We’ve spotted what appears to be a new, aero-specific front tyre from Continental and SwissSide at the Tour de France.
Spotted on the Van Rysel bikes of the Decathlon–AG2R La Mondiale team ahead of stage one on Saturday, the tyre has square ‘notches’ within the tread.
While there are no official details about the new tyre, it's likely designed to work in a similar way to a golf ball, whereby the dimples trip the airflow from laminar to turbulent, thereby reducing drag. Aero socks and aero base layers employ similar thinking.
The tyre is branded as ‘Continental Aero 111’ on the sidewall. The tyre also appears to be a partnership between the German tyre brand and Swiss Side, with ‘Aerodynamics by Swiss Side’ printed on the opposite sidewall. The Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale team uses Swiss Side wheels.
There’s no indication of width on the tyre, but we’d expect it to be 28c – that’s what it looks to the eye, and 28c has become the standard size for pro riders.
The bikes we’ve seen at the Tour de France only use the new tyre at the front, with a regular Continental GP 5000 S TR on the rear.
That’s not unsurprising, given that only the front tyre is going to have a meaningful aerodynamic impact.
It’s also not surprising that tyres have become the latest subject of attention for aerodynamic bigwigs, given the ever-increasing focus on drag reduction at the top level of the sport.
Tyre width and tread pattern – as well as the interaction between the tyre and the rim – have a small but not negligible impact on drag, within the overall context of a rider-plus-bike system. ENVE is among the brands to offer 'aero-optimised' road tyres.
Keep an eye out for this new tyre at the Tour de France, where the Decathlon–AG2R La Mondiale team is also using a new Van Rysel FCR aero bike.
