The P Zero Race Tub SL tubular cycle tire is set to debut soon at the Giro d’Italia 2021. Pirelli has been working on its development, research, and planning for 2 years. The team worked in collaboration with the Mitchelton-Scott team to allow the sharing of insights among professionals. The latter is now called the BikeExchange team.
Pirelli started doing road tests with Mitchelton-Scott at the 2020 Tour of UAE. Subsequent podium tests were also carried out at the 2020 Tour de France. The tire is 10% lighter than what Pirelli had put on the market in the past. The previous P Zero Velo tub was about 100g heavier.
The new P Zero Race Tub SL comes with low rolling resistance and can provide more grip on wet roads. It is said to be more resistant to punctures. The inner tube is even uniquely designed to meet the needs of the new tire.
Pirelli chose to use thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) instead of the traditional latex. The new material is said to provide the same puncture resistance and speed performance as latex. It gains an upper hand by weighing less. Furthermore, the material is air-tight enough to eliminate pressure loss – a common problem experienced with traditional latex tubes which need reinflation regularly.
The tire’s casing is made from the company’s Corespun material. It boasts a 320TPI thread count. This is Pirelli’s most recent SmartEVO compound which is used for the tread. Feedback from road tests shows that the new P Zero Race Tb SL improves handling and ascent speed. This is while still being puncture resistant and providing more control at higher speeds.