Profile

If a ‘winter’ tyre has a single defining characteristic, it is profile, or, to put it in more general terms, breadth. Cyclists have been trading slim 23c covers for a broader 25c or even 28c profiles come winter for generations. Why? To place more rubber in contact with the road surface and theoretically gain higher grip levels. The trend has been accelerated by the latest thinking among tyre technicians which holds that rolling resistance is not increased by the wider contact patch, especially when used with proportionally wider rims that help to ‘seat’ the tyre more effectively.

The Clement Strada LLG tyre in 25c form tested earlier this year, in the depths of one of the longest winters on record, is a fine case in point. Despite vying for a place in our affections with our favoured Schwalbe Ultremo ZX 23c rubber, the Strada offered a level of performance that gained our approval, despite its wider form and a light tread on the shoulders. Which brings us to…