# Good Tubeless Commuter Tire **URL:** \ **Category:** What to Buy\ **Created:** [June 23, 2026, 1:31am UTC](https://community.escapecollective.com/t/good-tubeless-commuter-tire/5629 "2026-06-23T01:31:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Patrick\_Stuart](https://community.escapecollective.com/user_avatar/community.escapecollective.com/patrick_stuart/32/1184_2.png) [@Patrick\_Stuart](https://community.escapecollective.com/u/Patrick_Stuart)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2026, 1:31am UTC](https://community.escapecollective.com/t/good-tubeless-commuter-tire/5629/1 "2026-06-23T01:31:44Z")
After yet another flat on the way home, I’m thinking about going Tubeless. Unfortunately my current Panaracer Paselas don’t have that many miles, so it is a bit of a shame to chuck them, as they are not rated TLR. Looking for something with a similar urban/touring tread and not that heavy or sluggish. The previous Conti Top Contacts wore forever but were slow. Can fit 35 or 36mm tires with my fenders on. ---
**Author:** ![David\_Braddon-Mitchell1](https://community.escapecollective.com/user_avatar/community.escapecollective.com/david_braddon-mitchell1/32/8990_2.png) [@David\_Braddon-Mitchell1](https://community.escapecollective.com/u/David_Braddon-Mitchell1)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2026, 2:08am UTC](https://community.escapecollective.com/t/good-tubeless-commuter-tire/5629/2 "2026-06-23T02:08:02Z")
One question is what kind of urban commuting. A lot of people think oh it’s commuting so I need tread; but tread is useful if there’s gravel sand mud etc. But on pavement, even very broken pavement, a slick tyre is likely safer and with more grip especially in the corners than any tread pattern - more rubber on the road. In which case the only further considerations are cost and puncture protetction that prevent you from getting a nice smooth rolling tyre. I would have thought that the latest Pirellis P-0 general race tires, which are rated very highly for puncture protection (more so than the Contis I run) and are up wit the best for rolling, would be a great choice for commuting in a 35mm size, unless of course cost is an issue, coz they aren’t cheap… ---
**Author:** ![Chris\_Webb](https://community.escapecollective.com/user_avatar/community.escapecollective.com/chris_webb/32/201_2.png) [@Chris\_Webb](https://community.escapecollective.com/u/Chris_Webb)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2026, 3:15am UTC](https://community.escapecollective.com/t/good-tubeless-commuter-tire/5629/3 "2026-06-23T03:15:54Z")
I’d consider either the Pirelli P Zero Race TLR in 40mm (It’s less of a race tyre than a high-performance commuting tyre compared to the rest of the Race TLR line-up) and the Pirelli Cinturato Evo in 40mm. I’ve run the Cinturato in 30mm on a bike that occasionally saw some silly gravel roads and had no issues. I’ve also run the Race TLR in 30mm and they were a much livelier tyre and a tiny bit less puncture resistant Rolling resistance compared both. I recommend jumping to the bottom and having a read of their conclusion first. > **[Pirelli Cinturato EVO TLR 40 vs Pirelli P Zero Race TLR SpeedCore 40](https://www.bicyclerollingresistance.com/cx-gravel-reviews/compare/pirelli-cinturato-evo-40-vs-pirelli-p-zero-race-tlr-40)** > > Full side by side tire comparison: Pirelli Cinturato EVO TLR 40 vs Pirelli P Zero Race TLR SpeedCore 40. This page includes all data collected by our tests including all size measurements and rolling resistance and puncture resistance test results. ---
**Author:** ![tim\_k7906](https://community.escapecollective.com/user_avatar/community.escapecollective.com/tim_k7906/32/1961_2.png) [@tim\_k7906](https://community.escapecollective.com/u/tim_k7906)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2026, 8:38am UTC](https://community.escapecollective.com/t/good-tubeless-commuter-tire/5629/4 "2026-06-23T08:38:40Z")
What type of terrain? As @David_Braddon-Mitchell1 says, if you’re solely riding on pavement/asphalt/tarmac/whatever you call it, you don’t need “tread”. The fact that most “urban” tyres do have a tread pattern is just psychology and marketing - people expect that type of tyre to have tread, so the manufacturers put a tread on, so people continue to expect it. I currently have Pirelli P-Zero Race TLR on my commuter/winter road bike, and have been perfectly happy with them. Mine are about due for replacement after ~5,000km and in that time have only had a couple of punctures, all of which sealed by themselves without even needing to top up the air. A couple of other options to consider would be the Conti GP5000 AS TR, or the Vittoria Corsa N.Ext. ---
**Author:** ![Sean\_J](https://community.escapecollective.com/user_avatar/community.escapecollective.com/sean_j/32/2282_2.png) [@Sean\_J](https://community.escapecollective.com/u/Sean_J)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2026, 8:46am UTC](https://community.escapecollective.com/t/good-tubeless-commuter-tire/5629/5 "2026-06-23T08:46:42Z")
Another Pirelli fan her. I have used both the PZero Race 4S TLR and the PZero Road TLR in 32mm for commuting. Both are good commute tyres. The Road TLR is my top pick, mostly because it’s cheaper than other PZero Race variants and has a tougher & slower rolling carcass more suited to commuting. The only puncture I’ve had is from an 8G roofing screw, I don’t think any tyre would’ve stood up to that. ---
**Author:** ![Jason\_E](https://community.escapecollective.com/user_avatar/community.escapecollective.com/jason_e/32/7415_2.png) [@Jason\_E](https://community.escapecollective.com/u/Jason_E)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2026, 9:16am UTC](https://community.escapecollective.com/t/good-tubeless-commuter-tire/5629/6 "2026-06-23T09:16:00Z")
I commute on Thundero HD’s, no complaints at all and they aren’t crazy expensive. ---
**Author:** ![Kevin1](https://community.escapecollective.com/user_avatar/community.escapecollective.com/kevin1/32/9933_2.png) [@Kevin1](https://community.escapecollective.com/u/Kevin1)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2026, 5:06pm UTC](https://community.escapecollective.com/t/good-tubeless-commuter-tire/5629/7 "2026-08-05T17:06:08Z")
I have been wondering on this topic for a long time. I commute and also like to ride urban loops where road conditions are not good with some hard packed trail. Over the last 5+ years I have been running Panaracer Gravelking Slick+ tires, tubeless, with great success. I love how robust they are for urban conditions, the file tread is more than enough for most conditions plus some light gravel and they roll well. But here is the challenge. I hit many paved bike trails, which get muddy after adjacent streams overflow. I do not like hitting sections of slick mud through an underpass with no tread as it feels like ice skating. As a result I have been scared to try a Conti or P-Zero option and have been used the Gravelking SS+. I do not notice them to be any slower on asphalt and I like the lateral treads (might be just in my mind though?) ---
**Author:** ![Derek\_O\_Connor](https://community.escapecollective.com/user_avatar/community.escapecollective.com/derek_o_connor/32/6456_2.png) [@Derek\_O\_Connor](https://community.escapecollective.com/u/Derek_O_Connor)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2026, 5:39pm UTC](https://community.escapecollective.com/t/good-tubeless-commuter-tire/5629/8 "2026-08-05T17:39:47Z")
I have to disagree with some of the prior commenters here and strongly advocate against a slick commuter tire. Assuming that a significant portion of the daily ride is in an urban area, my experience indicates your most likely cause of puncture is broken glass. Any slick tire will provide, at best, middling protection against glass as it will be forced into the tire with each revolution…whereas a tire with even a bit of tread will sidestep this problem as it usually won’t penetrate deeper than the tread. For that reason my choice for a commuter tire is the fast rolling Tufo Thundero HD (or something similar). Reasonably priced, good on any surface, mild/moderate tread, relatively low rolling resistance, & durable. The argument that a slick has better grip in ideal circumstances is true, but misses the point: you’re not usually leaning over your commuter bike at acute angles while ripping through a turn. The grip at that angle is irrelevant for most commuter bikes. Pick something that won’t leave you stranded when it’s late, you’re tired from work, and run over that teeny tiny bit of glass you didn’t see in the bike lane. ---
**Author:** ![James\_Heath](https://community.escapecollective.com/user_avatar/community.escapecollective.com/james_heath/32/771_2.png) [@James\_Heath](https://community.escapecollective.com/u/James_Heath)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2026, 8:25pm UTC](https://community.escapecollective.com/t/good-tubeless-commuter-tire/5629/9 "2026-08-05T20:25:13Z")
I would second a similar sentiment, though not so much about tread, but thickness of rubber and casing. If you’re looking at Pirelli, the Cinturato would be a safer option - grippier compound, more rubber to wear through, and a substantial puncture protection layer underneath. Otherwise, consider anything from the Schwalbe 365 range, or something like the Hutchinson Challenger. A gravel tyre with a thicker centre tread may also be worth looking at, given the available clearance. Something like a Specialized Pathfinder or Gravelking SS+ (only the + casings) would be good. ---
**Author:** ![JC1979](https://community.escapecollective.com/user_avatar/community.escapecollective.com/jc1979/32/2145_2.png) [@JC1979](https://community.escapecollective.com/u/JC1979)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2026, 8:34pm UTC](https://community.escapecollective.com/t/good-tubeless-commuter-tire/5629/10 "2026-08-05T20:34:30Z")
> [@Derek\_O\_Connor](#): > > Any slick tire will provide, at best, middling protection against glass as it will be forced into the tire with each revolution…whereas a tire with even a bit of tread will sidestep this problem as it usually won’t penetrate deeper than the tread. I’m not sure I entirely agree, as you are taking slick to mean little or no rubber. It’s not a given that a treaded road tyre has greater overall rubber depth than all slick tyres. Cutting into the rubber is also not necessarily an issue if the puncture resistant belt beneath it remains intact. Add in that wider tyres mean lower pressures meaning the tyre will mould around objects more, and the result is that good wide slick will likely have significantly lower chance of punctures than many narrow treaded street tyres. ---
**Author:** ![Patrick\_Stuart](https://community.escapecollective.com/user_avatar/community.escapecollective.com/patrick_stuart/32/1184_2.png) [@Patrick\_Stuart](https://community.escapecollective.com/u/Patrick_Stuart)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2026, 12:54am UTC](https://community.escapecollective.com/t/good-tubeless-commuter-tire/5629/11 "2026-08-06T00:54:41Z")
I ended up going with some Michelin Power Adventure tires after reading too many reviews with people having problems mounting the Pirellis. The Michelins mounted really easily on my wheels and seem to ride fast, but I’m still chasing a slow leak on one of them. ---
**Author:** ![Nick](https://community.escapecollective.com/user_avatar/community.escapecollective.com/nick/32/7422_2.png) [@Nick](https://community.escapecollective.com/u/Nick)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2026, 4:46am UTC](https://community.escapecollective.com/t/good-tubeless-commuter-tire/5629/12 "2026-08-06T04:46:29Z")
My gravel bike doubles as my commuter and I’ve been happily running Pirelli Cinturato H in 45mm. They’ve been great both on and off road. I get a bit more rolling resistance than a slick tire but they are good on a variety terrain of so I’m willing to take that hit. The profile of the knobs is low enough they still corner well on pavement. Your mileage may vary, but I find tires with tread flat less often. Every once in a while something sharp will find its way between the knobs. I prefer something with light tread not so tightly spaced that glass gets stuck between. I’m going to mount some Tufo Thunderos next. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Flick](https://community.escapecollective.com/user_avatar/community.escapecollective.com/peter_flick/32/4088_2.png) [@Peter\_Flick](https://community.escapecollective.com/u/Peter_Flick)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2026, 7:44am UTC](https://community.escapecollective.com/t/good-tubeless-commuter-tire/5629/13 "2026-08-06T07:44:06Z")
Good tyre and can recommend though I’ve only used with latex tubes ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Flick](https://community.escapecollective.com/user_avatar/community.escapecollective.com/peter_flick/32/4088_2.png) [@Peter\_Flick](https://community.escapecollective.com/u/Peter_Flick)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2026, 7:48am UTC](https://community.escapecollective.com/t/good-tubeless-commuter-tire/5629/14 "2026-08-06T07:48:11Z")
Hard to recommend the N.EXT or any Vittoria tyre for longetivity, even since they’ve improved the tread by moving to a vulcanised process. Have seen the N.EXT delaminate and the sidewalls on the Corsa peel off. ---
**Author:** ![Jason\_E](https://community.escapecollective.com/user_avatar/community.escapecollective.com/jason_e/32/7415_2.png) [@Jason\_E](https://community.escapecollective.com/u/Jason_E)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2026, 8:54am UTC](https://community.escapecollective.com/t/good-tubeless-commuter-tire/5629/15 "2026-08-06T08:54:46Z")
I’ve been using Thundero’s for commuting for a while now, absolutely perfect in my opinion 👌