Road Bike Tire Test: Schwalbe Ironman Tubeless 24

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  • Schwalbe Ironman Tubeless 24
Performance compared to all other road bike tires
(100% is best)
Pro Members get 11-point radar charts

Schwalbe Ironman Tubeless 24 road bike tire on a rolling resistance test machine

The Schwalbe Ironman is a road bike tire specifically designed for triathlon athletes. This tire has been optimized for use on aerodynamic rims which are often used by triathlon athletes. Schwalbe also claims this tire to have an exceptionally low rolling resistance and high puncture resistance. The tubeless, clincher and tubular versions are all available in 700x22C and 700x24C sizes. The tire I'm testing is the 700x24C Tubeless Ironman.


This review has been funded by a donation from a very generous reader. Thanks, GS! This donation was made in December 2014. I ordered the tire several days later with an expected delivery time of 20 days. Unfortunately, it arrived at my door more than 3 months later. Manufacturer stock of the 24 mm Schwalbe Ironman seems to be very low while the 22 mm version seems to be in stock almost everywhere.


The Schwalbe Ironman is a close cousin to the Schwalbe One. They both share a 127 TPI V-Guard carcass with the new Triple OneStar compound. The biggest difference seems to be the slight rib profile and slightly smaller sizing. According to Schwalbe, the slightly smaller Ironman can save up to ten watts of aerodynamic drag at 40 km/h when used with aero wheels. I can't measure this to confirm, but let's see how it performs in the rolling resistance test.

Manufacturer Specifications


Manufacturer Specifications
Brand Schwalbe
Model Ironman Tubeless
Year 2015
Tire Type Tubeless
Supplied By Bought in store
New or Used New
Mileage 0 km
Price Range High
Buy At
Manufacturer part number 11700028
TPI 127
Compound OneStar
Bead Folding
ETRTO 24-622
Size Inch 28"
Specified Width (mm) 24
Specified Weight 330 grams
Max Air Pressure (psi) 110
Made In Members Only
Available Sizes 22-622 (700x22C)
24-622 (700x24C)

Schwalbe Ironman Tubeless 24 Test Results

Schwalbe Ironman Tubeless 24 road bike tire on a rolling resistance test machine

Size, Weight, and Thickness Measurements


Size, Weight and Thickness Measurements
Specified Weight 330 grams
Measured Weight 336 grams
System Adjusted Weight
(tire + valve + rim seal)
356 grams
Measured Width 25 mm (un-round)
Measured Height 23 mm (un-round)
Total Tire Thickness Center 3.2 mm
Total Tire Thickness Sidewall Members Only
Unmounted Casing Width No Data
Unmounted Tread Width No Data
Tread Cover (Tread / Casing Ratio) No Data
All size measurements are taken at an air pressure of 100 psi / 6.9 bars on a 17.8 mm inner width rim.

This particular Schwalbe Ironman Tubeless 24C comes in at 336 grams while claimed weight is 330 grams. 6 grams extra isn't so bad but seems to be typical with Schwalbe bike tires. Measured width is 25 mm and height is 23 mm on a 17C rim, this seems to be similar to the slightly wider One Tubeless 25C which came in at 26 and 24 mm.

Rolling Resistance Test Results


Rolling Resistance Test Results
Inner Tube None (0 ml sealant)
Measured Width 25 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

(120 psi / 8.3 bar)
12.9 Watts
CRR: 0.00387
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

(100 psi / 6.9 bar)
13.5 Watts
CRR: 0.00405
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

(80 psi / 5.5 bar)
Members Only
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

(60 psi / 4.1 bar)
Members Only
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.

Just like the One Tubeless 25C, indicated maximum air pressure on the sidewall is 110 psi. The Schwalbe website indicates maximum air pressure of 125 psi, I'm guessing the website is wrong. I did inflate the Ironman 24C to 120 psi to keep all test results consistent.


When compared to the Schwalbe One Tubeless, rolling resistance of the Ironman Tubeless is slightly higher. At 120 psi, rolling resistance of the Ironman is 12.9 watts Vs 11.8 watts for the One Tubeless. At a slightly lower air pressure of 100 psi, rolling resistance is 13.5 watts Vs 12.5 watts for the One Tubeless. When dropping the air pressure to 80 psi, rolling resistance of the Ironman Tubeless rises to 14.5 watts, which is 0.7 watts higher than the One Tubeless.

Puncture Resistance Test Results

Schwalbe Ironman Tubeless 24 road bike tire on a rolling resistance test machine
Puncture Resistance Test Results (higher is better)
Total Puncture Score Tread 66 Points
Total Puncture Score Sidewall Members Only
Tread Puncture Force Sharp Needle 13 Points
Tread Puncture Force Blunt Needle No Data
Tread Total Tire Thickness 3.2 mm
Sidewall Puncture Force Sharp Needle Members Only
Sidewall Puncture Force Blunt Needle No Data
Sidewall Total Tire Thickness Members Only

The Ironman does seem to be a little bit more puncture resistant with a score of 13 in the puncture resistance test Vs a score of 12 for the One Tubeless. A score of 13 is slightly above average for an all-round tire.

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


  • Schwalbe Ironman Tubeless 24
Performance compared to all other road bike tires
(100% is best)

Pro Members get 11-point radar charts

The Schwalbe Ironman Tubeless isn't the ultra-fast road bike tire with low puncture resistance I was hoping it would be. Rolling resistance comes in a little higher than the One Tubeless while puncture resistance is a little better. This seems to be consistent with the never ending puncture resistance / rolling resistance trade-off that always has to be made. When using this tubeless tire with tubeless sealant it should be virtually impossible to flat.


I'm still waiting for an ultra fast and light tubeless tire from Schwalbe, something like the old Ultremo ZLX which didn't have the puncture resistance layer. When using a ZLX style tire with tubeless sealant it should still have good puncture resistance. Still, the Schwalbe Ironman isn't a bad tire and might have the aero advantages Schwalbe claims it to have.

RATING: 3.0 / 5
TEST VERDICT:
Recommended


Comments



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