The cobbles of roubaix, your local chip seal roads, or the crit course, the RCR is ready to tackle the challenge. Pulsar compound and our Race Casing making the fastest road tire in the size. Bigger doesn't have to be slower.
Historically, the cycling industry has treated 34-38mm tires as if they are meant for touring with thick casings that made them slow, heavy, and dead feeling. In developing the RCR tires, we’ve taken a volume-centric approach that prioritizes width and speed without adding useless bulk. RCR are the first road tires of this size range to be designed and optimized with the same care as a racing tire where, using lower pressures, they are thinner, faster, and more supple.
We started with our widest 38 mm model, designing it with the largest volume possible while still adhering to the regulations set forth by our governing body overlords who shall not be named. By leveraging this increased air volume to absorb impacts and reduce flat risks, we stripped away heavy, redundant puncture layers. This allows us to keep the tire lightweight, fast, and comfortable to offer riders the high-volume performance they have been asking for.
For optimizing around modern 25mm internal width rims, our 29mm wide tire is the sleekest option that fully complies with ETRTO standards. To eliminate the safety vulnerabilities typical of hookless setups, we integrated our Carbon BeadLock technology. Unlike standard Kevlar beads that stretch and "creep" over time, which increases blowoff risks; our rigid carbon fiber beads never stretch. From local criteriums to the punishing cobbles of Paris-Roubaix, Protocol RCR keeps you rolling fast and safe.
FEATURES:
- RCR Architecture: A volume-centric approach that prioritizes width and speed without adding useless bulk, built around lower pressures associated with modern ride rims. It is the first road tire in this size range designed and optimized with the same care as a racing tire, thinner, faster, and more supple.
- Performance Data: Against the Vittoria Corsa Pro Control 38mm, the RCR rolled at 31.7 watts in controlled lab testing versus the Vittoria's 40.5, saving nearly nine watts at the same width. It does it 70 grams lighter per tire, which is 140 grams off the wheels on a pair.
- Ideal Conditions: From local criteriums to the punishing cobbles of Paris-Roubaix. The increased air volume absorbs impacts and reduces flat risk, making it the answer for rough pavement and long days where comfort holds your speed together.
- Pulsar Compound: A high performance rubber and silica race compound engineered to hold rolling efficiency, grip, and durability in balance rather than trading one away for another.
- Race Casing: A race casing architecture developed around modern tire pressures, so the tire keeps its shape and its ride quality at the pressures wide rims actually run.
- CarbonBead BeadLock: Carbon fiber bead technology that keeps the tire dimensionally stable across its whole life, so the width you measure at installation is the width you keep.
- Tubeless Ready: Engineered for modern tubeless systems from the bead out, so sealant, valves, and lower pressures all work the way they were meant to.
SPECS:
- 29, 34, 38mm options
- 290g in 29mm, 320g in 34mm, 350g in 38mm
- 120 TPI
- SealSkin Tread Protection
- Fastest Pulsar compound
- Width as measured on a 25mm rim after 24 hours
- Designed for race conditions