Wolfpack Road Race £44.99

Road Race tyre is the entry point into Wolfpack’s three-tier road range with a cotton version and tubular sitting above it. It uses a nylon carcass of unspecified TPI and is only available in a 24mm or 26mm width. The larger volume 26mm on test actually measures closer to 27mm on our test wheels.

The tyre provides a nice snug fit without requiring multiple tyre levers to get on or off the rim. It has to be noted at this point that Wolfpack currently does not offer the Road Race in a tubeless version.

Setting tyre pressure to 75psi front and 80psi rear and taking them for an initial test, we have to say that the tyres impressed. We forgot that we were using untested tyres and absolutely hooned it into a couple of downhill corners with absolutely no squirm or understeer. The profile on the rim was excellent and the low-set, wrap-around tread was even with no hint of a shoulder that could cause a lack of grip. It doesn’t feel as out-and-out fast as a Vittoria Corsa or Continental GP5000, but its rolling speed is still impressive. The cotton carcassed version supposedly offers less rolling resistance, so this might be a better option for a race specific tyre. We have spent the best part of a few hundred miles on a huge variety of debris-strewn roads while using the Wolfpack Road Race, through all weathers and are yet to suffer a puncture – in fact the tyres are looking pretty free from any damage. This has to be down to Wolfpack’s Toguard rubber compound which has been designed to provide all-over puncture protection that stems from the rubber itself and not a belted insert like on other tyres. Not only does the system work, but it also makes the tyre feel much more performancethe based than a proper puncture-resistant tyre, so this is definitely a good thing.

Options: 24, 26mm wolfpacktyres.co.uk