Road Bike Tire Test: Pirelli P Zero Race RS 28

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  • Pirelli P Zero Race RS 28
Performance compared to all other road bike tires
(100% is best)
Pro Members get 11-point radar charts

Pirelli P Zero Race RS 28 road bike tire on a rolling resistance test machine

The P Zero Race RS is Pirelli's newest tube-type road bike tire, and many cyclists still using inner tubes have high expectations for this tire. Its "big" brother—the TLR SpeedCore version of the RS—consistently ranks as one of the best tires in our tests, so we understand the expectations.


Pirelli launched "SpeedCore" versions of their tubeless-ready tires last year, and paired with their new compounds, this is a powerful combination. The tube-type version of the P Zero Race RS still features a traditional casing but incorporates Pirelli's latest compound.


We see that the compound is Pirelli's SmartEvo 2, which combines excellent performance and grip. The casing is 120 TPI, and there's a nylon anti-puncture strip under the tread. The casing essentially represents the tube-type recipe for an all-round road bike tire from the past 10-20 years, leaving little room for improvement.


The tube-type version is, of course, significantly lighter than the TLR version because the sidewalls and beads can be made much thinner in tube-type tires. In the 28-622 size, this results in a 60-gram advantage based on the specified weights.


Let's see what Pirelli's latest tube-type tire can achieve in our tests and how it compares to the TLR version and a selection of competing tube-type tires.

Manufacturer Specifications


Manufacturer Specifications
Brand Pirelli
Model P Zero Race RS
Year 2025
Tire Type Tubetype (clincher)
Supplied By Bought in store
New or Used New
Mileage 0 km
Price Range High
Buy At
Manufacturer part number 4675600
EAN8019227467567
TPI 120
Compound SmartEvo2
Bead Folding
ETRTO 28-622
Size Inch 28"
Specified Width (mm) 28
Specified Weight 230 grams
Max Air Pressure (psi) 109
Made In Pro Data
Available Sizes 26-622 (700x26c)
28-622 (700x28c)
30-622 (700x30c)

Pirelli P Zero Race RS 28 Test Results

Pirelli P Zero Race RS 28 road bike tire on a rolling resistance test machine

Size, Weight, and Thickness Measurements


Size, Weight and Thickness Measurements
Specified Weight 230 grams
Measured Weight 228 grams
System Adjusted Weight
(tire + inner tube (100 gr)
328 grams
Measured Width 28 mm (un-round)
Measured Height 25 mm (un-round)
Total Tire Thickness Center 2.6 mm
Total Tire Thickness Sidewall Pro Data
Unmounted Casing Width 68 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.

Rolling Resistance Test Results


Rolling Resistance Test Results
Inner Tube Conti Race28 Wide (125 gr butyl)
Measured Width 28 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 bar
Ultra High Air Pressure

(108 psi / 7.4 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 bar
Extra High Air Pressure

(90 psi / 6.2 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 bar
High Air Pressure

(72 psi /5.0 bar)
14.8 Watts
CRR: 0.00444
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 bar
Medium Air Pressure

(54 psi / 3.7 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.

Puncture Resistance Test Results

Pirelli P Zero Race RS 28 road bike tire on a rolling resistance test machine
Puncture Resistance Test Results (higher is better)
Total Puncture Score Tread 53 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 2.6 mm
Sidewall Puncture Force Sharp Needle Pro Data
Sidewall Puncture Force Blunt Needle Pro Data
Sidewall Total Tire Thickness Pro Data

Static Grip Test Results

Pirelli P Zero Race RS road bike tire on a grip test machine
Static Grip Test Results
Wet Grip Average 80 Points
Wet Grip Center Pro Data
Wet Grip Edge Pro Data
Grip in points = coefficient of friction * 100
Road bike grip test rim width = 19.0 mm

Conclusion


  • Pirelli P Zero Race RS 28
Performance compared to all other road bike tires
(100% is best)

Pro Members get 11-point radar charts

This conclusion is challenging, and we need to examine the results more closely to make an accurate comparison.


When we compare the tube-type version of the P Zero Race RS with other tube-type tires, we see a very strong-performing tire. The Pirelli does not have the absolute lowest rolling resistance, and especially at lower pressures, rolling resistance rises quickly.


However, we find that the P Zero Race RS scores very high in the wet grip tests, and the tread's puncture resistance is also good. We are seeing more tires lately scoring over 80 points in the grip test, and it's more than welcome we now see tube-type tires with increased grip as well.


The Pirelli Zero Race RS is the best choice if you're looking for an all-round tube-type road bike tire and want maximum wet grip at the expense of a slightly higher rolling resistance.


When we compare the tube-type version of the RS with the TLR version (read our review), we see some interesting things. Historically, we use a butyl inner tube for our tube-type tests, and it is known that the rolling resistance of this type of inner tube is higher than that of latex inner tubes or the latest TPU inner tubes.


However, when we make corrections based on the type of inner tube, using data we have collected over the past decade, we find something interesting. The 60-gram heavier TLR version of the P Zero Race TLR, with the same type of inner tube, has a lower rolling resistance than the lighter tube-type version, which is something most people wouldn't expect.


We refer our Pro Members to Pro View, where you can customize the inner tubes for tube-type and tubeless-ready tires through the Pro View Settings with our historical inner tube test data.


Whether you, as an inner tube user, are better off with the tube-type or tubeless-ready version will depend on how much value you place on the lower weight of the tube-type version. One thing we know for sure is that the tubeless-ready "SpeedCore" casing is superior to the tube-type casing.

RATING: 5.0 / 5
TEST VERDICT:
Highly Recommended


Comments



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