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review

Pirelli P Zero Road TLR Black 700x30

7
£55.99

VERDICT:

7
10
Good all-rounders for the majority of road scenarios, without breaking the bank
Plenty of road feel/feedback
Good range of larger sizes
Impressive puncture resistance
Can be a tight fit at first
Weight: 
377g

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The Pirelli P Zero Road TLR is one of the latest in the company's ever-growing road tyre range. It's designed as an all-rounder and is ideal if you want plenty of speed and grip without sacrificing durability. It strikes a good balance on all fronts, with plenty of grip and a decent ride quality, with the bonus that there are plenty of larger sizes on offer.

For more options, check out our guide to the best road bike tyres.

The P Zero range is Pirelli's performance line-up, and this Road TLR sits somewhere between the supple, grippy and fast-rolling Race TLR and the Race TLR 4S, a more robust option designed for year-round road riding.

Looking at the details, the Race is pretty much the same weight as the 4S (there is just 3g difference between them in a 30mm width) and they share the same threads per inch count at 120tpi each. They are both available in 28mm and 30mm sizes, but these Road TLRs also come in a 32mm and 35mm, making them ideal for the latest road and all-road machines.

According to Pirelli the P Zero Road is the only tyre that uses its TechLINER casing, which is tubeless specific and features a rubber liner for better pressure retention.

2023 Pirelli P Zero Road TLR Black 700x30 Fitted 2.jpg

After installation I pumped these up to 85psi and left them for three or four days before I managed to get a ride on them, and when I got the bike out of the shed, they'd dropped to around 30psi in each tyre. After pumping them back up and going for a 90-minute spin to slosh the sealant around they have stayed inflated with nothing but a small weekly top-up required, so everything is good on that front.

When I first installed the tyres on the rim, they were a bit of a tight fit, requiring some assistance from a tyre lever, but then that's nothing out of the ordinary with modern tubeless tyres. You want a snug, secure fit on high pressure tyres, and that is definitely what you get here. I tried them on deep-section carbon wheels with a 23mm internal rim width, and alloy rims with a 21mm internal width.

The Road TLR uses Pirelli's Evo Compound, and it works well. It's not quite as tacky, and therefore grippy, as high-end race tyres, but it still grabs the tarmac well in the dry and gives confidence in the wet, too, with no slipping. Feedback is good – there is plenty of detail coming back through to you from the tyres, which allows you to carry speed into corners and roundabouts.

2023 Pirelli P Zero Road TLR Black 700x30 Fitted 1.jpg

They roll well, too. Again, not as quick as the Race TLR tyres, but fast enough that they didn't feel sluggish when on the flat. Given their wider sizes you are likely to be using these on your winter bike, commuter, training bike or audax machine, and with that kind of riding the performance on offer here is spot on.

Durability is great. A lot of my rides have been in the dark, so I can't necessarily see and avoid every thorny branch, pile of grit or mud washed out of the verge by the latest storm, and a large amount of the miles have also been on wet roads too. The tyres are still in near perfect condition with just a small amount of wear shown on the rear from the 600-odd miles I've covered. There are no signs of thorns or flints making their way through the tyre, and no sealant leakages either.

Value

One big advantage that the Road TLRs have over the Race TLR and Race TLR 4S – and quite a few tyres on the market – is the price. Those other two Pirellis are nearly 80 quid a tyre – the Race TLR £78.99 and the Race TLR 4S £79.99 – whereas these are 'just' £55.99.

That puts them on a par with the WTB Exposure TCS Fast Tyre. That's available in a 30mm width, although the only other option is the 36mm that I reviewed in March.

Bontrager's R3 Hard-Case Lite TLR impressed Vecchiojo when he reviewed them back at the beginning of 2023. They cost £52.99 then, but are now £59.99, so a little pricier than the Pirellis. They are lighter, though, at 324g for a 32mm, and they roll well.

I was very impressed recently with the Teravail Telegraphs as all-rounders in a wider size. I reviewed the 30mm which was about 20g heavier than the Pirellis, and 28mm and 35mm options are soon to be released. They were a bit of a pain to fit, but that aside everything was very good for their £45 price tag.

Conclusion

Overall, the Pirelli Road TLR is a good all-rounder. It doesn't massively excel anywhere in particular but covers all of the bases you require from a road tyre, and they're well priced. If you aren't racing and don't need the lightest or grippiest, these are a good choice.

Verdict

Good all-rounders for the majority of road scenarios, without breaking the bank

If you're thinking of buying this product using a cashback deal why not use the road.cc Top Cashback page and get some top cashback while helping to support your favourite independent cycling website

road.cc test report

Make and model: Pirelli P Zero Road TLR Black 700x30

Size tested: 700x30

Tell us what the product is for and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?

Pirelli says, "Pirelli expands the P ZERO family with the introduction of the most comprehensive and all-round, tubeless tyre, featuring the EVO compound and the new TechLINER carcass: a 120tpi casing coupled with a rubber liner for better pressure retention. These features make the new P ZERO™ Road TLR the perfect compromise between speed, comfort and protection all-in-one product, to accompany you in all your rides. The P ZERO Road TLR is the perfect solution for the cyclist who are looking for a more balanced and all-round performance, focused on endurance."

The Pirelli's provide a balance of perofrmance, durability and valuable.

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?

Pirelli lists these details:

COMPOUND

EVOCompound

The road-specific EVO Compound is a chemical formulation developed for the maximum versatility: good rolling resistance, optimal wet grip and good durability. The EVO Compound was born from the combination of opposite characteristics making it a good compromise for those looking for a versatile racing tyre. EVO Compound is an exclusive feature of the P ZERO™ range

STRUCTURE

TechLINER

The TechLINER is a tubeless road-specific 120tpi casing that features a rubber liner providing it a better pressure retention. This feature allows you to go fast while still being comfortable on a reliable technology which is meant for all-round performance and endurance application.

The TechLINER is an exclusive feature of the P ZERO™ Road TLR

Sizes: 700c x 28, 30, 32, 35mm

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
8/10
Rate the product for performance:
 
7/10
Rate the product for durability:
 
8/10
Rate the product for weight (if applicable)
 
7/10
Rate the product for comfort (if applicable)
 
7/10
Rate the product for value:
 
6/10

Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose

Solid performers across the range.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

The price.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

A struggle to fit at first.

How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market, including ones recently tested on road.cc?

They're well positioned against similar opposition.

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes

Would you consider buying the product? Yes

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes

Use this box to explain your overall score

Good all-round performance and reliability, at a decent price.

Overall rating: 7/10

About the tester

Age: 44  Height: 180cm  Weight: 76kg

I usually ride: This month's test bike  My best bike is: B'Twin Ultra CF draped in the latest bling test components

I've been riding for: Over 20 years  I ride: Every day  I would class myself as: Expert

I regularly do the following types of riding: time trialling, commuting, club rides, sportives, fixed/singlespeed,

As part of the Tech Hub here at F-At Digital, our senior product reviewer Stu uses the knowledge gained from putting well over a 1,000 products through their paces (including hundreds of bikes) to write in-depth reviews of a huge range of kit. After first throwing his leg over a race bike back in 2000, Stu's ridden more than 160,000 miles on road, time-trial, track, and gravel bikes, and while he's put his racing days behind him he still likes to smash the pedals rather than take things easy. Although, as he spends a fair bit of his time reviewing ebikes these days he's becoming an expert in letting the motor take the strain. He's also waiting for 23mm race tyres to make a comeback!

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