Panaracer Race D Evo 4 tyre

The Panaracer Race D Evo 4 is described by its maker as an ultra-durable road race tyre. I found them a bit snug to fit on some wheels, and they aren't tubeless compatible, but if you are after a fast-rolling, grippy road tyre with decent protection then the Race D is an excellent choice.

First up, Panaracer adds the letters TLC to any of its tubeless tyre names, so if you want to drop the inner tube then you're in the wrong place I'm afraid, as there is no sign of that here.

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The Race D Evo 4 is a folding clincher, and while I found it reasonably easy to fit to some Hunt wheels, it was quite snug, especially once the tube was in. I needed a tyre lever to gently ease the final section of tyre in place as there was no way I was popping it on using thumb strength alone. After they'd stretched a little, removing and refitting was easier.

> Clincher bike tyres: find out the easy way to fit them

For this fourth evolution of the Race D, Panaracer says it has a 'new All Contact Tread Shape' which has been designed to work with wider rims, which are becoming more commonplace on road bikes.

Fitted to a Hunt rim with a 19mm internal width, the 28mm Race D Evo 4 measured 28.4mm at its widest point, and had a sidewall profile that was a natural progression of that of the rim.

As well as the 28mm size on test, they also come in a 25mm width, both with either a black or tan sidewall.

Probably the best thing about these tyres is the ZSG compound which Panaracer claims has increased grip by 20 per cent over the previous version, and lowered rolling resistance by 10 per cent.

These are tough claims to verify out on the road, especially if part of your daily ride routine isn't freewheeling down a hill over and over again and measuring the time it takes to the nearest hundredth of a second.

I found the Evo 3 tyres quick and grippy, and these Evo 4s are no different. The tacky feel to the ZSG compound really grabs on as you fly through a fast corner or tight roundabout.

The bike I swapped these onto was originally wearing Continental's GP5000s, one of the best out there when it comes to grip and performance, and I can barely feel any difference at all. They both offer confidence-inspiring grip and impressive speed.

The ride quality of the Panaracers is good too – very supple, even at high pressures.

The D stands for Duro, which means the Evo 4 is better protected than the lighter tyres in the line-up like the Race A Evo 4, which doesn't have the more robust 3D Double Dipped casing. Both share the Protite puncture proofing belt though.

Durability of the Race D is looking good. They haven't picked up any nicks or cuts, and wear level to the tread is looking very minimal after 500 miles.

When it comes to value, the Race D Evo 4's rrp of £39.99 compares very well to the £59.99 rrp of the Conti GP5000.

> Buyer’s Guide: 48 of the best road bike tyres

In his review, Jamie rated the Maxxis High Road SLs highly on all but their longevity, and they are light too – 177g compared to the 262g of the Panaracers – but they're £49.99, further showing how well priced the Race D Evo 4s are.

Conclusion

If you aren't fussed about tubeless compatibility then the Race D Evo 4 is probably one of the best performance clinchers out there. It's also well priced, and wear and durability rates are looking good.

Verdict

Up there with the best in class for speed and grip at a very attractive price