CX/Gravel Tire Test: Rene Herse Hurricane Ridge TC Extralight 42

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  • Rene Herse Hurricane Ridge TC Extralight 42
Performance compared to all other CX/Gravel tires
(100% is best)
Pro Members get 11-point radar charts

Rene Herse Hurricane Ridge TC Extralight 42 road bike tire on a rolling resistance test machine

Over the last few years, we've regularly tested Rene Herse tires as there is a vast interest in these tires from our Pro Members. We already tried the 700x38c semi-slick Barlow Pass back in 2021, and in 2022 we followed that up with the larger 700x44c Snoqualmie Pass. We even tested the Snoqualmie Pass in all of its 4 different casings and created the Rene Herse Casing Comparison, which tells you everything you need to know about the Rene Herse casings.


This time we're going to look at one of Rene Herse's knobby treaded tires, and it's the 700x42c Hurricane Ridge TC with the Extralight casing, which is their lightest and fastest casing design. When it comes to Rene Herse tires with their knobby tread, we've already tested the 700x42c Hurricane Ridge with the Standard casing and also the smaller 700x38c Steilacoom TC with the Standard casing.


Adding the Hurricane Ridge TC Extralight will give us a good look at how the different casings affect the knobby treaded Rene Herse tires and if we can apply what we learned in our Rene Herse casing comparison to their knobby tires as well.


Manufacturer Specifications


Manufacturer Specs
Brand Rene Herse
Model Hurricane Ridge TC Extralight
Year 2023
Supplied By Bought in store
New or Used New
Mileage 0 km
Price Range Very High
Buy At
Manufacturer part number RF742TCX-SX-CP
TPI -
Compound -
Bead Folding
ETRTO 42-622
Specified Weight 465 grams
Max Air Pressure (psi) 75
Made In Members Only
Available Sizes 42-622 (700x42c)

Rene Herse Hurricane Ridge TC Extralight 42 Test Results

Rene Herse Hurricane Ridge TC Extralight 42  mountain bike tire on a rolling resistance test machine

Size, Weight, and Thickness Measurements


Size, Weight, and Thickness Measurements
Specified Weight 465 grams
Measured Weight 462 grams
Measured Width Casing 41 mm (un-round)
Measured Width Tread 40 mm
Measured Height 40 mm (un-round)
Measured Knob Height Center 3.0 mm
Measured Knob Height Edge 3.0 mm
Measured Total Thickness Center (excluding knobs) 2.00 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 41 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

(50 psi / 3.4 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 bar
Medium Air Pressure

(42 psi / 2.9 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 bar
Low Air Pressure

(33 psi / 2.3 bar)
23.8 Watts
CRR: 0.00713
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

(25 psi / 1.7 bar)
26.3 Watts
CRR: 0.00788
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

Rene Herse Hurricane Ridge TC Extralight 42  mountain bike tire on a rolling resistance test machine
Puncture Resistance Test Results (higher is better)
Total Puncture Score Tread 34 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 2.00 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

Rene Herse Hurricane Ridge TC Extralight road bike tire on a grip test machine
Static Grip Test Results
Wet Grip Average 57 Points
Wet Grip Center Members Only
Wet Grip Edge Members Only
Measured Knob Height Center 3.0 mm
Measured Knob Height Edge 3.0 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


  • Rene Herse Hurricane Ridge TC Extralight 42
Performance compared to all other CX/Gravel tires
(100% is fastest - lightest - highest - strongest)

Pro Members get 11-point radar charts

When it comes to rolling resistance, the knobby treaded Hurricane Ridge with the Extralight casing doesn't seem to profit as much from the lighter casing compared to the semi-slick Snoqualmie Pass that saw a considerable boost from the Extralight casing. We're not sure why we see smaller gains with the Hurricane Ridge, but drawing conclusions from single-sample test results is always tricky when the margins are this slim. We do think there will always be a smaller difference with the knobby treaded tires, as the knobby tread makes up a more significant portion of the tire's rolling resistance.


In the puncture resistance tests, we again see the Standard and Extralight casing coming in very close. However, the distribution of the scores is slightly different, which we attribute to the margin of error of the tests. Although we would need real-world confirmation, there isn't much difference when it comes to puncture resistance between these casings. If you need additional puncture resistance, you should at least move up to the Endurance casing.


In the wet grip tests, we see a clear difference as the Hurricane Ridge Extralight doesn't provide more grip, which is unlike what we've seen with the semi-slick Snoqualmie Pass. These results make sense as the casing has less influence on the knobby tires, and the knobby tread probably is the limiting factor here. When we estimate the total thickness of the rubber that's between the casing and test surface, it's roughly 1.2 mm on the semi-slick and 4.0 mm on the knobby treaded tires. As you can imagine, the thicker the layer of rubber on the tire, the less influence the casing has in absorbing the road's imperfections.


To sum it up, the knobby tread probably takes off the rough edges between the casings as the tread makes up a more significant portion of the tire's performance compared to semi-slick tires that have the casing in closer contact with the road.


RATING: 3.5 / 5
TEST VERDICT:
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