Road Bike Tire Test: Panaracer Race A Evo 3 25
Contents and Test Summary
- Introduction
- Manufacturer Specifications
- Size, Weight, Thickness
- Rolling Resistance: 19.0 Watts
- Puncture Resistance: 75 Points
- Static Wet Grip: No Data
- Conclusion: 4.0 / 5 Recommended
- Comments
- Panaracer Race A Evo 3 25
(100% is best)
The Panaracer Race A Evo 3 is Panaracer's all-round version of their top of the line 'Race' series. Panaracer also offers a Race D (Durable) version which comes with a thicker tread, and a Race L (Light) (read review) version which is the lightest and fastest version. Although Panaracer calls the Race A an all-round tire, it does come with a puncture belt that runs from bead to bead. Take this into consideration as most other brands call their bead to bead protected tires something along the lines of 'protection' or 'endurance'.
The Race A Evo 3 comes with Panaracer's 'Zero Slip Grip' (ZSG) compound which is a dual compound optimized for wet and dry conditions. The casing is made from an 'Ax-Alpha Cord' and a 'ProTite Shield' anti-puncture belt covers the entire tire from bead to bead. The Race A Evo 3 is available in the 23-622, 25-622, and 28-622 sizes.
If you're also interested in how the Race L Evo 3 and Race D Evo 3 perform, you can compare them side by side on the comparison section of our site here: Race A Evo 3 Vs Race D Evo 3 Vs Race L Evo 3
Manufacturer Specifications
| Manufacturer Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Brand | Panaracer |
| Model | Race A Evo 3 |
| Year | 2018 |
| Tire Type | Tubetype (clincher) |
| Supplied By | Bought in store |
| New or Used | New |
| Mileage | 0 km |
| Price Range | High |
| Buy At | |
| Manufacturer part number | RF725-RCA-B3 |
| EAN | 4931253013492 |
| TPI | - |
| Compound | ZSG Dual Compound |
| Bead | Folding |
| ETRTO | 25-622 |
| Size Inch | 28" |
| Specified Width (mm) | 25 |
| Specified Weight | 240 grams |
| Max Air Pressure (psi) | 140 |
| Made In | Pro Data |
| Available Sizes |
23-622 (700x23c) 25-622 (700x25c) 28-622 (700x28c) |
Panaracer Race A Evo 3 25 Test Results
Size, Weight, and Thickness Measurements
| Size, Weight and Thickness Measurements | |
|---|---|
| Specified Weight | 240 grams |
| Measured Weight | 247 grams |
| System Adjusted Weight (tire + inner tube (100 gr) |
347 grams |
| Measured Width | 27 mm (un-round) |
| Measured Height | 24 mm (un-round) |
| Total Tire Thickness Center | 2.7 mm |
| Total Tire Thickness Sidewall | Pro Data |
| Unmounted Casing Width | 67 mm |
| Unmounted Tread Width | Pro Data |
| Tread Cover (Tread / Casing Ratio) | Pro Data |
| All size measurements are taken at an air pressure of 100 psi / 6.9 bars on a 17.8 mm inner width rim. | |
Weight. My sample of the 25-622 Race A Evo 3 has a weight of 247 grams while the specified weight is 240 grams.
Size. Just like many other 25-622 rated tires, the Race A Evo 3 has a maximum width of 27 mm and a height of 24 mm when inflated to 100 psi / 6.9 bars on a 17C rim.
Tire Thickness. The total thickness of the tire at the center of the tread is 2.7 mm. The sidewalls have a thickness of 0.80 mm which clearly shows us that this tire comes with a puncture belt that runs from bead to bead. Most other high-performance tires have a sidewall thickness of 0.50 - 0.55 mm.
Rolling Resistance Test Results
| Rolling Resistance Test Results | |
|---|---|
| Inner Tube | Conti Race28 (100gr butyl) |
| Measured Width | 27 mm (un-round) |
| Rolling Resistance Real tire width in mm: 22-24 = 132 psi/9.1 bar 25-27 = 120 psi/8.3 bar 28-29 = 108 psi/7.4 barUltra High Air Pressure (120 psi / 8.3 bar) |
Pro Data |
| Rolling Resistance Real tire width in mm: 22-24 = 110 psi/7.6bar 25-27 = 100 psi/6.9 bar 28-29 = 90 psi/6.2 barExtra High Air Pressure (100 psi / 6.9 bar) |
Pro Data |
| Rolling Resistance Real tire width in mm: 22-24 = 88 psi/6.1 bar 25-27 = 80 psi/5.5 bar 28-29 = 72 psi/5.0 barHigh Air Pressure (80 psi / 5.5 bar) |
19.0 Watts CRR: 0.00570 |
| Rolling Resistance Real tire width in mm: 22-24 = 66 psi/4.6 bar 25-27 = 60 psi/4.1 bar 28-29 = 54 psi/3.7 barMedium Air Pressure (60 psi / 4.1 bar) |
Pro Data |
| The Road Bike 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. |
|
In the rolling resistance tests, the Race A Evo 3 doesn't come close to the fastest tires in this category. When compared to the Michelin Power Competition (read review) and Continental Grand Prix 4000S II (read review), the Race A lags behind by 4 - 5 watts at the highest air pressure. At lower air pressures, the gap grows to nearly 7 watts.
Comparing the Race A to the Michelin Power Competition and Conti GP4000SII might not be entirely fair as this tire has reinforced sidewalls and a much higher puncture resistance score (see below). When we compare the Race A to the Michelin Pro 4 Endurance though (which scores similar in the puncture tests), it's still lagging behind in the rolling resistance tests by 2 - 3 watts.
Puncture Resistance Test Results
| Puncture Resistance Test Results (higher is better) | |
|---|---|
| Total Puncture Score Tread | 75 Points |
| Total Puncture Score Sidewall | Pro Data |
| Tread Puncture Force Sharp Needle | 16 Points |
| Tread Puncture Force Blunt Needle | No Data |
| Tread Total Tire Thickness | 2.7 mm |
| Sidewall Puncture Force Sharp Needle | Pro Data |
| Sidewall Puncture Force Blunt Needle | No Data |
| Sidewall Total Tire Thickness | Pro Data |
In the tread puncture test, the Race A scores a very impressive 16 points which is higher than any other 'all-round' tire and even comes close to the Conti Gatorskin (18 points) (read review). The 'ProTite Shield' used by Panaracer seems to be doing a great job at protecting against punctures.
In the sidewall puncture test, the Race A sets the highest scores of any other road bike tire tested to date. This once again shows the Panaracer 'ProTite Shield' to be one of the strongest puncture belts available.
Static Grip Test Results
NOTE: Grip test data is only available on tires tested after November 2018. You can find more information about our grip test here: Introducing Grip Testing
| Static Grip Test Results | |
|---|---|
| Wet Grip Average | No Data |
| Wet Grip Center | No Data |
| Wet Grip Edge | No Data |
| Grip in points = coefficient of friction * 100 Road bike grip test rim width = 19.0 mm |
|
Conclusion
- Panaracer Race A Evo 3 25
(100% is best)
Although Panaracer calls the Race A an all-round tire, it scores much higher in the puncture tests when compared to traditional 'all-round' tires likes the Conti GP4000S II (read review). Rolling resistance on the other hand, is higher than the competition even when compared to tires that nearly score the same in the puncture tests.
I have a feeling the Panaracer Race A (all-round) should actually have been marketed as a 'protection' or 'endurance' tire as it's a much stronger tire than many other all-round tires. I'm looking forward to testing the Race D (durable) to see how it compares to the already strong Race A. Rated 4/5 because puncture resistance is that good.
RATING:
4.0
/ 5
TEST VERDICT:
Recommended