F1 Tire Manufacturer Pirelli releases Tires for Gravel & Cyclocross: Cinturato Gravel M & H

“Expanding from the already successful Cinturato™ Velo range, the new gravel and cyclocross-specific tires from Pirelli combine specific tread pattern designs and new rubber compounds in order to satisfy the most demanding offroad application of the drop-bar equipped CX and Gravel bicycles” – Pirelli

Gravel riding has become more and more popular in the past few years, with dedicated races and a new range of purposely engineered bikes. Pirelli enters the segment after a careful study and analysis of the different needs of the gravel discipline, taking advantage of the best techniques and R&D achievements that the company developed for its road and MTB product ranges, while leveraging its long-time expertise in motorsport tires.

The new Cinturato™ Cross and Cinturato™ Gravel tires combine the tailor development philosophy and terrain driven tread pattern design from the Scorpion™ MTB, with the rolling efficiency, reliability and unbeatable puncture protection of the super reinforced Cinturato™ Velo.

Pirelli’s lineup begins at 33mm with the Cinturato™ Cross version and an extended range of sizes from 35mm to 45mm in 700c and a 45 to 50mm in 650b for the Cinturato™ Gravel, all in tubeless-ready (TLR) reinforced construction and in two tread pattern designs: Hard Terrain and Mixed Terrain.

Following the terrain-specific lineage of the Scorpion™ MTB, where the tread pattern is linked to the surface consistency and no longer to the weather, Pirelli designed a compact tread design (H) for all the paved and hard-packed gravel roads, and a more open design (M), with more open spacing and aggressive knobs for more demanding terrains.

The H and M tread patterns obviously differ whether for the Cross or for the Gravel use as the needs of the two disciplines are different, particularly in terms of mud evacuation and speed.

No More Weather Variables / SpeedGRIP

The properties of the new Pirelli compound formulation SpeedGRIP are tailored for any weather condition, regardless whether the terrain is dry or wet. As developed into the Scorpion™ MTB rubber formulation – SmartGRIP – the new SpeedGRIP Compound retains the same polymer matrix, improving rolling efficiency.

The higher need for speed or mileage with the same effort riding gravel, with a combination of tarmac, gravel and more aggressive terrain as well as a mix of intended uses – from racing to bike packing and adventures – pushed Pirelli technicians to fine-tune this new rubber towards better energy management.

The SpeedGRIP Compound retains the same tear resistance of its MTB counterpart (SmartGRIP) as well as its high chemical grip (known as the wet grip), with more efficient energy management decreasing the rolling resistance to a level very close to pure road racing tires.

Pirelli engineers also had to take into account many other variables, from the riding style, typically relaxed in gravel cycling, and more performance-driven in the cross-discipline, to the disc brake-specific wheels and new rim profiles. Therefore, in the new Cinturato™ Cross and Gravel range, the construction technology is not the same for all tire sizes: each size earned benefits from a dedicated development making each and every size unique.

The mechanical strength of the SpeedGRIP reduces the chance of any sharp object penetrating or cutting through the tire, resulting in more efficiency of protection of the high-strength woven layers underneath. As a result, the Cinturato™ Cross and Cinturato™ Gravel tires allow you to ride faster through the corners, at higher average speeds on the straights with a lower ratio of punctures than your typical setup.

All tires are tubeless-ready (TLR). Coupling a reinforced casing construction featuring a woven fabric bead-to-bead layer with a TLR aramid bead optimized for wide rims, the Cinturato™ Gravel family offers a new level of performance in terms of rolling and grip, as well as a great reliability – which is already what the Cinturato™ name stands for in Pirelli cycling tires.