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pirelli cycle-e wt winter tyres

in my occasional velocipedinal perusals of the interweb, i have frequently come across commonly asked questions concerning the racing milieu, questions to which you and i would augment with a smug exhalation when answering. however, it would do us all well to remember that we too were once newbies to the sport, and quite frankly, there are one or two questions i'd still like to ask, if i ever get the chance. however, those internet discourses bring to light queries such as, how come the guy who just won the stage, isn't wearing the yellow jersey?, or did i just see a rider carrying almost ten bottles about his person? why? and are they allowed to give him a new bike?.

the uci, cycling's governing body, is somewhat prone not only to change the regulations with alarming frequency, but quite often not to enforce rules that they've already made. however, in the knowledge that there is an underlying desire to align world tour aspirations with those of formula one motor racing, a frequently asked question has often concerned that of tyres. for instance, do riders have to change their tyres if the weather turns foul, just as lewis hamilton would be likely to do when the rain comes on at silverstone.

such a question, however, shows not so much a misunderstanding of cycle racing, but more a misunderstanding of tyre technology. let's face it, even wout van aert would have difficulty achieving the speeds of a formula 1 mercedes race car, and thus far less likely to aquaplane on any surface water. the biggest hurdle for racing cyclists would appear to be the painted lines on the roads, or drain covers. thus there's less of a need to fit tyres with tread patterns designed to disperse surface water. that's more of a concern if you happen to hit a puddle at 180mph. but that's not to say that the average cyclist can live without a tread pattern, and by average, i'm referring to the commuting cyclist.

by common consent, britain's roads are hardly in pristine condition, offering all manner of uneven surfaces, potholes, gravel and other irritating bits and bobs, not to mention the rain. in addition to all this, the commuting cyclist is rarely master of his or her destiny, having to cope with motor traffic and pedestrians that don't always follow the rules. and after coping with all the foregoing, you can but imagine the despair incurred should a puncture be suffered on the way to or from work. thus, the average commuting cyclist needs rubber that can fend for itself.

milan based, italian tyre manufacturer pirelli, who have been making tyres since 1872, have recently introduced a wide range of city-trekking bicycle tyres under the cycl-e brand, tethering their marketing, at least partially, to the growing e-bike market. given the season, it seemed prudent to request a pair of their 700 x 37c cycl-e winter tyres, which, according to pirelli are 'specifically designed to perform like no other in winter conditions that are commonly found around the city: cold tarmac, thin snow layers, iced water splashes and frost. As well as pirelli winter car tyres, this cycling tyre is just made for that.' i can soon see another question arising on the interwebs, asking why, when i live nowhere near any urban or city roads, i'm reviewing tyres designed for such conditions?

i believe we have already tacitly agreed that the country's roads are not at their very best at present, and i can but admit that those on islay are frequently decidedly worse. many of the island's singletrack roads are used predominantly by the farming community and their tenement sized tractors. having ridden one of those just yesterday morning, i can well attest to its continued disintegration. in the winter rain, there are a number of locations subject to localised flooding, beneath which, the surface offers constant and unexpected surprises. i would contend, therefore, that if these tyres can survive islay, they can probably acquit themselves well in glasgow, edinburgh, manchester or london.

at least that's my theory.

of course, it takes more than a couple of weeks to offer a decisive review of any set of tyres, so here i offer only a first look; there will be more to read in the coming months. it is, i think, worth my pointing out that sturdiness comes with a weight penalty. these particular pirellis arrive at only a shade under 800g each, about three or four times the weight of the average road tyre. they do roll remarkably smoothly through all sorts of crap, but i'm beginning to learn that my tardiness is less the result of the ageing process and more the fact that i've been pushing almost 1.6kg of rotating weight through recent galeforce winds.

to be fair, the average commuting cyclist more often has other things on their minds than top line speed. i'm sure most would trade puncture resistance, sturdiness and a decent tread pattern in favour of winning a sprint against peter sagan. though i'm less than familiar with anything to do with motor vehicles, observed closely, the tread on the cycl-e winter tyres bears a remarkable resemblance to that of a car tyre, augmented on the sturdy sidewall, with a reflective stripe around the circumference on both sides. my only disappointment so far, is that that iconic pirelli logo is conspicuous by its absence. that would have been worth a few brownie points alone.

i have no real idea of what the average commute consists, but so far i've ridden on both grass and on gravel without any untoward disagreements between rubber and road surface, and lived to tell the tale. aside from the inherent weight problem, which will likely only bother those of us who think we are peter sagan, these tyres look particularly promising, but i'll let you know in the fullness of time.

pirelli city trekking cycl-e tyres | pirelli's cycl-e wt tyres retail at £40 each.

saturday 19 december 2020