Best Tires for RACEMAX² ITALIA
Max Clearance: Are you running a front derailleur or 1x?
The Racemax2 Italia can fit up to 51mm WAM (Width as measured) and 363mm RAM (Radius as measured) +/-1mm while maintaining 5mm of clearance between the tire and frame/fork.
To maximize the tire size, a 1X drivetrain is recommended.
If you choose to run a 2x setup, the front derailleur becomes the limiting factor rather than the frame itself.
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Every tire has a distinct shape in its cross section, meaning the maximum WAM is not in the same place for each tire. That affects tire clearance.
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The exact positioning of the limits and the height of the front derailleur can affect tire clearance.
-
These effects are small, but as we’re working with small clearances to begin with, it’s important to always check that your resulting setup is safe.
|
FRONT DERAILLEUR |
MAX WAM 700c (+/-1mm) |
|
Shimano GRX Di2 2×12 |
48mm WAM* |
|
Campagnolo 2x13 |
48mm WAM* |
|
SRAM – ONLY compatible with AXS Wide crank– 47.5mm chainline, paired with non-wide Front Derailleur
|
48mm WAM* |
* 5mm of clearance between tire and any frame or fork element of the bike, including front derailleur
Determine the width you need inside the recommended tire range
The Racemax2 Italia is engineered around tires with WAM (Width-As-Measured) between 41mm WAM (353mm RAM) as the smaller optimal option and 51 mm WAM (363mm RAM) as the wider 1X option recommended to keep the 5mm clearance. Therefore, we recommend staying within this tire range to fully exploit the capabilities of the Racemax2 Italia.
Before going over to the list of tires we recommend (after measuring and testing them on the Racemax2 Italia) we can already anticipate that almost any tire labelled as 45mm will fit on Racemax2 Italia, as well as many 40mm labelled and some 50mm labelled tires.
To find the best tire, determine the approximate tire width and profile you need. We’re obviously talking about the Width-As-Measured, not the width on the tire label. Understand more about defining tires using WAM & RAM in “How big is my tire?”
Don’t worry too much about finding the “perfect” width or tire. Take an educated guess, ride the tires you landed on, and make mental notes on what you like and what you don’t. Tires wear out and you’ll learn by riding them in different conditions if you need to go bigger or smaller next time. In the meantime, enjoy the ride.
What rim are you using?
Because WAM depends partially on the inner width of the rim, you might want to use a different tire on a different rim. This is not only important for tire fit but also for its performance. A very wide tire on a narrow rim can be very flexible sideways, meaning that in hard or fast corners your handling can feel vague.
Considering the recommended tire range (41-51mm) for the Racemax2 Italia, we advise using rims with at least a 25mm internal rim width.
All complete Racemax2 Italia bikes come with 29mm (3T Discus 45I40 LTD) or 32mm (Zipp 303 XPLR SW) internal rim width wheels to get the most out of those wider tires.
Find the tire with your desired WAM and RAM.
As the WAM changes, so does the RAM.
We’re optimizing the tire width (WAM) for more grip and lower rolling resistance, and at the same time also the tire height (RAM) to reduce the gap between the tire and the frame for aerodynamics.
We recommend the tires below based on:
-
WAM & RAM
-
Tire profile
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Casing design
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Rolling resistance (best compromise between grip and rolling resistance )
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Puncture resistance (best compromise between robustness, weight and flexibility )
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Aerodynamics (this one is tough as we can’t put every tire in the wind tunnel)
Please note that while WAM & RAM measurements are more accurate than the dimensions on the tire label, there are still variations:
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WAM & RAM are measured at 3 bar. Lower pressure will result in a slightly lower RAM & WAM (results may vary depending on the brand and tire model averaging between 1 and 2 mm). A higher pressure (within the limits of recommended tire pressure) does the opposite and could further limit tire clearance.
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While inner rim width is the single most important rim factor, the exact shape of the rim bed and depth of the flanges also affects the shape and size of the tire mounted.
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Tires vary due to production conditions, so two identically labelled tires from different production batches may size out differently. This means that an individual tire’s RAM may be off by a few mm (much less for WAM), and that is a lot when you’re trying to create a proper fit between tire and seat tube.
So, with WAM and RAM, we’ve gotten closer to a solution, but we’re not 100% there yet.
Always check for sufficient clearance between the specific tire and rim you use and your frame and fork, irrespective of WAM & RAM listed here. For the Racemax2 Italia we recommend a minimum of 5mm clearance, but keep in mind that certain riding conditions may require sizing down the tire to increase clearance, for instance in muddy conditions.
|
RIM INNER WIDTH |
TIRE BRAND AND MODEL |
ETRTO (OR LABEL) |
WAM (mm) |
RAM (mm) |
|
29mm |
MAXXIS RAMBLER |
38/622 |
41,5 |
353,5 |
|
29mm |
CONTINENTAL TERRA SPEED |
40/622 |
42 |
353 |
|
29mm |
MAXXIS RAMBLER |
40/622 |
42,5 |
355 |
|
29mm |
MAXXIS RECEPTOR |
40/622 |
43 |
353,5 |
|
29mm |
MAXXIS RAVAGER |
40/622 |
43,5 |
356,5 |
|
29mm |
MAXXIS REAVER |
40/622 |
43,5 |
354 |
|
29mm |
PANARACER GRAVELKING X1 |
40/622 |
42 |
353,5 |
|
29mm |
PANARACER GRAVELKING SS+ |
40/622 |
43 |
353,5 |
|
25mm |
PIRELLI PZERO RACE TLR |
40/622 |
41,5 |
353,5 |
|
25mm |
PIRELLI CINTURATO GRAVEL M |
40/622 |
42,5 |
356 |
|
29mm |
PIRELLI CINTURATO RC |
40/622 |
43,5 |
355 |
|
29mm |
PIRELLI CINTURATO GRAVEL M |
40/622 |
43,5 |
356,5 |
|
29mm |
Schwalbe G-One RX pro |
40/622 |
41 |
354,5 |
|
29mm |
Schwalbe Overland 365 |
40/622 |
41 |
353 |
|
29mm |
Schwalbe G-One Bite |
40/622 |
41,5 |
353 |
|
29mm |
Schwalbe G-One RS |
40/622 |
42,5 |
354 |
|
32mm |
Schwalbe G-One RS |
40/622 |
43 |
353,5 |
|
29mm |
VITTORIA TERRENO T50 GRAVEL RACE |
40/622 |
42 |
353 |
|
29mm |
VITTORIA TERRENO T50 Gravel endrurance |
40/622 |
42,5 |
353,5 |
|
25mm |
VITTORIA TERRENO T30 Gravel endurance |
40/622 |
42,5 |
356 |
|
32mm |
ZIPP G40 XPLR |
40/622 |
44,5 |
355 |
|
29mm |
TERAVAIL WASHBURN LIGHT |
42/622 |
41,5 |
353 |
|
29mm |
TERAVAIL RAMPART |
42/622 |
44 |
354,5 |
|
29mm |
TERAVAIL RUTLAND DURABLE |
42/622 |
45,5 |
357 |
|
29mm |
PANARACER GRAVELKING |
43/622 |
44,5 |
355 |
|
29mm |
PANARACER GRAVELKING SK |
43/622 |
44,5 |
355,5 |
|
29mm |
RENE HERSE SNOQUALMIE PASS |
44/622 |
45 |
355,5 |
|
29mm |
RENE HERSE CORKSCREW CLIMB |
44/622 |
46 |
355,5 |
|
29mm |
CONTINENTAL TERRA TRAIL |
45/622 |
47 |
359 |
|
29mm |
CONTINENTAL TERRA ADVENTURE |
45/622 |
46,5 |
360 |
|
32mm |
GOOD YEAR XPLR INTER |
45/622 |
44 |
353 |
|
29mm |
MAXXIS RAVAGER |
45/622 |
46,5 |
361 |
|
29mm |
MAXXIS RAMBLER |
45/622 |
47,5 |
360 |
|
29mm |
MAXXIS REAVER |
45/622 |
48 |
359,5 |
|
29mm |
PANARACER GRAVELKING SS+ |
45/622 |
47,5 |
359 |
|
29mm |
PANARACER GRAVELKING X1 |
45/622 |
48 |
359,5 |
|
29mm |
PANARACER R |
45/622 |
48,5 |
360 |
|
29mm |
PIRELLI CINTURATO Adventure |
45/622 |
45 |
356 |
|
29mm |
PIRELI CINTURATO GRAVEL H |
45/622 |
48 |
359,5 |
|
29mm |
PIRELI CINTURATO GRAVEL M |
45/622 |
48 |
359,5 |
|
29mm |
PIRELLI CINTURATO RC |
45/622 |
49,5 |
361 |
|
29mm |
Schwalbe G-One RS pro |
45/622 |
47,5 |
359 |
|
32mm |
Schwalbe G-One R |
45/622 |
47,5 |
358 |
|
32mm |
Schwalbe G-One RS |
45/622 |
48 |
358,5 |
|
29mm |
VITTORIA TERRENO T50 Gravel Endurance |
45/622 |
46 |
357,5 |
|
29mm |
VITTORIA TERRENO T30 Gravel Endurance |
45/622 |
47 |
359 |
|
29mm |
MICHELIN POWER GRAVEL |
47/622 |
50 |
362,5 |
|
29mm |
TERAVAIL CANNONBALL |
47/622 |
48,5 |
359,5 |
|
29mm |
TERAVAIL RUTLAND LIGHT |
47/622 |
50 |
361 |
|
29mm |
TERAVAIL WASHBURN LIGHT |
47/622 |
50 |
361,5 |
|
29mm |
MICHELIN POWER ADVENTURE CL |
48/622 |
49,5 |
361,5 |
|
29mm |
RENE HERSE HATCHER PASS |
48/622 |
50,5 |
362,5 |
|
29mm |
RENE HERSE ORACLE RIDGE |
48/622 |
50,5 |
362,5 |
|
29mm |
CONTINENTAL HARDPACK |
50/622 |
51 |
363 |
|
32mm |
GOOD YEAR XPLR INTER |
50/622 |
50,5 |
362 |
|
29mm |
PANARACER GRAVELKING X1 |
50/622 |
51 |
363 |
|
29mm |
Schwalbe g one speed |
50/622 |
49,5 |
360,5 |
|
29mm |
Schwalbe G-One Bite |
50/622 |
51 |
361,5 |
|
29mm |
Schwalbe Overland |
50/622 |
51 |
362,5 |