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review

Schwalbe S-One tubeless tyre

9
£56.99

VERDICT:

9
10
Yet again Schwalbe lifts the tubeless bar with a grippy, light, fast tyre. If you can fit 'em, buy 'em
Weight: 
325g

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Back in May, Dave Arthur reviewed the 25mm version of Schwalbe's One Tubeless tyre and rated it 9/10. Six months on, Schwalbe has really pushed the boat out with a fatter, lighter, grippier model called the S-One. What does the S stand for? Special. The Special One.

For the test period, the tyres were fitted to the frankly lovely Kinesis GF_Ti Disc, around the new Kinesis Racelight Disc wheelset with their 19mm-wide (internal) rims. This combination gave an actual tyre width of 31mm.

> Find your nearest dealer here

> Buy these online here

The tyres were already on the wheels when they arrived, but I popped one off to see how tricky fitting would be. The answer is – for that rim – not at all. Three normal Tacx tyre levers and job done. They popped home using a normal trackpump too.

Take it easy

One of the marketing highlights of the S-One is the 'Tubeless Easy with Microskin'. Microskin claims to deliver 'tires that can be easily mounted tubeless, while providing some additional benefits: Significantly lighter than previous tubeless tires. Additional improved rolling resistance. All around improved cut resistance. Unlimited high-pressure capability'. It's a 'high tensile micro fabric' that gets bonded between the tread and carcass, making the tyre impermeable to air while improving cut protection. What I can say is that I had to put less routine top-up air into the S-One than its older sibling, the One.

There's also something called 'V-Guard' – 'an extremely cut-resistant hightech fiber makes it possible to ensure even on very light tires an extraordinary high level of puncture resistance'. What's 'extraordinary high puncture resistance'? Well, all I can say is I didn't get a flat over about 500 miles or had to pick anything out of the tyre despite deliberately ploughing through a fair portion of Hampshire's finest autumnal detritus.

The S-One comes in one size: 30mm (30-622, or 28 x 1.20, to be specific). Schwalbe rates it at 50-80psi, meaning on the Bicycling Quarterly Chart Of Wisdom, for the 'optimal' 15 per cent tyre drop you're looking at 55kg on each wheel, max. My go-to pressure on the 28mm One is a 15-lower-than-recommended 65psi, for the 48kg on my back wheel. I've fine-tuned that over the last year, and by golly it works for me in terms of speed, grip and braking, rim or disc. Without thinking, that's what I initially ran with on the S-One. Once used to the bike I dropped that down another 10 and noticed improved grip with no handling drawbacks, settling on 55psi rear, 40psi front.

For those who think it will really make a difference, the S-One is a fair bit lighter than the One it evolved from. The 28mm One was 375g, the new 30mm S-One is 325g. If Schwalbe keeps up this pace of evolution, by March 2021 its tubeless tyres will weigh nothing at all. (Read more about it here.)

Take it to the limit

The most visible difference to the old One is the dimpled tread pattern. Schwalbe says the tyre is 'A racing tire for the toughest jobs. Tour of Flanders. Paris-Roubaix'. The hills above the Vale of Pewsey hardly rate as kinderkoppen, and with such low pressures on offer it was hard to discern whether the dimples made a difference, even pushed right to the point of locking up, wet or dry. It's kind of a moot point when it's the grippiest tyre you've ever ridden anyway.

Paired with the rather fabulous Shimano hydraulic disc brakes, the S-Ones gave quite unreal levels of stopping power. I'd recommend taking them out and finding the limit, but it's probably going to be a lot further into the pant-filling corner of the envelope than you've visited previously.

Peaceful easy feeling

But most of the time you're going to be rolling along, and that's where the S-Ones shine. Previous tubeless road tyres were known for a harsh ride because of their stiff sidewalls – not the S-One. They melt around the smallest of road protrusions, giving not only the aforementioned proverbial-to-a-blanket braking performance but also supreme comfort.

Dial in your pressure and road buzz all but vanishes. That's not to say that you can't feel what's going on down there, you just get the message without being jackhammered.

Life in the fast lane

On the S-Ones I cracked a fair few Strava PBs, even bagging a segment top-three on a trip around Rome's ancient wall replete with ancient road surface. IAM Cycling's Sylvain Chavanel took fifth at Paris-Roubaix this year on the S-Ones. I'll take this opportunity to draw a direct comparison between myself and a pro, and agree that across a similarly rubbish Hampshire County Council-malfunded surface, the S-Ones benefit allcomers.

> Still think 23mm rubber is best? Here's why you should go wider

Chavanel's placing pretty much puts paid to the idea that a fat tyre can't be a fast tyre. About 200km of Paris-Roubaix is normal road, so clearly 30mm rubber doesn't hold you back.

At £57 these aren't cheap, but for what you get in comfort, grip and puncture resistance, it's a bargain.

Verdict

Yet again Schwalbe lifts the tubeless bar with a grippy, light, fast tyre. If you can fit 'em, buy 'em

road.cc test report

Make and model: Schwalbe S-One tubeless tyre

Size tested: 700x30C

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?

It's a big, fat tubeless tyre that goes on easily, rolls easily and makes you a better rider. It's for anyone who can fit 'em to their bike.

Schwalbe says: "THE SPECIAL ONE. A racing tire for the toughest jobs. Tour of Flanders. Paris-Roubaix. With its large volume and V-Guard protection the S-One is well prepared for such ordeals. You can ride it 'old school' as a handmade tubular or with the most modern Tubeless Easy technology."

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

30-622 (28 x 1.20, 700x30C)MicroSkin, TL-EasyOneStarBlack

Size:ETRTO 30-622 (Franz.Bez. 700x30C)

Typ:Folding

Compound:OneStar

Execution:MicroSkin, TL-Easy

Color:Black

Skin:Micro

Weight:330 g (12 oz)

Pressure:3.50 - 5.50 Bar (50 - 80 psi)

Maximum load:70 kg

EPI:127

Profil:HS472

Article number:11600765

EAN:4026495767804

Tube:17, 18

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
10/10

Can't fault it.

Rate the product for performance:
 
9/10

This tyre will make you fast.

Rate the product for durability:
 
10/10

After two months of rolling over all sorts of nasty surfaces it looked like new.

Rate the product for weight (if applicable)
 
9/10

It's 325g, which isn't bad for a 30mm tyre – remember kids, it's tubeless, and lighter than previous, smaller Ones.

Rate the product for comfort (if applicable)
 
10/10

Very, very comfy – especially as you can get down to 40-60psi.

Rate the product for value:
 
9/10

At £56.99 these are not cheap. But then, you'll never have to buy another inner tube, nor stand by the roadside installing it. And what price comfort and speed?

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

These tyres let me go faster, with more comfort.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

The size – 30mm is awesome.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

Nothing.

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

Coming at this from a previous convert to tubeless, the S-Ones are easier to mount, fatter, lighter and grippier. If they were cheaper, they'd be a 10.

Overall rating: 9/10

About the tester

Age: 42  Height: 183cm  Weight: 72kg

I usually ride: Charge Juicer  My best bike is:

I've been riding for: Over 20 years  I ride: A few times a week  I would class myself as: Expert

I regularly do the following types of riding: club rides, general fitness riding, fixed/singlespeed, mountain biking and Dutch bike pootling

Living in the Highlands, Mike is constantly finding innovative and usually cold/wet ways to accelerate the degradation of cycling kit. At his happiest in a warm workshop holding an anodised tool of high repute, Mike's been taking bikes apart and (mostly) putting them back together for forty years. With a day job in global IT (he's not completely sure what that means either) and having run a boutique cycle service business on the side for a decade, bikes are his escape into the practical and life-changing for his customers.

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20 comments

Avatar
rjfrussell | 6 years ago
0 likes

to what extent do you lose the benefits if you run them with tubes, rather than tubeless?

 

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hawkinspeter replied to rjfrussell | 6 years ago
0 likes
rjfrussell wrote:

to what extent do you lose the benefits if you run them with tubes, rather than tubeless?

Pretty much all of the benefits.

If you put a tube in, then you'd be more susceptible to punctures (as you've got no room for sealant) and you'd get slightly higher rolling resistance due to the flexing/friction between the inner tube and the tyre.

Also, they're quite expensive (as are all tubeless) so you'd be better off looking for a non-tubeless tyre.

Avatar
markhardy | 8 years ago
1 like

I've been running Pro One Tubeless 28s for a few months now and am very happy with them (aside from a puncture on the very first ride). Grippy, fast and comfortable.

I put some S-Ones on yesterday mainly to see if they handle rough roads better than the narrower Pro-One. They mounted fairly easily and inflated tubeless with a track pump. But I was surprised to see that the tyre is no bigger than the Pro-One  28 despite being badged as a 30. I measured the width as 29mm which is the same as my Pro-One 28. The bag measured 75mm while the Pro-One was 77mm, so marginally smaller in overall volume. A 32 or 33 version of this would be nice.

I've only had one short test ride so haven't pushed them at all. Initial impression is they are very similar to the Pro-One. Agree, they do feel like they prefer lower presure and I've dropped down to 40/55 for my next ride. These pressures don't feel scary at all. Plenty of grip, comfort and some skirm on the edge.

Avatar
Dicklexic | 8 years ago
1 like

*UPDATE*

So almost three months (and 800kms) on and the Schwalbe S-One's have proved faultless. They have lost barely any air during that time with only the very occasional small top-up required. The main thing however is that I haven't had any punctures! Saying that may be tempting fate but I have never felt more confident about making that claim. I was particularly impressed when on a commute home from work one dark grotty evening, I completely mis-timed a kerb hop and totally mashed my back wheel into the kerb. The rim was very badly damaged, but incredibly the tyre stayed put and inflated, and the wheel was still ridable. It meant that I could ride the remaining 5-6 miles home untroubled, rather than having to stop at the side of the road in horrible wintry weather and try and fit a new tube, or worse still, call the wife for a lift home! I am totally convinced that any other tubed tyre would have been deflated and probably damaged beyond use by the impact. In reality I don't think I would have even attempted the same kerb hop with any other tyre, such is the faith I have developed in 'abusing' these tyres (and my fabulous Hunt Wheels they've been fitted to). Perhaps that might be the only downside to these tyres, they make me ride even harder with less care about the surface that I'm riding on. They really do inspire that much confidence.

Performance wise they have also proven more than capable. My Strava times have remained consistent, with plenty of PR's and even a couple of top 10's achieved whilst using the S-Ones, so they are no slouch either.

Durability seems pretty good. They have only done 800km so far, but it's been a tough 800km with winter roads and some rough gravelly roads. The rear tyre is showing some signs of wear on the centre, but the small 'pimples' are still present and look like they will do a lot more yet. They have not succumbed to glass or flint/sharp stones either, with only a couple of very small glass cuts during that time. I'm talking maybe 1-2mm long and not through to the casing. A little glue has sorted them no problem. By comparison the Vittoria Open Pave CG's I ran last throughout winter and the start of this winter, which to be fair were on a par to the S-Ones for grip and not far off for comfort, didn't cope well at all with glass and sharp stones, requiring glue repairs to several small cuts, and a couple of internal patches before they were retired, having done just over 2000 kms.

I have tried many tyres over the years, but I am in no doubt that they are the best all-round tyre I have used to date. Having said that I am now about to remove them. The reason being that I going to fit some 28mm Schwalbe Pro Ones, set-up tubeless of course. Last summer I ran some of the 'old' Schwalbe Ones (28mm non-tubeless), and having been so pleased with the tubeless S-Ones I felt I should go the whole hog and get the tubeless PRO Ones. My hope is that they will be even faster still, plus I won't feel like I'm subjecting the S-Ones to unnecessary wear of the tread pattern on the hot dry roads we're going to be subjected to in South Wales this spring/summer! Oh, perhaps I should leave the S-Ones on after all!  3

So these S-Ones will now go into temporary hibernation, although they will definitely be drawn back into service for the White Roads Classic in July (and any other similarly rough events I am yet to sign up for). They will also be back on for next winter when my need for a durable, comfortable, reliable and secure in all conditions tyre will be met with ease.

Avatar
Dicklexic | 8 years ago
0 likes

I've just fitted a pair of these. Got them from Bike24, the only place I could find stock. 

Really easy to fit to my Hunt 4 Season Disc wheels, didn't even need tyre levers and they popped up with a track pump first time! Absolutely no loss of sealant or pressure after the first inflation.

First ride impressions are extremely good. Superbly comfortable and immense grip. Also they roll really well and don't feel at all draggy like you might expect for such a large tyre. Looking forward to putting them through some abuse over the coming wintry months. I seem to get way more than my fair share of punctures so if anyone can test these tyres puncture resistance it should be me!

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KiwiMike | 8 years ago
1 like
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CXR94Di2 | 8 years ago
0 likes

If you want Schwalbe tyres, the German websites seem to have stock Star, bike24 etc They have quick service and prices aren't expensive. I got my Pro Ones 28mm from Star when no UK company had stock  1

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hsiaolc | 8 years ago
0 likes

So these are only comes in one size only!!! Hopefully they will make one thats 28mm. 

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RobO | 8 years ago
0 likes

I've been searching for somewhere to buy a set of these for a month or so, if anyone know any shop that has them in stock (UK or Europe) please could you post details!

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rupert3k | 8 years ago
0 likes

I'm using the 23mm 235g (11600808) version & it's the best tyre I've ever had.

Previously I ran Hutchison Atom Galactik but Schwalbe One Tubeless leaves it for dead.

Cheering my guts out!

(punctures are for luddites)

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Rapha Nadal | 8 years ago
0 likes

The tubular version of the Schwalbe One is good so no doubt I'll get some of these once I upgrade my wheels.

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PpPete | 8 years ago
0 likes

Will try these when my current 28mm One Tubelesss wear out. Will be pushed for space under the guards though.

"settling on 55psi rear, 40psi front" ?     Scary !
 

Avatar
KiwiMike replied to PpPete | 8 years ago
0 likes
PpPete wrote:

"settling on 55psi rear, 40psi front" ?     Scary !
 

Not scary: grippy, comfy, fast

Pick three  1

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adam900710 | 8 years ago
0 likes

Always want to buy one, but always failed to find a dealer even online....

 

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wycombewheeler | 8 years ago
2 likes

so where/when can i buy these?

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dave atkinson replied to wycombewheeler | 8 years ago
0 likes

wycombewheeler wrote:

so where/when can i buy these?

 

they're still a bit thin on the ground but stock is certainly coming to the UK soon

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Simburnett replied to wycombewheeler | 8 years ago
0 likes

so where/when can i buy these?

These are amazing tyres and worth every penny 

Ive bought a set from Ricky at the cycle workshop in formby thecycleworkshop17 [at] gmail.com

01704 808088

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Morat | 8 years ago
0 likes

I wish they'd make a completely bald, slick version like the original Ones just because it looks funky - but this will be my next tyre once my 28mm tubed One's finally die. CX bike tyre clearance for the win  1

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David Arthur @d... replied to Morat | 8 years ago
0 likes

Morat wrote:

I wish they'd make a completely bald, slick version like the original Ones just because it looks funky - but this will be my next tyre once my 28mm tubed One's finally die. CX bike tyre clearance for the win  1

 

You can get the new Pro One in 28mm width

Avatar
peted76 | 8 years ago
0 likes
Quote:

a lot further into the pant-filling corner of the envelope than you've visited previously

That is class!

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