CX/Gravel Tire Test: Tufo Gravel Thundero 40

Tufo is a bicycle tire manufacturer that designs and manufactures its tires in the Czech Republic and is best known for its tubular road bike and cyclocross tires. After testing 230 tires over the past 7 years, the Gravel Thundero is the first tire from Tufo we've tested, and it makes for a great first impression.

While Tufo is known for their tubular tires, it now looks like they've shifted their development efforts more towards tubeless-ready tires. They now offer 3 tubeless-ready tires in the gravel bike category that cover nearly all gravel bike conditions. The Gravel Thundero on test here is the most versatile tire that fits right between the Gravel Speedero (fast, small knobs) and the Gravel Swampero (rougher conditions, bigger knobs).

The Gravel Thundero casing is specified as 210/375 TPI which can be confusing, but just like some other brands, Tufo adds up the thread count of each layer. We can't find much other information about the casing, but Tufo indicates the sidewalls come with an extra "Jubena" layer and an extra layer of "puncture-proof" material under the tread.

We can't tell much more about the Gravel Thundero as Tufo doesn't specify the compound or other parts of the tire. Let's just run it through our tests and see how it stacks up to the competition.

Manufacturer Specifications

Manufacturer Specs
Brand	Tufo
Model	Gravel Thundero
Year	2022
Supplied By	Bought in store
New or Used	New
Mileage	0 km
Price Range	High
Buy At
Manufacturer part number	-
EAN	8592723054894
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) 44-622 (700x44c)

Tufo Gravel Thundero 40 Test Results

Size, Weight, and Thickness Measurements

Size, Weight, and Thickness Measurements
Specified Weight	430 grams
Measured Weight	460 grams
Measured Width Casing	38 mm (un-round)
Measured Width Tread	40 mm
Measured Height	35 mm (un-round)
Measured Knob Height Center	1.5 mm
Measured Knob Height Edge	2.1 mm
Measured Total Thickness Center (excluding knobs)	1.80 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)	17.4 Watts CRR: 0.00522	21.2 Watts CRR: 0.00635
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	1.80 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	72 Points
Wet Grip Center	Members Only
Wet Grip Edge	Members Only
Measured Knob Height Center	1.5 mm
Measured Knob Height Edge	2.1 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

The Gravel Thundero makes for a great first impression of the Tufo brand. We're blown away by the performance of the Gravel Thundero in our tests: it's fast even though it comes with a tread pattern that should be able to handle a huge amount of conditions. This tire performs so strong that it's up there with the Continental Terra Speed TR, known as one of the fastest gravel bike tires out there.

We rate the Gravel Thundero 5 out of 5 as we feel this is one of the best gravel bike tires for mixed conditions. We're also impressed by the looks and quality of this tire; it's obvious the new Tufo tires are made to a very high standard. As of today, Pro Members can access Pro View, where you can find a sneak peek of CX/Gravel grip test data, and the Gravel Thundero looks good there as well.

We can't wait to test the Gravel Speedero and Gravel Swampero.

RATING: 5.0 / 5
TEST VERDICT: Highly Recommended

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