SilcaProtocol RCG-1 700c Gravel Tire(Return to Product Page)

I mounted the RCG-1's by hand on Enve SES 4. 5 (25i) inflated them without removing the value core. They weighed 450 & 470 . After riding a mix of road and class 2 gravel, using the Silca PSI guide set for the RCG-1 tires, they are sitting at 45.6. The RCG-1's have an extremely supple and soft feel, even more so than the Caracal race 45's which are extremely supple and smooth. I took them out for a ride on a route I regularly ride with a power meter. It's mostly class 2 gravel with about 20% rolling paved road. . On the road section the RCG-1 makes a bit of a whirling noise compared to the Caracal Races however my power meter and speed showed a very slight speed increase with the RCG-1's. Turning onto class 2 gravel, the tires showed how well the compound absorbed vibration. Even with a narrower tire, (45.5 vs 48.5 for the caracal race 45) the RCG-1 was smoother and had a luxurious damp and planted feel with excellent grip on punchy 7-10% climbs I had no issues with loose corners and loose over hard sections and the added vibration damping was much appreciated. At the end of the ride, my avg speed was about . 5-. 7 mph faster than my normal speed on this route. I did ride ~8 watts NP faster, but even taking off . 3mph for added watts, the RCG- 1's were still faster! More rides and testing ahead. Although the Caracal Race is still and excellent tire, the added speed, 200 grams savings for the silca and the next level ride quality make the Silca a better overall choice.