Testing the new Pirelli P-Zero Race TLR RS tubeless tyres on a road bike (2024)

Although tubeless riding was already my standard on mountain and gravel bikes, I hadn't yet tried riding tubeless on my road bike. So when I got the chance to test a set of lightning fast Pirelli P-Zero Race TLR RS tubeless tyres, of course I jumped at it. With 1100 kilometres, 10.000 vertical metres, 2 Gran Fondos and 12 hours of cycling in the rain under my belt, I'm more than ready to share my opinion.

Is the process of mounting the tyre as smooth as the tyre itself?

Once I had these tyres on my desk, I couldn't wait to fit them to my wheels. My experience with setting up tubeless wheels has always varied. It's always been easy for me on my mountain bike, but on my cross bike I sometimes just had to hope the tyre would pop into place. Which would it be with the Pirelli P-Zero Race TLR RS?

After taking the tyres out of their packaging, the shape of the bead immediately stood out to me. The bead is what connects the tyre to the wheel rim. Traditionally, the bead is round, but on the new P-Zero Race TLR RS tyres it's closer to being square. This is supposed to ensure a perfect seal, as well as improve tyre retention. I was also surprised by how light these tyres are, compared to other tubeless road bike tyres. This is partially due to the "speedCORE" technique, which is a thin, air-tight layer of rubber in the carcass, which makes the tyre both lightweight and air-tight.

I was well aware that most tubeless tyres fit tightly on my Ubique G42C wheels, so I'd booked plenty of time in my calendar for mounting my new tyres. As I expected, these Pirelli's fitted very tightly, so installing them was quite a bit of work. Luckily our photographer was carrying a tyre glider, which helped me to get the job done relatively quickly. I would later have to take the tyre off the rim one more time, but mounting the tyre was a lot easier the second time around and I got the job done by hand.

Once the tyre sat on the rim, it was time for the moment of truth: would the tyre pop into place? And yes, I got it done in no time with a regular floor pump. The only thing left to do was squeezing sealant into the tyre through the valve, and once I got that done my wheels were fitted with tubeless tyres!

The statistics

The Pirelli P-Zero Race TLR RS is the redesigned continuation of the Pirelli P-Zero Race TLR. This tyre joined our range in 2020, and from then on it proved to be a solid tyre with good riding characteristics. Even so, it always felt as though there was some room for improvement in terms of performance. The P-Zero TLR RS was made with exactly that in mind. This new tyre weighs 8% less, and has a 16% lower rolling resistance, as well as all of the P-Zero TLR's good qualities. To top it all off, the SmartEVO rubber compound has been upgraded for an even better performance in various circumstances.

Pirelli P Zero Race TLR RS

RRP 89,90

From 68,95

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In practice

The first weekend after installing the tyres, it was time for a ride! None other than the Amstel Gold Race tour, a route of 120 km I was going to tackle with a group of colleagues. A beautiful day in Limburg's hills awaited us. It immediately stood out to me how smooth and comfortable my tyres were. I'd fitted the 28 mm version on a rim with a 21 mm internal width. I kept my rear tyre at 5,8 bars and my front tyre at 5,4 bars. I weigh 81 kilograms myself, and these tyre pressures worked perfectly for me. The tyres rode perfectly across uneven surfaces, and though the clinker brick road was still noticeable, these tyres appeared to be a bit more comfortable than my old tyres.

Once we reached the finish line after 120 kilometres, I saw that one of my tyres had a puncture. The sealant had closed it perfectly, but there was a small cut in the tyre. That's the cool thing about riding tubeless - if I'd been riding with tubes, I'd surely have spend some time at the side of road.

Tyre traction

After the Amstel Gold Race, my friends and I planned to head to the sunny south for the Gran Fondo Perpignan and a week of training in Girona. The south of France and beautiful Spain should have guaranteed us equally beautiful weather, but unfortunately it wasn't to be. The forecast projected a full week full rain - a good test for my new tyres, but not as good for our morale.

The Gran Fondo Perpigan was scheduled for Saturday, April 27th. It promised a total of 192 kilometres with 2.700 vertical metres. When we got to the start line at 7 AM, dark clouds were already gathering. This was going to be a hard day! Fortunately it didn't rain for the first three hours, but then our luck ran out. Heavy rain combined with force five winds created the perfect circumstances to test the Pirelli P-Zero Race TLR RS tyres. The rain created a serious layer of water on the asphalt, but fortunately this didn't seem to affect my tyre traction, both in corners and when I braked heavily. The improved "SmartEVO compound", as seen in older Pirelli tyres, proved itself very well in these scenarios. Unfortunately my chosen clothes were less suited to the weather, so after 160 km or so the fun ran out.

Final thoughts

My first experiences with the new Pirelli P-Zero TLR RS tubeless road bike tyres were very good. Their riding qualities are extremely good, they ride far more smoothly than a comparable tyre with a tube. The Pirelli's also inspired extreme levels of confidence in the various conditions I used them in. Whether on wet roads, uneven roads or cobblestones, these tyres performed extremely well and I never doubted their traction.

So don't the new Pirelli P-Zero TLR RS tyres have any drawbacks? Of course there's always something, and unfortunately the puncture from the Amstel Gold Race tour opened up again during the Gran Fondo in Perpignan. I unfortunately didn't bring a plug kit, so I had to insert a tube anyway.

In all honesty, I personally prefer long-term performance over long-term durability and high puncture resistance. The new P-Zero TLR RS perfectly suits cyclists who are looking for the best performance. But if you're looking for a tyre with a long lifespan or extreme puncture resistance? Then these might not be the right tyres for you.

Pirelli P Zero Race TLR RS

RRP 89,90

From 68,95

View

Should you not be convinced by the story of an average road cyclist, here are the results of some Lidl-Trek professionals from this spring:

• 1e Gent-Wevelgem, men

• 2e Strade Bianchem, men and women

• 1e Tour of Flanders, women

• 2 stage wins Tirreno-Adriatico, men

• 1 stage win Parijs-Nice, men

• 1e Trofeo Alfreda Binda, women

  Have a look at our Pirelli road bike tyres