Panaracer Race A Evo 3 Tubeless tyre

Panaracer's first ever tubeless road tyre puts in an excellent performance, being fast and grippy in a wide range of conditions and warding off punctures well. It's a bit on the heavy side, though, and the price is high compared to other tubeless options.

Panaracer has been quietly expanding its tyre range in recent years, most notably its choice of tyres aimed at the growing gravel and adventure bike market. But during the process of updating its flagship performance road tyre, it has added its first ever road tubeless offering. And it's an impressive debut.

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We're big fans of tubeless tyres here at road.cc. The best advantage over a regular clincher is reduced punctures. That's because there's no inner tube to be pierced by a piece of flint or thorn, instead a liquid latex sealant inside the tyre can seal most small holes. Despite the benefits, your choice for a decent tubeless tyre is still limited, leaving German brand Schwalbe to really lead the charge.

More options are a good thing, and the new Race A Evo 3 Tubeless tyre is a very good choice. The Japanese company developed a new bead (called ProBead) using a proprietary carbon-based material aimed at making tubeless installation much easier than the sometimes tricky task it can be, and also ensuring a solid and safe seal with the rim.

It works. Installing the tyres was a breeze. I fitted the tyres to some DT Swiss test wheels, with no tyre levers needed, poured in some sealant and they inflated first time using just a track pump. This is how tubeless installation should be all the time; none of the drama that can put many people off even trying it. No special tubeless inflators required.

The tyres retained air well, too, only needing a top-up after about a week if I left them unchecked, but I regularly check tyre pressures before most rides so it's within acceptable limits.

I reviewed the previous Race A Evo 2 tyres and was impressed with their speed and durability. The new versions retain the ZSG Dual Compound, which puts softer rubber on the shoulders and harder material along the centre and works well to provide good grip through the corners and decent wear resistance. There's also the All Contact profile, which instead of a traditional round profile, uses an angled tread that puts more rubber in contact with the road when you lean over.

A key change to the Evo 3 is an attempt to improve the puncture protection. It has developed Protite, a proprietary resin that's incorporated into the tread rubber at the yarn level instead of the separate breaker strip previously used. The upshot is reduced weight and, more importantly, improved puncture resistance.

I've been racking up hundreds of miles in a wide range of conditions and over all sorts of road surfaces, and I've yet to puncture. Of course, the tubeless setup helps vastly in reducing the number of flats, but I'm sure the Protite is doing its job. There's evidence in the state of the tyre tread, which after all these miles shows few marks or cuts, despite being regularly ridden over badly damaged roads and clattered into the occasional pothole – all part of the testing procedure.

What's more, the new puncture protection hasn't adversely affected the feel or performance of the tyres. Some tubeless tyres can feel a little wooden, but these are very smooth and wonderfully supple. They track the road surface and provide good feedback from the tarmac, helping you to exploit their grip through fast corners and suchlike. They're very smooth and fast feeling, ideal for racing or speedy sportive riding.

Over the many hundreds of miles I've been riding them, the tyres have performed flawlessly. They have a quick feeling that is comparable to other high-end race tyres, and grip levels are confidence-inspiring in the dry or wet.

Add the combination of durability and puncture resistance, plus the high level of traction, and they're a good choice for a year-round tyre if you value high performance in your tyre choice, but they're tough enough for long distance riding and regular training or commuting.

> Road tubeless: Everything you need to know

You can choose from 23 or 25mm options; I tested the latter, which weighs 322g. That's about 30g heavier than the benchmark Schwalbe Pro One tubeless tyre tested last year.

They're also a bit 'heavier' in terms of value for money... The Panaracers were really impressive throughout the test period, but it's hard to describe an £80 tyre as good value, even given their excellent performance. It's especially more wallet frightening when you consider that the excellent Pro One is 'just' £56.99 per wheel. As good as the Panaracer tyres are, they're not really £23 better than the Schwalbes, so if price really is a factor (and it is for most people) they're difficult to recommend over the Pro Ones.

Verdict

Easy to install tubeless tyre with a very smooth and supple performance