Schwalbe is rather direct about the intent of the RS PRO, stating it is their fastest gravel tire available. Compared to the much knobbier RX PRO I tested, this one has more of a semi slick type tread with the center portion having a fish scale type pattern. Schwalbe suggests running the front and rear in different directions, with a goal of maximizing speed and traction. I ran the as designed for all testing.
These measure in at 46 mm wide on a 25 mm internal rim.I had no issues inflating these or keeping air in them during testing and riding. I rode these more than I expected, partly as I have been testing the Wahoo Ace head unit at the same time. All of the new Schwalbe PRO gravel lineup have an updated casing that differs from the XC PRO casing on the Rick MTB tire but carry an identical blue logo. The new PRO gravel ones have the Addix Race compound vs the Addix Speed on the Rick and Thunder Burt. Both PRO casings are meant to bring together the best of the prior Super Race and Super Ground options.
Karolina Migon rode the RS PRO 45 as a back tire (TB 2.1 front) on her way to victory in this years Unbound 200 Elite Women's race, and it certainly has a reputation as one of the fastest options available currently. As you can see in my test results, the reputation is well deserved! These tested very fast on smooth and medium gravel…and were also faster (0.0042 CRR) than every gravel tire I have tested on pavement aside from the Caracal Race.
I also rode the 45 RS on some very rough Cat 3 gravel, where they held up just fine which was a bit of a relief for their smaller size. This wasn't my normal test area but it did give some indication of the speed limitations for a very fast 45 in rough terrain…somewhere in the 0.0170 CRR range. I liked the overall ride feel of them for sure, and the side knobs seem decent for traction but are nowhere close to the loose terrain confidence of the RX tread pattern.
All results my own via Chung Method (VE) testing.
Note: 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, the reasess the setting based on how the tire is riding. If it feels obviously harsh, go down 1 psi at a time. If it feels squirmy or I am smacking the rim on hard hits, I will go up 1 psi at a time. Often I end up sticking quite close to what the calculator says initially but it isn't written in stone. Even for tires with the exact same size and casing, tread pattern design can also influence finding ideal pressure. Rolling efficiency is actually almost identical 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.
by gravykarrasch