The supernerds on superbikes are BACK! This time, they’re putting tyres and inner tubes to the test to see just how much they impact your bike’s performance. To find out, they’re tackling an epic 11-kilometre climb in the South of Spain. The results might just blow your mind… 🚴💨
⏱️ Timestamps: ⏱️
00:00 How big a difference do tyres make to performance?
00:33 Our 3 Tyre Set Ups: Entry-level, Performance, Pro-Level
01:42 The Plan 🤓
03:29 Our Climb
04:36 Race Time!
05:55 Specs: Pirelli P4 Sport Tyres (Entry-Level Tyre)
06:44 Pirelli TM Road Tyres (Performance Tyre)
08:13 Pirelli P ZERO Race RS Tyres (Pro-Level Tyre)
09:37 How are the supernerds getting on?
12:28 Debrief & Takeaways
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What tyre do you use? 🛞 What did you think of this challenge? 🤓 Let us know in the comments!
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50 Comments
What tyre do you use? 🛞 What did you think of this challenge? 🤓 Let us know in the comments!
Another stupid "test". Cheers.
Seems like good evidence for having a set of cheaper wheels with bombproof tires for training. More resistance to pedal against and fewer punctures along the way!
We just got hit with 11 cm of (heavy) snow overnight. There's a major ice storm forecast, starting this evening, through Monday morning, so I'm extremely envious of you guys. (Mind you, we do get a proper Summer.)
This is quite possibly the least scientific comparison in the history of science. Different bikes… different riders… different tubes… different tires… different wheels… etc.
🚴👨🎓
Fun video! Ollie, which harness are you using for your insta camera?
Alex also had the advantage of riding a Canyon Ultimate, notice he caught Simon earlier than they calculated just on tyre and tube setup whereas Ollie caught them at the calculated distance. Not exactly fair.
Waaaay too many variables here to be at all definitive. Do it again guys, and get it right! Right?
Great work!!! You need to interview the Bicycle Rolling Resistance folks. Still rolling on latex tubes, and have a butyl as a spare.
Fastest tires will slow you down significantly when they inevitably puncture.
Why do I feel watching this just cost me money? Faster tires might not make me outperform my fast friends, but closing the gap (for undisclosed reasons) would be sweet.
GCN pretending this entire video isn’t a paid ad is wild.
I enjoyed the maths to equalise the variables. I've been riding the 32mm zero road with tpu tubes the last 6 months & about to use them on a 2 month bike pack. They roll well , but I can afford to buy tires for comparos. I'd be curious to see this comparo using all tpu, then all butile tubes. While your equalisation made good entertainment, ideally all 3 riders would do multiple repeats, on the different tire, with common tubes. 9 repeats might be too much, 1 rider could use one type of tube with 3 different tire, the next rider a different tube & the 3 tires, etc Regards Greg
Best series ever love SNSB!❤
Love this one
Good work!
I have to work overtime to afford them, so cheaper tires mean I can train more.
Was really hoping this would be a GCN x Tyre Reviews channel collab
When you are talking watts/kg, you are talking about total system weight, right?
For us lower level (bottom dwellers) where 3 watts per Kilo would be all out, what would be the saving.
I like the idea but factor in which is the most puncture resistant as they slow you down by 35 mins.
A lot of armchair scientists again lol. I do agree there should have been some sort of control run though, but not a big deal
Do you nerd have a database of tyres and inner tube data to share with us mortals? 🙂
Wondering about a high-end tubeless setup and how that compares to the lighter race tire with TPU tubes
Regardless of whos carrying Bidons, whos riding what bike, CDA or who weighs the most, tyres are simply the best performance upgrade you can make to your bike! Forget speed or w/kg they just "FEEL" better. They give you a much more comfortable ride and give you confidence in corners and braking, which is what the majority of us want. Believe the hype people, its real!
It’s a shame they won’t give you a discount code. 😂
While I agree that I’d struggle to lose 4kg of weight off my system mass, it’s definitely there to be lost. Tyres it is.
What was the tirepressure and width?
i have the speedcore- amazing (have gp5000 on my other bike) would like to see the difference with tubeless as thats all i use now. thanks great vid
As a Scotsman – loving the reference to Gladiators lol made me laugh out loud watching
What about the P-Zero TT's, surely they are the best tyre to have for this exercise?
Thank you! I use Pirellis tyres and I am now considering which one to purchase for my first race this spring.
BUT with Pirelli P Zero RS, can I also use them for training or should I remove them after each race?
No doubt tire are the best upgrade, once you reach the 90-110$ mark. Continetal, pirelli, vittoria the difference is stagering.
Really interesting but would have liked to see you all hold the same power all the way up to see where you all finished relative to each other.
Tires and latex are the fastest.
I only go tubeless now because I run inserts for safety.
So, Ollie (the biggest supernerd of the trio) just happens to end up with the most professional setup? Yeah, that wasn’t an accident, was it?
32mm Conti 4-season with latex innertubes on the commuter, 28mm Conti GP 5000 with latex innertubes. Can't be bothered with tubeless goo
Can we get a scientific efficacy rating placed on all future tests? Measured in a 1-5 carbon soled shoe rating scale?
Did you take watts/CDA into account? If not this entire test is worth nothing.
Okay but guys… even with the same watts/kg, you have different aero profiles. Each of you needs to ride all of the tires and then compare!
I totally agree with the tyre upgrade. I would love to buy the top Pirelli tyres. They are never available. Put in an order and you get the message that your order can be completed in 17 weeks, or 9 or 13. So I buy Bontrager
I would have liked to have seen (or see in the future) a similar test on a flat course where you could have removed weight from the equation and shown the difference rolling resistance made. Same riders with same tires (tyres if you prefer) would do it. I'd argue weight was a bigger factor in the climbing test that rolling resistance. Also, a tubeless setup in the mix would have been interesting. After all, GCN Tech was a major factor in my choice to go tubeless.
Same W/kg doesn't mean you go at the same speed, unless It is Zwift.
The mass-to-rolling-resistance equivalence becomes even more dramatic when the slope is less than 6%, and it becomes completely meaningless on flat terrain. And downhill? More mass is desirable. Here, the rolling resistance then acts as a mass-reducing factor.
It's all math.
Good to see you isolating all your variables, and controlling for environmental variation and test tolerances. Like last time.
Where is Steve's Celebration of Brown bike?
What's the bar tape Alex is using on his Canyon?? Loving the gold
Wait, I thought tubeless is where it’s at?! 🤔 Back to the bottom of the hill guys…
Are these savings in rolling resistance the same for track cycling?
TOPÉTE!!! 😮😮😮😊😊😊