CX/Gravel Tire Test: Wolfpack Gravel SuperSpeed TLR 40

The Wolfpack Gravel SuperSpeed TLR is one of the two gravel bike tires offered by Wolfpack. The Gravel SuperSpeed is a tire with a slick tread in the center and knobs on the side of the tire, while the other tire offered by Wolfpack, the Gravel Speed, has a more all-round profile with knobs across the entire tread. Given the name, we assume that the SuperSpeed is Wolfpack's fastest gravel tire.

Wolfpack is a small German tire company founded by Wolfgang Arenz, who worked for Continental, Specialized, and Schwalbe and is known for being one of the driving forces in developing award-winning bicycle tires.

Wolfgang has developed the Wolfpack ToGuard compound, and it's used on all his tires. We have previously tested this compound on the Wolfpack Road Race (read our review), where we could clearly see that it was a dual compound. However, it appears that a single compound version of the ToGuard compound, which provides ample grip, has been used in the Gravel SuperSpeed, as evidenced by our grip test results.

Furthermore, the tire is made from a tubeless-ready casing with a fairly common thread count of 120 TPI. What is special about both the Gravel SuperSpeed and the Gravel Speed is that both tires have an extra layer of protective material under the tread. This is not very common in gravel bike tires because a lighter and faster construction is usually preferred.

Both the Gravel SuperSpeed and the Gravel Speed are only available in the 40-622 size. If you're looking for a larger or smaller gravel tire, you'd better start looking beyond Wolfpack's gravel tires right away.

Manufacturer Specifications

Manufacturer Specs
Brand	Wolfpack
Model	Gravel SuperSpeed TLR
Year	2023
Supplied By	Bought in store
New or Used	New
Mileage	0 km
Price Range	High
Buy At
Manufacturer part number	0821-0040-1
TPI	120
Compound	ToGuard
Bead	Folding
ETRTO	40-622
Specified Weight	495 grams
Max Air Pressure (psi)	87
Made In	Members Only
Available Sizes	40-622 (700x40c)

Wolfpack Gravel SuperSpeed TLR 40 Test Results

Size, Weight, and Thickness Measurements

Size, Weight, and Thickness Measurements
Specified Weight	495 grams
Measured Weight	478 grams
Measured Width Casing	38 mm (un-round)
Measured Width Tread	40 mm
Measured Height	35 mm (un-round)
Measured Knob Height Center	0.0 mm
Measured Knob Height Edge	1.9 mm
Measured Total Thickness Center (excluding knobs)	3.00 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	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
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
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)	24.2 Watts CRR: 0.00725
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)	29.4 Watts CRR: 0.00881
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	53 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	3.00 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	79 Points
Wet Grip Center	Members Only
Wet Grip Edge	Members Only
Measured Knob Height Center	0.0 mm
Measured Knob Height Edge	1.9 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 Wolfpack SuperSpeed excels in things that do not fit the name SuperSpeed, making it particularly difficult for us to evaluate this tire. The rolling resistance is much higher than we expected, and even when compared to the top 10 comparable tires, the Gravel SuperSpeed is the slowest tire.

The Gravel SuperSpeed performs very well in the wet grip test of the slick central part of the tread, which shows us that the compound is highly optimized to provide a lot of grip. The wet grip on the edges of the tire is much lower in our test, which we see more often with knobby tires, and it's due to the knobs on the side of the tread that flex and reduce the contact area.

Thanks to the additional layer of protection material underneath the tread, the Gravel SuperSpeed also performs very well in the puncture resistance test of the tread, and the sidewalls are also strong enough that you don't have to worry about them.

The Wolfpack Gravel SuperSpeed is not a bad tire, but without our test results, you might have made the wrong choice by focusing on the 'SuperSpeed' part of the name.

RATING: 3.8 / 5
TEST VERDICT: Recommended

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