Silca says, “the tires [they] needed to experience didn’t exist”, so that they created 4 Protocols of their very own. All the time there for the marginal features, Silca wasn’t proud of the present crop of large-volume race tires out there. So that they laid out a improvement transient (or protocol) of what they actually needed from a contemporary dropbar race tire. From 29-38mm highway tires. And from 45-55mm gravel tires, plus a fair larger 32″ x 2.4″ gravel tire for good measure (which we noticed on that Leadville prototype Ventum final week.)
All-new Silca Protocol highway & gravel bike race tires
Both scaled up from skinny highway tires of the previous, or scaled down from XC mountain bike tires, Silca felt like current vast highway and gravel race tires had been missing in efficiency, particularly tuned for a way we race bikes now. So as a substitute, Silca mixed classes realized from highway & off-road tires, however rebuilt them from the bottom up with lighter, quicker casings and treads optimized for effectivity and management in a variety of driving & racing circumstances.
“All through my profession, I’ve prevented official tire sponsorships so I might strictly run no matter examined quickest within the lab and on the filth. The Protocol lineup is the primary time a tire checks each field for quantity, traction, and pace, making this partnership with SILCA a straightforward choice.”
– Dylan Johnson, Silca sponsored athlete, professional gravel racer & “marginal features advocate”
So what did Silca really need out of a highway or gravel race tire?
Massive quantity, whether or not on highway or gravel. Low rolling resistance and a supple experience. Balanced with loads of conditions-specific grip and an applicable stage of flat safety for typical driving and racing conditions. Designed for contemporary low tire pressures, and on wider rims. And so they wanted to be tubeless-ready, but additionally mild and smooth sufficient to work nicely with TPU tubes, too.
The outcomes are three Silca Protocol tires for gravel: RCG-1, RCG-3 & RCG-4. Plus one for highway: RCR. And a number of other sizes of every. (And sure, we seen that RCG-2 is lacking.)
“For years, the trade approached gravel tires by simply slapping thick, heavy rubber onto conventional highway tire carcasses. We approached the Protocol lineup by first lower-pressure dynamics. By optimizing casing ply angles, tread profiles, and materials science collectively, we’ve created a tire platform that’s quicker, lighter, and extra supple with out sacrificing sturdiness.”
– Joshua Poertner, Silca CEO
Tech particulars
tubeless-ready gravel & highway racing tires
skinny and supple 120tpi Race casing
Pulsar high-performance solution-polymerized styrene-butadiene rubber with silica reinforcement guarantees “balanced rolling effectivity, grip & sturdiness“
variable top gravel tread knobs. “taller outer knobs have interaction earlier at gentler lean angles to keep up biting-edge traction, whereas asymmetrical tread patterns optimize unbiased braking and acceleration forces“
carbon fiber bead reinforcement for foldable, dimensional stability (as a substitute of typical Kevlar/Aramid)
made in Taiwan
Protocol RCG-1 low-profile quick gravel tire– light-weight Ghost Protect puncture safety– out there in 700c x 45, 50 & 55mm widths– 460, 510 & 535g claimed weights, respectively
Protocol RCG-3 medium-profile, tightly-spaced combined circumstances gravel tire– enhanced SealSkin puncture safety– out there in 700c x 45, 50, 55mm & 32″ x 2.4″ widths– 495, 540, 590 & 710g claimed weights, respectively
Protocol RCG-4 medium-profile, widely-spaced loose-conditions gravel tire– enhanced SealSkin puncture safety– out there in 700c x 45, 50 & 55mm widths– 545, 620 & 650g claimed weights, respectively
Protocol RCR slick-profile highway / all-road tire with cut-in tread– light-weight Ghost Protect puncture safety– out there in 700c x 29, 34 & 38mm widths– 290, 320 & 350g claimed weights, respectively
all gravel & highway widths measured on a 25mm inside rim
Silca Protocol highway & gravel tires – Pricing, choices & availability
All three new Silca Protocol RCG – Race Casing Gravel & the brand new RCR – Race Casing Street tires promote for a similar $99 / 119€ price ticket. No matter tread sample or measurement. All are provided in all-black solely. And are all out there to order beginning at the moment, in fact, instantly from Silca on-line, or by means of their companion retailer bike outlets.
Silca.cc
