Panaracer RiBMo folding 700C 28mm tyre

Panaracer's RiBMo (that stands for Ride Bike More, fact fans) offers good puncture protection and reasonably low weight along with good levels of grip. For light touring, Audax, or commuting, it's a good choice.

We tested the previous incarnation of the RiBMo predominantly as an urban tyre, and it did very well. This time around it was put through its paces on longer rides, up to and including a 400km Audax. And once again, we've been very happy with the performance.

The RiBMo is touted as a tough tyre, with bead to bead puncture protection thanks to an 800D polyamide cord carcass, which Panaracer claim is twice as strong as a standard tyre, and an additional layer of PT Shield fabric. On top of that is Panaracer's Mile Cruncher compound, which is a harder-than-usual rubber for longevity.

You might look at all that and think that it'll add up to a pretty slow ride, but it doesn't. Well, it depends what you compare it to: obviously these tyres don't roll as well as a lightweight set of 25s but they're a lot sprightlier than most other rubber you'd consider for touring, and they're plenty fast enough for Audax-type rides; at 370g for the 28mm version they're hardly heavyweights.

The tread shape, which is ovalised a bit like the pointy end of an egg, is designed to decrease rolling resistance while still offering good grip when cornering. I can't say that I ever had any problems with grip, even with the hard compound.

One of the reasons for this is that with a bigger air chamber you can afford to run the tyres at a lower pressure. I'm 100kg and normally put 100psi into a 25mm tyre; I found I could run these RiBMos at 85-90psi without any more danger of pinch-flatting than I'd have with a thinner tyre. That means more grip and extra comfort too, and it didn't noticeably affect the tyre's ability to roll.

I've managed to puncture them twice: once was a pinch flat when I was experimenting with how low I could run the RiBMos – so not the tyre's fault – and the other was a needle-sharp piece of metal swarf that I think would have breached pretty much anything.

Other than that, they've been trouble free, hard-wearing and comfortable. Panaracer offer the RiBMo in a wide range of sizes right down to 23mm, although it's difficult to imagine why you'd want them in anything less than a 28.

Verdict

Hardy tyres that are just the job for commuting or light touring.