The Panaracer Race Type A EVO2 tyre is fast, supple, and grippy: a welcome companion on summer rides.
We’ve spent a month riding this 23c tyre, and have been impressed by its all-round performance, but this early feedback should be tempered by the knowledge that we have thus far only had near-perfect conditions in which to test them.
The likely return to weather more typical for the UK will provide a sterner challenge, both of performance and puncture resistance, and we’ll provide a further update at a suitable juncture, but at this stage we can only report our satisfaction.
We’ve yet to suffer a puncture, despite having ridden on country roads ‘dressed’ during summer months in preparation for winter (coated with loose granite chippings during the high summer temperatures). Panaracer would doubtless claim a victory for its PT puncture protection shield.
Cornering grip was excellent. Panracer’s ZSG compound felt notably stickier than that of their predecessor on RCUK’s Kinesis TK3 test rig (the by-no-means-shabby Mavic Yksion Powerlink and Griplink), empowering us to throw the bike into corners with abandon. Marketing blurb is notoriously optimistic, but Panaracer’s claims for a sticky-sided tyre with a hard centre proved largely accurate.
Marketing blurb is notoriously optimistic, but Panaracer’s claims for a sticky-sided tyre with a hard centre proved largely accurate
On short, punchy climbs taken out of the saddle and in the big ring, the EVO2s held firm and resisted falling victim to slippage. The same climbs tackled on rival offerings (Hutchinson Equinox, for example) have frequently provided a different outcome.
The few entirely flat, and entirely smooth roads of our locale unsurprisingly showcased the EVO2’s performance. Again, it should be noted that the margin of enhanced performance was recorded over Mavic’s speedy rubber, and not some stiff, heavy offering suited to winter.
Perhaps only saddles are subject to a greater degree of personal preference, but we’d place the Race Type A EVO2 alongside its two well-established competitors in the soft compound, high TPI tyre segment: the Michelin Pro 4 and Schwalbe’s Ultremo ZX.
Similarly priced at £39.99 a pop, it’s perhaps the equal of either, although it’s worth restating the almost-perfect nature of the test conditions thus far enjoyed.
The Panaracer Race Type A EVO2 tyre is available in 23c and 25c sizes, in black only, and costs £39.99.
