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review

Schwalbe One clincher tyre

9
£44.99

VERDICT:

9
10
Awesome race day tyres with the ability to be run on a day to day basis
Weight: 
254g

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Schwalbe's One clincher tyre pretty much has it all: speed, amazing grip wet or dry, and brilliant puncture protection considering it's primarily a lightweight race tyre. What's not to like?

The One has been out a while now and we've tested various versions, including 23mm wide models and more recently the tubeless offerings. This time we've got our hands on some 28mm ones, a size that is becoming more and more popular as riders are making the switch to wider rubber.

> Find your nearest dealer here

> Buy these online here

Let's talk about grip levels first, as to me this is what is most impressive about the Ones. I've ridden few tyres that inspire as much confidence as these Schwalbes. The feeling of adhesion to the tarmac is just awesome, and you can chuck the bike into a bend without the slightest thought. Even banked right over into a small roundabout, they just sit there on the line you've put them on.

It's not just in the dry, either. Wet conditions still see rival-beating performance, and thanks to the level of feedback you get through them you know exactly what the Ones are doing beneath you.

There is lots of info and science stuff out there about larger tyres having lower rolling resistance (you can read more about it here), but even against their rivals of the same size and pressure the Schwalbes feel fast as well as accelerating quickly.

Schwalbe has achieved this by way of its OneStar triple compound. Just like most tyre companies, Schwalbe keeps the exact details close to its chest, but according to the images on the site the One tyres run a different compound centrally, with no doubt softer versions on the edges to increase cornering grip.

I've been running these 28s since April on one of my bikes, with about 1500 miles covered so far, and they are still in practically new condition. There's the odd little cut and mark, but thanks to the V Guard woven Vectran layer they haven't had a single visit from the puncture fairy. These are probably the only race tyre I'd consider riding on into the winter, and so far with plenty of rain and hedge trimmings-strewn roads, nothing has happened to make me reconsider.

> Check out our guide to the best road cycling tyres here

And should you fall foul of a puncture, the Ones are easy to fit and remove.

Overall the Schwalbe Ones are brilliant, offering all the benefits of Schwalbe's super-fast Ultremo ZXs but with the added bonus of that superb puncture resistance.

That RRP could be difficult to stomach, but if you shop around you'll get them for much less; they're even down to half price this time of year.

Verdict

Awesome race day tyres with the ability to be run on a day to day basis

If you're thinking of buying this product using a cashback deal why not use the road.cc Top Cashback page and get some top cashback while helping to support your favourite independent cycling website

road.cc test report

Make and model: Schwalbe One clincher tyre

Size tested: 28-622

Tell us what the product is for, and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?

Schwalbe says: "It is the fastest and at the same time most reliable competition tyre we have ever made thanks to the new OneStar compound with the added protection of V-Guard under the tread."

I'd happily agree. The average speed is immense as you can keep the pace up in the bends too.

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?

Available in 700 x 23, 25, 28c

Evolution line

V-Guard puncture protection

OneStar triple tyre compound

Folding tyre

Max PSI ratings: 85 - 130

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
9/10
Rate the product for performance:
 
9/10
Rate the product for durability:
 
9/10

Very impressive for a racing tyre.

Rate the product for weight, if applicable:
 
8/10
Rate the product for comfort, if applicable:
 
8/10
Rate the product for value:
 
8/10

Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose

Absolutely brilliant for the majority of fast applications.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

The grip.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

The RRP is quite high.

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes

Would you consider buying the product? Yes

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes

Use this box to explain your score

To normally get a tyre as fast and grippy as the Schwalbe Ones, you have to sacrifice reliability and longevity, but the German company has proved that's not always the case. These tyres will flatter any performance bike.

Overall rating: 9/10

About the tester

Age: 37  Height: 180cm  Weight: 76kg

I usually ride: Kinesis T2  My best bike is: Mason Definition

I've been riding for: 10-20 years  I ride: Every day  I would class myself as: Expert

I regularly do the following types of riding: time trialling, commuting, club rides, sportives, fixed/singlespeed

As part of the tech team here at F-At Digital, senior product reviewer Stu spends the majority of his time writing in-depth reviews for road.cc, off-road.cc and ebiketips using the knowledge gained from testing over 1,500 pieces of kit (plus 100's of bikes) since starting out as a freelancer back in 2009. After first throwing his leg over a race bike back in 2000, Stu's ridden more than 170,000 miles on road, time-trial, track, and gravel bikes, and while he's put his racing days behind him, he still likes to smash the pedals rather than take things easy. With a background in design and engineering, he has an obsession with how things are developed and manufactured, has a borderline fetish for handbuilt metal frames and finds a rim braked road bike very aesthetically pleasing!

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10 comments

Avatar
LukeD77 | 8 years ago
0 likes

My 25's have done 6000 british summer kilometers, no punctures yet and they still have life in them. I would highly recommend! 

Does anyone have any experience with the tubular's?

Avatar
5th | 8 years ago
0 likes

Love my 25mm Ones; outrageously fast and no punctures / cuts etc. In 3500km. Rear is worn square though as they only come out for angry riding - looking forward to trying the new One Pro Tubeless next year - if they're even faster it'll feel like cheating.

Avatar
StraelGuy | 8 years ago
0 likes

I'm running the One tubeless and only agree with everyone else. They're light, fast and very grippy. A great tyre!

Avatar
mike the bike | 8 years ago
0 likes

 

Can't afford the new "One'" tyre (all donations greedily received) but their predecessor, the Ultremo, was first class.  Mine are coming to the end of their days after almost three years and 5000 miles, but are almost unmarked and have suffered only one flat. There are still some in the shops at much less than the latest model.

Is Schwalbe the maker of great rubber?  You bet.

Avatar
Danger Dicko | 8 years ago
0 likes

One tyre to rule them all.

Avatar
chr_martens | 8 years ago
0 likes

I rode these through last winter (23 mm) and had loads of punctures (4 in one month). I switched them up for 25 mm durano tyres because of that dreadful month. I guess I was really unlucky.

Avatar
justinberman | 8 years ago
0 likes

Love these tyres, comfortable, grippy and fast. Would recommend the 25mm's...

Avatar
macbob | 8 years ago
0 likes

Thank you Stuart for an interesting & thorough review, particularly on commenting on how easy the tyres are to get on and off. For those of us with difficult to fit rims (Campagnolo in my case) the placing of any tyre on the easy-to-impossible spectrum is very useful.

Avatar
bobbinogs replied to macbob | 8 years ago
0 likes
macbob wrote:

Thank you Stuart for an interesting & thorough review, particularly on commenting on how easy the tyres are to get on and off. For those of us with difficult to fit rims (Campagnolo in my case) the placing of any tyre on the easy-to-impossible spectrum is very useful.

 

I run the 25mms on Campag Zondas and don't have any problems.  Great tyres.

Avatar
harman_mogul | 8 years ago
0 likes

Agree with all of that, and intend to try the 28 mm version. I've ridden the 25 mm all year and have not punctured. The 25 comes out at nearly 27 mm wide when fitted to Archetype rims, a lovely combo.

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