REVIEW: Pirelli nails second generation P Zero road tire

QUICK SPECS Four years after the launch of the first P ZERO (the clincher that marked Pirelli's return to road riding), the company releases an updated version for 2021. The tires come with enhanced claimed grip, smoothness, and comfort and are aligned with modern sizing and compounds. The P ZERO Race clinchers (comes in an identical TL version) blend functionalized polymers with "intelligent" behavioral characteristics, each offering levels of performance on dry and wet surfaces and rolling resistances. Adapted for new ETRTO 19c rim standards (inner channel size). Available in 24, 26, 28, and 30 mm sizes in black or with para rubber sidewalls (Classic). $69.90 P ZERO RACE.

POINTS OF INTEREST Pirelli shipped the new Classic P Zero Race for this review. Upon opening the well-designed boxes, the stench of new rubber wafts into the nostrils, akin to coffee beans first thing in the morning. It is the unmistakable smell of speed. The box comes with a handy tire pressure guide (helpful if you aren’t already using this one). Kudos to Pirelli on this one. Not many manufacturers have gone through the pfaff of making it dead easy for all rider types to get tire pressure this dialed-in.

ROAD FEEL We’ve gotten intimate with the Pirelli’s over the last four weeks. Plenty of rides on mainly dry, exceptionally well-maintained mountain roads, mostly. No grit. No rain rides. This is Switzerland after all.

Aesthetically - because it matters - the P ZERO Race is a beautiful step away from traditional black sidewall tires. Classics as stated on the box. From Canyons to Scotts, the two bikes on which we had a chance to ride them, the visual appeal is that of good ol’ fashioned bike racing. Hard not to like.

As far as installation goes and perhaps due to their adherence to the ETRTO (European Tire and Rim Technical Organization) standards, the P ZERO Race tires are an absolute pleasure to work with. The beads are stiff but not tight; installed and inflated in five minutes. The tire carcass is also pretty thin to the touch - interesting given how seemingly durable the tire feels when on. So, are they worth the upgrade?

These are the performance version of the P ZEROs - the faster rolling, lower resistance version in the range. The ones you want if you race bikes or just enjoy top spec. Cornering. Smoothness. The complete package. Not surprisingly they are also not cheap at 70 euros each. Yet given that they are the primary contact point between bike and road, and capable of dishing out an incredibly smooth, supple, and fun to ride feel at a meager 225 grams each, the case can be made, which we’d support, that they’re worth it. No lab tests. No fancy side-by-side video comparisons. Just our POV about an awesome, fast-feeling road tire that fans of the Vittoria Corsa 2.0s and the like will love.

One part classic, one part modern. An appreciable contradiction that will make these very popular.