New tyre shares tread with Pirelli’s other gravel tyres but gets bead-to-bead anti-puncture layer
Pirelli has announced the release of the Cinturato Gravel RCX, a new gravel tyre said to withstand the demands of gravel racing and bikepacking.
Pirelli teased the gravel tyre at Eurobike 2023, where BikeRadar spied it at the brand’s booth, and it has already been raced at this year’s edition of Unbound.
The Cinturato Gravel RCX shares much in common with Pirelli’s other gravel tyres but is claimed to have greater puncture resistance, earning the ‘X’, which stands for extreme.
The gravel tyre will initially be available in a 700x40mm width. A 700x35mm width will follow.
The black-wall tyre will cost £67.99/€74.90. The Classic (or tan) wall version will cost £69.99/€74.90. US pricing is to be confirmed.
Bead-to-bead protection
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Pirelli says the Cinturato Gravel RCX is designed for “extreme competitions”. This comes down to the reinforcement the brand has built into the tyre.
The tyre features a new TechWALL X structure, with a 60 TPI nylon casing that has a longer overlap on the sidewall.
There is also a bead-to-bead protective layer of high-density fabric. This appears on all of Pirelli’s gravel tyres, according to the brand.
Pirelli says this combination of features makes the Cinturato Gravel RCX “more resistant to cuts on the sidewalls”.
Speaking to BikeRadar at Eurobike, a Pirelli representative explained the decision to build a tyre with more protection was made in order to meet the demands of gravel racing in America specifically.
The representative said gravel racing in America often happens on trails with loose flintstone. These sharp stones can easily puncture sidewalls. Greater puncture protection should serve riders well when competing at gravel races such as Unbound.
Optimised for wide rims and low pressures
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Pirelli says the Cinturato Gravel RCX has a tubeless-ready aramid folding bead, optimised for greater rim widths and lower gravel bike tyre pressures.
Although Pirelli hasn’t provided recommended tyre pressures for the tyre, its mounting and sizing guide is based on inflating the 700x40mm tyre to 65psi and the 300x35mm tyre to 73psi.
Shared tread design
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The Cinturato Gravel RCX shares its tread pattern with some of Pirelli’s other gravel tyres, including the Gravel RC.
Pirelli says the tread helps make the new tyre fast on hard surfaces and straight sections thanks to its low and tightly-packed central knobs.
The tyre has high knobs on its edges for grip and to support handling when turning.
Pirelli says this tread pattern is based on that of its Scorpion XC RC cross-country mountain bike tyre.
The tyre uses Pirelli’s SpeedGrip compound. This is said to offer high grip in wet conditions and decrease rolling resistance, thanks to its “more efficient energy management” – although Pirelli hasn’t specified which compound SpeedGrip betters.
Cinturato Gravel RCX claimed weights
Pirelli says the black and Classic Cinturato Gravel RCX tyres in the wider 700x40mm size will weigh a claimed 560g.
The Cinturato Gravel RCX Classic in 700x35mm weighs a claimed 480g.