In this article I’m going to give you my list of the fastest road bike clincher tires.
I’ve written quite some articles on the subject of tires in general, and road bike tires specifically. And the same tires seem to float to the surface when creating these types of lists.
This list is like that with the entries listed here almost mirroring the entries for the road bike tires with the lowest rolling resistance, or the lightest road bike tires. That’s of course because those two components are very important when it comes to speed. And what you see is that the best tires score high across parameters such as low weight, low rolling resistance, high TPI count, and probably not the best durability.
Because if you want to be the fastest you have to give something in return, and speed comes at the price of possibly running more flats.
I’ve only included foldable tires, not tubeless ready. So, provided you have the proper set of rims these tires can be mounted almost universally on any other bicycle as well, making any of them the perfect choice for your vintage road bike. But be prepared to dig deep into your wallet as well, because some of these tires are very expensive indeed.
Here’s the list of the fastest road bike clincher tires.
Continental Grand Prix 5000
The Continental Grand Prix 5000 is a clincher tire and dubbed as the best allrounder in the field.
And on paper at least the numbers are very impressive. A 330 TPI tire (very supple) at a claimed weight of 200 grams for a 23 mm width version. It has the exact same Vectran breaker as the other ones on this list, so as far as puncture protection is concerned, this tire performs equally impressively.
And this tire comes in a tan wall version or transparent as Continental calls it. But if you want the lightest version of this tire, you’ll have to stick to black.
- Best all-round road bike tire on the market, supple, light, good puncture protection, tan wall option available
- None
Continental Grand Prix TT
The Continental Grand Prix TT actually has two entries sitting below 200 grams. With the 23 mm width at 170 and the 25 mm at 190.
It’s a very supple tire at 330 TPI meant for time trials. So apart from Continental’s proprietary vectran breaker for a bit of puncture protection, its centerline is a slick with the amount of rubber down to an absolute minimum.
It’s a clincher tire so you will need tubes to run this one on your wheels.
- Light as a feather, supple
- Race tire, need tubes
Michelin Power Time Trial
The Michelin Power Time Trial is, as the name suggests, another time trial entry to this list. It sacrifices durability and puncture resistance for pure speed.
The two sizes of 23 and 25 mm tip the scales at 180 and 190 grams respectively, so considering their widths, this is truly one of the lightest tires on the planet.
You’d expect from a time trial tire that it performs well in the rolling resistance department, and the Michelin Power Time Trial does indeed. Together with the Continental Grand Prix 5000, the tire has one of the lowest ones.
- Blisteringly fast-rolling tire
- Meant for race day
Schwalbe Pro One Tube Type
The Schwalbe Pro One is a top-tier tire from the German brand, which can also be used for time trials.
It’s very light and has one of the best low rolling-resistance numbers. Like many super-fast tires it’s still a clincher tire.
The 23 mm version weighs 215 grams and the 25 mm version 235 grams. The 25 mm version also comes as a tan wall.
- Super fast, lightweight, tan wall option available, one of the very best race tires on the market
- None
Road Bike Tires Weight Rating
I’ve always been fascinated by bicycle tires, and road bike tires offer some of the most premium pieces of rubber you can put on your rims. It’s a good place to save quite a bit of weight without paying a really large amount of money. It’s not like there are titanium or carbon tires, which are traditionally materials to make bicycle products lighter that are very expensive.
The lightest 700C tire I’ve looked at is the Veloflex Record, which is a track tire sitting at 135 grams for a 23 mm version. The heaviest tire I’ve taken into account is the Schwalbe Lugano II Endurance weighing 490 grams for the same 25 mm tire width.
In the following graph you can find the weight ratings for each tire. The weight ratings represent a relative percentage irrespective of tire width and only looking at 700C versions of the respective tire. The numbers are compared against each other resulting in a percentage of 0 for the relative heaviest tire and 100 for the relative lightest tire.
Road Bike Tires Puncture Protection Rating
Nobody likes a flat tire. It’s one of the most jarring things to break the flow of a ride. That’s why puncture protection is an important factor when considering a certain bicycle tire.
Puncture protection sits at the other end of the tire weight, suppleness and possibly grip. The more rubber you add to a tire, and the more layers of protection sit underneath it, the more weight you add, and the stiffer your tire gets. That’s why racing tires have the most minimal protection, and touring or 4-season tires the most.
The puncture protection ratings you see here are a function of TPI, in combination with tire weight, and puncture protection technology added to the tire. From sidewall protection, multiple breakers and tire belts.
Specifications fastest road bike clincher tires
Name | Size | ETRTO | Weight (gr) | Tread color | Sidewall color | Compound | Puncture protection | Tire bead | TPI | Buy at Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Continental Grand Prix 5000 | 700Cx25 | 25-622 | 230 | Black | Transparent | BlackChili | Vectran Breaker | foldable | 3/330 | |
Continental Grand Prix 5000 | 700Cx25 | 25-622 | 255 | Black | Cream | BlackChili | Vectran Breaker | foldable | 3/330 | |
Continental Grand Prix 5000 | 700Cx25 | 25-622 | 225 | Black | Black | BlackChili | Vectran Breaker | foldable | 3/330 | |
Continental Grand Prix 5000 | 700Cx23 | 23-622 | 200 | Black | Black | BlackChili | Vectran Breaker | foldable | 3/330 | |
Schwalbe Pro One Tube Type | 700Cx23 | 23-622 | 215 | Black | Black | ADDIX Race | V-Guard | foldable | 2/127 | |
Schwalbe Pro One Tube Type | 700Cx25 | 25-622 | 235 | Black | Black | ADDIX Race | V-Guard | foldable | 2/127 | |
Schwalbe Pro One Tube Type | 700Cx25 | 25-622 | 235 | Black | Transparent | ADDIX Race | V-Guard | foldable | 2/127 | |
Michelin Power Time Trial | 700Cx23 | 23-622 | 180 | Black | Black | Gum-X | foldable | 3/180 | ||
Michelin Power Time Trial | 700Cx25 | 25-622 | 190 | Black | Black | Gum-X | foldable | 3/180 |
Johan van Seijen
FoundeR Restoration.bike
Johan van Seijen is the founder of restoration.bike. His passion for cycling in general, and restoring older bikes turned into a website to share his knowledge with a broader audience. Starting out on his father’s road bike and riding classics as the Amstel Gold Race and Liege Bastogne Liege he has shifted his attention to trail, XC, and gravel riding since. No matter how much he loves writing about everything related to cycling, nothing beats actually using his ever-expanding bicycle collection.
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