CX/Gravel Tire Test: Tufo Gravel Speedero 40

After our test of the Tufo Gravel Thundero back in April, our Pro Members quickly started voting for the Tufo Gravel Speedero. The reason for the popularity is the impressive performance of the Gravel Thundero in our tests. As the Speedero is made more for speed, the expectation probably is that this should be one of the fastest gravel bike tires out there.

When comparing both the Gravel Speedero and Gravel Thundero (read our review) side by side, it's hard to find significant differences between these tires. The tread patterns are more similar than expected, although the Speedero comes with smaller and more closely spaced knobs that should be better on hard surfaces. The edge knobs are much smaller and lower than the edge knobs on the Thundero. The Thundero looks like the more versatile tire, as it looks like it'll be good almost everywhere.

We're also quite sure both tires use the exact same casings as both are specified at 210/375 TPI, and both tires also have the exact same specified weight (430 grams for the 40-622 versions). As the tread pattern is so similar on these tires, and Tufo doesn't specify the compounds, the only way to make the Speedero much faster would be a different compound, and our tests are going to show if that's the case.

From an available sizes perspective, the Gravel Speedero also is a bit less versatile as it's only available in the 36-622 and 40-622 sizes and not in the 44-622 size. This is a test of the 40-622 version, which is the same as the Gravel Thundero that we tested back in April, and it should make for a great comparison.

Manufacturer Specifications

Manufacturer Specs
Brand	Tufo
Model	Gravel Speedero
Year	2022
Supplied By	Bought in store
New or Used	New
Mileage	0 km
Price Range	High
Buy At
Manufacturer part number	-
EAN	8592723054948
TPI	210/375
Compound	-
Bead	Folding
ETRTO	40-622
Specified Weight	430 grams
Max Air Pressure (psi)	70
Made In	Members Only
Available Sizes	36-622 (700x36c) 40-622 (700x40c)

Tufo Gravel Speedero 40 Test Results

Size, Weight, and Thickness Measurements

Size, Weight, and Thickness Measurements
Specified Weight	430 grams
Measured Weight	445 grams
Measured Width Casing	37 mm (un-round)
Measured Width Tread	40 mm
Measured Height	35 mm (un-round)
Measured Knob Height Center	1.3 mm
Measured Knob Height Edge	1.3 mm
Measured Total Thickness Center (excluding knobs)	1.70 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	37 mm	37 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)	17.5 Watts CRR: 0.00525	21.3 Watts CRR: 0.00638
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)	20.0 Watts CRR: 0.00600	25.0 Watts CRR: 0.00749
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	1.70 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	78 Points
Wet Grip Center	Members Only
Wet Grip Edge	Members Only
Measured Knob Height Center	1.3 mm
Measured Knob Height Edge	1.3 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

Our tests show that the Tufo Gravel Speedero uses the exact same compound and casing as the Gravel Thundero (read our review). Both tires perform very strongly in our tests, but we find it a bit strange the Gravel Speedero has the same exact rolling resistance as the Gravel Thundero. The result is that we can't find a reason to pick the Speedero over the Thundero, as the Thundero tread pattern simply looks like it'll be better nearly everywhere.

The Gravel Speedero does perform even better in our wet grip test on a hard surface (grip test data available through Pro View for now), which we attribute to the tread pattern that's more suitable for on-road conditions. The Thundero already performed very strongly here, so we don't see this as a reason to choose the Speedero over the Thundero.

Compared to tires from other brands, the Gravel Speedero still shows an impressive performance in our tests. When compared to the Gravel Thundero, our recommendation is quite simple. If your riding involves even the slightest bit of off-road conditions, simply pick the Thundero for its versatility. If you never go off-road, the Speedero will perform slightly better under those conditions.

Jump over to the comparison section to compare the Gravel Speedero and Gravel Thundero side by side.

RATING: 5.0 / 5
TEST VERDICT: Highly Recommended

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