Pirelli offers advice for proper winter tire use

Pirelli engineers provide a series of tips to keep your tires in the best condition during winter, regardless of falling temperatures.

Source: With CP

In winter, bike tires are put to the test. The factors that make roads dirty and slippery and significantly increase the risk of punctures are numerous. Choosing a product suitable for the season and intended use, as well as taking certain precautions before, during, and after use, can help maintain the only point of contact between the bike and the road in optimal condition.

Which tires are most suitable?

Choosing a tire for the winter season often means prioritizing protection over lightness and flexibility. In fact, the first aspect to consider is the tread, which should have more grooves or a more aggressive pattern to offer better grip and handling on wet surfaces or those made more slippery by debris, leaves, or dirt. Width is also an important factor for handling: the wider the surface in contact with the road, the higher the stability. For cyclists venturing off-road with a Gravel bike or MTB, a more pronounced tread is almost necessary to ensure better grip on rough terrain. Last but not least, you can opt for a tire with thicker and more effective puncture protection. Salt, stones, glass, metal debris, and thorns can cause punctures in a poorly reinforced tire. What’s more, heavy rain, humidity, and winter dew act as a lubricant, facilitating perforation caused by cuts and the penetration of sharp debris into the tread.

Winter bike tire maintenance

The other aspect to consider is maintenance. Whether it’s a road bike, a Gravel bike, or an MTB, the principle remains the same: winter is the season when you need to take the greatest care of your tires before, during, and after a ride. Due to falling temperatures, pressure drops faster than in summer and must therefore be constantly monitored. It goes without saying that before inflating, you should consult the inflation pressure table (recommended by Pirelli, for example), while taking into account the cyclist’s weight and the overall load on the bike if it is carrying luggage. It should also be taken into account that, in very cold weather, the air pressure in the atmosphere decreases. It is therefore all the more important to check the internal tire pressure to compensate for this phenomenon. Naturally, if the goal is to gain grip, in addition to choosing the most suitable tread, a slight decrease in tire pressure (0.3 bar), always respecting the minimum pressure values indicated for each tire, will allow you to gain grip thanks to a wider contact surface with the ground. Finally, a lower inflation pressure also reduces the risk of shear and penetration punctures, as the tire can better “absorb” the foreign object before yielding and perforating. However, care must be taken not to lower the inflation pressure too much and not to exceed the minimum pressure value specified for each tire, otherwise the other type of puncture, pinch flats, may appear.

Some tips: from tire deflation to storage

Once the ride is over, it is essential to check the condition of the tire, paying particular attention to cuts, small cracks, or foreign objects stuck in the tread. Removing dirt and salt from the rubber surface also helps to extend the tire’s lifespan from a chemical point of view. The winter season can bring bad weather that forces cyclists to leave their bike in the garage for a while. So, here are some tips for keeping your tires in the best condition: deflate the tires by half compared to the usual inflation pressure; store the bike in a cool, dry place, and of course sheltered from bad weather; avoid direct exposure to the sun, as UV rays can also deteriorate the rubber; avoid chemical products or solvents coming into contact with the rubber and, in the case of spare tires, store them carefully, unfolded in their original packaging and always kept away from damp surfaces (such as cellar walls).

Pirelli’s suggestions for choosing winter tires

Within the Pirelli range, several models are perfectly suited for winter use on the road and for Gravel.

• The P ZERO Race 4S, available in both tubeless and tube-type versions, is a high-end tire that combines efficiency and grip on wet and/or cold surfaces.
• The CINTURATO Velo is an all-season product for road and light Gravel, offering protection, safety, and handling regardless of road conditions and weather.
• The CINTURATO Gravel S is a versatile tire designed for Gravel riding on soft and muddy terrain. Designed with grip and protection in mind rather than fluidity, this gravel tire offers optimal riding comfort in the most difficult weather conditions as well as on technical courses similar to those of MTB.

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