CX/Gravel Tire Test: Pirelli Cinturato Gravel S 40

Pirelli's Cinturato Gravel S is optimized for soft terrain and muddy conditions. Pirelli describes the Gravel S as a versatile tire optimized for safety and control on technical tracks and bad weather conditions. Pure performance wasn't the main requirement when designing this tire, as other tires in Pirelli's Cinturato Gravel range are more appropriate for those conditions.

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The Pirelli Cinturato Gravel S tread pattern reminds us a lot of those mountain bike tires you would typically use as a front tire on technical XC tracks. We're not sure how common it is to mix tires on gravel bikes, but with the ever-growing selection of gravel bike tires, that might be something to consider to get the best of both worlds.

With this test of the Cinturato Gravel S, we now have tests available of Pirelli's entire Cinturato Gravel range (Gravel H, Gravel M, Gravel RC), which makes it even easier to find the best Pirelli gravel bike tires for your particular needs. We must say that Pirelli has done an excellent job at creating a range of tires that should cover most gravel bikers' needs.

Like the other Pirelli Gravel tires, we've tested the 40-622 version of the Gravel S, making it even easier to compare Pirelli's lineup. Unlike the other Pirelli gravel bike tires that are available in the 35-622 size, the Gravel S is only available in the bigger 40-622, 45-622, and 50-622 sizes, which probably makes sense given this tire is optimized for grip.

Manufacturer Specifications

Manufacturer Specs
Brand	Pirelli
Model	Cinturato Gravel S
Year	2023
Supplied By	Bought in store
New or Used	New
Mileage	0 km
Price Range	High
Buy At	Ad Amazon.com
Manufacturer part number	4161800
EAN	8019227416183
TPI	60
Compound	SpeedGRIP
Bead	Folding
ETRTO	40-622
Specified Weight	540 grams
Max Air Pressure (psi)	58
Made In	Members Only
Available Sizes	40-622 (700x40c) 45-622 (700x45c) 50-622 (700x50c)

Pirelli Cinturato Gravel S 40 Test Results

Size, Weight, and Thickness Measurements

Size, Weight, and Thickness Measurements
Specified Weight	540 grams
Measured Weight	553 grams
Measured Width Casing	39 mm (un-round)
Measured Width Tread	41 mm
Measured Height	38 mm (un-round)
Measured Knob Height Center	2.0 mm
Measured Knob Height Edge	3.2 mm
Measured Total Thickness Center (excluding knobs)	2.60 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)
Measured Width	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
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
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)	25.6 Watts CRR: 0.00767
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)	29.5 Watts CRR: 0.00884
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	Members Only
Tread Puncture Force Blunt Needle	Members Only
Tread Total Tire Thickness	2.60 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	3.2 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

As expected, the Gravel S is the slowest rolling tire in Pirelli's Gravel family, but in return, you get a tire that comes with some of the biggest knobs found on a gravel bike tire. Even though big knobs increase off-road grip, hard surface grip often decreases because of the limited contact area and flexing of the knobby tread. The Gravel S still performs strongly in the hard surface wet grip test, which is important as gravel bike tires are often used on mixed road surfaces.

As previously mentioned, Pirelli did a good job with their gravel bike tire lineup, which consists of just 4 tires but covers nearly all gravel bike conditions. If you need the grip, we recommend the Gravel S as a front tire with any of Pirelli's other gravel bike tires on the rear, as that should provide you with the best of both worlds.

Compare the Pirelli Gravel S, Gravel H, Gravel M, and Gravel RC on our filtered overview page.

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RATING: 4.0 / 5
TEST VERDICT: Recommended

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