CX/Gravel Tire Test: Pirelli Cinturato Gravel M 45

We already tested the 40 mm version (read our review) of the Pirelli Cinturato Gravel M last year, and this time we will look at the 45 mm version. We're unaware of any big changes made to the Pirelli Gravel M over the past years, so we're not expecting huge differences between the 40 and 45-mm versions (except for the obvious higher weight and bigger size).

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The M part in the name of this tire stands for "Mixed Terrain", which means it has been designed to handle a wide range of conditions. The Gravel M is equipped with quite a rough-looking tread pattern with knobs that have a large surface area and a relatively limited knob height. The main advantage of this tread design is stability, as the knobs do not flex too much on hard surfaces.

This test of the 45 mm version of the Gravel M will also allow us to compare it to Pirelli's entire range of Gravel bike tires. Since our original 40 mm Gravel M test, in which we compared it mainly to the Gravel H (read our review), we've also tested the Gravel RC (read our review) and Gravel S (read our review), which means we now have all the data to compare Pirelli's entire gravel bike lineup.

Like our previous Pirelli Gravel tire tests, we've tested the black sidewall version, which will provide us with the best possible comparison. A brown sidewall version is also available, but we don't recommend those from a performance point of view as the brown sidewalled "classic" 45 mm version is 60 grams heavier than the black version.

Manufacturer Specifications

Manufacturer Specs
Brand	Pirelli
Model	Cinturato Gravel M
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	3834999
EAN	8019227383409
TPI	120
Compound	SpeedGRIP
Bead	Folding
ETRTO	45-622
Specified Weight	570 grams
Max Air Pressure (psi)	65
Made In	Members Only
Available Sizes	35-622 (700x35c) 40-622 (700x40c) 45-622 (700x45c) 50-622 (700x50c) 45-584 (650x45b) 50-584 (650x50b)

Pirelli Cinturato Gravel M 45 Test Results

Size, Weight, and Thickness Measurements

Size, Weight, and Thickness Measurements
Specified Weight	570 grams
Measured Weight	564 grams
Measured Width Casing	45 mm (un-round)
Measured Width Tread	45 mm
Measured Height	43 mm (un-round)
Measured Knob Height Center	1.9 mm
Measured Knob Height Edge	2.2 mm
Measured Total Thickness Center (excluding knobs)	2.10 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	45 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 (46 psi / 3.2 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 barMedium Air Pressure (38 psi / 2.6 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 barLow Air Pressure (31 psi / 2.1 bar)	21.7 Watts CRR: 0.00650
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 (23 psi / 1.6 bar)	25.6 Watts CRR: 0.00767
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	31 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	2.10 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

Static Grip Test Results
Wet Grip Average	75 Points
Wet Grip Center	Members Only
Wet Grip Edge	Members Only
Measured Knob Height Center	1.9 mm
Measured Knob Height Edge	2.2 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

Both the 40 and 45 mm versions of the Pirelli Cinturato Gravel M perform nearly identical in our tests. The small differences can be attributed to the individual samples, as our 40 mm version was relatively heavy (529 grams vs 500 grams specified) compared to our 45 mm version (564 grams vs 570 grams).

Thanks to its lower relative weight and lower than-specified weight, the 45 mm version performs slightly better in our tests, and we award it a slightly higher score. Overall, the performance of the Gravel M is very strong, and it might very well be the most versatile gravel bike tire as its tread pattern should perform very well in almost all circumstances, including hard surfaces (as seen in our hard surface wet grip test).

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RATING: 4.1 / 5
TEST VERDICT: Highly Recommended

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