The best winter road bike tyres will keep you rolling through the cold and wet weather. Winter training and commuting are hard enough without worrying about fixing a flat with frozen fingers on a dark road.
Fortunately, there’s never been a better selection of winter road bike tyres, combining trustworthy all-weather performance with everyday reliability. To make your life easier, we’ve rounded up some of the best winter road tyres as rated by the BikeRadar testing team.
The key to these real-world advances has been the combination of technologies from seemingly very different areas.
Tyre compounds and layups developed for racing use in wet conditions deliver a balance of late braking, hard-turning grip and rolling speed.
Puncture-protection technology has also moved on a great deal (we certainly don’t miss puncture protection strips) and is now achieved largely by multi-ply composites used originally in bulletproof vests. This means you can have a barrier between road debris and your inner tube without feeling like there's wood in your tyres.
While it may be tempting to pair your winter wheels with the heaviest-duty tyre you can handle lugging about, puncture-proof tyres really have got a lot better in recent years, so it’s worth delving into our longer reviews to see whether one may work for you.
Tubeless tyre tech has taken off on the road too, giving you the advantage of some extra protection on winter roads. If you’re still frequently plagued by punctures, it may be worth investigating whether or not converting to road tubeless tyres could work for you. Even adding a bit of the best tyre sealant to your inner tubes can help.
If you’re looking for a faster summer tyre, you may be interested in our round-up of the best road bike tyres.
Editor's note: this buyer's guide was last updated on 4 March 2025, with the addition of the Panaracer Agilest Duro TLR.
Best winter road bike tyres as tested by BikeRadar
Goodyear Vector 4Seasons
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- Price: £52 / $65 / €70 as tested
- Weight: 344g
- Size tested: 28mm
- Tyre type: Tubeless and clincher options
- Pros: Good value; durable; easy tubeless setup
- Cons: Harsh ride quality; come up narrow
Like many winter tyres, the Goodyear Vector 4Seasons tyre offers bead-to-bead puncture protection to help avoid sidewall cuts and pinch flats. We rated the tubeless tyre's grip and durability through some grotty winter riding, although the ride is a little harsh.
The Goodyears come up a little narrower than specified, so it might be worth choosing a greater-width tyre if you have the frame clearance and want extra air volume. There are options up to 32c.
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Michelin Pro4 Endurance
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- Price: £50 / $60 / €48 / AU$80 as tested
- Weight: 295g
- Size tested: 28mm
- Tyre type: Clincher
- Pros: High tyre volume; lower recommended pressures; speed; resilience; grip
- Cons: fairly pricey
The Endurance version of the Michelin Pro4 gives you a tough carcass with bead-to-bead puncture protection and a fast-rolling dual compound rubber. We tested the 28mm tyre, but there are also 23mm and 25mm options.
Michelin suggests a pressure range of 58 to 87psi, which is a bit lower than some other winter tyres. Despite only having a microtexture grip surface, the tyres are grippy in both wet and dry conditions, and the ability to run at lower pressures only increases road-hold. The tyres proved resistant to cuts and damage as well.
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Panaracer Agilest Duro TLR
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- £65 / $83 as tested
- Pros: Lightweight for a winter tyre; hard-wearing; plentiful and predictable grip
- Cons: Slightly smaller than suggested
The Agilest Duro TLR is an excellent winter tyre, providing impressive grip with a head-wearing compound.
We found the puncture protection to be decent, while the tyre showed little wear during the testing cycle.
The tyres do come up a little narrow compared to what Panaracer suggests.
Specs
Type Clincher | Colour options Black or tan | Size and width options 700x25c, 700x28c, 700x30c, 700x32c | Size tested 700x30c | Weight 283g | TPI 120
Pirelli Cinturato Velo
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- Price: £62.99 / $78.55 / €74.39 / AU$115.90 as tested
- Weight: 360g
- Size tested: 28mm
- Tyre type: Tubeless and clincher options
- Pros: Good puncture protection; faster-rolling than other winter tyres
- Cons: Tread collects dirt; grip not quite as good as other tyres
Pirelli's Cinturato Velo makes for an excellent, assured all-rounder. It's compatible with hookless rims and, as well as the 28mm width tested, it's available in 26, 32 and 35mm options.
The Cinturato Velo is pitched as an all-rounder with a thick casing and a focus on puncture protection. The tyres feel surprisingly fast-rolling, especially considering their heavier weight, and balance this with welcome comfort. They grip assuredly, both in the wet and dry, and have proven to be hard-wearing.
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Pirelli P Zero Race 4S
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- Price: £62 / $85 / €70 / AU$110 as tested
- Weight: 261g
- Size tested: 28mm
- Tyre type: Clincher
- Pros: Race-level grip; lightweight; confidence-inspiring road feel
- Cons: Clincher only; limited puncture protection
Pirelli's top four-season tyre, the P-Zero Race 4S is designed to keep grip and a supple ride, while adding extra protection.
It uses a thicker layer of the SmartEVO rubber compound found in the Pirelli P-Zero Race TLR summer tyre, a 120 TPI casing and a nylon breaker.
The tyres are grippy at lower temperatures, instilling confidence on high-speed damp turns.
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Pirelli P Zero Race TLR 4S
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- Price: £79 / $100 / €95 / AU$161 as tested
- Weight: 344g
- Size tested: 28mm
- Tyre type: Tubeless
- Pros: Easy setup; good compound resilience; fast-feeling
- Cons: Round, narrow profile
On dry, well-surfaced roads, the Pirelli P Zero Race TLR 4S is difficult to distinguish from its raciest counterpart, the P Zero Race TLR.
Its tougher, more durable compound still feels fast and supple. So if you don't want to forgo performance in a winter road bike tyre, the Pirelli P Zero Race TLR is a good option.
Although simple to set up tubeless, when inflated, the P Zero Race TLR 4S measures a touch narrow and forms a round shape.
This doesn't inspire the most confidence in corners, but grip was sufficient in slippery conditions.
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Specialized S-Works Mondo
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- Price: £55 / $80 / €70 as tested
- Weight: 317g
- Size tested: 28mm
- Tyre type: Tubeless
- Pros: Fast-feeling; excellent road feel; very grippy; lightweight; competitively priced
- Cons: Tight tubeless setup; lower-level puncture protection
While the tyre is a little harder to seat than other options and offers less puncture protection, the S-Works Mondo still represents excellent value as a race-focused all-season tyre.
Specialized has employed a dual-compound construction: fast-rolling Gripton T2 down the slick centre line, and grippier Gripton T5 on the textured shoulders.
At 317g per 700x28c tyre, the Mondo is among the lightest in its class, which is especially impressive given the price.
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Continental Grand Prix 5000 AS TR
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- Price: £89.95 / $104 / €98.90 / AU$165.66 as tested
- Weight: 343g
- Size tested: 28mm
- Tyre type: Tubeless
- Pros: Near-S TR levels of grip and suppleness; feels fast; easy tubeless setup
- Cons: Compound can cut up; reflective band durability
The Continental Grand Prix 5000 AS TR is a more winterproof GP5000 S TR with a reinforced casing and thicker tread.
It nearly matches its go-fast namesake for perceived rolling resistance, traction and ride quality. So the AS TR will suit riders looking for a performance winter road tyre.
However, this liveliness appears to come at the cost of resilience to cuts. Plus, the reflective detailing began to peel away after two months of testing.
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Bontrager R4 Classics Hard Case Lite
- Price: £68 / $85 / €80 / AU$130 as tested
- Weight: 284g
- Size tested: 28mm
- Tyre type: Clincher
- Pros: Great supple road feel; tough
- Cons: Narrow when fitted
Open tubular tyres such as the Bontrager R4 Classics Hard Case Lite stretch the definition of a 'winter tyre', but if you want to carry on riding fast or racing throughout the winter, they could be the answer.
These tyres have a wonderfully supple 320 TPI cotton casing, Bontrager’s Hardcase Lite puncture-protection strip and a file-like tread that offers plenty of grip.
They come up slightly smaller than their claimed 28mm width, but we would nevertheless wholeheartedly recommend the Bontragers for speedy miles in poor conditions.
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Continental Gatorskin
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- Price: £45 / $68 / €52 as tested
- Weight: 276g
- Size tested: 28mm
- Tyre type: Clincher
- Pros: Low weight and lively handling for a winter tyre; excellent grip
- Cons: High recommended pressure
The Continental Gatorskin is a staple of winter riding, available in 23mm, 25mm, 28mm and 32mm sizes, as well as for 650c, 26in and 27in wheels. There's bead-to-bead Duraskin and a PolyX Breaker for puncture protection.
Conti's lowest recommended pressure for the 28mm tyre is a high-sounding 95psi. We dropped that a bit and the tyre provided plenty of cornering grip, as well as a supple, responsive ride. Our experience from plenty of miles across the team is that it wears well too.
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Continental Grand Prix 4 Season
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- Price: £66 / $83 / €66 / AU$99 as tested
- Weight: 289g
- Size tested: 28mm
- Tyre type: Clincher
- Pros: Good grip in all conditions; resilience
- Cons: Clincher-only; solid, heavy ride feel
Ahh, the venerable Grand Prix 4 Season. This is one of the more classic winter tyre options out there and is quite common as OE spec – and with good reason.
The DuraSkin carcass has proven to be incredibly resilient to tears and punctures without sacrificing too much comfort or speed, and the supposedly winter-specific rubber compound performs very well in wet conditions.
Note that, unlike the Grand Prix 5000 S TR, it's not a tubeless tyre though, so you'll need that spare inner tube with you.
At full RRP, the Grand Prix 4 Season is a little pricey, but it can often be found online with a healthy discount.
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Hutchinson Challenger
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- Price: £29.99 / €32.99 as tested
- Weight: 322g
- Size tested: 30mm
- Tube type: Clincher
- Pros: Good grip; puncture resistance; value
- Cons: Clincher-only; weighty; not the most forgiving
The Hutchinson Challenger is a fantastic-value winter road bike tyre, costing half as much as some high-quality competitors in this list.
Puncture resistance and reassuring grip on poor and wet surfaces compensate for the Challenger's slightly unforgiving ride. The Challenger is available in 25mm, 28mm and 30mm widths.
Despite weighing a bit more than its pricier rivals, the Hutchinson Challenger doesn't seem to encumber your progress on the road.
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Hutchinson Fusion 5 Performance 11Storm
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- Price: £41 / $49 / €49 / AU$72 as tested
- Weight: 295g
- Size tested: 28mm
- Tyre type: Tubeless
- Pros: Easy setup; comfortable; good grip; price
- Cons: Higher pressures required
Hutchinson's 11Storm compound, a 127 TPI casing and deep (for a road tyre) tread make for plenty of grip from the Fusion 5 tyres.
They're easy to fit, tubeless-ready, supple and handle well in wet conditions. We ran them at higher pressures than competing tyres because they felt less confident at lower than their 75psi stated minimum.
Although they didn't feel as if they rolled as fast as some, the clock suggested otherwise. They're a good, cheaper alternative to other brands' tyres.
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Michelin Power Protection TLR
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- Price: £80 / $85 / €81 as tested
- Weight: 322g
- Size tested: 28mm
- Tyre type: Tubeless
- Pros: Wet-weather grip; competitive weight; easy tubeless setup
- Cons: Pricey; no options larger than 32mm
The Michelin Power Protection TLR is an impressive performance-oriented all-season tyre, although there are no size options over 32mm.
With excellent wet-weather grip, good puncture protection and a generally lively ride quality in a lightweight package, you could happily use this year-round if you're not bothered about using race tyres.
However, you're limited to 28, 30 or 32c options, and it's not a cheap tyre, although it's comparable to other performance-focused winter tyres.
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Specialized Roubaix Pro
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- Price: £35 / $50 / €45 / AU$75 as tested
- Weight: 297g
- Size tested: 25/28mm
- Tyre type: Clincher
- Pros: Fast-rolling; measures up wide; impressively grippy
- Cons: Restrictive pressure range
Specialized offers three sizes for the Roubaix Pro and quotes a range of sizes rather than a single number. It suggests a highish 85 to 95psi inflation pressure for the 25/28mm size tested.
There's good stability and plenty of air volume, although we dropped the tyre pressure for added comfort and grip. With its quite high weight, it's not a racy-feeling tyre, but not sluggish either.
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Teravail Telegraph Durable
- Price: £48 / $75 as tested
- Weight: 364g
- Size tested: 28mm
- Tyre type: Tubeless
- Pros: Wet-weather grip; Durable version still supple-feeling; wide sizes; competitive price
- Cons: Tricky tubeless setup
One of the more cost-effective all-season training tyres on the market, the Teravail Telegraph Durable tyre features a 120 TPI (threads per inch) casing.
Choose between the 'Light and Supple' version or 'Durable’ as tested, which adds a nylon layer between the casing and tread for extra puncture protection.
However, you'll need to choose between 28, 30 and 35c widths, with our tester's favourite winter 32c size not catered for.
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Vittoria Corsa Control
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- Price: £55 / $85 / €70 / AU$100 as tested
- Weight: 284g
- Size tested: 28mm
- Tyre type: Tubeless and clincher options
- Pros: Excellent grip; durable
- Cons: Pricey; can feel stiff at higher pressures
The Corsa Control shares the same 320 TPI thread-count casing as the standard Corsa tyre, but has been infused with Kevlar for added toughness. The tread has also been extended out further onto the shoulders of the tyre for added grip and protection.
These are on the more delicate end of the winter-tyre spectrum, but if you don't want to sacrifice the low rolling resistance and grip of your summer tyres, they provide both of those attributes in bucketloads and in a more hard-wearing form.
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Vittoria Rubino Pro
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- Price: £40 / $55 as tested
- Weight: 264g
- Size tested: 28mm
- Tube type: Clincher
- Pros: Impressive grip; easy to set up; durable
- Cons: A bit slow-feeling
The Vittoria Rubino Pro is a suitable tyre for all-year-round use if you prioritise grip and puncture protection over low rolling resistance and weight.
While cheaper than most of Vittoria's tyre range, the Rubino Pro's 150 TPI casing doesn't provide the smoothest ride, potentially leading to hand and wrist fatigue on longer outings.
However, the clincher-only Rubino Pro is easy to fit and comes in an array of sizes, from 700 x 23c to 700 x 30c.
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Vittoria Zaffiro Pro V G2.0
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- Price: £30 / $35 / €26 as tested
- Weight: 341g
- Size tested: 28mm
- Tyre type: Clincher
- Pros: Great value; consistent grip; improved feel and durability versus previous generations
- Cons: Lower inflated air volume than competitors
Vittoria claims this is a winter training tyre used by pro riders for its puncture protection and durability. The shallow, wide inflated shape gives good sidewall protection and the tyre is more supple than its low thread count would imply.
It's not as fast-rolling as some tyres, but there's plenty of grip on offer from the graphene tyre compound.
Vittoria offers four size options: 25mm, 28mm, 30mm and 32mm, so wider tyre users are well catered for. The tyre can be run at lower pressures than many competitors and it's comparatively inexpensive.
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Also consider…
Although they didn't score 4 stars or more in our testing, the following tyres are also worth adding to your shortlist as a winter-ready option.
Michelin Power All Season
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- Price: £50 / $65 / €55 / AU$99 as tested
- Weight: 295g
- Size tested: 28mm
- Tyre type: Clincher
- Pros: Ample grip; durability
- Cons: Weighty; tricky setup
The Michelin Power All Seasons tyre was marked down on its tight fit on the rim and stiff casing, which reduced suppleness and speed. However, once fitted the grippy compound provided plenty of confidence on wet roads.
There's bags of puncture protection and a three-layer casing. They're not tubeless though.
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Vittoria Corsa Pro Control TLR
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- Price: £90 / $100 / €95 as tested
- Weight: 314g
- Size tested: 28mm
- Tyre type: Tubeless
- Pros: Fantastic ride quality; excellent grip; relatively lightweight
- Cons: Leaky sidewalls; tricky tubeless setup
Grippy, supple and speedy, the Vittoria Corsa Pro Control TLR could be the perfect winter road bike tyre if only it were easier to install.
Tubeless setup proved an ordeal. In the event of an unsealable, roadside puncture, the difficulty we had seating the tyre could be problematic.
Air retention isn't one of the Vittoria Corsa Pro Control TLR's strengths either.
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Our annual Bike of the Year test is an industry benchmark and the BikeRadar team consists of some of the most experienced riders and testers in the business.What to look for when buying winter road bike tyres
Tread: Deep treads moulded in motorbike and car tyres help to squeeze water from under the tyre in really wet conditions. Bicycle tyres simply aren’t wide enough to aquaplane at normal speeds, so tread is largely unnecessary on smooth surfaces. Regardless, lots of riders naturally trust treaded tyres more than slicks, whatever the science.
Protective layer: The tyres here all use some kind of protective sheet under the tread to stop sharp objects puncturing the inner tube. Trying to balance extra protection but still allowing the tyre to be flexible and supple enough to roll quickly and comfortably is hard.
Some tyres also include protective layers in the side walls to stop cuts, which is called bead-to-bead protection. It's a feature of many tyres designed specifically for winter riding.
Size: The bigger the carcass, the more air between you and the road. This means the inner tube (if using) is less likely to get pinched and punctured. Fatter tyres feel more comfortable, afford more control on rough surfaces and oodles of tests have shown they often roll better than narrower ones.
The ability to drop the pressure in a wider tyre means you have a larger, more compliant contact patch for more grip too. Running tubeless should enable you to lower the pressure even more.
Compound: The real key to grip is the compound of the rubber: a soft-compound tyre will be very grippy, but will wear fast and have a higher rolling resistance; harder compounds are fast rolling and wear well, but are slippery. This is why many tyres have a dual compound that is harder in the centre than on the shoulders.
Gravel tyres: Another winter option that's been opened up by the ever-increasing tyre clearance of road bikes is to run gravel tyres. The best gravel tyres will add even more grip, but may roll almost as fast as a road bike tyre. Often, there'll be a range of widths available and the narrower ones will fit in a road bike frame, giving you the grip you need to take on rougher, damper surfaces.
What about studded tyres?
This wouldn't be a winter road bike tyres guide without mentioning studded tyres.
For those of us in the most hostile winter climates, where snow and ice are more commonplace, studded tyres can be a great option to help you keep riding through the worst of the weather.
These tyres use a matrix of small metal studs embedded into the rubber tread to give grip that's unmatched by standard tyres.
For the full low down and a few model recommendations, read our guide to studded tyres for ice.
