Schwalbe Pro One tyres review

Schwalbe claims that the Schwalbe Pro One tyre is the fastest road tyre out there. That’s something that’s difficult to verify, although the Pro One tyres did seem to pep up my rides significantly when swapped out for another maker’s tubed tyres on my test bike. Tubeless in any case tends to be faster than tubed – see the video of our tests below.

>>> Buy now: Schwalbe Pro One 700x25c from Halfords for £37.99

Setting up tubeless can be tricky, although that’s much less the case than it was a couple of years ago. So I found that the Schwable Pro One seated easily with just a track pump both on Hunt’s rims and Mavic’s, providing a leakproof seal – something that not many tyres achieve first time.

Schwalbe points out that although you can ride the Pro One with tubes, it’s best set up tubeless. And running tubeless meant that I could drop the tyre pressure by 10psi to around 70psi for a really supple, grippy ride. The lower pressure also helps even out the characteristic imperfections of UK roads, adding plenty of extra comfort.

There’s a reassuring amount of grip from the Schwalbe Pro One tyres’ compound too, leading to confident descending and fast manoeuvring. Only when confronted on a narrow road with an oncoming horsebox did I lock up the rear wheel, but the skid felt controlled and was easily rectified.

As rims get ever wider, tyres too spread out and the 25mm Schwalbe Pro One tyres tested were around 29mm wide on Mavic 19mm internal width rims. Again, that helps put plenty of rubber on the road. Using a 25mm tyre avoids the weight penalty of a 28mm tyre, so you get faster acceleration, although clearance might be an issue with some older frame designs. As well as the 25mm tyre tested, the Schwalbe Pro One is available in 23mm and 28mm width for 700c rims as well as 650b and other options.

>>> Buy now: Schwalbe Pro One 700x25c from Halfords for £37.99

At 264g, the Schwalbe Pro One tyres are light too, lowering inertia and helping your wheels to spin up just that bit more quickly, again adding a lively feel to the ride. Although their list price looks high at £67, as with most tyres you can find significant discounts if you shop around, putting the Pro One tyres in line with their competitors.