CX/Gravel Tire Test: Rene Herse Barlow Pass TC 38

The Rene Herse Barlow Pass TC is a nearly-slick gravel bike tire that is very popular in the "supple tires" scene. The Barlow Pass has been around for a very long time as the Compass Barlow Pass but for some reason, they changed this to Rene Herse somewhere around 2019. We're quite sure the only thing that changed was the name and the tires are essentially the same.

The Barlow Pass TC is only available in the 700c x 38 (38-622) size as, unlike other brands, Rene Herse uses a different name for the different sizes of their tires. A quick look at their tire line-up reveals that they essentially only offer 2 tires in a large range of sizes. They likely have a tire available in a size that suits your needs.

On top of the large range of sizes, Rene Herse also offers these tires in several different types of casings. This is a test of the Standard TC (Tubeless-Compatible) casing that probably is the right choice for most riders and also comes at the standard price. Slightly lighter ExtraLight casings or slightly heavier Endurance casings are available as well but these come at a price premium.

We already tested the Rene Herse Steilacoom TC (read our review) a couple of months back (knobby 38-622 version) and found it to be an average performer in our tests. Although the Rene Herse tires probably aren't designed to offer the absolute best performance in our tests, it's always nice to see how they stack up against the competition.

Manufacturer Specifications

Manufacturer Specs
Brand	Rene Herse
Model	Barlow Pass TC
Year	2021
Supplied By	Bought in store
New or Used	New
Mileage	0 km
Price Range	Very High
Buy At
Manufacturer part number	RF738TC-LX-CP
TPI	-
Compound
Bead	Folding
ETRTO	38-622
Specified Weight	385 grams
Max Air Pressure (psi)	75
Made In	Members Only
Available Sizes	38-622 (700x38c)

Rene Herse Barlow Pass TC 38 Test Results

Size, Weight, and Thickness Measurements

Size, Weight, and Thickness Measurements
Specified Weight	385 grams
Measured Weight	379 grams
Measured Width Casing	38 mm (un-round)
Measured Width Tread	37 mm
Measured Height	36 mm (un-round)
Measured Knob Height Center	0.2 mm
Measured Knob Height Edge	0.1 mm
Measured Total Thickness Center (excluding knobs)	2.70 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	38 mm	38 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 (54 psi / 3.7 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 (45 psi / 3.1 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 (36 psi / 2.6 bar)	20.4 Watts CRR: 0.00612	24.2 Watts CRR: 0.00725
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 (27 psi / 1.9 bar)	23.6 Watts CRR: 0.00707	28.6 Watts CRR: 0.00857
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	31 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	2.70 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	63 Points
Wet Grip Center	Members Only
Wet Grip Edge	Members Only
Measured Knob Height Center	0.2 mm
Measured Knob Height Edge	0.1 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 Rene Herse Barlow Pass TC isn't a stellar performer in our tests. When we compare this tire to other nearly-slick gravel bike tires like the Panaracer GravelKing TLC (read our review) and Challenge Strada Bianca Pro HTLR (read our review), both tires outperform the Barlow Pass in nearly all of our tests. We're not sure if those tires qualify as "supple tires" but they might be worth a look if you like the Barlow Pass.

The biggest weakness of the Barlow Pass seems to be the puncture resistance of the sidewalls that is just extremely low because of the soft sidewalls/casing. The soft casing material might very well be the secret behind the "supple tires" thing.

For those that wonder, the Rene Herse Steilacoom uses the same casing but scores much better in the sidewall puncture tests. We've looked into this and found the tread width of the Steilacoom to be much wider. The sidewall puncture test is done on the widest part of the tire and in the case of the Steilacoom, the widest part is covered by tread which results in a much higher puncture score.

RATING: 3.5 / 5
TEST VERDICT: Recommended

Comments