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review
Schwalbe One Tubeless£56.99
VERDICT:
Schwalbe's racing tyre with all the benefits of tubeless technology plus enough durability for everyday riding
Weight:
634g
Contact:
At road.cc every product is thoroughly tested for as long as it takes to get a proper insight into how well it works. Our reviewers are experienced cyclists that we trust to be objective. While we strive to ensure that opinions expressed are backed up by facts, reviews are by their nature an informed opinion, not a definitive verdict. We don't intentionally try to break anything (except locks) but we do try to look for weak points in any design. The overall score is not just an average of the other scores: it reflects both a product's function and value – with value determined by how a product compares with items of similar spec, quality, and price.
What the road.cc scores meanGood scores are more common than bad, because fortunately good products are more common than bad.
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German tyre company Schwalbe has been a proponent of tubeless road tyres since the release of the excellent Ultremo ZX tubeless tyre I tested two years ago. Those tyres have now been replaced by the new One Tubeless, which takes the company's top-end race tyre and offers it with a tubeless bead. And the result is a very fast and supple tyre with all the benefits from ditching the inner tube, fewer flats.
Find your local dealer here
Buy this online here
Setting the tyre up was easy. I used Stan's new Grail wheelset, a wide profile rim, with the tubeless tape and valve already installed. I simply fitted the tyres, poured in a small amount of latex, and inflated the tyre using a track pump. The tyre popped up onto the rim first time, with the reassuring pop sounds indicating the bead has locked into the rim securely. When tubeless installation is this easy you wonder why everyone doesn't run tubeless, but I know some tyre/wheel combinations can be a little less straightforward. Another member of the road.cc team found it somewhat harder getting one on to a Shimano XT 29er rim, but he also said it was a struggle getting anything on to those - these Schwalbes were by no means the hardest he'd fitted on them.
Schwalbe offers the One Tubeless tyre in a number of width options, right up to 28mm. I chose the 25mm, a popular size these days. I experimented with pressures during the first few rides, in the end settling on about 90-95psi for my 66kg weight, going lower or higher depending on conditions. Being able to run lower pressures is one of the benefits of tubeless - there is no tube to pinch if you hit a hole or crack in the road, so you can safely get away with lower pressures.
The tyre feels very similar to the regular One clincher tyre, with the same grippy yet fast rolling tread compound used across the top of the carcass. The tubeless variant has a wonderfully supple feel on the road surface, tracking the contours of rough roads really well. The tread compound is very durable too, impressive considering it's pitched as a race tyre. It doesn't cut up at all, and even after some of my off-road excursions down bridleways and along the Fosse Way they show no signs of damage. I wouldn't venture off-road on a regular inner tube setup for fear of puncturing, but with tubeless you certainly can do, and these new One tyres, despite being designed for racing, provide impressive durability.
Schwalbe says it has spent three years developing these new tyres and proudly declares the One to be its fastest tyre in its promotional material, saying the rolling resistance of its tubeless tyre is less than an ultralight racing tyre with an inner tube. It's tricky testing rolling resistance in the real world and getting accurate data, but they certainly don't feel slow compared to the regular One tubed tyres when tested on the same bike, on the same roads, in the same conditions. The tyre is substantially heavier, 318g for the 25mm tyres tested, but remember you're losing the weight of the inner tube.
Finally, let's look at the price - £56.99 is a lot of money for a tyre. Tubeless tyres tend to be more expensive than conventional ones - of course you are going to be saving on regularly shelling out for inner tubes not to mention the time and inconvenience caused by punctures. That said, the Schwalbe One is at the uppper end of the scale even for tubeless tyres. In its defence it is a tubeless race tyre and it's also the best riding tubeless tyre we've tested - even better than it's predecessor the Ultremo ZX. It's also worth stressing that £56.99 is merely the rrp, shop around and you can find this tyre for considerably less than that.
With such easy tubeless installation as this, zero maintenance and no punctures, fantastic rolling resistance at lower pressures, fast enough for racing and durable enough for everyday riding with the toughness to tackle more adventurous roads and trails, I'm not sure why I would ever go back to regular tyres with inner tubes. If you're fed up with punctures and have tubeless ready rims (as many new bikes do these days) Schwalbe's One tyres are a good buy.
Verdict
Schwalbe's racing tyre with all the benefits of tubeless technology plus enough durability for everyday riding
road.cc test report
Make and model: Schwalbe One Tubeless
Size tested: 25-622 700x25c - weight is for pair
Tell us what the product is for, and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?
This is what Schwalbe say...
Tubeless on the racing bike – the idea as such is not new. Theoretically, there are advantages. But are there also practical ones? Is the tubeless worthwhile in training and competition?
We say Yes. We are absolutely convinced that TUBELESS is the right choice for the racing bike. It is the path into the future
THE MOST IMPORTANT ADVANTAGES OF THE TUBELESS:
Advantage 1: Schwalbe ONE Tubeless is our fastest!
Normally there are two components. Tube and tire are constantly deformed. These flexing movements result in a loss of energy and increase the rolling resistance. If the tube is dispensed with, these negative factors are considerably reduced.
Result: Due to its design principle, the Schwalbe ONE Tubeless is significantly faster! In a direct comparison, the rolling resistance of tubeless tires is, in fact, less than that of a ultralight racing tire.
Advantage 2: Goodbye blowouts
Tubeless tires offer more safety: In case of a puncture, the air does not escape suddenly, but slowly. The crash risk is also distinctly minimized. And no more tubes mean no more tube blowouts. A vital increase in safety for extremely dangerous tube blowouts (e.g., through overheating on long, steep descents, or valves shearing off) are excluded as well.
Advantage 3: Puncture risk virtually zero – with liquid sealant
The Schwalbe ONE Tubeless is seated firmly and tightly. However, we recommend also using our liquid latex sealant DocBlue Professional. For this active puncture protection system functions just as well in racing bike tires as it does in the case of mountain bikes. Virtually all defects are immediately sealed again. Only really serious damage (such as cuts) can still delay the ride.
And what about the weight? The tubeless tire weighs more than a folding tire (tubeless, 305 g / folding tire, 205 g). But there is no tube. If the weight of a standard tube is deducted, the weight of the tubeless is, in principle, identical.
Advantage 4: Less pressure. More performance.
The TUBELESS tire reaches its peak performance with less pressure (1 bar less than normal folding tires). This means improved rolling behaviour, better cornering grip and very good traction. And the rolling resistance remains just as excellent as that of a lightweight racing tire.
Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?
Schwables fastest and at the same time most reliable competition tyre
Manufactured in a separate facility built exclusively for the production of this new tyre
Schwalbe One has been used RadioShack Leopard Trek, AG2R and FDJ
Tubeless compatible bead and casing
Available in 700 x 23, 25, 28c
Weighs: 205g - 340g
Evolution line
OneStar triple tyre compound
Folding tyre
Max PSI ratings: 70 - 125 PSI
Rate the product for quality of construction:
9/10
Rate the product for performance:
9/10
Rate the product for durability:
9/10
Rate the product for weight, if applicable:
8/10
Rate the product for comfort, if applicable:
9/10
Rate the product for value:
7/10
Tell us what you particularly liked about the product
Not slower than the regular clincher version with all the benefits of tubeless (lower pressures for more traction and no flats)
Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product
I didn't find anything to dislike during my test with them. You can't change tyres as easily and quickly with tubeless, but these are good enough to fit-and-forget
Did you enjoy using the product? Yes
Would you consider buying the product? Yes
Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes
Anything further to say about the product in conclusion?
With such easy tubeless installation as this, zero maintenance and no punctures, and fantastic rolling resistance at lower pressures, I'm not sure why I would ever go back to regular tyres with inner tubes.
About the tester
Age: 31 Height: 180 Weight: 67
I usually ride: My best bike is:
I've been riding for: 10-20 years I ride: Every day I would class myself as: Expert
I regularly do the following types of riding: road racing, time trialling, cyclo cross, commuting, touring, mtb,
David worked on the road.cc tech team from 2012-2020. Previously he was editor of Bikemagic.com and before that staff writer at RCUK. He's a seasoned cyclist of all disciplines, from road to mountain biking, touring to cyclo-cross, he only wishes he had time to ride them all. He's mildly competitive, though he'll never admit it, and is a frequent road racer but is too lazy to do really well. He currently resides in the Cotswolds, and you can now find him over on his own YouTube channel David Arthur - Just Ride Bikes.
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44 comments
I've used both tyres, the IRC are manufactured perfectly and I would prefer them.. Alex's bike shop in Japan will post them. I couldn't find an EU source.
I have used these exact tires since march and I am not as excited about them as the author of this article.
I agree that they are grippy and durable. There is a lot of rubber on them, hence the weight. I got a nasty looking cut on a side wall, but it was thick enough to prevent puncture.
They are comfortable! Mine are installed on a wider rim of Pacenti SL23, so the diameter is 26.5mm. On rough roads I ride them at 80-85psi with my 74kg on top without any problems. Truth to be told they are not as comfortable as Schwalbe One 28mm (w/ latex tube) which I used previously.
Sealant liquid makes them airtight. In two weeks they lost 10 of 95psi and were ok to ride.
It is difficult to say if they roll better than my previous pair of One's 28mm clinchers... but the rolling sound of tubeless is better, just like tubulars
My issue is with build quality. I was very surprised to find out that bead of one tire was significantly smaller than the other. Installation of one tire was difficult but OK, other one was nearly impossible. I broke two levers and was worried I would damage the rim. That says something about the build quality and consistency. I am afraid to think what will I do if I have to take that tire off on the road.
They are expensive! Luckily I paid only 59 EUR for the pair
I am not sure tubeless is the best option for road. I'd like to see what happens when I get a puncture. Will sealant work as advertised? As I like to go on a long rides, multiple punctures can be a problem for clinchers if you have only one spare inner tube.
There is no weight benefit. Sealant has to be topped up every 4 month or so, which means tire will get heavier. Because of sealant de-installation is going to be messy!
The chances of catastrophically puncturing two tubeless wheels on one ride must be up there with being hit by a 3,000lb Tuna whilst riding through the Forest of Dean.
You may want to look at the new generation of non-latex-based sealants like Slime Pro, which don't dry out and aren't affected by CO2/sub-zero temps. You do have to pick your tyre though, butyl liner essential (as the One has). Review coming soon.
Well, I am not an expert probabilities but... I have ridden into a pothole full of broken glass with catastrophic consequences for both tires.
Don't worry about removal. If the worst happens, the tyre bead will have stretched on the rim and the sealant acts as a lube - you ll probably only need your thumbs
Wonder how long this Schwalbe will be around. It seems like the last version wasn't very good as you could hardly find one to buy and then it was taken off the market. But we won't read about that in the cycling press (("All products are wonderful!"
"Buy this online here" link takes you to the non-tubeless item on Wiggle. Proving again that tyre manufacturers seem out to confuse everyone with similar names for entirely different products. Had to send a pair of Hutchinson's back once - paid for tubeless - received tubed Intensives.
Now using Sectors - can be fitted with bare hands - just use a bit of sealant as lube.
The last version, you mean the Ultremo ZX, was an excellent tubeless tyre. Schwable simply replaced it with this new One tyre, which is a noticeable improvement. That's why you can't find the old Ultremo, it's been superceded
I've been running tubeless on my mtb for two years now and never bought a tubeless specific tyre, I've been running a variety of Maxis and Specialized tyres with no issues on crest rims. I've got two pairs of tubeless ready road wheels and was going to try tubeless on aileron rims with some Vittoria voyager hypers - is this going to fail?
YES. YOU_WILL_DIE*.
***Please*** don't do this - the bead and sidewalls are not designed to retain air without the additional strength of the tube inside. It may go on/up fine, but you will only discover the error when leaning hard into a corner at speed, when the tyre burps, loses all its air in one go, rolls off the rim and you go under the wheels of the oncoming HGV. Burping isn't that much of an issue in the MTB world because the pressures are much lower, tubeless-ready tyres/rims are much easier to come by and the risk exposure is usually lower.
There's a reason road tubeless tyres are bastards to fit - the beads are much tighter and stronger (usually carbon fibre) to keep them stuck to the rim under low pressure/high flex situations.
* probably.
Seems like a good reason not to try it!!
Not to try non-tubeless tyres, sure. Get thee to Mr(s) Schwalbe One salesperson and fill yer boots.
I've been running the 28c version for two months now. LOVE THEM. Set up on a pair of Cero AR24's (previously reviewed here) using a tubeless conversion kit, review of which will be published shortly.
Suffice to say that after double-taping the rim (which is not 'tubeless anything') the system has held air for two months, with nary a flat in sight despite the best efforts of Hampshire's hedge-trippers and pothole preservation societies.
I'm 80kg including bike. Tyres are 60psi rear / 40 front - that seems to be an optimal balance between speed, grip and comfort. Have recently set a few PB's on long-established segments. And it's not me getting faster either, looking at my training log.
Can't recommend this setup enough.
p.s. if you are having install issues, I can heartily recommend the VAR 42500 lever - it's £7.50 and will put anything onto anything with ease.
Thanks for the link Mike - I have a regular bead jack, which I use with Hutchinson Fusion 3s on wide rims to avoid using obscenities in front of the kids, but it's not the sort of thing you want to take on a ride. This looks the business, very nice - tah.
On the subject of difficulty in fitting a tubeless tyre to a tubeless ready rim: I have a couple of pairs of Fulcrum Racing 3s and use Hutchinson Atoms and Intensives. Despite the benefits of tubeless I never looked forwards to fitting new tyres, I have broken tyre levers in the process!
Imagine my dismay/pleasure when I bought my new Reynolds Assault Tubeless wheels and fitted new Atoms with my thumbs! I thought I'd have a go because the prospect of levering as I had done in the past filled me with dread - I could see the carbon rim breaking before levers did.
It wasn't 'easy' but eminently doable, even for puny me (the heaviest thing I pick up is a pen...).
I love tubeless even more now.
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