10 Most Popular Clincher and Tubeless Tires (Part 2)

Following the last column, this issue will update you on the five other tires. Let's look at which tires are on the list one by one!

Goodyear Eagle F1 R Tubeless Tire
⭐⭐⭐⭐

Goodyear's Eagle F1 R tire impresses with its excellent performance and affordable price.
Price: £65 / $80 / €70 (tested) / ¥348
Type: Tubeless (tested) or clincher
Colour options: Black or brown
Size and width options: 700x25c, 700x28c, 700x30c, 700x32c and 700x34c
Size tested: 700x28c
Weight: 313g
TPI: 120
Verdict: Impressive all-around speed and performance at a reasonable price recently updated Eagle F1 R is Goodyear's all-around road race tire, with a balanced balance of speed, durability, and puncture resistance. While it doesn't top the charts in any one metric, it excels in every key area. It's fast, easy to install, and impresses in the real world with an excellent ride feel and grip. Its relatively heavy weight may put some people off, but it’s priced very competitively for its class.

Cadex Race
⭐⭐⭐⭐

Tubeless installation is very simple, requiring only a tire lever and a regular pump to snap the tire bead into place.
Price: £65 / $100 / €80 / AU$125 (tested) / ¥487
Type: Tubeless Ready
Colour options: Black
Size and width options: 700x25c and 700x28c
Size tested: 700x28c
Weight: 331g
TPI: 170
Verdict: A fast-rolling tire for all-around performance
From Giant’s high-performance component brand Cadex, the Race tires are tubeless-ready only. There’s a single-ply 170 TPI casing for increased rolling speed and suppleness, as well as proprietary puncture protection and rubber compound. They’re slightly heavier than other options, though. The Tubeless setup was simple, with just a pump and a tire wrench to easily get the tire bead into the rim. It seals well with minimal air leaks during the week. The Cadex Race handles rougher road surfaces well with an effortless feel at speed. Good support and predictable handling at lower pressures.

Michelin Power Cup TLR
⭐⭐⭐⭐

Michelin's only road tubeless tire is a very good tire.
Price: £69.99 / $79.99 / €79.99 (tested) / ¥528
Type: Tubeless (tested) or Clincher
Color options: Black or brown
Size and width options: 700x25c, 700x28c and 700x30c
Size tested: 700x28c
Weight: 278g
TPI: 120
Verdict: Competitive low rolling resistance with a great ride feel The Power Cup TLR is Michelin’s only tubeless-ready tire for road bikes, and with its 4x120 TPI casing and MotoGP-inspired rubber compound, the Michelin Power Cup TLR performed well in both our lab and real-world testing. At 278g, it’s competitively light, and the flexible casing makes installation particularly easy. Relatively high air leakage means you’ll probably need to inflate these tires before every ride, but if you can live with that, there’s a lot to like here – especially at this price.

 

Panaracer Agilest TLR
⭐⭐⭐⭐

Speed, comfort, and puncture protection – you can’t have it all.
Price: £60 / $80 (tested) / ¥416
Type: Tubeless Ready
Colour options: Black
Size and width options: 700x25c, 700x28c and 700x30c
Size tested: 700x28c
Weight: 243g
TPI: 120
Verdict: Panaracer’s Agilest TLR is light and fast, but prone to punctures The Panaracer Agilest is a svelte, tubeless-compatible road bike tyre. Rolling resistance is low and compliance is ample, thanks to its smooth tread and reasonable linear density. The absence of a puncture protection strip increases comfort, but increases the risk of punctures on rougher roads. Our experienced tire testers found the Agilest very easy to set up tubeless. The Agilest is available in three sizes, but the only tubeless color option is black with purple and red lettering. Only the clincher version has a brown rim.

Vittoria Corsa TLR G2.0
⭐⭐⭐⭐

 

The Corsas are one of the easiest tires to fit and inflate here, and they run true to size.
Price: £70 / $80 / €78 / AU$117 (tested)
Type: Tubeless compatible
Color options: Black
Size and width options: 700x25c and 700x28c
Size tested: 700x28c
Weight: 315g
TPI: 170
Verdict: Everything we’ve come to expect from Vittoria, now with an easy tubeless setup With a graphene-infused compound and tubeless-compatible construction, the Corsa tires feel as fast as they come. You’ll feel the low rolling resistance no matter how bad the road is, and the grip is very good in dry conditions. Tubeless setup is particularly easy, and the tires can handle a wide range of pressures, with our testers finding 60psi to be a sweet spot. We found the wear rate to be high, and the tread pattern to be easily cut, so they’re best used on good roads during fast summer rides. They’re also expensive.

 

Bicycle Tire Buying Guide

Rather than a long introduction, we'll keep it short and simple to help you make your choice.

Choosing a bicycle tire type

Tubeless, clincher, tubular. Our choice is tubeless vs. clincher.

Tire size?

Our advice is to give up speed for comfort. In fact, in the real world, wider doesn't make you slower. If you're interested, leave a comment and we'll come up with a corresponding answer. 28mm is a choice we think is the best.

What should the TPI be?

The best advice we can offer is to follow the manufacturer's recommendations, try different pressures, and go a little too low rather than a little too high. That way, you'll at least be more comfortable and have more grip.

How often should tires be replaced?

Some tires have wear indicators that will disappear over the life of the tire. Once they disappear, it's time to replace the tire. Of course, if the nicks and cuts are deep enough to see the carcass fabric underneath, or you're suffering from repeated punctures, it's time to get a new tire.

What tires do you choose? Share your experience with us in the comments section!