CX/Gravel Tire Test: Rene Herse Hurricane Ridge TC 42

The Rene Herse Hurricane Ridge is a gravel bike tire with a versatile tread pattern that is usable in an extensive range of conditions, from pavement to mud and snow. Rene Herse claims this "dual-purpose knobby tread" always keeps the same amount of rubber on the road, whether it's rolling forward or leaning into a turn, giving uniform grip at all times.

The Hurricane Ridge is only available in the 700x42c size as, unlike other brands, Rene Herse gives all sizes of their tires a different name which can be confusing if you're not really into this brand. As far as we can see, the Rene Herse Steilacoom 700x38, Oracle Ridge 700x48, Fleecer Ridge 700x55, Pumpkin Ridge 650x42, and Juniper Ridge 650x48 are all essentially the same tire featuring the same construction and tread pattern.

This is a test of the Hurricane Ridge with the "Standard" casing, which is their most affordable option and comes in at 515 grams. Other options (at a premium) are the Extralight casing which saves about 50 grams of weight, and the Endurance casing, which is made with the Extralight casing with an extra layer of puncture-resistant material that runs from bead to bead. If you need even more protection, Rene Herse also offers the Endurance Plus casing that is even stronger than the Endurance casing.

We've already tested some other Rene Herse tires over the years and even made a complete Rene Herse Casing Comparison with all 4 casing versions of the Rene Herse Snoqualmie Pass. This test will compare the Hurricane Ridge against the slightly smaller Rene Herse Steilacoom (read our review) and the "file tread" Rene Herse Snoqualmie Pass with the standard casing (read our review). We've also thrown in some similar tires from other brands for a quick comparison of how they compare to the competition.

Manufacturer Specifications

Manufacturer Specs
Brand	Rene Herse
Model	Hurricane Ridge TC
Year	2022
Supplied By	Bought in store
New or Used	New
Mileage	0 km
Price Range	Very High
Buy At
Manufacturer part number	RF742CX-LX-CP
TPI	-
Compound	-
Bead	Folding
ETRTO	42-622
Specified Weight	515 grams
Max Air Pressure (psi)	75
Made In	Members Only
Available Sizes	42-622 (700x42c)

Rene Herse Hurricane Ridge TC 42 Test Results

Size, Weight, and Thickness Measurements

Size, Weight, and Thickness Measurements
Specified Weight	515 grams
Measured Weight	499 grams
Measured Width Casing	39 mm (un-round)
Measured Width Tread	39 mm
Measured Height	38 mm (un-round)
Measured Knob Height Center	2.8 mm
Measured Knob Height Edge	2.8 mm
Measured Total Thickness Center (excluding knobs)	2.30 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)	24.4 Watts CRR: 0.00731	28.2 Watts CRR: 0.00845
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)	28.0 Watts CRR: 0.00839	33.0 Watts CRR: 0.00989
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	33 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	2.30 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	58 Points
Wet Grip Center	Members Only
Wet Grip Edge	Members Only
Measured Knob Height Center	2.8 mm
Measured Knob Height Edge	2.8 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 biggest strength of the Rene Herse Hurricane Ridge seems to be its tread pattern, as the huge knobs should provide good off-road grip even under muddy conditions. Of course, this kind of rough tread pattern comes with a trade-off, which can be seen in its performance in nearly all of our other tests.

We have yet to test other gravel bike tires with such a rough tread pattern, so comparing the Hurricane Ridge to the competition is limited. Our test results show a considerable difference between the Rene Herse "file tread" tires and the "knobby tread" Rene Herse tires, and as they only offer these 2 tread patterns, the choice seems black or white.

A Rene Herse tire positioned right in between these tires with a fast off-road tread pattern would be a great addition to their tire range.

RATING: 3.5 / 5
TEST VERDICT: Recommended

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