We reveal the road.cc Recommends Tyres of the Year 2023/24

It’s time to reveal the best tyres for both road and gravel riding that made it into road.cc Recommends in 2023.

We've decided to separate tyres from our Components of the Year awards (which we'll publish on Thursday) because we’ve reviewed a ton over the past 12 months and the standard has been high. We’re covering both road and gravel tyres here, with gravel tyres reviewed by our sister title, off.road.cc, also eligible for inclusion.

The tyre market is buzzing with activity right now, thanks to the surge in gravel riding and the widespread adoption of tubeless technology both on and off the road. It’s as busy as we’ve ever known it, and these trends are evident in the tyres we’re about to introduce. Whatever type of riding you do, we’ve got some great tyres to tell you about.

How did we choose our tyres?

Each month we add the best bikes, clothing, parts and accessories we’ve reviewed on road.cc – and our sister sites off.road.cc and ebiketips where relevant – to road.cc Recommends. This is the section of our website that’s reserved for the most impressive products that come our way, with only exceptional performers making it in. Below, you’ll see all of the best tyres that made it into road.cc Recommends, alongside a few of the best performers that just missed out. 

Unlike our bike awards, which start next week, we don't rank components, accessories, and clothing into top 10 lists. Instead, we offer three types of awards:

• Bargain Buy This goes to the product that we feel gives the best value for money.
   
• Money No Object We take price out of the equation for this one; it’s all about performance.  
   
• Editor’s Choice This award is presented to the product that gives the best combination of performance and value for money.

We don’t necessarily give out all three awards in each category; it depends on what we think the products truly deserve. This year, we’ve not given a Bargain Buy in the tyres category, but you'll find Money No Object and Editor's Choice awards down below.

So, without further ado, let’s dive into the road.cc Recommends Tyres of the Year 2023/24…

Michelin Power Cup Tubeless Ready Tyre £69.99

These tyres are fast, they grip well, and you can run them tubeless. They’re also easy to set up, if reviewer George Hill’s experience is anything to go by. 

We previously reviewed the clincher version of the Michelin Power Cup Tubeless Ready Tyre and were hugely impressed, and the tubeless version puts in an equally strong performance. 

When they were originally launched, Michelin called them the fastest road tyres ever. Independent testing suggests they’re certainly quick – on a similar level to Continental’s well-respected Grand Prix 5000 S TR in terms of rolling resistance. 

> Best road bike tyres 2024 — ride faster and further with fewer punctures

Their grip is excellent too, giving you the confidence to corner fast even in wet conditions. This is thanks to Michelin's Gum-X compound which was originally developed for its Moto-GP tyres.

We used these on some of the roughest roads around, and they performed well. Despite lacking the clincher version’s Aramid Shield layer, they’re not prone to punctures. Overall, we were hugely impressed with these tyres.

Why it’s here Fast, grippy, and easy to set up tubeless
Read the review 

Panaracer Agilest TLR Road Tyre £59.99

This is a confident and predictable tyre even in wet conditions, and it’s tough enough to handle winter too. It’s also impressively light, accelerates quickly, and rolls along fast. 

Panaracer says these tyres are specially designed for easy installation on modern rims, which includes hookless designs, and we found that to be the case.

The ride is good – not especially harsh nor exceptionally plush – and hitting hidden potholes results in a reassuringly compliant response from the sidewalls. They handled all the abuse we sent their way, with reviewer Steve Williams reporting no signs of damage at all during the test period.

Grip from the ZSG Agilest compound is impressive, even in wet conditions and on the worst surfaces – moss under trees, soaking leaves, that sort of stuff. In fact, these tyres inspire enough confidence for you to corner hard and brake late on steep descents, and the rear one provides excellent traction on challenging climbs. Confidence and feedback are great.

If you’re looking for premium tyres, these should be on your list.

Why it’s here Confident and predictable yet light and fast – plus they're tough enough for winter roads
Read the review 

Challenge Criterium RS Handmade Tubeless Ready Road Tyre £90

The Challenge Criterium RS TLR is a super-supple tubeless-ready tyre that offers plenty of grip, confidence and speed. These handmade open tubulars may cost a lot but they also put in an excellent performance. Oh, and just look at those white walls!

The 350tpi casing conforms around road deformations to deliver a silky smooth ride. Reviewer Jamie Williams reckons that only other tubeless tyre he’s used that comes close to the Criterium RS's road manners is the Vittoria Corsa TLR G2.0, but that has less impressive durability.

The Challenge tyres are certainly light – 255g each on our scales in a size 27mm – and they ride superbly. In terms of grip, the Criteriums perform well, and they’re fast with it, feeling like tubular race tyres or clinchers set up with latex tubes.

bicyclerollingresistance.com found these to be just a whisker slower than the fastest tyres they've ever tested, and we can certainly believe that, although they’ll probably need topping up with air every two or three days because they’re more permeable than some.

The only real stumbling block is the price, but if you’re willing to pay you’ll be rewarded with a first-class performance – which is why the Criterium RS gets our Money No Object award.

Why it’s here Fast, grippy and quite the looker – the money-no-object choice
Read the review 

Specialized S-Works Pathfinder 2Bliss Ready Tyre £50

The Specialized S-Works Pathfinder 2Bliss Ready tyres are among the lightest gravel options on the market. They're available in just a 42mm size for 700C wheels and roll along hardpack surfaces, including tarmac, very well. The file tread to the sides provides predictable grip on gravel, although you’ll need to look elsewhere for riding on wet mud.

This posh S-Works tyre is lightweight, ours coming at just 456g (compared with a claimed weight of 435g) – which is extremely competitive. That translates into plenty of speed, reviewer Jamie Williams commenting that “it's one hell of a quick tyre”. External testing and our own experience suggest that this is among the fastest gravel tyres out there. 

When you’re riding straight, the smooth centreline delivers impressively low rolling resistance on tarmac, while the Pathfinders provides predictable grip on gravel, even on sketchy corners. 

The tyre is impressively grippy on wet roads, the Gripton compound coming up trumps, although it’s not especially confidence-inspiring on muddy surfaces.

Specialized has introduced a new, lightweight cross-woven polyamide sidewall reinforcement, which it calls Grid Race, designed to improve tear and puncture resistance while maintaining the good elasticity required for a supple ride. In use, these tyres certainly do feel impressively supple. 

Overall, the S-Works Pathfinders are surprisingly good value, roll extremely well on dry surfaces, and are very light.

Why it’s here Light and fast tyre for dry gravel performance
Read the review 

Hutchinson Challenger TLR Tyre £54.95

The Hutchinson Challenger Tubeless tyre is excellent if you’re after a reliable training option without the hassle of constant punctures.

Aimed at riders chasing a fit-and-forget solution for winter riding, these tyres are simple to install, even on older rim brake wheels. They don't come up particularly wide either, so you don’t need to worry about clearance issues. Hutchinson's ‘AIRSHIELD’ technology promises airtight performance without the need for sealant, making maintenance a breeze.

On the road, these tyres are an absolute joy to ride – easily better than older all-season options. They offer good grip in both wet and dry conditions and strike a fantastic balance between comfort and performance.

The tyres use a 3x127 TPI carcass, matched with a new Hutchinson Endurance Bi-Compound, with softer shoulders and a harder central tread. This means each tyre is harder in the middle and softer on the edges, a combination designed to reduce rolling resistance while retaining cornering grip. That grip is impressive, these tyres proving their worth on off-camber corners and providing you with loads of confidence.

The Hutchinson Challenger tyres aren’t cheap, but they’re much less expensive than many alternatives. Offering easy tubeless setup, puncture resistance, and durability, they're a top choice for winter training and endurance rides.

Why it’s here Ultra-long-lasting tyre with very high puncture resistance and decent comfort and grip
Read the review 

Continental Grand Prix 5000 AS TR £89.95

Although it’s highly priced, the Continental Grand Prix 5000 AS TR puts in a top performance, providing a serious amount of grip, impressive rolling resistance, and good durability.

With this AS (All Season) model, Continental has tried to keep as much of the 5000 S’s performance as possible while adding the durability of its Grand Prix 4 Season. It has tweaked its Black Chilli compound to increase grip in wet conditions and has thickened the tread for longevity. Beefed-up sidewalls also add to the durability

The compound has a tacky feel to it, providing a confidence-inspiring grip even in wet and cold conditions, and reviewer Stu Kerton reported a supple quality. He even reckoned you could race on them if required.

The TR part of the name denotes that these tyres are tubeless-ready and they’re fine to use with hookless rims. We found them easy enough to set up with a track pump. In fact, there’s little to fault here in terms of performance; it’s just the price that holds them back. 

Why it’s here Very impressive performance blended with durability, but oh so expensive
Read the review 

Vittoria Mezcal Gravel Endurance Tyre £50

Vittoria has taken its popular Mezcal cross-country mountain bike tyre and turned it into the fast, grippy and puncture-resistant Mezcal Gravel Endurance. Available in both 700x35mm and 700x44mm sizes, this tubeless-ready option offers an outstanding performance.

Although slightly heavier than the claimed 500g – our 44mm-wide sample pair weighed 537g and 538g – the Mezcal Gravel tyres perform extremely well compared with similar-sized rivals. We found fitting and inflation to be simple on various wheels, and the riding experience to be exceptional on a variety of terrains.

Vittoria's Graphene 1C compound provides grip and speed on hard surfaces like forest roads and typical gravel terrains, and the tread pattern works through faster lines downhill. The cornering grip is fantastic so you get a huge amount of confidence as you lean over in the knowledge that they’ll hang on.

Despite not being intended for looser, muddier tracks, the Mezcal Gravel is fast across this type of surface and grips superbly here too. We wouldn’t recommend them for regular muddy trail use, but for more typical gravel terrain, even the occasional squishy byway, they deliver much more traction than you’d expect under acceleration and braking. Throughout testing, they also proved to be strong and reliable.

We’d be happy to leave the Mezcal Gravel Endurance on year-round to deal with all surfaces, so you can safely say that we were hugely impressed.

Why it’s here Impressive all-round gravel tyre with quick ride and grip almost everywhere
Read the review 

Pirelli P Zero Race TLR 4S £79.99

The Pirelli P Zero Race TLR 4S tyres are a fantastic all-in-one solution if you’re looking for versatility and performance throughout the year. Whether you're tackling winter conditions or enjoying long summer rides, these tyres deliver exceptional grip and speed. 

Pirelli's decision to move production to its own Italian facility has clearly paid off. These tyres use the company’s SpeedCORE construction, meaning you get a 120 TPI casing with a bead-to-bead aramid inner layer, plus another aramid layer under the tread for increased puncture resistance. 

On top of that, there’s a tread made from SmartNET Silica compound that “features microscopic rod-shaped particles that are arranged systematically, rather than chaotically”, according to Pirelli, designed to deliver confident handling in wet conditions.

We found the tubeless setup a breeze, and the P Zero Race TLR 4S maintains air better than most competitors. 

Out on the road, grip is excellent in all conditions – up there with the best. The P Zero Race TLR 4S never falters or slips, and the resistance to punctures is high. It's pretty fast too. 

While not the lightest option for racing, the P Zeros make up for it with durability and their top-tier grip. If you’re looking for a fit-and-forget tyre for a fast bike, this is a great choice that offers a perfect balance of speed and resilience.

Why it’s here Really good fit-and-forget tyres for fast riding year round
Read the review 

René Herse Antelope Hill Endurance Tyre £97

Meet the René Herse Antelope Hill TC, a monster 55mm (2.2in) 700C slick tyre that glides quickly and quietly over gravel tracks and tarmac. It grips tight and the sidewalls are practically indestructible, although the price tag is hefty too. 

Reviewer Mike Stead found the setup easy, without a speck of sealant seeping through the sidewall. Once these tyres are inflated, you barely need to check them – let alone top them up – for weeks at a time.

In terms of strength, the Antelope Hill can handle everything you throw at it, including deeply unfriendly potholes and razor-sharp rocks. It’s tough! It’s fast too, and you get loads of grip for cornering and braking, plus compliance for comfort and less fatigue.

These tyres clearly aren’t cheap but you get an impressive service life and a strong performance throughout. If you want a big slick that's tough, grippy, fast, quiet and not too heavy, the Antelope Hill is well worth the cash.

Why it’s here Mega wide and mega-tough slick with a supple ride – but a mega price tag to boot
Read the review 

Cadex Aero Tubeless Tyre £64.99

The Cadex Aero Tubeless tyre offers excellent grip and low rolling resistance. It comes with a 170 TPI casing, a 'Race Shield' puncture protection layer, and a Cadex RR-A compound. According to Cadex, the taller sidewall creates a more oval shape which results in a seamless profile when you pair it with Cadex 65 wheels, although you can easily use them with other options too. 

We found fitting Cadex Aero Tubeless tyres to a couple of different wheelsets easy enough, and once in place, they performed impressively, delivering a smooth ride with decent comfort. You get good grip both in dry and wet conditions, even on green back lanes that are usually slippy.

The Race Shield puncture protection is a lightweight Kevlar layer that runs across the top of the tyre but does not extend to the sidewall. One of our tyres did puncture during a lengthy review period – a slash to the sidewall caused by a sharp impact – but most other tyres would have done the same. 

When we reviewed it, the only thing holding this tyre back was the fact that it was available in just a 25mm width. Good news, though: it now comes in a 28mm option too.

Why it’s here Grippy, smooth and better-than-expected durability
Read the review 

Pirelli Cinturato Gravel RC Tyre £62.99

The Pirelli Cinturato Gravel RC tyre is an impressive all-rounder, striking a balance between road speed and off-road grip. Even with its knobby design, it zips along smoothly on tarmac with no compromise to wet-weather traction. It isn’t as good at shedding mud as some, though, or as easy to set up.

The Cinturato Gravel RCs are designed to be used as race tyres across a variety of surfaces, with the tread inspired by Pirelli's Scorpion XC RC pattern, which has been popular on its mountain bike tyres.

Pirelli has taken the SmartGRIP compound from its mountain bike range and altered it for gravel riding, reducing the rolling resistance. It has also slightly reduced the grip but improved the all-round performance.

These tyres shine on everything from tarmac to rugged farm tracks and muddy trails. While they may not be the absolute best on any type of terrain, they’re capable across the board. On the road, they're fairly fast and hold speed better than you might expect. They grip well in the bends, allowing you to corner confidently at speed. 

Pirelli's TechWALL Gravel fabric wraps the entire tyre, beefing up puncture resistance for gravel adventures. Yes, it adds a bit to the weight, but it adds a lot of protection, too.

If you're after a versatile tyre that can handle a mix of terrains with flair, the Cinturato Gravel RC is a solid choice, albeit at a premium cost.

Pirelli’s Cinturato Gravel S, Cinturato Adventure, and Cinturato All Road tyres, all performed equally well for us in 2023.

Why it’s here Innovative all-rounders that can be left on all year, though they are quite pricey
Read the review 

Bontrager R3 Hard-Case Lite TLR tyre £52.99

Notoriously hard to please VecchioJo loved the Bontrager R3 Hard-Case Lite TLR Road Tyre, and if that fussy old so-and-so is happy, you will be too. This tyre offers durability, comfort, and puncture resistance. It’s an all-around excellent option that wins our Editor’s Choice award.

The R3 Hard-Case Lite TLR is a lightly treaded, tubeless-ready road tyre that’s available in 25, 28 and 32mm widths. We were using the widest one that's best suited to endurance riding. It’s a fuss-free and dependable tyre; the type that’ll get you where you want to go without mishap. 

The R3 Hard-Case Lite TLR really shines on rides over less-than-perfect tarmac and across longer distances. Although not as fast as some, the volume and amount of squish on offer make it comfortably swift, effortlessly eating up the miles without battering you in the process. 

Bontrager's proprietary TR-Speed rubber compound is very good, and the R3 Hard-Case Lite TLRs suffered no punctures at all during our review period. The Hard-Case Lite puncture-resistant strip – made from a Nylon105 breaker belt – does its job very well.

The R3 tyres also remained notably free of any of the nicks and cuts that would usually pepper a tyre that's seen high mileage. It's a durable rubber, and that longevity doesn't come at the expense of grip. The tyres happily dealt with various tarmac conditions and hard cornering without any heart-in-mouth moments. 

VecchioJo said, “I struggle to find fault with them despite my best efforts to put them in harm's way. For longer rides these 700x32 Bontrager R3s have found the sweet spot of durability, grip and fun to ride, and are my new favourite tyre.”

Why it’s here Long-lasting, puncture-shy tyre that's dependable for longer distances
Read the review