Words and photos: Mike Blewitt
Pirelli jumped into the off-road bike tire scene at the start of 2019 with their Scorpion range and have never looked back. I was lucky enough to be invited to Sicily to ride their first pedal boxes and SmartGrip rubber. Pirelli have taken a different approach with mountain bike tires releasing specific tread pattern conditions across their XC trail enduro and eMTB tires as well as the latest Scorpion Race range of Enduro and Downhill rubber. Pirelli's Cinturato Gravel range started with Hard conditions Mixed conditions and soft conditions tread patterns and soon the Cinturato RC tread came along – it looks very similar to a lowered version of Pirelli's Scorpion XC RC which is really unique but aims to be a tire that suits all conditions. .
The Cinturato RC sports a close fit for low rolling resistance with the correct tubeless bead for easy positioning of the edge tubes to hold a hard case to protect against punctures and even straight stone combinations that aim to increase rolling resistance. When I was building a long-term stone bike for Factor LS with the latest set of Shimano's GRX groupset and wheels – the Cinturato RC was the obvious choice.
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A closer look
The Cinturato RC comes in 40mm and 45mm sizes and I was given the 40mm for testing. They also make a slightly stiffer casing for the Cinturato RC X if you know you're going to push the tires hard with sharp rocks and high loads. The tires use a 60tpi casing compared to the Cinturato HM or iS which use 120tpi for a smooth and comfortable ride. My test tires came in at 506g and 507g each less than the claimed 540g. This is almost 60g heavier than the Maxxis Rambler in 60tpi with TR casing and over 100g heavier than the Rambler in 120tpi casing.
I put Cinturato RC up with Tubolight EVO gravel tires and Joe's No Flats Elite sealant. They fit into the beads without problems or flow and remain intact during the test. The tires were inflated to 42mm on a 25mm inner rim and I stayed at 35/40psi front and rear.
On the gravel
My first bike ride was a rock loop on the Scenic Rim in south-east Queensland. It's a mix of smooth and rough gravel roads and lots of dirt brakes. I've ridden this route before with tire setups that were too slippery on the dirt or too slow on the fast sections. The Cinturato RC rolled quickly on a closed section of road and I was pleased to find that it could easily pull even uphill as long as I was seated.
Although the edge knob is fine on the crumbling dirt roads on this route I still had to make sure I really picked my line. Your contact patch on a gravel tire is much smaller than an XC tire and even with a varied tread pattern and stiffer casing there are clear limitations. Still I was impressed with how the Cinturato RC rode. With more time in various terrains since this first ride I've been impressed with how well the Cinturato RC handles the mix of terrain most people will encounter on a desert bike. Very predictable in various terrains although I haven't used it in any muddy conditions – as I can't remember the last time it rained.
The decision
I came away finding the Cinturato RC a firm favorite. Some gravel tires have specific conditions of use or may lack casing strength. Even the Pirelli the Cinturato H and M I bought last year didn't provide the end use I wanted. I don't mind changing tires to get the most out of my XC race bike but on other bikes I want to get out and ride. I found the Cinturato RC to have a very wide operating window to do just that to easily transition from extreme off-road conditions to fast speeds on the road. It's not a cheap tire but so far the wear rate has been very good and it would be a great set and forget gravel tire for most riders as it comes in 40mm and 45mm widths.
RRP: $124.99
From: Fesports.com.au
Priority:
– Wide operating window
– Strong airtight box
– Predictable handling in many areas
You miss:
– Premium price
– Is it possible to get stuck in the mud?
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