CX/Gravel Tire Test: Pirelli Cinturato Gravel M 40

The Pirelli Cinturato Gravel M (Mixed Terrain) is a gravel bike tire with a rough-looking tread pattern. The tread pattern of the Gravel M looks like it should handle almost any condition you might encounter with a gravel bike. Thanks to the near-continuous spacing of the center knobs, it should even be a decent performer on a large range of harder types of terrain.

Ad Buy Pirelli Cinturato Gravel M at Amazon.com

The Gravel M is closely related to the Gravel H (Hard Terrain) (read our review) that we tested a while back. Both tires come with the same tubeless-ready 127 TPI casing with an extra layer of bead-to-bead protective fabric and the same single compound Pirelli SpeedGrip compound that, according to Pirelli, is tailored for all weather conditions and wet or dry terrain.

As the construction is nearly the same, and if the compound is the exact same mix, the performance of both tires should be quite close in most of our tests. The most interesting test will be the rolling resistance tests, as we expect the Gravel M to be a harder rolling tire based on its tread design.

Both tires are also available in the exact same sizes: 35-622, 40-622, 45-622, 45-584, 50-584. This is a test of the 40-622 version as that's probably the most widely used size for gravel bikes.

Manufacturer Specifications

Manufacturer Specs
Brand	Pirelli
Model	Cinturato Gravel M
Year	2022
Supplied By	Bought in store
New or Used	New
Mileage	0 km
Price Range	High
Buy At	Ad Amazon.com
Manufacturer part number	3771200
EAN	8019227377125
TPI	127
Compound	SpeedGRIP
Bead	Folding
ETRTO	40-622
Specified Weight	500 grams
Max Air Pressure (psi)	58
Made In	Members Only
Available Sizes	35-622 (700x35c) 40-622 (700x40c) 45-622 (700x45c) 50-622 (700x50c) 45-584 (650x45b) 50-584 (650x50b)

Pirelli Cinturato Gravel M 40 Test Results

Size, Weight, and Thickness Measurements

Size, Weight, and Thickness Measurements
Specified Weight	500 grams
Measured Weight	529 grams
Measured Width Casing	39 mm (un-round)
Measured Width Tread	39 mm
Measured Height	38 mm (un-round)
Measured Knob Height Center	2.0 mm
Measured Knob Height Edge	2.3 mm
Measured Total Thickness Center (excluding knobs)	2.40 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	39 mm	39 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 (50 psi / 3.4 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 (42 psi / 2.9 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 (33 psi / 2.3 bar)	22.7 Watts CRR: 0.00680	26.5 Watts CRR: 0.00794
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 (25 psi / 1.7 bar)	26.5 Watts CRR: 0.00794	31.5 Watts CRR: 0.00944
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	35 Points
Total Puncture Score Sidewall	Members Only
Tread Puncture Force Sharp Needle	Members Only
Tread Puncture Force Blunt Needle	Members Only
Tread Total Tire Thickness	2.40 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	72 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 Gravel M is a decent performer in our tests. Given its rough tread pattern and excellent knob height, it should be a good gravel bike tire for a wide range of conditions. Of course, this isn't the fastest rolling tire out there, but it's definitely still acceptable if you're not looking for an all-out racing tire.

If you're looking for a gravel bike tire that doesn't need changing between the seasons, the Pirelli Gravel M might be one of the best choices out there.

Ad Buy Pirelli Cinturato Gravel M at Amazon.com

RATING: 4.0 / 5
TEST VERDICT: Recommended

Comments