Pirelli Cinturato Gravel M 700c Tire

Got these in 700x45 for my Bombtrack Hook to be more road worthy but still maintain off road beast mode. Having removed too large Vittoria Barzo's in 29 x 2.1, these skinny tires have a lot to live up to. While I did not traverse deep mud well, they sleighed gravel, dirt, and tall grass, while being among the stickiest on blacktop/pavement that I have ever ridden. By far these were the easiest tubeless set up I have every attempted. Seated immediately to Shimano GRX wheels, got bathed in Stans by shaking tires, then aired up (higher pressure at first to allow better seating and coverage - pro tip from a mech) to prefect alignment on rim. I hope they will get wider someday, but if not, the bike handles so much better with the more narrow width. The dark brown looks exceptional in person, but not all bikes will be as handsome or match. Will update once I have more miles and can speak to durability. Both tires had seams visible on the sidewall through the casing but hoping that's how they're supposed to look. UPDATE JUNE 27 (250 miles) -- am in love with this tire and count it among the very best I have ridden on any surface. these are up there with my love for IRC Mythos and Panaracer Dart/Smoke for MTB Racing in my 20's. they are just a capable, predictable, and solid performer. can be a bit slippery in rain and muddy puddles, but this tire clings to chunky mud very well, and has not washed out in sand, even at high pressure.

I finally got to ride these on some muddy, gritty, variable-terrain fall trails, and these tires never made me feel unsafe or unstable no matter how chunky or fine the surface was.

They�re reasonably fast rolling on pavement, but don�t expect them to keep up with your road bike�s slick racing tires. Still, they�ll get you to the trails easily enough.

Another plus with these as a tubeless setup is the stability - I can let these tires sit at 32psi for a week+ and lose no air. You don�t need to top these tires off daily before your rides.

In terms of puncture protection, I�ve rolled over a lot of nasty stuff with them and haven�t yet encountered a puncture, but I can�t say it wouldn�t happen.

This review is for the Pirelli Cinturato Gravel M 700c x 40mm. Rolls well on and off pavement. Has lots of grip, both straight line and corners, inspiring confidence. Cushions reasonably well. Long lasting. They mounted with just a track pump!!! The best all around tire I've tried and currently my favorite.

The jury is still out on flat protection. I had a flat (Muc-Off) on my very first ride which took 2 side-by-side Dynaplugs to seal. Months later it is still sealed, but takes a while for a tire to gain my trust. No more flats since then so let's call that a fluke. It did let me fully test the Dynaplug Racer Pro though.

Other tires I've used:

Specialized Pathfinder Pro 38mm - I like these tires and have them mounted on a 2nd set of wheels. Quieter on the pavement, better flat protection, more traction on pavement, but much less traction on gravel. Bicycle Rolling Resistance says the Pathfinders and Gravel M's have about the same rolling resistance, so most the time I've been picking the Gravel M. I do use the Pathfinders on routes with more than 50% pavement or crushed stone greenways where I'm not worried about traction. I've never gotten a puncture on the Pathfinders and they've lasted a long time.

Continental Terra Trail 40mm - best grip I've had with really nice cushion, but noisy on the pavement and wear out quickly. If money was no issue, I'd buy lots of these, but the Gravel M's are lasting longer with almost as much grip. In the North Carolina or Virginia mountain gravel roads, I've only used the Terra Trails, because steep descents are scary. But I could see using the Gravel M instead if I didn't want to take the time to re-mount the Terra Trails.

Continental Terra Speed 35mm - fast on smooth dirt paths, but not so good on loose stuff. Wear out fast. Great tires for the right conditions and feel great too. They were perfect for the 335 mile Pittsburgh to Washington DC greenway (GAP and C&O) last year, so I'll use them on the Katy Trail this year. Much faster than the Gravel M, Pathfinders, or Terra Trails.

Vittoria Terreno Mix G2.0 40mm - plush ride but noticeably sluggish on pavement. Nice grip new but the fish scales wear down quickly. I wouldn't pick them again.

Michelin Power Gravel 35mm - these had adequate grip, but always felt stiff. Better value than the Pirelli. All I ever buy for my car is Michelin, but I haven't fallen in love with Michelin bike tires.

WTB Riddler TCS 37mm - These tires looked interesting, but I never could get them inflated on my rims. And I tried everything.

I bought into the hype and bought a pair of the 45mm black wall Cinturato Gravel M 700C tires. The Front tire got a pinhole on the first ride, and to be fair that pinhole that did seal after spewing some sealant on the down tube. As one reviewer noted there are large gaps between the knobs which aid traction but leave a lot of room for sharp gravel to do some damage and that's exactly what happened to me: the gravel punctured the tire between knobs. Then on my second ride, I got a side wall cut on the rear that ruined the tire. I was able to put a tire boot in it to get home with a tube but I've never had a sidewall get cut like that. I've ridden several different gravel tires too -- Kenda Flintridge Pros, Panaracer Gravel King SKs and SK +, Teravail Washburns, and a shorter stint on Maxxis Velocitas, none of which got a side wall cut. Maybe it was just unlucky and not the fault of the Cinturato, but it has definitely scared me off. Panaracer Gravel King SK+ and the Teravail Washburns have been the most durable tires I've ridden. Regular Gravel King SKs get pinholes, so if you go for Gravel Kings go for the "SK+" version. But I've never gotten a sidewall cut before on any of the other tires except on the Cinturato. These tires rolled really well while they lasted but no better than any other tire I've ridden. I'm starting to realize that tighter tread patterns may be more flat resistant than wider spaced knobby tires. I don't think you give up much traction on tight pattern treads over knobbier tires except *maybe* in extremely muddy conditions. I'd rather have the puncture protection and give up a tad of traction in muddy conditions. Nothing against BTD as they offered a good price and good shipping times, I'd buy from them again.

Swapped my Bontrager GR1s for these due to the amount of rain/snow/mud I encounter whenever I ride out in winter. They have performed excellently. Not the best when cornering at speed on tarmac, but otherwise 10/10.

Got these in 700x45 for my Bombtrack Hook to be more road worthy but still maintain off road beast mode. Having removed too large Vittoria Barzo's in 29 x 2.1, these skinny tires have a lot to live up to. While I did not traverse deep mud well, they sleighed gravel, dirt, and tall grass, while being among the stickiest on blacktop/pavement that I have ever ridden.

By far these were the easiest tubeless set up I have every attempted. Seated immediately to Shimano GRX wheels, got bathed in Stans by shaking tires, then aired up (higher pressure at first to allow better seating and coverage - pro tip from a mech) to prefect alignment on rim. If you want to go really fast on pavement, this is not the tire but the rolling resistance is acceptable given the traction. And the bike handles so much better with the more narrow width than the 2.1 Barzo's.

The dark brown looks exceptional in person, but not all bikes will be as handsome or match. Will update once I have more miles and can speak to durability. Both tires had seams visible on the sidewall through the casing but hoping that's how they're supposed to look.

UPDATE JUNE 27 (250 miles) --

am in love with this tire and count it among the very best I have ridden on any surface. these are up there with my love for IRC Mythos and Panaracer Dart/Smoke for MTB Racing in my 20's. they are just a capable, predictable, and solid performer. can be a bit slippery in rain and muddy puddles, but this tire clings to chunky mud very well, and has not washed out in sand, even at high pressure.

been riding the C & O Canal and have found these tires a perfect partner. as before, they are not the fastest gravel tire, but they are the most well rounded for the kind of riding that i do with the bike they're installed on. and they look damn fine doing it.

4-stars on value only b/c i can't speak to longevity, and think the price of bike tires is outrageous, forcing bikers to read 30 reviews before spending $140 on a set.

I bought these in April, have put 2200 miles on them and about 240,000' of often chunky climbing and descending in the Cherokee, Nantahala, Jefferson and Pisgah National Forests. I have yet to have to plug either tire. And while the rear is showing some wear it is far from finished. Twice I have had them self-seal with Stan's, but never have I needed to tube them. They may not be the lightest or the fastest on pavement, but they're not bad and the dependability and predictability they offer is more important to me than the lowest rolling resistance. I do race, but prefer dependability to outright speed.

john switow on Strava

I installed this Cinturato M in a 700x45 (black sidewall) on my Santa Cruz Stigmata mullet build with DT Swiss GRC 1400 wheels (24mm internal) paired with a Cinturato H of the same size on the rear. See my review on the Cinturato H if you are interested in a fast tire for hardpack conditions. I paired that with the M on the front for the loose gravel conditions that are very prevalent in the NE corner of Iowa where I live, as well as for some singletrack use here and in NW Arkansas. I previously had a set of Vittoria Terreno Zeros on the bike which of course don't offer a ton of traction on looser conditions or dirt due to their complete lack of lugs with only some "fish scales" on the edge of the tire for a touch of cornering grip. The Cinturatos both went onto the wheels and inflated tubeless (with sealant) very easily with just a floor pump. No leakage from beads or seepage from sidewalls was confidence-inspiring. Post-inflation spin test showed the tire running smooth and true...nice high-quality casings and quality control indeed. I started with air pressure in the front at about 32 psi, and after dropping it over the first few weeks of riding the tires have settled into about 26 psi in the front as a great balance of ride quality and traction with enough reserve for rim protection on most gravel conditions. For rocky singletrack I would run 1-2 psi more or use rim strips to protect against strikes. The traction on the M is great in all conditions but the very loosest of gravel (where lugs don't matter because the gravel is rolling out beneath the tire). The ability to take corners with high speed is impressive and the tire rides smooth as silk both vertical and when cornering with no perceptible buzzing...no doubt a product of the solid centerline tread on the tire. Transition and edge grip is very good and as stated is also very smooth. My only "knock" on this tire is that with the large gaps between lugs (part of why it has great traction in mixed and loose conditions) a sharp rock was able to find it's way to and through the casing and flatted me out of the Rule of 3 race in Bentonville. I eventually got it sealed with 3 Dynaplugs but the casing integrity was hurt so much from the long cut that it bulges a lot there and needs to be replaced. The tire only had a couple rides on it at that point but with how long and deep the cut is it wouldn't have mattered if it was the day the tire had been installed. I emailed BikeTiresDirect to see if there is anything they could do and they went above and beyond offering me a hefty discount on a replacement. I've said it before and I'll say it again: BikeTiresDirect has the best customer service of any online retailer I have used. I will continue to be a customer of theirs for years to come because of th

So, I've tried over a dozen gravel tires in the Catskills region of upstate NY. Nothing seems to be able to handle the mix of terrain I encounter. If anyone has ridden here they know you get everything from dry loose over hard to mud to steep rocky climbs to single track and everything inbtw. These tires are extremely damp and comfortable, they handle mud very well, and they roll extremely well on pavement. Where they struggle is in maintaining traction on any kind of drier ascent. If it's damp mud of deeper loose dirt they are fine, but not on a gravel road that's compacted with loose over hard. The smooth center line doesn't sink enough to let the tractor-like side knobs grip in and it slides like a road slick, even on not very steep climbs 5-7 %. You are fine if seated, but you can never get out of saddle which is honestly how a file tread would climb... So it's hit or miss. The aggressive look of the tire screams grip in all terrain but it really does struggle in a dirt road climb. Just something to be aware of. Otherwise great tire with an extremely nice, damp ride. Also- the spec weight can range from 500g to 560g. Hard to get consistency there. Obviously everyone rides different terrain but this is my own experience.

I replaced a worn out Maxis Rambler on the front with this tire. I was looking for something that would offer more confidence on steep, chunky loose descents without too much penalty in rolling resistance for all those miles riding to the good stuff. While I can definitely feel the added inertia getting this tire up to speed compared to the Rambler, the trade-off is worth it. What really surprised me is how smooth this thing rolls on pavement. I assumed with the more aggressive knobs that I would feel a lot of road feedback (vibration) and noise. It is completely silent on pavement, which makes it feel fast, at least psychologically! All in all, I am very happy with the tire. I do think it is a bit overpriced given how many options are out there, hence the three stars on value rating.

Up front, worth every cent! I bought the Pirelli Cinturato Gravel M 700x45c tires for an upcoming 120-mile mixed terrain gravel race. I finished my second 100+ mile training ride yesterday, with these tires on my Trek Checkpoint SLR-7 eTap. These tubeless tires are impressive! Fast rolling with great grip when fast cornering. They're certainly confidence building tires. The Pirelli Cinturato Gravel M tire are now my all-time favorite gravel tires.

I must also mention that Bike Tires Direct never fail to please! As always, the tires arrived much quicker than expected, their site is easy to navigate, and customer service is reliably spot-on. Bike Tires Direct has my lasting loyalty; many thanks!

Recently used this tire for an extended gravel ride throughout the Dolomites in Northern Italy, where gravel ranges from fine and smooth to very large and jagged. I encountered mud, fire and logging roads, single track, asphalt, and cobblestone sporadically along the way. These tires provided great traction in all the conditions I rode in, are surprisingly tough, and maintained speed on asphalt relatively well (not a lot of drag). I've tried many gravel tires through the years, and in many conditions, but I'm most impressed with the Cinturaro M; an excellent all-around tire, and one I plan on using as my default on my gravel bikes.

I mounted a set of these 700x40 classic tan walls on Santa Cruz Reserve 32 depth wheelset with a 30mm external rim width and 24 internal rim width; at 41psi tubeless front/back, the final width of the tires came out to 41.2mm. First off, these were the easiest tubeless ready tires I've ever mounted (no tire lever needed, and I have weak thumbs!), and equally easy to remove. In the loose, loamy dirt (aka sand) of the Eastern Sierra fire roads, these Pirellis powered through easily and had some minor rear wheel slipping on the extra loose stuff at faster speeds, but nothing out of the ordinary and behaved very predictably on the steep downhills. Transitioning to the hard road tarmac, the Cinturato M's grip was definitely an influence on rolling speed, but overall, it just felt like I was working a little harder as evident by the power meter readings. A small concession IMO, and should not be a detractor. If you're planning on riding 70/30 percent favoring gravel, especially in the sketchy loose stuff, then this is the tire for you. 350+ miles of debris laden trails have yet to produce a puncture or slice on these Pirellis (and I don't mean the light stuff, I'm talking sharp edged shale, not the minor goat head stuff). I'm impressed, and I've run a LOT of different tire makes and models. These have earned a Top 3 spot for my heavy duty gravel rides. Pirelli, you've really produced a great product for us dirt riders.

These are the best around tires I�ve used. Yes, they are a bit stiffer than many all rounders, but their grip and longevity make up for that. Well worth the $.

I've had slicks on for the past couple years and wanted a change toward something knobbier that would still feel like it rolls well. These have been excellent.

Tubeless mounting was the most difficult I've experienced on a tire yet - I ended up going to LBS to use their compressor, no issues since then.

Ride quality is pretty good, but I'm still trying to find the right pressure for any road rides that I do; 45psi can feel harsh, but rolls really well.

Traction is stellar. I'll happily go 50-100mi on mixed terrain at 15mph, so I was looking for security over speed. I'm really glad I got these, and I'll probably try to squeeze the 45mm of these into my frame when I wear the current ones out.

I love those tires they roll very well we ride mostly on pavement and a little gravel I'm using tubes because I don't feel like dealing with tire sealant, these tires have a strong bead to mount them, I like that

This is my wife's and I's first "knobby" gravel tire. We were finding the smooth gravel tires weren't cutting it for the off road portions of our rides. We were very worried about excessive rolling resistance on the pavement. Turns out, these tires roll really well on pavement. She's 120lbs, I'm 240lbs - so we cover the spectrum of weight. We are running the 35mm. (Would have purchased 38s if they made them, as we'd like the extra width). But so far so great...

Installed these on my Trek dual sport bike to mainly use on bike paths and light gravel trails with the family. Roll pretty smooth on pavement, but there is some weight compared to previous tires (WTB). Very durable on rough gravel trails and hold air quite well. Give me the visual confidence of a MTB tire, but the great functionality of a multifunctional tire to use with my family.

I a bit of a tire nerd and have a subscription to bicyclerollingresistance.com. I'm always trying to find that perfect balance between rolling resistance, puncture protection, grip, and ride quality in a tire, whether its road or gravel. This winter I decided to go for something more aggressive tread wise for my winter gravel riding and assumed I'd just have to give up some rolling resistance to get grip in the slop. Well, I guess you don't! This tire has grip for days, seems to be very resistant to punctures, rides great AND rolls amazingly fast on the road. I'm incredibly impressed with this tire and recommend it to anyone wanting a true all around gravel tire. I'll probably leave it on through the spring assuming the tread lasts that long.

I don't have a lot of miles on this tire yet, but so far I'm pretty impressed with its balance/tradeoffs as a tough, high-volume, relatively high traction gravel and mixed terrain tire. I got the 700x45 (black) and am running it on the front with a Cinturato H on the rear. This tire (and the H) both mounted up very easily, with no air loss or seepage/sealant weeping on DT Swiss GRC 1400 carbon wheels (24.5mm internal width). Ride quality is good, with decent damping at 28psi. The tire rolls very smoothly as you would hope from the nearly solid center line of lugs, and on-road noise is low as well. With about 150 miles of mostly rounded gravel at this point I certainly wouldn't have expected any cuts or punctures and haven't seen any issues. The real test will be this coming weekend with ~125mi of sharp limestone gravel and singletrack planned. Only knocks are the relatively high weight (not too far off from 29x2.2 tires with protection) and the price...gravel tires have increased in price by a lot over the past year or so, but it's reasonable on this tire for the high quality of the tire. Happy trails!