Pirelli Cinturato Gravel M Tyre
514g 700x40c (as tested) £64.99

The Pirelli Cinturato Gravel M Tyres are designed for mixed terrain contexts, hence the M prefix promising universally competent, dependable performance across hard surfaces and changeable terrain, wet, or dry. Characteristics that sound ideal for my kind of riding and indeed, the UK’s changeable conditions. Spoiler alert, I’ve been impressed by its performance across the board and puncture resistance is similarly reliable without adding undue weight or tempering their speed.

Pros: Low rolling resistance, especially across asphalt, good puncture resistance, dependable grip in most conditions, good choice of sizes-also lends them to adventure touring.

Cons: Gloopier mud can tax them but comes with the territory.

Specification

The Cinuturato, (translating in English as “belt”) are a tubeless ready model available in 700x35, 700x40, 700x45 and 700x50. 650b too, 45 and 50mm. Covers most bases, save perhaps for some older cross and adventure touring builds. 127tpi casings and a pressure range between 35 and 58psi is typical of this genre. Now, what’s this SpeedGrip compound, then?

Well, it grew from Pirelli’s experience in the World Rally Championship, a context where speed and grip, on and off-road, are crucial. It’s a chemical formulation that relies on the polymer matrix of the mountain bike specific Speed Grip but with a lower rolling resistance. This has resulted in their “most sophisticated gravel casing”.

close up pielli cinturato gravel tyre tire

Thicker layers of rubber at key points coupled with a lightweight nylon belt, running bead to bead conspire to defend the tyre from sharps, while the sidewalls are similarly reinforced to resist sidewall cuts off road, while still offering a quick and compliant ride quality. Staying with sidewalls, there’s a choice of two, our standard, or the classic, which is basically a fetching tan wall.

Test Bikes & Contexts

Denise, my gravel bike based around a Reynolds 631 frameset was the obvious choice-I could go up to 45mm but 40mm is a better fit, theoretically giving plenty of cushioning without compromising clearance when things get gooey and, er, gritty. (Shudders at the memories of shot blasted Kona project II fork blades during the mid-late 90s) Ours arrived in the first week of March, which also coincided with some sunshine and extensive hedge clipping-great for assessing the Cinturato’s resistance to sharps and cuts. The Cinturato are tubeless ready, but I’ve decided to run ours with bog standard butyl and TPU tubes. In common with the WTB Nano SG2 , they were easily mounted to 31mm rims, using only my thumbs.

If anything, the Cinturato were easier too and only needed a single lever to coax their beads free. I’ve run them 600 miles along metalled roads, lumpy lanes, green lanes, bridlepath and unmade, gravel roads. From bone dry hardpack, to loose, and boggy trails, giving a clear overview of their true capabilities and indeed, possible limitations.

Ride Quality & Handling 3.75/5

Though not completely unexpected given the visually less aggressive tread pattern, I was pleasantly surprised by how little whirr they generated on metalled roads and run at 50psi, acceleration was a little snappier than the WTB. Now, the WTB could never be described as unengaging, or sluggish, but the Pirelli have proven that bit sprightlier, especially on steeper climbs, which has been particularly welcome and palpable after a long day’s mixed terrain shenanigans.

Even small block cyclo-cross tyres have slight compromises in this and on the handling fronts, but I’ve also been impressed by how well the Cinturato’s shoulders bit when cornering hard or flicking around holes and similar hazards. To the point where I could happily scream down a 1in7 at full pelt in complete confidence, wet or dry. Ok, let’s keep things in perspective, we’re not talking the same speed as 700x25c road rubber, especially on long climbs. Nonetheless, they’re a whole lot of fun and I’ve found them very easy to keep on the boil for long periods.

This song remained the same on other dry hardpack, including disused airfields, dry trails. Even run with butyl tubes and close to their maximum pressure, the Cinturato have proven surprisingly compliant, almost magic carpet like over the battle-scarred tarmac. Not to mention those little ruts that you invariably catch from time to time, especially hidden by long grass and in the dark. Some people said they found them less supple, attributing this to the tougher casings but other factors such as frame material and suspension components also play a part.

As I said in my opening paragraph, M denotes mixed terrain, and the tractor type tread does a decent job of cutting through and clearing soft, clay soil from the tread, stopping them essentially becoming a hefty set of slicks.

Perhaps predictably, when things got a bit gloopier, there was some sporadic loss of traction. I initially attributed this to running the Cinturato at the upper end of their pressure range. Dropping the pressure between 40 and 45psi improved matters, although, like for like, bite didn’t rival Maxxis Ravager .

Obviously, you can go lower, and I went to 35psi with a TPU tube and there was some palpable benefit, without risking pinch flats, but I think some of this is attributable to the otherwise effective centre strip.

Either way, I’ve found they give ample feedback and time to change line, or back off slightly. When conditions turn icy, I’m inclined towards spikes but run at 35psi and with a modicum of sense, the Cinturato offered sufficient feedback that I never squirmed, let alone went down like the proverbial sack of spuds.

Puncture Resistance/Durability 3.75/5

No flats, cuts, or similar damage six weeks and 650 miles down the line, which isn’t unusual, although very welcome, given the fact some roads and bridleways were littered with vicious hedge clippings. Mud traps stones, flints and similar potentially ruinous sharps, so I’ve left this and whatever else got embedded within it and at 35psi- nothing. Suggests the nylon belt and reinforced rubber regions are more than clever marketing. For context, in comparable terrain and conditions, I’ve punctured twice with the WTB Nano SG, once with the Maxxis Ravager.

Value 3.5/5

£64.99 is competitive specification-wise. WTB Nano SG2 is arguably a very close comparator and slightly dearer at £70. Though very compliant and generally good mannered, shedding moderate gloop surprisingly well, I’ve found them less sprightly on the road and the bead-to-bead belt more vulnerable to sharps. There’s only a 700x 40c option, which may also alienate some riders.

Then of course, we've Panaracer's Gravel King. Something of an institution in gravel circles, their X1 TLR gravel tyre is available in 700x35, 700x40, 700x45 and 700x50c 650bx48 and 27x1.95 catering for a broad range of tastes and bikes. The X1 TLR are a tubeless ready model with 120tpi Tuff Tex casings with bead-to-bead puncture repelling belt.

These also feature the brands' ZSG compound which promises low rolling resistance and consistent performance well across the spectrum of temperatures from "freezing cold to sweltering heat". At £54.99, they're also £10 lighter on the

pielli cinturato tire tyres gravel bicycle

wallet but we've not tested any, so can't comment on their real-world prowess, or limitations.

Schwalbe G-One Overland (£67.99) are another all-rounder available in 700x40, 45 and 50c, which should satisfy the latest generation of gravel riders and those wanting to explore the off-road potential of their adventure touring lorry. The Super ground carcass comes from the Racing Ralph Mountain bike tyre and promises superior puncture protection-tubed, or otherwise. However, its steeper and heavier than others, which may be another consideration, depending on your priorities.

Summary

Though I wouldn’t go so far as to say the Cinturato M are the holy grail of Gravel rubber, they’re excellent all-rounders, provided you weren’t going overboard with the gloop. Indeed, if frame clearances allowed, I reckon they’d be a good fit for adventure touring and gravel packing builds. Palpably quicker across hardpack than other, very competent gravel models we’ve tested recently, they’re similarly dependable in the wet and Pirelli’s puncture foiling tech seems a notch better, too

Verdict: 3.75/5 Sprightly, reliable tyres with decent puncture resistance but some compromises in the mud.

Michael Stenning

PUBLISHED APRIL 2025