CX/Gravel Tire Test: Pirelli Cinturato Gravel RH SmartEvo GR 40

The Cinturato Gravel RH is Pirelli's answer to the growing popularity of semi-slick gravel bike tires that roll fast on tarmac while still providing cornering control off-road. Our recent review of the new Gravel H already indicated that Pirelli made the center tread a bit deeper, and it looks like they did that to make room for the Gravel RH in their lineup.

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Pirelli now has an impressive lineup of gravel bike tires with their high-performance ProWall casing and SmartEvo GR compound. From fast to grippy, they now offer the Gravel RH, Gravel H, Gravel RM, Gravel M, and Gravel S. Not only do they offer such a diverse lineup, but they also offer most of them in a large range of sizes (40, 45, 50, 55 for the RH) AND even 3 or 4 sidewall colors (standard black, classic, retro, and team edition) for every size.

This indicates Pirelli takes the gravel bike tire segment seriously, as most other manufacturers try to cover every condition with 3 to 4 tires, and you have to get lucky to find the high-performance casing and compound, the right size, or the right sidewall color.

We initially expected the Gravel RH to be a Gravel H with a slick center tread. On closer inspection, the edge knobs are bigger and taller than those on the Gravel H. Our recent review of the new Gravel H with ProWall casing and SmartEvo GR compound already indicated this combination delivers very strong performance in our tests. We see no reason why that would be different for the Gravel RH.

We've tested the Pirelli Cinturato Gravel RH SmartEvo GR with black sidewalls in the 40-622 size, and we're going to compare it to the 40 mm Gravel H SmartEvo GR, full-slick 40 mm P Zero Race TLR SpeedCore, and a selection of similar 40 mm gravel bike tires from competing manufacturers.

Manufacturer Specifications

Manufacturer Specs
Brand	Pirelli
Model	Cinturato Gravel RH SmartEvo GR
Year	2026
Supplied By	Bought in store
New or Used	New
Mileage	0 km
Price Range	High
Buy At	Ad Amazon.com
Manufacturer part number	4746900
EAN	8019227474695
TPI	120
Compound	SmartEvo GR
Bead	Folding
ETRTO	40-622
Specified Weight	510 grams
Max Air Pressure (psi)	51
Made In	Pro Data
Available Sizes	40-622 (700x40c) 45-622 (700x45c) 50-622 (700x50c) 55-622 (700x55c)

Pirelli Cinturato Gravel RH SmartEvo GR 40 Test Results

Size, Weight, and Thickness Measurements

Size, Weight, and Thickness Measurements
Specified Weight	510 grams
Measured Weight	529 grams
Measured Width Casing	39 mm (un-round)
Measured Width Tread	42 mm
Measured Height	Pro Data
Tire Circumference	Pro Data
Measured Knob Height Center	0.0 mm
Measured Knob Height Edge	2.6 mm
Measured Total Thickness Center (excluding knobs)	2.70 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	39 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 (50 psi / 3.4 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 (42 psi / 2.9 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 (33 psi / 2.3 bar)	17.6 Watts CRR: 0.00528
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 (25 psi / 1.7 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	44 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	2.70 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	85 Points
Wet Grip Center	Pro Data
Wet Grip Edge	Pro Data
Measured Knob Height Center	0.0 mm
Measured Knob Height Edge	2.6 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 Pirelli Cinturato Gravel RH with SmartEvo GR compound isn't the fastest rolling semi-slick gravel bike tire. Still, it offers extreme wet grip, better tread and sidewall puncture resistance, and a much more serious edge tread than most competitors. We see the same overall strength we saw in the Gravel H test, and that bodes well for the other Pirelli tires with the ProWall casing and SmartEvo GR compound.

Surprisingly, the Gravel RH rolls about as fast as the full-slick P Zero Race TLR SpeedCore in the 40 mm size. You have to sacrifice some puncture resistance for that, but you get much better off-road handling thanks to the big edge knobs on the Gravel RH.

Another interesting comparison is the Specialized Pathfinder TLR, which we know is popular for its slick center tread and decent puncture protection. When we put the Gravel RH head-to-head with the Pathfinder TLR, the Pathfinder's only advantage is a slight weight edge of about 40 to 50 grams, which is why we consider it a good upgrade over the Pathfinder.

Compare on our comparison section:

• Cinturato Gravel H and Cinturato Gravel RH SmartEvo GR
• P Zero Race TLR and Cinturato Gravel RH SmartEvo GR
• Pathfinder TLR and Cinturato Gravel RH SmartEvo GR

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RATING: 5.0 / 5
TEST VERDICT: Highly Recommended

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