Pirelli

I recently bought 4 Continental Grand Prix 5000 tires with 6 Pirelli P Zero TPU tubes and I wish I made the switch sooner. Put them on your bike - I'm sure you'll be impressed.

I've been riding bikes since the 1970s and got into cycle racing in 2005 in the Salt Lake City area. (We left Utah because of the crazy shutdowns, even though I love riding up the mountains there)

These Pirelli tubes make riding noticeably more comfortable on the rough roads in the Safford Arizona area. I think it's the single best performance upgrade I've made in 20 years.

This is a review for another set of these, and that's a good thing because I'm a repeat buyer.

These things are tough as nails. I have early AM commutes to work in the dark, I race and train, so the last thing I want to do is slow down my bike even while training, but you need to check your ego at the door, it's a game of watts and time, not speed, when you are training, and the last thing I want is a flat at that time of morning (4am). Not dealing with it.

I run these tubeless, I have punctured and the sealant caught it so non issue. It was a staple each time, no clue how physics got that thing through my tire, but no biggie, sealed and never even knew.

Of note, you will be about 1.3mph slower, I ride a few of the same routes, and I have data overlays of each ride, and at 220w ish ranges, my butt dyno is pretty good and it's noticeable.

Remember, don't care about it, these are for training. They also ride very harshly, even at 55psi (I'm 70kg).

For the past ten years I have been riding with tubular wheels/tires on my road bike, which means the tubes have been latex. I have now switched to traditional wheels and tires and since I swap tires regularly, I decided to not use sealant but use tubes, but which type? Butyl tubes are cheapest but I have found them to be more puncture prone. Latex tubes are more compliant, I've had fewer punctures, they cost more than butyl, but with latex tubes I have to add air pressure daily. I started using Smartube TPU tubes last spring, they are lighter, do not lose air, I've had no punctures, but they do cost more. I have now switched my road and gravel bikes to TPU tubes, and I recommend SmarTubes as they have performed flawlessly.

Tires are a tough review, some people want the fastest tire possible, some want to never get a flat, some want wet vs dry, some want everything, etc. So for this use case, I wanted to have reliable over fast, as they are on my road bike that I use for commuting miles/training. I do not want a flat at 0400 on my ride to work, even though I'm prepared, I don't want to deal with it.

These tires are tough, they ride slow (I'm 1.3mph slower at worst, usually about 1mph), you'll feel it, but who cares you're training. I had to set aside the mindset of pushing for some silly crown on an app, I don't care, it's a game of watts and time, not speed, in training.

They grip super strong in wet weather, no slips going up a hill for example out of the saddle. They also seem to last forever, I can get 4000 miles on a rear easily, front won't even be touched (I'm light, 151 pounds). Even with a backpack, still fine.

The few cuts and pokes I've had in these I never even knew I got, sealed right up. They are thicker than your GP5000 for example, 3x as thick. They are uncomfortable as well, you'll feel everything. I've had 26's and 28's, neither helps.

Have a heart to heart with yourself. I'm a speedy racer dude, and I hated seeing the slow speeds, I threw my race tires on my one bike so I could feel faster. I got flats. I hate dealing with it. I ride alone, I don't care, I want reliable tires.

I am going to try the P Zero Race TLR AS some time, they are also pretty flat protected but not as much. Maybe it'll be fine for my roads and paranoia. But for now, the Cinturato Velo will get you from A to B with sealant in them. Mount pretty easy too, I can do with my hands.