Are 40mm Road Tyres the Future? My 500km Test Results...

After riding just over 500km on the brand new Pirelli P Zero 40mm TLR tyres here are my first impressions

CONTENT
00:00 Intro
00:59 Speed and performance
3:25 Are they suited for you?
3:47 Comfort benefits
4:59 Tyre pressures
5:33 Loads of traction!
6:44 Durability so far
7:47 Impact on handling geometry
9:23 Early verdict

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[omi-on-a-bike]

"The wider tires need 12 watts more power to ride at the same average speed, so not actually slower, but require more power to ride at the same speed as a narrow tire".
Arthur, you just said they were slower in this very sentence. If "needing more power to ride at the same speed" is not slower for you, then what is your definition of "slower" ? When would you classify something as slower?

[progresspiper]

I have 35mm Pirelli Cinturato tyres on my Trek Domane. I am a heavy rider (123 kgs) and I have found that the wider tyre, and therefore ability to run lower pressure, means I am so much more comfortable, particularly given the rough rural roads I ride on. So wider does certainly have advantages.

[NELSON]

Comfort is king in the real world. I can still be pushing hard at the end of a ride on 32mm. On 25mm tyres i'm feeling every ickle bumpete up my arms, neck and back. Once you go phat, you ain't never going back :)

[walshman]

My wife has a 3T Exploro and she's mostly riding it on the road with 40mm Panaracer Gravelking tires -- she loves it. It's been a game changer for her in terms of enthusiasm towards cycling. Her old skinny tire rim brake road bike got sold!

[nathanwforrest]

I think there's a strong case to be made for getting a lot of training miles on wide tires to keep from beating yourself up and switching to narrower, faster tires if you want to race.

[GregorF-HansS]

32mm is probably the sweet spot, perhaps 35mm if the road surface is really crappy, 28 mm if you have smooth pavement.

[AlistairLattimore]

Thanks David, great to see someone post a longer term review with these new 40mm tires.

[joelbaker]

Nice review Dave! I’ve tested out some 28, 32 & 35mm P Zero Race TLR tyres & found it best with 32mm on the front & 35mm on the rear. This has the best combination of grip, comfort & handling. I found the 35mm on the front to suffer from cross winds & the steering wasn’t as responsive as the 32’s.

[_markus_bike_]

I am currently traveling on the Panamericana from Alaska to Argentina and have now reached the central point from Cartagena to Ushuaia.

Since I had 24 flat tires on the Schwalbe Marathon Montreal 42 mm from Alaska to Panama, I have now fitted the Pirelli Cinterano 35 mm from Cartagena to Ushuaia and am seeing how it goes in terms of puncture safety. I am now travelling tubeless here, whereas before I used a tube.

[belverticale]

I thrash about town and tour long distances on 35mm tyres at 60 psi. It's a good sweet spot in my experience.

[Sbglobal]

Excited to hear your experience with the 35s, David!

[jbandt]

Definitely interested in the 35mm tire test.

[xosece]

recently made the leap from 28mm to 37mm (actual 35mm on my 19mm wheels) on my bike which accepts up to 38mm tyres, and what I noticed is..., how much comfortable the ride is. Also I'm taking corners at a higher speed, much more confidently without even trying. That's the greatest differences I found. Pogacar said on a recent interview that wider tyres are faster.

[dcv]

I don't race - so 40 is for me! Comfy! Comfy! Comfy! Grippy! 💯💯💯 I can ride much longer and happier 👍😎

[originalkontrol]

I've got these on my Revolt but have only been able to do a few miles due to work. I live in a quite hilly area, and I definitely feel the weight climbing compared to my 28's. You do feel a bit indestructible though! I got these to be more of an allroad option. Thanks for the updates, and I can't wait to hear how the 35's do! Cheers!

[mikev]

40mm is good for urban commuting, where the inconsistency of the road surface and the ability to take corners while evading cars in traffic matter. The new Scott Silence eRide commuter bike being released next week has this exact setup.

[SaintDudeGaming]

Looking forward to the 35mm v 40mm tire comparison. Going to be buying some P Zeros shortly.

[KevinLimSG]

Thanks for reviewing these 40c road tires! 🎉

[jordywilliams]

I want my road bike to feel like a rocket ship when i get on it, 30mm are is wide as ill go, theyre comfortable enough and they handle winter lanes just fine. If you want a bike that feels slow and sluggish but super comfortable you may as well just get a gravel bike and put fast 2 inch wide tyres on

[BikeLife]

I recently put 35mm Gravel King slick tyres on my Giant Revolt to use it as my winter road bike. Mounted they come out at almost 38mm. They are smooth and comfortable, but like David said, you do notice the extra power needed to keep them up to speed.