The top 7 best gumwall road bike tires in 2023

Table of Contents

With this article I’m going to give you an overview of gorgeous-looking gumwall road bike tires.

If you take a brief glance at the domain name of this website you quickly realize that I feel right at home writing an article about this subject. Gumwall tires have had a dramatic rise in popularity, after having been forced out of the limelight for probaby 2 decades or longer.

I have to be honest that in creating this list I’ve made a number of assumptions about the person who landed on this article, which would be you. I assume you’re looking for what a purist would actually call a skinwall tire. You see, a purist would argue that a gumwall tire is actually an entry-level tire made with low TPI count sidewalls of cheap rubber, and could be all-black with respect to the color.

Skinwall tires on the other hand are premium tires, which sacrifice protection for low weight, and speed, and still have their natural beige or tan color for the sidewalls. E.g. a skin color.

So the tires included here are both budget and premium gumwall and skinwall tires, which would look great on your recently restored vintage road bike, or your newly purchased carbon beauty. And you’ll find all of them in a handy table overview at the end of this article.

And with that out of the way, let’s see what I deemed worthy to make it onto my list of the best gumwall road bike 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.

Continental Grand Prix 5000 S TR

Continental is known for their light-weight tire offerings and the Continental Grand Prix 500 S TR is no exception. It’s the tubeless ready version of the standard Grand Prix 5000, which is a clincher tire.

The tubeless ready Grand Prix 5000 has the same excellent stats. A 220 TPI moderately supple tire, that comes in your standard 25 and 28 mm width versions. At 250 grams for the 25 mm and 280 for the 28 mm version, these tires are pretty light. And on top of that, this tire scores extremely high markers in the rolling resistance department. That means you can check both light and fast of your list of requirements, when you go for this tire.

A tan wall version is included among the sizes for those who want to mount them.

Michelin Dynamic Classic

I’ve seen vintage road bike resellers dress their entire lineup with Michelin Dynamic Classic tires. The reason for this is that it’s a perfect match for any vintage road bike at probably the lowest cost for a tan wall road bike tire.

In the quality department this tire will not be top of its class, but it does come in an affordable package. And with prices ever going up that’s always a good thing.

Panaracer GravelKing SS (Tubed)

The tubed version of the Panaracer GravelKing SS comes in a single 28mm width.

At 310 grams it’s slightly heavier than the 270 of the standard GravelKing version, which means you pack a bit more rubber, and slightly pronounced knobbies at the side.

And 310 grams isn’t heavy at all, 270 is just very light. I would say this tire, with this tread pattern is meant for touring, and very light gravel riding on standard road bikes. The knobbies are so small, that I’m afraid that for more heavy duty stuff, they will simply wear out too fast, turning these tires into something just as slick as the classic GravelKing.

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.

Vittoria Corsa

The Vittoria Corsa tops many lists as one of the best road bike tires in general. And lucky for us, they also offer a tan-wall version of this beauty of a tire.

The Vittoria Corsa is a tire for the current generation of road bikes. At 290 grams for a 25 mm width it’s not lightweight. But the combination of that weight and an extremely high 320 TPI carcass means this is one of the most comfortable road tires on the market today, and an obvious choice for many road cyclists.

Not only is this an extremely comfortable tire, grip, handling, and cornering confidence is also at a maximum with this tire. And for years the Vittoria Corsa has set the benchmark of being the tire with the lowest rolling resistance. All of these characteristics combined make the Vittoria Corsa a failsafe option for sure.

Vittoria Corsa Control

If you want a bit more puncture protection but still have Vittoria emblazoned on your sidewall, the Vittoria Corsa Control will suit your needs.

It’s obviously heavier than its other namesake, but with it comes extra protection. It has an extra tread inserted into the tire, which adds control and durability for less than optimal road conditions like cobblestones and rougher roads.

It’s also a perfect companion for those who don’t mind riding in wet conditions. So choose this tire over the normal Corsa if rough and wet is what you like.

The Vittoria Corsa Control is also the only tan-wall road bike tire on this list that comes as a tube. So if you have a very premium vintage road bike or a very premium set of modern-day wheels you can take advantage of everything tubes have to offer as well.

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.

Continental Grand Prix 5000

81%

Continental Grand Prix 5000 S TR

70%

Michelin Dynamic Classic

57%

Panaracer GravelKing SS (Tubed)

62%

Schwalbe Pro One Tube Type

78%

Vittoria Corsa

77%

Vittoria Corsa Control

75%

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.

Continental Grand Prix 5000

42%

Continental Grand Prix 5000 S TR

46%

Michelin Dynamic Classic

45%

Panaracer GravelKing SS (Tubed)

59%

Schwalbe Pro One Tube Type

55%

Vittoria Corsa

42%

Vittoria Corsa Control

43%

Specifications gumwall road bike tires

Name	Size	ETRTO	Weight (gr)	Tread color	Sidewall color	Compound	Puncture protection	Tire bead	TPI	Buy at Amazon
Continental Grand Prix 5000	700Cx28	28-622	275	Black	Cream	BlackChili	Vectran Breaker	foldable	3/330	link
Continental Grand Prix 5000	700Cx28	28-622	245	Black	Transparent	BlackChili	Vectran Breaker	foldable	3/330	link
Continental Grand Prix 5000	700Cx25	25-622	230	Black	Transparent	BlackChili	Vectran Breaker	foldable	3/330	link
Continental Grand Prix 5000	700Cx25	25-622	255	Black	Cream	BlackChili	Vectran Breaker	foldable	3/330	link
Continental Grand Prix 5000 S TR	700Cx32	32-622	320	Black	Transparent	BlackChili	Vectran Breaker	tlr	2/220	link
Continental Grand Prix 5000 S TR	700Cx28	28-622	280	Black	Transparent	BlackChili	Vectran Breaker	tlr	2/220	link
Continental Grand Prix 5000 S TR	700Cx25	25-622	250	Black	Transparent	BlackChili	Vectran Breaker	tlr	2/220	link
Michelin Dynamic Classic	700Cx20	23-622		Black	Tan			foldable		link
Michelin Dynamic Classic	700Cx25	25-622		Black	Tan			foldable		link
Michelin Dynamic Classic	700Cx28	28-622		Black	Tan			foldable		link
Panaracer GravelKing SS (Tubed)	700Cx28	28-622	310	Black	Tan	ZSG Natural	AX-Alpha / ProTite Shield Plus	foldable	126	link
Schwalbe Pro One Tube Type	700Cx25	25-622	235	Black	Transparent	ADDIX Race	V-Guard	foldable	2/127	link
Schwalbe Pro One Tube Type	700Cx28	28-622	250	Black	Transparent	ADDIX Race	V-Guard	foldable	2/127	link
Schwalbe Pro One Tube Type	700Cx30	30-622	280	Black	Transparent	ADDIX Race	V-Guard	foldable	2/127	link
Schwalbe Pro One Tube Type	700Cx32	32-622	310	Black	Transparent	ADDIX Race	V-Guard	foldable	2/127	link
Vittoria Corsa	700Cx23	23-622	245	Black	Tan	Corespun K	Protection Belt	foldable	320	link
Vittoria Corsa	700Cx25	25-622	255	Black	Tan	Corespun K	Protection Belt	foldable	320	link
Vittoria Corsa	700Cx28	28-622	270	Black	Tan	Corespun K	Protection Belt	foldable	320	link
Vittoria Corsa Control	700Cx25	25-622	265	Black	Tan	Corespun K	Protection Belt	foldable	320	link
Vittoria Corsa Control	700Cx28	28-622	280	Black	Tan	Corespun K	Protection Belt	foldable	320	link
Vittoria Corsa Control	700Cx30	30-622	280	Black	Tan	Corespun K	Protection Belt	foldable	320	link

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.