They're the point of contact between the bicycle and the asphalt and what keeps us upright even in difficult conditions. We're talking about tires. In recent years, this component has seen major changes, both in terms of materials and sizes. To understand how they're created, how they're developed, and what trends are emerging among professionals, we spoke with Filippo Galli, Head of Research and Development of cycling products at Pirelli.
Even the Cinturato
This year the Italian brand will supply three World Tour teams: Trek-Segafredo, Team BikeExchange and recently theAG2R Citroën Team.
One thing that intrigued us a lot is that the riders will be provided with, in addition to the new ones, PZero in TLR (tubeless-ready) and tubular versions, also Cinturato.
«We could divide the riders into two families – Filippo Galli begins – there are those who, during training, they prefer to have tires like the Cinturato, which are TLR and offer great reliability as they are very resistant to punctures. Then there are those riders who, even if they are in a training session, want tires as similar as possible to those they use in the race."
Tubeless or tubular?
And precisely when it came to the topic of competitions, we asked how professionals' choices were being oriented.
«Basically There are those who use tubeless and those who prefer tubulars – Galli tells us – even if the idea is to increasingly orient ourselves towards the first type of coverage. This year we will certainly see a greater number of riders with tubeless tires».
But what are the advantages of this type of coverage?
There are advantages in terms of lower rolling resistance, an comfort has always been puncture protection better, due to the presence of puncture-proof liquid inside.
What are the strong points of tubular tyres?
It certainly is lighter than tubeless. Then, there is what we call “Tubular Feeling”, which is essentially due to two factors: they are used higher pressures and the structure, slightly different from the tubeless one, gives the rider a feeling of greater stiffness.
Climbers vs. rouleurs
The different characteristics of tubeless and tubular tires mean that there are types of athletes who prefer one over the other.
«Usually the tubular is preferred by climbers, as it enhances some characteristics such as lightness and reactivity, while the Classic men are more oriented towards tubeless – Galli explains to us – in fact in difficult road conditions, as can be found in Strade Bianche or to Paris-Roubaix, tubeless offers real advantages."
A key point about the doubts of some riders regarding tubeless is in the weight factor, but according to Filippo Galli: «There is considerable room for improvement in this sense; we must consider that the tubeless is a new technology and we are studying precisely to improve it."
Pirelli development
And here comes the big point regarding Research and Development.
«As far as Pirelli is concerned, we in Research and Development draw from the various departments, including the one in mixesOur strong point – continues Galli – is that the compound department it's the same one who works for Formula 1 or for the automotive and motorcycle sectors. This means that the materials we use in cycling tires are the same as those used in other high-performance sectors."
But is the tubular compound the same as tubeless?The compounds are the same, the only difference is that they need to be adapted to the carcass, which is different between tubular and tubeless. This must be done to have the same footprint with both types of tires.
Pros as testers
Pirelli's development doesn't stop there; in fact, collaboration with professionals is used to constantly improve its products.
«We receive input from professionals that we translate into new prototypes Filippo Galli explains: "These products are first tested internally, both indoors in Milan and outdoors at our center in Sicily, where we perform a whole series of tests. The second step is to give them to professionals, who test them, especially during early-season camps. Whenever possible, we try to have the athletes do blind testThis means that we provide them, along with the tires, only a minimal set of information: the goal is to have feedback that is as unconditioned, truthful and real as possible. Obviously the riders also bring them to the races and give us continuous feedback, which we take on board and translate into new prototypes and so on. Once the product is validated we immediately put it into production, so that it can be available for all cyclists, not just the pros'».
Future? Ever wider
Finally, we asked what are the possible future trends.
«We are currently working on improve tubeless, even if the development of tubulars continues. It should be noted that our covers are developed for maximize performance with modern wheels, that is, with wide internal channels, 19 or 21 millimeters. To confirm this, we just received some excellent feedback from the former world champion Mads pedersen, who at the Etoile de Bessèges used the PZero 28mm tubeless in all stages, even those for sprinters, finishing third in a stage with a sprint finish»
