CX/Gravel Tire Test: Pirelli Cinturato Velo 35

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  • Pirelli Cinturato Velo 35
Performance compared to all other CX/Gravel tires
(100% is best)
Pro Members get 11-point radar charts



Pirelli Cinturato Velo 35 road bike tire on a rolling resistance test machine

NOTE: This Pirelli Cinturato Velo 35 was tested as a CX-Gravel tire at low air pressures. You can also find a test of the 26 mm Cinturato Velo in the road bike section.

The Pirelli Cinturato Velo is one of the few road bike tires available in the 35-622 size, which we hope will be followed by more tire manufacturers. We already tested the 26-622 version of the Cinturato Velo back in 2018, and we found its main strength to be its extreme puncture resistance of both the tread and sidewalls while at the same time still offering a decent rolling resistance.


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This combined performance is what a lot of gravel bikers are looking for, and it must be the main reason many of our Pro Members voted for the 35 mm version of this tire to be tested as a CX/Gravel bike tire.


The Pirelli Cinturato is made from a 60 TPI casing and multiple layers of puncture-resistant materials, which Pirelli calls "Armour Tech". The base layer of anti-puncture material runs from bead-to-bead and offers additional puncture resistance to the tread and sidewalls, and also helps to keep the air in the tire when used without an inner tube in a tubeless setup. The more traditional 2nd layer of anti-puncture material is made of aramid fiber and is only applied under the tread as it's the part of the tire that needs the most protection.


The 3rd layer of anti-puncture material is the rubber compound. In the case of the Cinturato Velo, it's the Pirelli SmartNet Silica compound filled with aramid fibers that make it harder to penetrate the compound itself. All these layers combined result in one of the most puncture-resistant (road bike) tires.


We're sure the 35 mm version will be just as puncture resistant as the 26 mm version but let's see how it does when comparing it to other CX/Gravel bike tires.


Manufacturer Specifications


Manufacturer Specs
Brand Pirelli
Model Cinturato Velo
Year 2022
Supplied By Bought in store
New or Used New
Mileage 0 km
Price Range High
Buy At Ad Amazon.com
Manufacturer part number -
EAN8019227337105
TPI 60
Compound SmartNet Silica
Bead Folding
ETRTO 35-622
Specified Weight 410 grams
Max Air Pressure (psi) 80
Made In Members Only
Available Sizes 26-622 (700x26c)
28-622 (700x28c)
32-622 (700x32c)
35-622 (700x35c)

Pirelli Cinturato Velo 35 Test Results

Pirelli Cinturato Velo 35  mountain bike tire on a rolling resistance test machine

Size, Weight, and Thickness Measurements


Size, Weight, and Thickness Measurements
Specified Weight 410 grams
Measured Weight 413 grams
Measured Width Casing 33 mm (un-round)
Measured Width Tread 29 mm
Measured Height 31 mm (un-round)
Measured Knob Height Center 0.0 mm
Measured Knob Height Edge 0.2 mm
Measured Total Thickness Center (excluding knobs) 4.30 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)

(current protocol)
Conti Cross28 (160 gr)

(test protocol)
Measured Width 33 mm 33 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

(60 psi / 4.1 bar)
Members OnlyMembers 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

(50 psi / 3.4 bar)
Members OnlyMembers 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

(40 psi / 2.8 bar)
23.8 Watts
CRR: 0.00713
27.6 Watts
CRR: 0.00827
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

(30 psi / 2.1 bar)
28.1 Watts
CRR: 0.00842
33.1 Watts
CRR: 0.00992
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

Pirelli Cinturato Velo 35  mountain bike tire on a rolling resistance test machine
Puncture Resistance Test Results (higher is better)
Total Puncture Score Tread 110 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 4.30 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

Pirelli Cinturato Velo road bike tire on a grip test machine
Static Grip Test Results
Wet Grip Average 72 Points
Wet Grip Center Members Only
Wet Grip Edge Members Only
Measured Knob Height Center 0.0 mm
Measured Knob Height Edge 0.2 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


  • Pirelli Cinturato Velo 35
Performance compared to all other CX/Gravel tires
(100% is fastest - lightest - highest - strongest)

Pro Members get 11-point radar charts

With a Total Puncture Score of 110 points, the Cinturato Velo easily outperforms all other CX/Gravel tires in the tread puncture test. If you want better puncture resistance than the Cinturato Velo, you'll have to look at full-blown "anti-puncture" touring bike tires. The sidewalls also offer excellent protection, but some tires offer better sidewall protection.


We did find a shortcoming, and it's the really small (32 mm) tread for a 35 mm tire (Cinturato Velo 26 = 28 mm tread width - GP 5000 S TR 32 = 37 mm tread width). The small tread will be problematic when using this tire on any rim wider than 17 mm, as you'll have a big chance of riding on the sidewall sooner than you might expect. On wider rims, the high tread puncture score will also be of less use as the sidewalls will be more exposed, and it will be more likely to get sidewall cuts or punctures.


Ad Buy Pirelli Cinturato Velo at Amazon.com


RATING: 4.0 / 5
TEST VERDICT:
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