Pirelli P Zero Road Tube Type Tyre

The Pirelli P Zero Road is a light, comfortable tyre that feels very fast, with an anti-puncture belt that aims to make it an all-rounder. In the dry it feels every bit like a race tyre, but in wet weather grip is lacking while cornering or climbing.

This Road model sits second from the top in Pirelli's updated P Zero range of tube-type tyres, below the P Zero Race (not to be confused with the tubeless TLR version). It's available in 24, 26 and 28mm widths.

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The Road is claimed to be an all-round tyre, but shares some of the features of the lighter, more expensive Race model. Both have the same high 127tpi casing, and both feature the same TechBELT Road puncture resistance layer.

Claimed weight for this 28mm size is 255g, with our pair of test tyres a touch higher at 264g and 260g; this is still among the lighter tyres that you will find in this width.

The tyre is easy to fit, although not worryingly so. I was able to install it on the rim without needing tyre levers.

When inflated on a wheel with a 24mm internal width, the tyre measured 29.5mm. Pirelli has based the sizing on updated ERTRO guidelines – when inflated on a 19mm rim it should measure 28mm in width.

During testing I have used the tyre with both standard butyl tubes and also Tubolito TPU inner tubes.

The recommended pressure range is a reasonably wide 72-109psi and with my riding weight around 65kg I opted for 75psi.

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The ride is very smooth and comfortable, the tyres feeling supple. Even when compared back-to-back with tubeless tyres of similar size and pressure, the ride feels very comfortable. Rolling speed is very impressive as well, and while there are no rolling resistance claims they feel every bit like a race tyre and on a par with other premium tyres I have used.

The TechBELT Road puncture resistance belt is only across the area in contact with the ground, meaning the sidewalls are not protected. This is typical for road tyres, with the benefit of a more supple ride and lower weight than a full puncture layer. I was unlucky enough to have two punctures on one ride (one not the fault of the tyre), but ultimately this is a race tyre with an emphasis on speed and low rolling resistance rather than puncture protection.

On dry roads the tyre corners well and feels confident, and while it isn't the most communicative, I had no problems. When the roads are wet, though, the P Zero feels far less competent. We've had a significant amount of wet weather during the test period, and from the very first ride I had problems, narrowly avoiding a crash when the tyre lost grip and drifted on a fast descent in the wet.

I thought it was a one-off, perhaps caused by something on the road surface, but over the next month of riding the lack of grip on wet roads continued and on a variety of road surfaces, from smooth tarmac to rougher lanes, when cornering and also losing traction when climbing. And not just on green back lanes either – traction was poor in the wet even on well-surfaced roads.

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Overall, the wet weather performance is far below what I would expect, especially for a tyre that Pirelli claims is for all-round use. As a result, I found I lost confidence to descend and corner as I normally would, when the roads were wet, which happened to be quite a lot.

Resisting the desire to replace the tyres because of the weather, I have ridden over 800km through a month of testing. That's far lower usage than a tyre would be expected to last, but enough time and distance to give an indication of durability and wear. Punctures aside, where I believe at least one was not a fault of the tyre, all other rides were problem- and puncture-free.

As a lightweight, race-inspired tyre, the tread is quite thin, and while they are unlikely to be big distance tyres, there is no flat spot currently evident, or any evidence of wear or cuts on either tyre.

The P Zero Road retails for £37.99, putting it among other high-performance tyres such as the Schwalbe One (£36.99). Stu tested the Schwalbe back in 2015 and the current version is a tyre that I use on a regular basis and rate highly, with many thousands of kilometres ridden. Another competitor is the Michelin Power Road – it's a little more, at £42.99, but Dave rated it highly last year.

Conclusion

If you mainly ride in dry conditions, or value speed over wet weather grip, the Pirelli P Zero Road delivers a comfortable ride while feeling every bit as fast as other premium race tyres. But the lack of grip on wet roads can lead to reduced confidence and control when cornering and on steeper climbs.

Verdict

Feels like a race tyre with good speed and low weight, but grip in wet weather impacts overall performance