Thinking about converting to tubeless or want to upgrade your current tyres? These are the best tubeless road tyres as reviewed by BikeRadar
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The best tubeless road bike tyres promise puncture protection, improved ride quality and lower rolling resistance.
Although tubeless is used more widely on gravel bikes and mountain bikes, most of the latest, higher-end road bike tyres are tubeless.
The same goes for wheelsets. From the middle of the range upwards, almost all new road bike wheels are tubeless-ready.
The BikeRadar team has used road tubeless tyres for as long as they have been around, and this list includes the best tubeless road tyres we’ve ridden and reviewed.
You can jump to our tubeless road tyre buyer’s guide to find out more about this increasingly popular technology.
The Continental GP5000 S TR replaced the GP5000 TL as the brand’s top-end tubeless race tyre in late 2021.
In testing, we have found the tyre to be every bit as fast as the outgoing tyre (though we didn’t find Continental’s “20 per cent faster” claim to hold up to scrutiny) while now also being hookless compatible.
The tyre is also claimed to be more puncture-proof than the outgoing model.
If you want a great all-round tyre for fast riding, you’re very unlikely to be disappointed with these.
Over our 2,300km of testing, we came to love the 30mm WTB Exposure tyres for their supple ride quality and durability. They were easy to set up, too.
The Exposure is one of few tubeless tyre options that sits in the space between 28mm and 32mm-plus widths, offering a touch more comfort and control while still fitting comfortably in many newer frames.
Weight is 305g and there’s enough grip for some light off-road action. There’s a 36mm option available if your bike can handle the width, and you can choose from black or tan sidewalls.
If you want a wide and versatile tubeless road tyre, this is a great option, but if you’re after a narrower option you’ll need to look elsewhere.
Trek has been pushing the envelope on tyre widths, with its Domane endurance road bike clearing tyres up to 38mm .
This is reflected in its tyre range, with the R3 Hard-Case Lite TLR initially only available in a 32mm width, but with 25mm and 28mm options now added alongside it.
Despite the 32mm width of the tyres we tested, the Hard-Case Lite tyres are indeed light at under 320g, undercutting some top-rated 28s, but retain good sidewall support and stability.
They roll fast and grip well in the wet or dry, handling broken tarmac with aplomb.
Though it has been officially replaced by the aforementioned GP5000S TR, the original GP5000 TL is still widely available and is well worth considering if you can pick a pair up on the cheap.
Though you lose out on hookless compatibility and a claimed increase in puncture protection, the GP5000 TL is roughly as fast as the new tyre, so is unlikely to hold you back on fast rides.
The Sector was one of the first road tubeless tyres that really impressed us, and it remains a valid choice for its combination of decent on-road performance and off-road durability.
Created as a plush alternative to tubulars, the Sector is a great choice if you ride on potholed lanes or like to include gravel diversions on your road rides.
Despite its durability, the Sector isn’t ridiculously heavy. Claimed weight for the 28mm is 295g and our test set actually came in around 15g under that figure.
The original Pro One was one of the first tubeless road tyres to be launched and this version – released in 2019 – is claimed to be faster, grippier and lighter than its predecessor.
Available for 700c wheels in 25mm, 28mm and 30mm widths, our test 28mm Pro Ones came in under Schwalbe’s published 270g weight.
After 1,300km of testing, including a fair amount of light gravel, they’ve proved robust and puncture-free. They feel fast and can handle low pressures, although they’re a bit more pricey than some alternatives.
There’s also a flagship tubeless 25mm Pro One TT variant, weighing in at around 205g, but that forgoes puncture protection.
The Pirelli P Zero Race TLR topped our rolling resistance lab test of fast tyres, but speed isn’t its only attribute.
The Italian brand’s premium tubeless road bike is easy to install and leaks little air. On the road, it has grip and puncture resistance to go with plush ride quality.
But if weight’s a concern for you, the P Zero Race TLR isn’t the lightest despite measuring up small when mounted.
Coming from Giant’s performance component brand Cadex, the Race is its top performance road tyre. There’s a single-layer 170 TPI casing to improve suppleness and reduce rolling resistance, and proprietary puncture protection and a rubber compound.
Tubeless setup was hassle-free, needing just a floor pump and a single tyre lever to ease the bead over the rim. They’re fully compatible with hookless rims too, and the tight seal led to minimal air loss over a week.
The Cadex Race copes well with rougher road surfaces and there’s good support at lower pressures, as well as predictable handling. A shallow herringbone tread pattern adds some extra grip on gritty roads. The only downside is that at 331g for a 700 x 28mm tyre they’re not the lightest.
The Goodyear Eagle F1 R is the American brand’s new do-it-all performance tubeless road bike tyre. But it doesn’t soar to the same five-star heights as its predecessor, the Goodyear Eagle FI Tubeless.
Compliance, air retention and value for money are all good though. The Goodyear Eagle F1 R fared well against competitors in a tyre rolling resistance lab test we carried out.
However, the Eagle F1 is fairly weighty and it feels relatively leaden beneath you.
Hutchinson was a pioneer of road tubeless and the Fusion 5’s ease of installation shows that experience.
We got our test set mounted without needing any tyre levers and the beads seated with just a track pump, but air retention was still good.
The Fusion 5 Performance uses the brand’s 11Storm silica-rich rubber compound, which, according to Hutchinson, has been independently proven to be softer and gripper than its predecessor. There’s a 127 TPI casing for good comfort over bumpy roads, though it’s not the supplest or fastest tubeless tyre we’ve tested.
Our testing showed the tyre pressure needs to be monitored more closely though, because they don’t like pressures below Hutchinson’s 74psi recommended minimum for the 700 x 28mm size.
Maxxis says the Highroad HYPR K2 is its best road race tyre, with its HYPR rubber compound lowering rolling resistance and improving wet grip.
We weighed the 25mm tyre at 290g, although that’s 80g more than the non-tubeless option. Fitting was easy with a track pump and the tyre sealed easily to the rim. It’s also available as a 28mm tyre.
We found great straight-line speed and fast acceleration paired with progressive grip when cornering.
The Michelin Power Cup TLR exhibited one of the lower levels of rolling resistance in our Silverstone lab test.
Its grip in corners and supple ride feel contribute to quality performance in the field.
The Power Cup TLR is cheaper than its rivals in the fast tubeless road tyre market. However, disappointing air retention may leave you feeling flat.
The Panaracer Agilest TLR weighs much less than some of its rival tubeless road bike tyres.
Our indoor rolling resistance testing suggests the Agilest TLR is only marginally less efficient than our benchmark Continental GP5000 S TR.
Single Vision Blue Light Filtering Ride quality is high at a competitive price. But the Agilest TLR’s thin casing and absence of a puncture belt could increase your puncture risk if you ride on poorly-surfaced roads.