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review

Giant P-SLR1 Tyre

7
£34.99

VERDICT:

7
10
Quick and grippy clinchers with reasonable durability
Weight: 
206g
Contact: 
www.giant-bicycles.com

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The Giant P-SLR1s are lightweight and grippy clinchers for fast road riding.

These tyres are built around 120tpi casings and they're unusual in that they're front and rear specific. They're both dual-compound, the front one designed to be stickier for extra grip while the rear one is designed to be fast and durable. As you'll doubtless know, your rear tyre generally wears faster than the front one so the idea seems sound to us.

At 206g each the SLR1s are a touch heavier than Giant's claimed weight (200g) but they're still light and quick. There's no puncture-protection strip under the tread though, so they're not particularly resistant to flats. Don't get me wrong, they're not especially prone to punctures either – just don't be surprised if you pick one up from time to time.

Don't be put off by the lack of a tread pattern – you know that makes no difference, right? – these are grippy. I've had a little rear wheel slippage a couple of times when climbing very steep, damp hills out of the saddle but these have been well behaved while cornering in both wet and dry conditions. They're very capable in that respect.

The SLR1s are wearing okay too. A centreline wear indicator will show when they've reached the end of their working life but that's a way off. Despite the difference in compounds between the front and rear, the back tyre is still wearing a little faster than the front one although it's not as noticeable as usual. It does even things up a bit (and if the rear one does look like it'll wear out first, I'll still swap them over the same as usual).

The P-SLR1 is available in just one size – 700 x 23C with a foldable Kevlar bead.

Verdict

Quick and grippy clinchers with reasonable durability.

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road.cc test report

Make and model: Giant P-SLR1 Tyre

Size tested: Black - 700 x 23C

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?

Giant say, "Giant P-SLR 1 road bike tyres feature 120 tpi casing and a unique off-set join enabling a centre line wear indicator. Lightweight, durable and fast.

FEATURES

- 120 tpi casing

- Centre line wear indicator

- Kevlar bead

- Sticky 60/64/60a front tread

- Durable and fast 64/70/64a rear tread

- 210g per tyre"

I'd go for them when lightweight is an important consideration – like racing, sportives and so on – rather than for everyday training or leisure.

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
7/10
Rate the product for performance:
 
7/10

A good combination of lightweight and grippy although puncture resistance could be higher.

Rate the product for durability:
 
7/10

Pretty good for this style of tyre - but they're lightweight because there's not a whole lot of material used so they're not the best choice is durability is your primary consideration.

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

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

Good performance. It's always a balancing act when it comes to tyres: grippy versus durable, light weight versus puncture resistance... These put in a good all-round performance.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

They're lightweight and fast, and they're grippy in a range of conditions.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

They're not especially puncture resistant.

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes.

Would you consider buying the product? Maybe.

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Maybe.

Overall rating: 7/10

About the tester

Age: 41  Height: 190cm  Weight: 75kg

I usually ride:   My best bike is:

I've been riding for: Over 20 years  I ride: Most days  I would class myself as: Expert

I regularly do the following types of riding: time trialling, commuting, club rides, sportives, general fitness riding,

 

Mat has been in cycling media since 1996, on titles including BikeRadar, Total Bike, Total Mountain Bike, What Mountain Bike and Mountain Biking UK, and he has been editor of 220 Triathlon and Cycling Plus. Mat has been road.cc technical editor for over a decade, testing bikes, fettling the latest kit, and trying out the most up-to-the-minute clothing. We send him off around the world to get all the news from launches and shows too. He has won his category in Ironman UK 70.3 and finished on the podium in both marathons he has run. Mat is a Cambridge graduate who did a post-grad in magazine journalism, and he is a winner of the Cycling Media Award for Specialist Online Writer. Now over 50, he's riding road and gravel bikes most days for fun and fitness rather than training for competitions.

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