In this article I’m going to cover the best Japanese road bike tires. I’ve ridden two brands in my life: IRC and Panaracer. Since I’m no longer a fan of IRC, or rather I’ve become a fan of Panaracer tires, this article could just as well sum up their entire tire lineup compatible with road bikes.
The reason I’m such a fan of the Japanese brand is that they offer the lightest tires on the market, with a good price, with excellent build quality, great puncture-protection, supple riding characteristics, and great looks.
Also, as the name of this site implies, I also do some bike restoration in my spare time. And Panaracer offers true skinwall versions of their tire with fantastic-looking tan sidewalls. So they’re also the best option to finish your vintage ride.
For this list I went with tire widths up to 28mm. Any wider than that and you’re going to get into trouble with frame clearance.
Let’s see what tires made it on my list of the best Japanese road bike tires.
Panaracer Agilest
The Panaracer Agilest is the newest addition to the Japanese tire manufacturer’s road bike tire lineup.
The standard clincher variant is one of the lightest tires available, with the “wide” 28mm version sitting at just 210 grams per tire.
They’ve achieved this weight with the new and much lighter ZSG Agile compound, which is a combination of a single 120 TPI ply with a puncture resistant breaker.
Coming in a variety of color combinations, including a gorgeous amber one, and being a long-time fan of Panaracer, I can do very little but instantly count this road bike tire among my favorites.
- Light as a feather, with multiple colors. Another hit with Japanese build quality.
- None
Panaracer Agilest Duro
The Panaracer Agilest Duro is without a doubt, the most puncture-resistant, yet lightweight road bike tire on the market.
The puncture resistance differs markedly by including the ProTite Belt, a breaker Panaracer also uses in their touring tires. On top of that an extra bead-to-bead breaker covers the entire casing.
By adding the extra breaker, they’ve bumped up the weight just a bit, but the 220 grams for a 25mm version is incredibly impressive.
- The most puncture-resistant, yet lightweight road bike tire on the market
- None
Panaracer Agilest Light
What do you get when you take one of the lightest road bike tires available, and decide you want to make it even lighter? You get the Panaracer Agilest Light.
I know of only one tire which is lighter than the 160 grams 23mm version (or 170 grams 25mm). That tire specifically states it’s meant for either the track or a time trial.
This one does not. And, on the other hand, still offers the same 120 TPI casing, and breaker as the clincher version. It only comes with less rubber, but obviously something had to go to get into the weight class this tire sits in, which is quite frankly, anorexic. And I don’t mean that in a derogatory way.
Sure, it might be less durable, but who cares? This tire is a weight weenies’ dream come true.
- Light, lighter, Panaracer Agilest light.
- None
Panaracer Agilest TLR
The Panaracer Agilest TLR is the tubeless-ready variant of the standard Agilest clincher.
It offers the same lightweight ZSG Agile compound, but instead of the breaker, has a bead-to-bead air proof layer to ensure a flatless ride.
And just as the clincher is one of the lightest in its category, the TLR, having the same type of casing, also offers the lowest weight for a tubeless-ready road bike tire. With the 23mm version at just 220 grams.
This one only comes in black though. But if you’re looking for an extremely lightweight tubeless-ready road bike tire of the highest quality, you’ve found it.
- One of the lightest tubeless-ready road bike tires
- None
Panaracer GravelKing (Tubed)
The tubed version of the Panaracer GravelKing inherits the compound and puncture protection technology of the entire lineup, but is offered in road bike tire dimensions.
This means you have your standard 23 to 28mm variants, with the durable ZSG compound, and the very reliable ProTite Shield Plus breaker. Which is a step up from their standard ProTite breaker, and also reinforces the sidewalls.
I use these tires for my daily driver, which is basically a road bike with panniers and fenders. They look great, ride even better, and though after many miles, there are small cuts on the well worn carcass, I haven’t had a flat.
All Panaracer tires are very low weight, including these ones. So whether you’re going to use them for a fast commuter, or a puncture-proof 4-season option for your road bike, know that these are some of the best road bike tires out there.
- Fantastic fast, and supple commuter, or 4-season road bike tire.
- None
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.
- Tour-oriented road bike tire, with slightly more grip than the standard tubed GravelKing
- None
Panaracer Pasela ProTite
Panaracer makes very nice mid-level priced tires. And they also offer some of the best-looking ones for retro builds. I choose the Panaracer Pasela ProTite over the normal Pasela, because it’s lighter, comes in a folding version and has better puncture protection.
The ProTite bead-to-bead protection covers is a tightly woven fabric covering the entire width of the tire, and sits in a mid-tier casing, offering a great combination of puncture protection, and low weight.
In general the Pasela ProTite are lightweight and true skin walls, that’ll look great on your bike.
- Fantastic all-round tire, very light, true skin wall tires. Go-to option for retro commuter builds.
- None
Panaracer Race C Evo 4
The true racing offering from Panaracer in a tan-wall jacket. The Panaracer Race C Evo 4 is quite a mouthfull, for one of their lightest road bike tire offerings. The 26 mm width is just 220 grams.
The Race C Evo 4 is meant for speed. Besides the weight, the tire has a tread pattern light enough to provide just a bit more grip than a true slick would have. It’s faster, grippier, and more durable than previous iterations of the tire.
Panaracers look good on any retro build, and this tire is the must-have choice for people looking for speed.
- Fast, grippy, durable, one of the best tires for retro road bike builds
- None
Panaracer Race D Evo 4
The Panaracer Race D Evo 4 is the 4-season option from the Japanese brand’s race lineup.
The tires feature a 3D casing (Double Dip Duru Cover). That’s a fancy name to tell you that they offer dual breakers, the ProTite Belt sitting underneath the center tread, and a bead-to-bead one which reinforces the entire casing including the sidewalls.
That’s impressive, and certainly helps to prevent punctures and snake bites even more, making this a very solid contender and a high-quality all season option.
- Dual breakers, and reinforced sidewalls make a fantastic 4-season road bike tire
- None
Panaracer RiBMo
At 26 x 2 inches and 560 grams the Panaracer RibMo is among the lightest tires for its size on this list. Its minimal tread pattern moves it into the direction of being a slick tire, perfect for fast urban commuting.
The Panaracer RiBMo uses their proprietary ProTite technology, which is an extra puncture-resistant layer which runs the entire length and width of the tire. And they offer a more durable, commuter-friendly compound.
The conclusion is this tire will make your bike feel fast and nimble for many many miles at a reasonable enough price.
- Ultra-light slick tire, affordable, durable, and supple, japanese build quality
- 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 Japanese road bike tires
Name | Size | ETRTO | Weight (gr) | Tread color | Sidewall color | Compound | Puncture protection | Tire bead | TPI | Buy at Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Panaracer Agilest | 700×23 | 23-622 | 180 | Black | Black | ZSG Agile | AX-Alpha / TF Super Belt | foldable | 120 | |
Panaracer Agilest | 700×23 | 23-622 | 180 | Black | Amber | ZSG Agile | AX-Alpha / TF Super Belt | foldable | 120 | |
Panaracer Agilest | 700×25 | 25-622 | 190 | Black | Black | ZSG Agile | AX-Alpha / TF Super Belt | foldable | 120 | |
Panaracer Agilest | 700×25 | 25-622 | 190 | Black | Amber | ZSG Agile | AX-Alpha / TF Super Belt | foldable | 120 | |
Panaracer Agilest | 700×25 | 25-622 | 190 | Black | Blue | ZSG Agile | AX-Alpha / TF Super Belt | foldable | 120 | |
Panaracer Agilest | 700×25 | 25-622 | 190 | Black | Red | ZSG Agile | AX-Alpha / TF Super Belt | foldable | 120 | |
Panaracer Agilest | 700×28 | 28-622 | 210 | Black | Black | ZSG Agile | AX-Alpha / TF Super Belt | foldable | 120 | |
Panaracer Agilest | 700×28 | 28-622 | 210 | Black | Amber | ZSG Agile | AX-Alpha / TF Super Belt | foldable | 120 | |
Panaracer Agilest Duro | 700×23 | 23-622 | 210 | Black | Black | ZSG Agile | TF Super Outer Shield / ProTite belt | foldable | 120 | |
Panaracer Agilest Duro | 700×25 | 25-622 | 220 | Black | Black | ZSG Agile | TF Super Outer Shield / ProTite belt | foldable | 120 | |
Panaracer Agilest Duro | 700×28 | 28-622 | 250 | Black | Black | ZSG Agile | TF Super Outer Shield / ProTite belt | foldable | 120 | |
Panaracer Agilest Light | 700×23 | 23-622 | 160 | Black | Black | ZSG Agile | AX-Alpha / TF Super Belt | foldable | 120 | |
Panaracer Agilest Light | 700×25 | 25-622 | 170 | Black | Black | ZSG Agile | AX-Alpha / TF Super Belt | foldable | 120 | |
Panaracer Agilest TLR | 700×25 | 25-622 | 250 | Black | Black | ZSG Agile | AX-Alpha | tlr | 120 | |
Panaracer Agilest TLR | 700×28 | 28-622 | 270 | Black | Black | ZSG Agile | AX-Alpha | tlr | 120 | |
Panaracer GravelKing (Tubed) | 700Cx26 | 26-622 | 240 | Black | Black | ZSG Natural | AX-Alpha / ProTite Shield Plus | foldable | 126 | |
Panaracer GravelKing (Tubed) | 700Cx26 | 26-622 | 240 | Black | Tan | ZSG Natural | AX-Alpha / ProTite Shield Plus | foldable | 126 | |
Panaracer GravelKing SS (Tubed) | 700Cx28 | 28-622 | 310 | Black | Black | ZSG Natural | AX-Alpha / ProTite Shield Plus | foldable | 126 | |
Panaracer GravelKing SS (Tubed) | 700Cx28 | 28-622 | 310 | Black | Tan | ZSG Natural | AX-Alpha / ProTite Shield Plus | foldable | 126 | |
Panaracer Pasela ProTite | 700×25 | 25-622 | 250 | Black | Amber | ZSG | ProTite Shield / 400D Lite Extra Cord | foldable | 66 | |
Panaracer Pasela ProTite | 700×28 | 28-622 | 270 | Black | Amber | ZSG | ProTite Shield / 400D Lite Extra Cord | foldable | 66 | |
Panaracer Race C Evo 4 | 700Cx23 | 23-622 | 220 | Black | Tan | ZSG Advanced | AX-Alpha / ProTite Belt | foldable | 120 | |
Panaracer Race D Evo 4 | 700Cx28 | 28-622 | 260 | Black | Tan | ZSG Advanced | AX-Alpha / ProTite Belt / 3D casing | foldable | 120 | |
Panaracer Race D Evo 4 | 700Cx28 | 28-622 | 260 | Black | Black | ZSG Advanced | AX-Alpha / ProTite Belt / 3D casing | foldable | 120 | |
Panaracer Race D Evo 4 | 700Cx23 | 23-622 | 240 | Black | Tan | ZSG Advanced | AX-Alpha / ProTite Belt / 3D casing | foldable | 120 | |
Panaracer Race D Evo 4 | 700Cx25 | 25-622 | 260 | Black | Tan | ZSG Advanced | AX-Alpha / ProTite Belt / 3D casing | foldable | 120 | |
Panaracer RiBMo | 700Cx25 | 25-622 | 340 | Black | Black | Mile Cruncher | ProTite Shield / 800D Strong Cord | foldable | 66 |
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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