Silca Enters the Tire Game With Big Treads and Big Claims

Silca has released a new collection of tires, its latest addition to an ever-growing range of cycling products. The tires range from 29mm road tires to 55mm gravel tires, and even a 2.4 32-inch mountain bike tire. The entire range is built for speed across tarmac and dirt drop-bar racing.

Silca has been a long-time supporter of gravel racing with it performance oriented ethos and products. Those products range from chain wax to tools, most of which have been innovated on after the brand was revitalized by the current CEO, Josh Poertner.

For those who know the brand, and perhaps Silca’s “Marginal Gains Podcast,” it is not a surprise that tires are the next frontier that Silca is pursuing. Especially in gravel, where Poertner and notable Silca athlete Dylan Johnson have been at the forefront of the push to bigger, faster gravel tires. Yet Silca is not just releasing any old tires; it claims the RCG-1 is the fastest gravel tire in the world.

“For years, the industry approached gravel tires by just slapping thick, heavy rubber onto traditional road tire carcasses, Poertner said. “We approached the Protocol lineup by first looking at lower-pressure dynamics. By optimizing casing ply angles, tread profiles, and material science together, we’ve created a tire platform that is faster, lighter, and more supple without sacrificing durability.”

The result is a focused lineup of tires that brings four tread patterns in a broad collection of widths. Throughout the range, Silca has committed to the same thin yet high-density 120 TPI casings for a supple, fast construction supporting its proprietary “Pulsar” compound. Additionally, the brand has opted for a carbon bead system to retain the tires’ fit and feel over time, a unique rubber compound to preserve energy loss, and a mix of taller side knobs and asymmetrical treads to create better cornering traction to maximize braking traction.

For Dylan Johnson, the new tire lineup was enough for him to commit to a type of sponsor agreement he previously refused to do.

“Throughout my career, I’ve avoided official tire sponsorships so I could strictly run whatever tested fastest in the lab and on the dirt,” Dylan Johnson said of the new tire line. “The Protocol lineup is the first time a tire checks every box for volume, traction, and speed, making this partnership with Silca an easy decision.”

We look forward to testing the Protocol tires over the next few months to evaluate these claims for ourselves. The full Protocol tire lineup is available through select retailers and directly at silca.cc.

Protocol tire options and specifications: