CX/Gravel Tire Test: Pirelli P Zero Race TLR RS SpeedCore 35

NOTE: This Pirelli P Zero Race TLR RS 35 was tested as a CX-Gravel tire at lower air pressures. You can also find tests of the 28 mm P Zero Race TLR RS in the road bike section.

The Pirelli P Zero Race TLR RS has quickly become one of the best slick bike tires, and with the move towards bigger tires, Pirelli recently released a 35 mm version of the TLR RS. Pirelli has a history of releasing its road bike tires in larger sizes, with the non-RS P Zero Race TLR among the first high-performance road bike tires available in the 35 and 40 mm sizes.

It wasn't long ago that finding a fast 35 mm slick tire was impossible, and you had to settle for lower-quality tires if you really needed the volume of the 35 mm size. In the last few years, we've seen a lot of new 35 mm tires, and the 35 mm P Zero Race TLR RS will make an impact in this category.

We already tested the P Zero Race TLR RS in the 28 and 32 mm sizes, and we know it's one of the best-performing tires of this time. Testing the 35 mm size as well will be interesting, as we've learned from other tests that the larger sizes of the same tires often feature thicker treads, better puncture resistance, and sometimes, softer compounds than the smaller sizes.

On paper, we can't find any differences between the available sizes of the Pirelli P Zero Race TLR RS, aside from the obvious size and weight differences. They all use Pirelli's tubeless-ready Speedcore casing and SmartEvo2 compound, and they're all made in Pirelli's Italian factory.

Read on to find out about the real differences between the 32 and 35 mm sizes of the Pirelli P Zero Race TLR RS and our conclusion. We'll also compare the 35 mm RS to the non-RS P Zero Race TLR (read our review), 40 mm Cinturato Evo TLR (read our review), and a bunch of similar tires from other manufacturers.

Manufacturer Specifications

Manufacturer Specs
Brand	Pirelli
Model	P Zero Race TLR RS SpeedCore
Year	2026
Supplied By	Bought in store
New or Used	New
Mileage	0 km
Price Range	Very High
Buy At
Manufacturer part number	4353900
EAN	8019227435399
TPI	120
Compound	SmartEvo 2
Bead	Folding
ETRTO	35-622
Specified Weight	370 grams
Max Air Pressure (psi)	72
Made In	Pro Data
Available Sizes	26-622 (700x26c) 28-622 (700x28c) 30-622 (700x30c) 32-622 (700x32c) 35-622 (700x35c)

Pirelli P Zero Race TLR RS SpeedCore 35 Test Results

Size, Weight, and Thickness Measurements

Size, Weight, and Thickness Measurements
Specified Weight	370 grams
Measured Weight	392 grams
Measured Width Casing	33 mm (un-round)
Measured Width Tread	31 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)	2.90 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	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 barHigh Air Pressure (60 psi / 4.1 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 (50 psi / 3.4 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 (40 psi / 2.8 bar)	13.6 Watts CRR: 0.00408
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 (30 psi / 2.1 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	50 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	2.90 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	84 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

Overall, the 35 mm Pirelli P Zero Race TLR RS is just as strong a performer in our tests as the 32 mm version. We found a difference in tread thickness: the 35 mm version (2.9 mm) is slightly thicker than the 32 mm version (2.5 mm). The increased tread thickness is in line with Pirelli's other tires we tested in the larger size, making the 35 mm size a bit slower but more puncture-resistant and grippier than the 32 mm size.

One disappointing thing is that the actual size increase is much smaller than expected: we measured the 32 mm size at 31.8 mm and the 35 mm size at just 32.9 mm. This very limited size increase is also confirmed by measuring the unmounted width of the casing: 85 mm for the 32 mm size, and just 88 mm for the 35 mm size (a 3.5% increase). A casing width of at least 90 mm would have been a better fit and made the difference between these sizes a bit more noticeable.

Compared to the competition, the Pirelli RS is still very hard to beat, and the increased tread thickness of the 35 mm size might be welcome for those of you who require a bit more volume and puncture resistance.

Compare the 32 and 35 mm Pirelli P Zero Race TLR RS on our comparison section

RATING: 5.0 / 5
TEST VERDICT: Highly Recommended

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