Developing the Original All-Road Tires
The Original All-Road Tires
Rene Herse Cycles was a driving force behind the wide-tire revolution that has swept the bike world in recent years. Way back in 2006, we coined the term ‘all-road bike’ to describe a new breed of bicycle we envisioned: bikes that combined road-bike speed with the go-anywhere ability of wide tires. Bikes like that did not exist, and to turn that vision into reality, we needed completely new tires that were supple and wide. Here is the story of how we developed our Rene Herse tires, and how constant innovation has kept them ahead of the competition.
Discovering Hidden Gravel Roads
1990s
Riding in the Cascade Mountains, we discovered the joys of gravel riding. We realized that our narrow racing tires were reaching their limits on rough surfaces. We started dreaming of wide and supple high-performance tires that would float over gravel, rather than grind through it.
Wide Tires Can Roll Fast
2006
When we started riding on gravel, we wondered: Would it be possible to combine the speed of racing tires with the go-anywhere ability of wide tires? Testing on real roads, with a rider on the bike, we found that wide tires could be as fast as narrow ones, and that high pressure wasn’t needed for optimum performance.
Hand-made All-Road Tire Prototypes
2014
When we started to develop the tires we wanted for our adventures, there were no suitable tire molds. So we used the tooling for a mountain bike tire to make knobby prototypes with extra-supple casings. Then our friend, the framebuilder Peter Weigle, shaved off the knobs. Now we had ultra-wide, ultra-supple tires that we could test on pavement and gravel.
Ultra-Wide All-Road Tires
2015
When we wanted to make 55 mm-wide all-road tires, nobody had ever ridden supple high-performance tires this wide. Would these tires work in the real world, or would they bounce like basketballs? In our testing, we discovered that ultra-wide tires offer previously unimagined speed on gravel. And with so much rubber on the road, they grip much better on pavement, too.
Dual-Purpose Knobbies for Mixed Surfaces
2018
Where conventional knobbies add knobs on top of the tire surface, we started with a slick tread and removed material until only knobs remained—but kept enough material to preserve the grip and speed of the original slicks. On asphalt, the big knobs don’t squirm or fold over: These knobbies roll as fast and corner as well as the best slick tires. In loose and slippery conditions, large knobs and generous negative space provide superb traction.
Endurance Casings for the Toughest Races and Adventures
2019
Our extra-strong Endurance and Endurance Plus casings came out of our collaboration with gravel racer Ted King. These tires are toughened with extra protection against punctures and sidewall cuts, while maintaining the speed and supple ride that has made Rene Herse tires famous. Perfect for races and adventures where you don’t know what lies ahead.
World’s First Tires with Noise Cancellation
2020
We teamed up with ultra-racing legend Lael Wilcox to develop the ultimate tires for bikepacking and ultra-distance racing. These new dual-purpose knobbies feature our noise cancellation technology: The frequencies of the knobs hitting the ground cancel each other, so they roll as quietly as smooth all-road tires—and just as fast. Finally a knobby tire you can ride all the time!
Performance Awards
2021
Our Fleecer Ridge received two of the most prestigious awards in cycling: Bikepacking.com’s Gear of the Year award and the 2021 Design & Innovation Award. One jury noted that the Fleecer Ridges are “extraordinarily fast-rolling and tough.” The other was impressed by the “excellent traction both off-road and on asphalt” and the “predictable handling.”
Tire Pressure Calculator
2022
The first tire pressure calculator that’s based on science, not just educated guesswork. We took data from hundreds of real-road performance tests of tires from 20 to 55 mm wide. We distilled all this information into a calculator that actually shows you how to minimize rolling resistance and get the most out of your tires.
Brake Support Technology
2023
The 700C x 44 mm Manastash Ridge is the first tire with our Brake Support technology, with specially shaped and arranged knobs to handle the massive g-forces of hydraulic disc brakes without flexing or folding over. This is the first knobby that doesn’t just roll as fast and quietly as a slick, but also brakes as well.
Supple Tubeless Road Tires
2024
After revolutionizing gravel and all-road tires, we returned to our road cycling roots and developed the ultra-supple tubeless Orondo Grade tires. At 31 mm wide, they are optimized for modern road bikes. The Orondos have already been ridden to podium finishes in some of the biggest road races, like the 2024 Sea Otter Classic (left).
Revolutionary Semi-Slicks
2025
Where other semi-slicks have distinct tread zones, our smooth center tread transitions gradually into the side knobs, for consistent grip as the bike leans into corners. The first row of side knobs is anchored on the center tread for superior traction. The radius of the tread is significantly larger than the radius of the casing—effectively creating a tire that corners like a much-wider tire. Revolutionary? We think so.
