CX/Gravel Tire Test: Rene Herse Steilacoom TC 38

The Rene Herse Steilacoom (formerly known as the Compass Steilacoom) is a gravel bike tire with a versatile tread pattern that is usable in a large range of conditions from smooth pavement up 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. Despite the big knobs on this tire, they also claim this tire is faster than most road tires on pavement.

The Steilacoom is only available in the 700x38c 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 Hurricane Ridge 700x44, 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.

We've tested the Steilacoom with the Standard casing that is their most affordable option and comes in at 445 grams. Other options (at a premium) are the Extralight casing that saves about 60 grams of weight and the Endurance casing that is made up of the Extralight casing with an extra layer of puncture-resistant material that runs from bead to bead and also comes in at 445 grams. All versions of the Steilacoom are tubeless-ready.

Back in 2018 we already tested the Bon Jon Pass 700x35c (review in the touring bike section) that was still branded Compass. We found the Bon Jon Pass to be a relatively fast tire for a touring bike tire but it didn't provide the puncture protection you'd expect from a touring bike tire.

Let's see how the Steilacoom fares when we compare it against other gravel bike tires.

Manufacturer Specifications

Manufacturer Specs
Brand	Rene Herse
Model	Steilacoom TC
Year	2021
Supplied By	Bought in store
New or Used	New
Mileage	0 km
Price Range	Very High
Buy At
Manufacturer part number	RF738TCX-LX-CP
TPI	-
Compound
Bead	Folding
ETRTO	38-622
Specified Weight	445 grams
Max Air Pressure (psi)	75
Made In	Members Only
Available Sizes	38-622 (700x38c)

Rene Herse Steilacoom TC 38 Test Results

Size, Weight, and Thickness Measurements

Size, Weight, and Thickness Measurements
Specified Weight	445 grams
Measured Weight	435 grams
Measured Width Casing	35 mm (un-round)
Measured Width Tread	36 mm
Measured Height	34 mm (un-round)
Measured Knob Height Center	2.9 mm
Measured Knob Height Edge	2.9 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) (current protocol)	Conti Cross28 (160 gr) (test protocol)
Measured Width	35 mm	35 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 (60 psi / 4.1 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 (50 psi / 3.4 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 (40 psi / 2.8 bar)	23.1 Watts CRR: 0.00692	26.9 Watts CRR: 0.00806
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 (30 psi / 2.1 bar)	25.0 Watts CRR: 0.00749	30.0 Watts CRR: 0.00899
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	27 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	58 Points
Wet Grip Center	Members Only
Wet Grip Edge	Members Only
Measured Knob Height Center	2.9 mm
Measured Knob Height Edge	2.9 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 Rene Herse Steilacoom ends up in the mid-field with its main strength being the huge knobs that make this tire suitable for a very large range of conditions. Its biggest weakness is the low puncture resistance of the tread but especially the sidewalls that are also quite thin for a gravel bike tire. We also find the Steilacoom to be a bit small for a 38-622 rated tire. if you're looking for volume, definitely get one of the bigger versions of this tire.

Coming back to Rene Herse's claim of the Steilacoom being faster than most road bike tires on pavement: we can't confirm that claim. The Steilacoom comes in at 23.8 watts at 60 psi / 4.1 bars while an average 25-26 mm wide road bike tire comes in at ~ 15 watts at the equivalent pressure of 80 psi / 5.5 bars (~ same comfort level).

Not a bad tire but we're not convinced of the price/performance of these tires as they do not provide magic performance in our tests.

RATING: 3.5 / 5
TEST VERDICT: Recommended

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