Road Bike Tire Test: Pirelli P Zero Race 26
Contents and Test Summary
- Introduction
- Manufacturer Specifications
- Size, Weight, Thickness
- Rolling Resistance: 12.6 Watts
- Puncture Resistance: 55 Points
- Static Wet Grip: 60 Points
- Conclusion: 3.7 / 5 Recommended
- Comments
- Pirelli P Zero Race 26
(100% is best)
The Pirelli P Zero Race is a new addition to Pirelli's range of tubetype (clincher) road bike tires. Together with the P Zero Race, they also launched the P Zero Road that's supposed to be more of an all-round tire for riders looking for balanced performance. The P Zero Race is lighter and thinner and seems to fit in between pure time-trial tires and all-round tires.
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Pirelli already launched the TLR version of the P Zero Race back in 2020 which at that time was still named "P Zero Velo Race TLR" (read our review). With the launch of the tubetype P Zero Race and Road, they dropped the Velo name and also renamed the TLR versions to just "P Zero Race TLR". We assume these are still the same tires as before and only the name has changed.
When we look at Pirelli's current lineup of tubetype road bike tires it looks like this:
P Zero Velo TT (time trial)
P Zero Race (time-trial/all-round)
P Zero Velo (all-round)
P Zero Road (all-round)
P Zero Velo 4S (all-season)
There now seems to be some overlap in the all-round class and although Pirelli still has the older P Zero Velo (read our review) on their site, it's missing on the packaging of the P Zero Race (lists all their road bike tires) and we wouldn't be surprised if that tire will be discontinued in the near future.
The P Zero Race consists of a 127 TPI "TechBELT" casing that comes with an extra layer of anti-puncture material under the tread. The tread is a bit thinner than most all-round tires and the compound is the SmartEvo compound that we've already seen on the TLR versions of the P Zero Race and which seems to perform well in our tests.
The P Zero Race is available in the 26-622, 28-622, and 30-622 sizes. Strangely enough, the heavier P Zero Road version is only available in the smaller 24-622, 26-622, 28-622 sizes which doesn't seem to match what we normally see with road bike tires. Maybe they mixed them up when sending the specifications to production ;)
Manufacturer Specifications
| Manufacturer Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Brand | Pirelli |
| Model | P Zero Race |
| Year | 2021 |
| Tire Type | Tubetype (clincher) |
| Supplied By | Bought in store |
| New or Used | New |
| Mileage | 0 km |
| Price Range | High |
| Buy At | Ad Amazon.com |
| Manufacturer part number | 3984400 |
| EAN | 8019227398441 |
| TPI | 127 |
| Compound | SmartEvo |
| Bead | Folding |
| ETRTO | 26-622 |
| Size Inch | 28" |
| Specified Width (mm) | 26 |
| Specified Weight | 205 grams |
| Max Air Pressure (psi) | 116 |
| Made In | Members Only |
| Available Sizes |
26-622 (700x26c) 28-622 (700x28c) 30-622 (700x30c) |
Pirelli P Zero Race 26 Test Results
Size, Weight, and Thickness Measurements
| Size, Weight and Thickness Measurements | |
|---|---|
| Specified Weight | 205 grams |
| Measured Weight | 204 grams |
| System Adjusted Weight (tire + inner tube (100 gr) |
304 grams |
| Measured Width | 26 mm (un-round) |
| Measured Height | 23 mm (un-round) |
| Total Tire Thickness Center | 2.3 mm |
| Total Tire Thickness Sidewall | Members Only |
| Unmounted Casing Width | 66 mm |
| Unmounted Tread Width | Members Only |
| Tread Cover (Tread / Casing Ratio) | Members Only |
| All size measurements are taken at an air pressure of 100 psi / 6.9 bars on a 17.8 mm inner width rim. | |
Rolling Resistance Test Results
| Rolling Resistance Test Results | |
|---|---|
| Inner Tube | Conti Race28 (100gr butyl) |
| Measured Width | 26 mm (un-round) |
| Rolling Resistance Real tire width in mm: 22-24 = 132 psi/9.1 bar 25-27 = 120 psi/8.3 bar 28-29 = 108 psi/7.4 barUltra High Air Pressure (120 psi / 8.3 bar) |
12.6 Watts CRR: 0.00378 |
| Rolling Resistance Real tire width in mm: 22-24 = 110 psi/7.6bar 25-27 = 100 psi/6.9 bar 28-29 = 90 psi/6.2 barExtra High Air Pressure (100 psi / 6.9 bar) |
13.5 Watts CRR: 0.00405 |
| Rolling Resistance Real tire width in mm: 22-24 = 88 psi/6.1 bar 25-27 = 80 psi/5.5 bar 28-29 = 72 psi/5.0 barHigh Air Pressure (80 psi / 5.5 bar) |
Members Only |
| Rolling Resistance Real tire width in mm: 22-24 = 66 psi/4.6 bar 25-27 = 60 psi/4.1 bar 28-29 = 54 psi/3.7 barMedium Air Pressure (60 psi / 4.1 bar) |
Members Only |
| The Road Bike 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 | 55 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 | 2.3 mm |
| Sidewall Puncture Force Sharp Needle | Members Only |
| Sidewall Puncture Force Blunt Needle | Members Only |
| Sidewall Total Tire Thickness | Members Only |
Static Grip Test Results
NOTE: Grip test data is only available on tires tested after November 2018. You can find more information about our grip test here: Introducing Grip Testing
| Static Grip Test Results | |
|---|---|
| Wet Grip Average | 60 Points |
| Wet Grip Center | Members Only |
| Wet Grip Edge | Members Only |
| Grip in points = coefficient of friction * 100 Road bike grip test rim width = 19.0 mm |
|
Conclusion
- Pirelli P Zero Race 26
(100% is best)
We're not impressed by the performance of the P Zero Race in our tests. Performance is very close to the older P Zero Velo (read our review) that launched back in 2017 and which, at that time, was one of the top-performing tires. Since 2017, a lot of tires have been launched that outperform the P Zero Velo in our tests. To make things worse, tread thickness has gone down from 2.6 mm for the 2017 P Zero Velo to just 2.3 mm for the P Zero Race.
Just like many other tires, the P Zero Race also comes in a bit smaller than older tires. The 2017 25-622 P Zero Velo measured 27.4 mm wide while the 26-622 P Zero Race comes in at just 26.3 mm. When we take the reduced size into consideration, weight also increased even though tread thickness has been reduced. Pirelli's puncture belt seems to be good as it performs well in our puncture tests even with the limited tread thickness.
No official data yet, but the grip tests we're currently working on indicate dry grip of the P Zero Race is very good but if you plan to ride in the wet, you definitely should avoid this tire.
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RATING:
3.7
/ 5
TEST VERDICT:
Recommended