CX/Gravel Tire Test: Pirelli Cinturato Cross H 33

The Pirelli Cinturato Cross is a tire designed for cyclocross use and available in both a Hard Terrain and Mixed Terrain (read our review) version. Both the Cinturato Cross Hard Terrain and Cross Mixed Terrain are only available in the cyclocross-specific 33-622 size. Pirelli also has gravel versions available which are very closely related to the Cross versions but seem to have a faster tread pattern with lower knobs and are available in bigger sizes in both the 584 and 622 wheel sizes.

The Cross Hard Terrain comes with a tubeless-ready reinforced 127 TPI casing with an extra layer of woven nylon that runs from bead to bead. The compound is Pirelli's SpeedGRIP compound that is formulated to provide a low rolling resistance, high tear resistance, and high wet grip.

As already mentioned, the Gravel versions of these tires come with a different tread pattern that should theoretically roll faster. We do not expect large differences between the Cross and Gravel versions in our tests as the construction and compound are the same.

Manufacturer Specifications

Manufacturer Specs
Brand	Pirelli
Model	Cinturato Cross H
Year	2020
Supplied By	Bought in store
New or Used	New
Mileage	0 km
Price Range	High
Buy At
Manufacturer part number	3770500
EAN	8019227377057
TPI	127
Compound	SpeedGRIP
Bead	Folding
ETRTO	33-622
Specified Weight	380 grams
Max Air Pressure (psi)	72
Made In	Members Only
Available Sizes	33-622 (700x33c)

Pirelli Cinturato Cross H 33 Test Results

Size, Weight, and Thickness Measurements

Size, Weight, and Thickness Measurements
Specified Weight	380 grams
Measured Weight	398 grams
Measured Width Casing	31 mm (un-round)
Measured Width Tread	30 mm
Measured Height	30 mm (un-round)
Measured Knob Height Center	2.0 mm
Measured Knob Height Edge	2.3 mm
Measured Total Thickness Center (excluding knobs)	2.00 mm
Measured Total Thickness Sidewall	Members Only
All size measurements are taken at low air pressure on a 17.8 mm inner width rim.

Rolling Resistance Test Results

Rolling Resistance Test Results
Inner Tube	None (30 ml sealant) (current protocol)	Conti Cross28 (160 gr) (test protocol)
Measured Width	31 mm	31 mm
Rolling Resistance Real tire width in mm: 30-32 = 66 psi/4.6 bar 33-35 = 60 psi/4.1 bar 36-38 = 54 psi/3.7 bar 39-42 = 50 psi/3.4 bar 43-46 = 46 psi/3.2 bar 47-50 = 42 psi/2.9 barHigh Air Pressure (66 psi / 4.6 bar)	Members Only	Members Only
Rolling Resistance Real tire width in mm: 30-32 = 55 psi/3.8 bar 33-35 = 50 psi/3.4 bar 36-38 = 45 psi/3.1 bar 39-42 = 42 psi/2.9 bar 43-46 = 38 psi/2.6 bar 47-50 = 35 psi/2.4 barMedium Air Pressure (55 psi / 3.8 bar)	Members Only	Members Only
Rolling Resistance Real tire width in mm: 30-32 = 44 psi/3.0 bar 33-35 = 40 psi/2.8 bar 36-38 = 36 psi/2.6 bar 39-42 = 33 psi/2.3 bar 43-46 = 31 psi/2.1 bar 47-50 = 28 psi/1.9 barLow Air Pressure (44 psi / 3.0 bar)	21.4 Watts CRR: 0.00641	25.2 Watts CRR: 0.00755
Rolling Resistance Real tire width in mm: 30-32 = 33 psi/2.3 bar 33-35 = 30 psi/2.1 bar 36-38 = 27 psi/1.9 bar 39-42 = 25 psi/1.7 bar 43-46 = 23 psi/1.6 bar 47-50 = 21 psi/1.4 barExtra Low Air Pressure (33 psi / 2.3 bar)	24.3 Watts CRR: 0.00728	29.3 Watts CRR: 0.00878
The CX/Gravel section is a multi tire size section, air pressures have been adjusted to the measured casing width. All numbers are for a single tire at a speed of 29 km/h / 18 mph and a load of 42.5 kg / 94 lbs. Use the formula: RR (Watts) = CRR * speed (m/s) * load (N) to calculate rolling resistance at a given speed and load.

Puncture Resistance Test Results

Puncture Resistance Test Results (higher is better)
Total Puncture Score Tread	34 Points
Total Puncture Score Sidewall	Members Only
Tread Puncture Force Sharp Needle	8
Tread Puncture Force Blunt Needle	Members Only
Tread Total Tire Thickness	2.00 mm
Sidewall Puncture Force Sharp Needle	Members Only
Sidewall Puncture Force Blunt Needle	Members Only
Sidewall Total Tire Thickness	Members Only

Hard Surface Static Grip Test Results

Static Grip Test Results
Wet Grip Average	65 Points
Wet Grip Center	Members Only
Wet Grip Edge	Members Only
Measured Knob Height Center	2.0 mm
Measured Knob Height Edge	2.3 mm
Grip in points = coefficient of friction * 100 CX/Gravel grip test rim width = 23.0 mm
Wet Grip Test and Off-Road Tires (info)

Conclusion

The Pirelli Cinturato Cross Hard Terrain is a reasonable fast cyclocross tire. Its main advantage is the greater knob height of both the center and edge knobs when compared to most other CX/Gravel bike tires. We're sure the Gravel version of this tire will be a bit faster (4-6% is our guess) at the expense of knob height.

The sidewalls aren't particularly puncture-resistant although the thickness of the sidewalls is better than most other tires in the same category. If these tires tick all your boxes then we're sure they will suit you well.

RATING: 4.0 / 5
TEST VERDICT: Recommended

Comments