First ride review: Schwalbe G-One R 700 x 40C – fast tires for hot gravel laps?

With the G-One R gravel tire, Schwalbe promise speed and control on fast rides in moderate off-road terrain, on gravel and asphalt. To achieve this, the latest addition to the G-One series features a boomerang tread pattern and a special casing. Read on to find out how the tire performs.

Schwalbe are amongst the biggest players in the bicycle tire market and the German brand’s G-One series offers a proven range of gravel tires for different terrain. No wonder then that two of them featured in our most recent gravel tire grouptest. You can find our reviews of the Schwalbe G-One Allround Evolution and the Schwalbe G-One Bite Evolution online. According to Schwalbe, the new G-One R is designed to perform as a race tire on moderate off-road terrain, gravel and asphalt. To this end, the tire features a new boomerang tread pattern which is claimed to roll fast while offering excellent traction on the climbs and when accelerating.

The rearward angled shoulder knobs should offer added cornering traction and the Super Race casing promises a comfortable ride. The sidewall is constructed of three layers whereas the centre strip is made of a thinner material featuring a layer of Schwalbe’s so-called V-Guard puncture protection. You’ll find two sizes available in stores: 700 x 40C and 700 x 45C. Both models are tubeless ready and come in a tan-wall look.

The Schwalbe G-One R in review

We tested the 40 mm wide version of the Schwalbe G-One R on the Canyon Grizl CF SL 8. The tires were fitted to a pair of DT Swiss G 1800 SPLINE DB 25 rims with an internal width of 24 mm. At a tire pressure of 2.5 bar, the tires inflated to 39.8 mm wide on these rims. Weighing in at 472 g, the G-One R is somewhat lighter than its two siblings mentioned above. We’ll have to do some more testing to find out whether this comes at the cost of durability and puncture protection. Fitting the tires, we had to resort to using tire levers but once on the rim they seated without any issues and held air before we even added any sealant. In terms of weight, the G-One R is the lightest in the range, though you’ll find significantly lighter gravel tires on the market, such as the Panaracer GravelKing SK coming in at 401 g for the 700 x 40C version. When accelerating, the boomerang tread pattern generates lots of grip on asphalt as well as compacted gravel, efficiently converting your input into propulsion.

However, the lightest gravel tires on the market do pick up speed slightly quicker due to their lower rotating mass and thus reduced moment of inertia. However, the G-One R shines with minimal rolling resistance and makes easy work of maintaining the pace once up to speed. As you’d expect from Schwalbe, the braking traction is good and remains predictable and easy to control even on gravel. The boomerang pattern is evenly distributed over the entire tread and generates lots of cornering grip on gravel and loose ground as you lean the bike over. When cornering on Asphalt, you benefit from the fact that the knobs almost form a continuous surface, offering characteristics similar to those of a slick tire.

For racing tires that are intended for this kind of terrain, the comfort they offer is sufficient, reliably absorbing vibrations on broken asphalt and gravel roads. That said, bigger hits from rocks and roots on rougher off-road terrain are passed on to the rider unfiltered. You’ll find better suited tires for this kind of riding.

Conclusion

With the G-One R, Schwalbe offer a fast gravel race tire that offers minimal rolling resistance, good cornering grip and first-class braking performance on asphalt and compacted gravel, making it a great choice for the gravel racers of this world. If you’re looking to venture further off-road or value maximum comfort, you’ll find better suited, more aggressively treaded options elsewhere.

For more information, visit schwalbe.com

Have you caught the gravel bug and aren’t just looking for the right tires but also the perfect bike? In that case, our gravel bike buyer’s guide is here to help!

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Words: Photos: Philipp Schwab