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review

Panaracer Race A Evo 2 tyre

7
£39.99

VERDICT:

7
10
Durable, quick tyre with good grip, but lacks the ride quality of other tyres at this price and weight
Weight: 
220g
Contact: 
www.zyro.co.uk

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Panaracer Race A Evo 2 tyres are a light, fast and durable alternative to better-known tyres.

The Panaracer Race A Evo 2 tyres have impressed with good durability - I've run a pair for a 1,000 miles so far and there's barely a mark on them or any sign of wear - speed and weight. The fact they're a competitive weight makes them a worthy alternative to the more popular tyre choices at this price.

As is popular with modern road tyres, the tread is made from two rubber compounds, which Panaracer call ZSG Dual Compound. This means a grippier compound on the shoulders combined with a harder rubber for the middle section. This combines to create a tyre that zips along well when ridden straight up, with plenty of grip when leaning over through the corners. There's a plentiful supply of grip when you do bank the tyre over to confidently exploit gravity's assistance on the downs.

While the tyre shines in the durability, weight and speed stakes, it is less than impressive in its suppleness. The tyre just doesn't offer the same smoothness and vibration absorption in the casing as other 23mm tyres I've tested, such as the excellent Michelin Pro4. For the record, I tested the tyres on the same wheels and bike, the same tyre pressures and on the same roads. It's a close run thing but back-to-back testing shows they just lack the extra degree of suppleness.

Though the tyre lacks the ride quality offered by rival 23mm tyres (like the excellent Michelin Pro4) the tough casing does stand up well against the punishment dished out by rough roads scarred with potholes and cracks, where it's more than tough enough to cope. Similarly, the tread compound has impressed with virtually no cuts or slices.

When it comes to warding off punctures, Panaracer have given the tyre a PT Shield fabric layer. Testing how puncture resistant a bicycle tyre in real-world testing is always a tricky old job: you can go three months at a time without getting a flat, then get three in a row. I didn't experience any flats in my 1,000 miles of testing, but how much that is down to plain old luck or the the PT Shield is impossible to say.

The Panaracer Race A Evo 2 tyre is also available in 25mm width with a claimed 240g weight, if you prefer your tyres to give a bit more cushion.

Verdict

Durable, quick tyre with good grip, but lacks the ride quality of other tyres at this price and weight

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road.cc test report

Make and model: Panaracer Race A Evo 2 tyre

Size tested: n/a

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?

This is what the Panaracer website has to say…

The updated and improved compound and casing essentially make this an all-new tire. As a racing tire its excellent strength-to-weight ratio and ZSG Dual Compound make this the perfect multi-use tire.

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

More from the website

Exclusive PT Shield extends bead-to-bead for the ultimate in puncture and pinch flat protection. Superfine AX Casing is the perfect combination of suppleness while tough enough to help fend off pinches and sidewall cuts.

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
8/10

Excellent construction

Rate the product for performance:
 
7/10

A swift tyre with good grip through the corners

Rate the product for durability:
 
8/10

A stack of miles and barely any sign of the tread cutting up

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

They're in the ball park for a tyre of this price

Rate the product for comfort, if applicable:
 
7/10

This is where the Panaracer doesn't quite deliver against rivals that just edge them out in comfort

Rate the product for value:
 
7/10

All things considered, especially their longevity which makes them suited to touring and sportive cyclists, they're a good tyre for the money

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

As a whole I was impressed with the performance in a range of situations and conditions

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

Their durability

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

Lack of supplness

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes

Would you consider buying the product? Possibly

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Possibly

Anything further to say about the product in conclusion?

If you want a long lasting, light and grippy tyre, look no further

Overall rating: 7/10

About the tester

Age: 31  Height: 180  Weight: 67

I usually ride:   My best bike is:

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: road racing, time trialling, cyclo cross, commuting, touring, mtb,

 

David worked on the road.cc tech team from 2012-2020. Previously he was editor of Bikemagic.com and before that staff writer at RCUK. He's a seasoned cyclist of all disciplines, from road to mountain biking, touring to cyclo-cross, he only wishes he had time to ride them all. He's mildly competitive, though he'll never admit it, and is a frequent road racer but is too lazy to do really well. He currently resides in the Cotswolds, and you can now find him over on his own YouTube channel David Arthur - Just Ride Bikes

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5 comments

Avatar
a.jumper | 10 years ago
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As well as width and weight, the pressure is also based on tyre construction: there are Schwalbe and Specialized tyres that benefit from higher pressures than that Michelin chart, for example. Unfortunately, I've only got that on the wrapper for the Specialized and didn't find it on their website... nor can I find a pressure chart on the Panaracer web pages... but "the same pressures" as Michelin might not be optimal, so it seems a bit strange to do that.

Avatar
Aapje | 10 years ago
0 likes

Actually, that chart just describes what I said. As you can see, the recommended pressures are based on tyre width and rider weight, not on a specific tyre model.

Avatar
a.jumper | 10 years ago
0 likes

Why use the same pressure as other tyres? Using the tyre's own recommended pressure would be more useful.

Avatar
Aapje replied to a.jumper | 10 years ago
0 likes
a.jumper wrote:

Why use the same pressure as other tyres? Using the tyre's own recommended pressure would be more useful.

Tyres don't have recommended pressures, they have maximum pressures. The people who pump their tyres up to the figure on the sidewall are doing it wrong. The proper pressure depends on the width of the tire and the weight put on it (together with the pressure those determine the size of the contact patch). A 50 kg rider should use much less tyre pressure than a 100 kg rider.

Avatar
a.jumper replied to Aapje | 10 years ago
0 likes

No, there are recommended pressures as well as the maximums. Many good tyres, including Michelin, publish recommended pressure charts. http://www.michelinbicycletire.com/michelinbicycle/index.cfm?event=airpr...

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