Silca Protocol RCG-3 700 x 55 off road rolling resistance results 📊

Introduced along the semi slick RCG-1 I tested recently, the RCG-3 adds more knobs and a Seal Skin tread protection breaker compared to the Ghost Shield protection on the RCG-1. Both tires use the Pulsar compound and Race Casing. According to Silca,  "the RCG-3 delivers robust flat protection without sacrificing speed. It was engineered for harsh courses and unpredictable terrain like you find in Category 3 gravel events like Unbound, Big Sugar, and The Rift."

My tires weighed an average of 580 grams and measured 143 mm flat bead to bead width, giving a true to claimed width of 55 mm on a 25 mm internal rim. I had no issues keeping air in them, and ran them 1.5 psi higher than I would most other 55 mm gravel tires. This suggestion is included in Silca's tire pressure calculator and is important to be aware of. 

I have highlighted a few other 55 mm tires in the results to compare the RCG-3 against, including the RCG-1, Dubnital, and Thunder Burt SG…with the last two being very common choices for racers with the clearance to fit them. In my testing across four surfaces, the RCG-3 is a bit slower than the TB and quite clearly faster than the Conti Dub. It is nice these are fast, but the big deal here is they are also plush, also light, and have some pretty hellacious grip from the tread pattern. The knobs aren't huge but have good transitions and are really hooking up well for me in turns, with good climbing and braking traction as well. 

I will admit to having all my attention on the RCG-1 at first, but after my time on these, they might be the best of the new Silca gravel lineup. Tires have to do things other than roll in a straight line after all, and these seem to do most things quite well. I've ridden them hard with no durability issues, but for some ultra nasty terrain, the RCG-4 may be the move. All outdoor results my own via VE testing with an Aerosensor this round. 

Everyone wants to know…what pressure am I using? Obviously, larger tires will require lower pressure than smaller ones to get the best speed and handling in general…especially off road. The Wolf Tooth Advanced calculator is very good in my usage for gravel and mtb tires. The Rough Gravel setting seems to get quite close to best pressure for not only rolling efficiency (yes, even on gravel that’s not super rough) but also comfort and handling. I will start with that based on the measured tire size, go ride some, recheck pressure once the tire warms up, then reasess the setting based on how the tire is riding. If it feels obviously harsh, go down 1 psi…. If it feels squirmy or I am smacking the rim on hard hits, I will go up 1 psi, maybe 2 in that situation. Often I end up sticking quite close to what the calculator says initially but it isn't written in stone. Rolling efficiency is actually almost identical (reference some testing I posted spring 2025 for this graphically) across a bigger span of tire pressures off road than most realize, which means it is quite easy to get the pressure where the tire will be fastest…the rest is fine tuning to rider preference. Even though I’m testing, I am also enjoying being out there so take the extra steps to see how the tire performs best. Ultimately there is no magic “best” pressure… it is up to rider preference with no real speed penalty unless you really mess it up one way or another, and that is a big reason I am explaining this in such detail. It’s not to justify my results, it’s to encourage folks to keep an open mind about how they set their tires and get the best ride possible. All the Smooth Pavement testing I do is with the tires set to the PSI I would use for riding on average pavement, so in practice about 5-7 psi higher than I would use for off road riding. Silca says to use about 1.5 psi higher in its new Race casing tires and I agree with this based on my own testing.