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

Over the last few years, we've regularly tested Rene Herse tires as there is a vast interest in these tires from our Pro Members. We already tried the 700x38c semi-slick Barlow Pass back in 2021, and in 2022 we followed that up with the larger 700x44c Snoqualmie Pass. We even tested the Snoqualmie Pass in all of its 4 different casings and created the Rene Herse Casing Comparison, which tells you everything you need to know about the Rene Herse casings.

This time we're going to look at one of Rene Herse's knobby treaded tires, and it's the 700x42c Hurricane Ridge TC with the Extralight casing, which is their lightest and fastest casing design. When it comes to Rene Herse tires with their knobby tread, we've already tested the 700x42c Hurricane Ridge with the Standard casing and also the smaller 700x38c Steilacoom TC with the Standard casing.

Adding the Hurricane Ridge TC Extralight will give us a good look at how the different casings affect the knobby treaded Rene Herse tires and if we can apply what we learned in our Rene Herse casing comparison to their knobby tires as well.

Manufacturer Specifications

Manufacturer Specs
Brand	Rene Herse
Model	Hurricane Ridge TC Extralight
Year	2023
Supplied By	Bought in store
New or Used	New
Mileage	0 km
Price Range	Very High
Buy At
Manufacturer part number	RF742TCX-SX-CP
TPI	-
Compound	-
Bead	Folding
ETRTO	42-622
Specified Weight	465 grams
Max Air Pressure (psi)	75
Made In	Members Only
Available Sizes	42-622 (700x42c)

Rene Herse Hurricane Ridge TC Extralight 42 Test Results

Size, Weight, and Thickness Measurements

Size, Weight, and Thickness Measurements
Specified Weight	465 grams
Measured Weight	462 grams
Measured Width Casing	41 mm (un-round)
Measured Width Tread	40 mm
Measured Height	40 mm (un-round)
Measured Knob Height Center	3.0 mm
Measured Knob Height Edge	3.0 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)
Measured Width	41 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)	23.8 Watts CRR: 0.00713
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)	26.3 Watts CRR: 0.00788
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	2.00 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	57 Points
Wet Grip Center	Members Only
Wet Grip Edge	Members Only
Measured Knob Height Center	3.0 mm
Measured Knob Height Edge	3.0 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

When it comes to rolling resistance, the knobby treaded Hurricane Ridge with the Extralight casing doesn't seem to profit as much from the lighter casing compared to the semi-slick Snoqualmie Pass that saw a considerable boost from the Extralight casing. We're not sure why we see smaller gains with the Hurricane Ridge, but drawing conclusions from single-sample test results is always tricky when the margins are this slim. We do think there will always be a smaller difference with the knobby treaded tires, as the knobby tread makes up a more significant portion of the tire's rolling resistance.

In the puncture resistance tests, we again see the Standard and Extralight casing coming in very close. However, the distribution of the scores is slightly different, which we attribute to the margin of error of the tests. Although we would need real-world confirmation, there isn't much difference when it comes to puncture resistance between these casings. If you need additional puncture resistance, you should at least move up to the Endurance casing.

In the wet grip tests, we see a clear difference as the Hurricane Ridge Extralight doesn't provide more grip, which is unlike what we've seen with the semi-slick Snoqualmie Pass. These results make sense as the casing has less influence on the knobby tires, and the knobby tread probably is the limiting factor here. When we estimate the total thickness of the rubber that's between the casing and test surface, it's roughly 1.2 mm on the semi-slick and 4.0 mm on the knobby treaded tires. As you can imagine, the thicker the layer of rubber on the tire, the less influence the casing has in absorbing the road's imperfections.

To sum it up, the knobby tread probably takes off the rough edges between the casings as the tread makes up a more significant portion of the tire's performance compared to semi-slick tires that have the casing in closer contact with the road.

RATING: 3.5 / 5
TEST VERDICT: Recommended

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