Pirelli Cinturato Gravel S review: Made for mud, not tarmac

Choosing the best gravel bike tyre can be an absolute game changer for your ride experience, inspiring confidence (or not), and sometimes even making the difference between riding and walking. The Pirelli Cinturato Gravel S sits at the most aggressive end of the gravel tyre spectrum, and is unapologetically focused on traction rather than speed, designed to keep things grippy when the going gets muddy.

I tested the tyres in a 700x45c size, in what has been one of the wettest winters on record. From January through March, I’ve ridden mostly on bridleways and purpose-built trails around Bristol (known for its sticky clay mud), as well as on a 3-day bikepacking trip in the Scottish Highlands. With a decent number of miles needed to reach the trails in Bristol, the test conditions highlighted the Cinturato Gravel S’s compromises and strengths, and ultimately I found myself riding where I may have previously spun out and had to walk.

Design and Aesthetics

The Pirelli Cinturato Gravel S is the slowest rolling tyre in the gravel range, but it’s also the most aggressive in mud as one of the chunkiest gravel bike tyres around. In a gravel line-up that includes the faster rolling Cinturato Gravel H for hardpack and dry conditions, the mixed terrain Gravel M, and the race focused Gravel RC, the Gravel S is definitely the mud specialist. These are the tyres you put on for waterlogged trails in a wet winter like the one we’ve recently experienced in the UK, much like the Vittoria T90 we also tested recently.

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The Gravel S features widely spaced and chunky centre knobs, paired with aggressive side lugs that almost stray into mountain bike territory. The design intent is clear; dig into soft terrain, shed mud, and provide stability when conditions are at their most slippery.

Pirelli claims the tyre prioritises “control and safety in every condition”, and that is obvious in the tyre’s hardy construction. The Speedgrip compound, shared across much of its off-road range, aims to balance grip with durability and puncture resistance, rather than chasing outright rolling speed. The reinforced TechWALL casing is built around a 60TPI fabric, adding a further layer of protection, and giving the tyre a distinctly tough feel in the hand.

The trade off here is of course weight. The 45mm version comes in at roughly 570g, which puts it on the heavier side of the scale. However, they’re not too dissimilar to the similarly rugged Vittoria Terreno T90 at 544g, or the mud-geared, but now discontinued Schwalbe G-One Ultrabite at 530g.

The tyre is tubeless-ready and hookless compatible, and I mounted the 45mm pair on a set of Hunt 4 Season Gravel wheels on my Fairlight Secan (which has clearance for 50mm on 700c wheels). In terms of look, the tyres are unapologetically rugged. The gumwalls definitely made my Secan look more sturdy workhorse than slick gravel racer, but that’s the kind of reliability I want when I’m tackling the slick clay-mud around Bristol.

Performance

Living in the city, my off-road riding usually starts with at least 30 minutes on tarmac, and so my first experience of the Gravel S was drag. The combination of large knobs and a sturdy casing creates a lag, which is a reminder that they were not designed with smooth asphalt in mind, and I was certainly reminded of this tyre choice on group rides with significant tarmac sections. Compared with faster rolling options like the Cinturato Gravel H, or something racier like the Schwalbe G-One RS, you’ll definitely notice yourself pushing harder.

But the moment I turned onto my sloppy local trails, the story changed entirely.

Over the course of testing from January through March, the Gravel S proved to be a confidence-inspiring tyre once pointed off-road. From ankle-deep mud to slick limestone climbs and even the XC loops at the trail centre, the tyres consistently delivered impressive traction, which had me riding with trust.

On flat but muddy sections, I was able to cut through quagmires that would usually have me spinning out. In one particular boggy spot, I was able to ride through so easily that I turned my bike around to ride over it a few more times in awe. The tall centre knobs dig in deep, allowing you to keep momentum where less aggressive tyres might spin out. I also found them to be very grippy when cornering, and I felt in control thanks to the pronounced shoulder knobs.

As described by Pirelli, that sense of security is arguably the Gravel S’s USP. In sloppy winter riding conditions where traction can be unpredictable, the tyres offer a boost of confidence that encouraged me to ride more aggressively – or at least, not to worry about slipping out. Descending muddy trails felt controlled, and grip was dependable even on wet limestone. The tread pattern is excellent at shedding mud, and there never seemed to be any build up.

I ran the tyres tubeless at around 35-40psi, which gave a smooth ride on rough bridleways without much trail chatter. The tubeless setup was mostly straightforward, and after warming the tyres by the radiator I was able to seat them with a tubeless pump on the first try. There was a slow leak after the initial set up and I found the tyre flat after a few days without riding, but they now seem to have sealed well and I’ve had no problems since then.

Thanks to the tough composition, the Gravel S has been impressively hardy. While the ground conditions were much more challenging in Bristol than the Highlands (mud-wise), the robust tyre held up well on chunky Scottish gravel. There have been no punctures to deal with across three months of winter riding, and the tread shows little sign of premature wear.

As with the sluggishness, weight remains another compromise with the Cinturato Gravel S. With excellent protection and grip comes a heavier overall feel, and riders chasing fast speeds should look elsewhere. But ultimately these tyres deliver exactly what they promise: confidence-inspiring grip and control in poor conditions. If you’re looking for something to see you through the winter mud, the Gravel S turns what might otherwise be a tentative ride into something far more enjoyable.

Value

At roughly the same price as similarly knobbly tyres like the Schwalbe G-One RX or WTB Resolute, the Pirelli Cinturato Gravel S sits squarely in the centre of the mud-focused gravel tyre bracket. Where it excels is its reliability. With three months of winter riding on the rubber, there were no punctures and no premature wearing. If you’ve ever tried to fix a puncture in low temps while you and your bike are caked in mud, you’ll know how important this durability is.

These are not the tyres for fast hardpack gravel or anything where you’ll spend too much of your ride on tarmac. There are far better options that roll faster, like the Pirelli Cinturato Gravel H, for example. If your winter riding means mud, unpredictable terrain and sloppy trails, the Gravel S offers a compelling balance of grip and control.

Verdict

The Pirelli Cinturato Gravel S is not a tyre for chasing speed, but that is also why it works so well. On tarmac, there’s no denying that it’s slow and sluggish. But point it towards some mud, and the story changes completely. The chunky knobs, sturdy casing and wide spacing of the tread result in excellent traction and a reassuring ride when things are unpredictable.

Throughout months of riding on clay-heavy trails, these tyres gave me a confidence boost that had me reaching for my gravel bike on the wettest of days. But as things dry out a little, I’m looking forward to putting something a little slicker back on.