THE PIRELLI CINTURATO GRAVEL HARD TERRAIN TYRES ARE CRAZY FAST AND A LOT OF FUN

Words and Images - James Raison

Readers (and video watchers) were immediately clamouring for a review of the Pirelli Cinturato Gravel Hard Terrain (Gravel H for short) after I published my review of the Pirelli Cinturato Gravel Mixed Terrain a few weeks ago. The lighter tread of the Hard Terrain will suit many people more than the Mixed Terrain, particularly in my home nation of Australia so the curiosity is understandable.

After a super-condensed test period, I can confirm these are very good tyres but with a couple of things potential buyers need to be mindful of. Let’s hit it!

ABOUT

Pirelli has entered the gravel segment with their elbows out, developing two tread patterns (Gravel H and Gravel M) for the Cinturato Gravel lines and making each available in 650b x 45 & 50mm, and 700c x 35, 40, & 45mm. The SpeedGrip compound has been developed for gravel specifically rather than adapting or porting over a compound from another discipline. Head to Pirelli’s gravel tyre site to learn more.

Stats as tested:

Size: 650cx45mm - measured at 48mm when mounted
Weight: 510g manufacturer claim
SpeedGRIP Compound
Casing: 127tpi
Puncture protection: Nylon fabric
Price: $99.95 AUD

Everything about this pattern screems SPEED

THE TEST PARAMETERS

I’ve applied my “800 rule” again to the Cinturato Gravel Hs whereby I deem 800 km is enough time and distance for me to comment on performance and reliability of tyres. This was a rapid test period because I used the Cinturato Gravel Hard Terrain tyres while bikepacking the Murray to Clare Bicycle Trail, riding a gravel fondo, then riding home. So that monster weekend, added to multiple regular test loops has given me a significant pool of test conditions.

The stresses of bikepacking are perfect for tyre reviewing and a lot of fun for me!

The tyres have lived on the long-suffering Bossi Grit (the most abused review bike I’ve ever had), fitted to some of their new wide 650b wheels that measure a chonky 26mm internal. That meant the measured width of the tested 45 mm was around 48 mm. My favourite pressure range was 20-25psi in the front and 25-30psi in the rear. I like some squish for grip and damping so will tend to push the pressure limits.

THE RIDE

Rolling speed on the Cinturato Gravel H is absurd on tarmac and hard-compacted gravel. These gravel tyres roll like nothing else I’ve tested. The Continental Terra Speed and Schwalbe G-One Allround (to a lesser extent) were rapid tyres but I’m confident the Cintiruatos will out-roll them handily. This is based on purely anecdotal observation but on my familiar test loops, I noticed how much faster I picked up and maintained rolling speed. On some trails I had to keep my wits about me because I’d end up much closer to the edge than normal unless I was highly attentive modulating the speed.

Rolling speed became a regular source of amusement with my ride companions as I’d freewheel past them on descents when riding adjacent, or would easily roll away from in front of them. I’ve not experienced anything quite like it.

That speed is enabled by a tread with fairly narrow grip margins when the terrain gets loose or sloppy. These are firmly in the same market segment as the Schwalbe G-One Allrounds and Panaracer GravelKing SKs. Fast-rolling gravel tyres tend to bite less into the terrain because the tightly clustered tread doesn’t have the gaps and you roll over the top. So, much like those other tyres, the Cinturato Gravel H can be slide happy. Some of my favourite gravel trails turn dry and dusty after a spell of warm weather and I had to stay seated much more to keep rear traction. This isn’t a stand-and-stomp kind of tyre unless you have a high-grip surface beneath you.

I will say that I found the Gravel H more controllable at low grip levels than the Schwalbe and Panaracer equivalent but I’ll fully recognise that I’ve got much more gravel kilometers on my palmares than when I tested the Panaracers a year ago, and the Schwalbes early this year. So take it as likely a mix of both more capable rider and a slightly more capable rapid-rolling tyre.

The Cinturato Gravel H are passable in wet conditions but not always confidence-inspiring. Their 45mm width gives a decent contact patch to hold grip to a point but they’ll squirm and lose traction often. I wouldn’t recommend them for damp climates or heading into winter, especially when the Cinturato Gravel M is so damn good in the wet.

Pirelli Cinturato Hard Terrain in mud.jpg

The fresh rubber on the Cinturato Gravel H has an interesting quirk to it. I noticed the tyres wanted to straighten me up when I was trying to tilt into tarmac corners. Sealed surfaces were the only place I noticed it because gravel cornering is done more upright. I suspect it’s a feature of the high-grip compound when fresh out of the box and it started to disappear after a couple of hundred kilometers. I’ve not experienced anything quite like it before, but have heard stories of similar behaviour from other super-grippy road tyres.

Those riding mostly compacted gravel in nice weather, and are comfortable with some sliding, will have a blast on the Cinturato Gravel H. They’re a riot.

WEAR & TEAR

The excellent wear life I’ve come to expect after testing the Cinturato Gravel Ms has roughly translated to the Gravel Hs but acknowledging there’s less tread to begin with. The front tyre looks borderline new, and the rear is only showing minor loss of tread height. Naturally, there’s not much tread to begin with so longevity expectations have to be adjusted down from the meaty Gravel Ms. They’ve shown more resilience to wear than the Schwalbe G-One Allrounds and GravelKing SKs and vastly out-performed the Continental Terra Speeds. Only the Cinturato Gravel Ms and Donnelly Strada USH tyres have outperformed them for having less wear after 800km but both of those have much thicker tread. The Gravel Hard Terrains put in very good performance for speed-oriented tyres.

I had an unusual number of punctures on these tyres; two to be exact. I always caution people not to base tyre reliability expectations on a single person because it’s too small a sample size but this was unusual for a couple of reasons. Firstly, I haven’t been aware of any punctures on a set of gravel tyres in the past year. I’ve seen tyres with sealant clumps when removing them at end-of-life but I didn’t notice them when they occurred. The Tune One Shot sealant I use tends to work its magic quickly. The Cinturato Gravel H had two dramatic, sealant-spraying punctures. Both times a small and sharp item managed to find the gaps between the tread knobs. The first puncture was plugged and then plugged again a few hours later. The first plug worked its way into the tyre despite its tail being fully external. The second puncture did seal but made a mess of the bike and my legs. Again, I’m only a sample size of one, but it could be an indication that the inter-tread rubber could be vulnerable to ingress.

Wear is good for this type of tyre but I would say that punctures were more of a problem than I’ve come to expect from modern gravel tyres. I would stress that one person is not a trend though.

Pirelli Cinturato Hard Terrain 650x45.jpg

VS THE GRAVEL M

I said recently that the Cinturato Gravel M is my favourite all-round tyre, and the one I’d choose if I had to choose one to use all year. That’s still the case. I enjoy the Cinturato Gravel H because they’re so damn fast and appropriate for South Australia’s warmer months. I still like the certainty of the Gravel Ms though and I know that I’ll always have grip when I take them out. I ran back-to-back tests with both tyres on the same route on consecutive days and was more comfortable on the Gravel Ms, plus they allowed me to climb some loose sections that I couldn’t then manage on the Gravel H.

It’s a simple choice for those deciding between these two: do you preference speed or grip?

Me on the left rolling on the Gravel Hard Terrain, Shane on the right with a Gravel Mixed Terrain HAVING ZERO FUN AT ALL! Photo by Josh Hannam

WRAPPING UP

The Pirelli Cinturato Gravel Hard Packed tyres bring hilarious speed, solid wear life for this type of tyre, and decent grip in dry conditions. It’s an excellent option in the dry weather gravel grinding category and one that should be very high on the list for people buying from within that genre.

The most common feedback on the Cinturato Gravel Ms was; sounds great but they seem so expensive! They do have higher retail price than the mainstay gravel tyres like the Schwalbe G-One Allround or Panaracer GravelKing SK but those have been in the market for years now and can’t be used as an effective reference. The Pirellis represent the standard price for the new generation of gravel tyres. Their price is further rationalised by their superior wear life and French manufacturing.

I won’t laud their puncture resistance based on my experience but will temper too much criticism because so much luck is involved.

Ultimately these tyres are fast and fun. Know that you’re getting a lot of speed and a modest amount of grip and I think there’ll be some happy customers.

Disclosure Statement: These tyres were sent for review by Pirelli’s Australian distributor FE Sports.