sidewall puncture resistance has increased, but tread puncture resistance, while still very high at 99 points, has decreased by about 10%.

We attribute some of the higher weight and rolling resistance to the wider tread on the Cinturato EVO TLR, which is now in line with most other road and touring bike tires. The old Cinturato Velo had a narrow tread, making it unsuitable for today's wider rims, but the wider tread comes with a small performance penalty.

When we compare the 40 mm Cinturato EVO TLR to the 40 mm Pirelli P Zero Race TLR, you pay quite a hefty penalty in performance for the improved puncture resistance and increased durability of the thicker tread. The P Zero Race TLR outperforms the Cinturato EVO TLR in all the performance tests (weight, rolling resistance, wet grip) by quite a big margin.

When we use Pro View to compare the 40 mm Pirelli Cinturato EVO TLR to touring bike tires, you can also find touring bike tires that provide better overall performance.

RATING: 3.5 / 5
TEST VERDICT: Recommended

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