Road Bike Tire Test: Schwalbe Ironman Tubeless
Contents and Test Summary
- Introduction
- Manufacturer Specifications
- Size, Weight, Thickness
- Rolling Resistance: 12.9 Watts
- Puncture Resistance: 66 Points
- Static Wet Grip: No Data
- Conclusion: 3.0 / 5 Recommended
- Comments
- Schwalbe Ironman Tubeless
(100% is best)
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 Test Results
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 barUltra 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 barExtra 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 barHigh 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 barMedium 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
| 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 | |
Conclusion
- Schwalbe Ironman Tubeless
(100% is best)
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